Hong Kong, SAR
Hong Kong-designer Gary Leung has designed a 1960’s hand-cranked instant camera that uses photographic experience using the most basic optical theory and a ubiquitous Instax film.
Launched as a Kickstarter campaign, the ESCURA Instant-60s Camera recently won a 2020 Good Design Award from The Chicago Athenaeum.
CARBON is a brand of Graphic Guides Design Company, founded in Hong Kong since 1995.
They created a novelty digital camera called “One Mini” in 2012, which was designed to resemble a pocket-sized version of Polaroid’s iconic SX-70 One Step Instant Camera.
Six years later, Leung has created another iconic camera—the “Escura Instant-60s” which is 100% hand-powered, 100% manual, 100% analog, coated with a nostalgic retro outlook.
The camera features a 60mm equivalent lens, two aperture options — F8 and F11 — and a shutter speed of roughly 1/100th of a second. There’s also a bulb shutter mode when using the optional spring shutter release cable.
As with past battery-free cameras and printers we’ve seen, the process is as simple as turning the winding mechanism after capturing a shot. As you turn it, the print runs through the rollers and is fed out the top, ready to sit and be developed over the course of 90 seconds or so.
There is no re-take nor no post-production polishing. The full manual operation will produce a fantastic picture filled with strong saturated colors and soft vignetting in just seconds after pushing the shutter.
Instant photos are amazing as you can witness the image form gradually before your eyes.
The camera is compatible with any commonly used Fujifilm Instax Mini instant film.
Designer: Gary Leung
Manufacturer: CARBON/Graphic Guides Design Company