The I’m Back Roll looks like a roll of film, but the upcoming gadget actually gives old film cameras the ability to shoot 26.1MP digital images. Now, the gadget’s crowd-funding campaign has been so successful that the conversion kit can even add a digital touchscreen to retro cameras.
The I’m Back Roll crams an APS-C sensor, digital storage, and a battery into what looks like an outstretched roll of 35mm film. The gadget’s goal is to give retro film cameras the ability to shoot digital, including wireless transfers to a smartphone – and yes, cameras can revert back to film when wanted too.
But, the Kickstarter campaign for the upcoming digital conversion kit has been so successful that the brand has now managed to add an optional add-on: an LCD screen. The screen is optional, so photographers who still want a screen-free digital shooting experience can still get one with the I’m Back Roll.
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But the optional add-on allows photographers to put a 2.5-inch external touchscreen display with converted cameras. The screen requires the battery pack add-on and connects to the Roll with a flexible cable.
The company says the screen was one of the most requested features, so as the campaign surpassed its original goal, the screen was added as an add-on. But these add-ons also sit outside the camera.
For photographers that opt not to use the frame, the I’m Back Roll will come with frame overlay guides – stickers that indicate roughly how the view from the 35mm viewfinder will look on a cropped APS-C sensor inside. These guides sit on the focusing screen on SLRs on the viewfinder on rangefinders.
The company is also offering an optional electronic viewfinder that sits in the camera’s hot shoe slot and connects to the I’m Back Roll via an HDMI cord.
I understand why the screen is one of the biggest requests from photographers – seeing the images before you take them (and right after too) is one of the biggest advantages of going digital. But, I think keeping the camera screen free will maintain more of the film-like feel with less bulk outside the camera, so I'd personally skip the screen.
The company I’m Back has tried for years to build a device that converts existing film cameras to digital – and if this new campaign, which was fully funded in under 12 minutes and has now surpassed US$800,000, is any indication, the I’m Back Roll could be the start-up’s best attempt yet.
Earlier I’m Back campaigns required additional hardware on the outside of the camera. The I’m Back Roll – if backers opt not to add on the screen, power pack or electronic viewfinders – sits inside most 35mm cameras with only a Bluetooth remote on the outside. The add-ons, however, do sit outside the camera.
I’m Back says that the kit fits in most 35mm cameras that have a removable back as well as most cameras with a horizontal film door. The sensor section of the kit is about 4mm thick. Smaller cameras may not fit, and some – including some cameras with vertical doors – will need a custom 3D printed back. The company’s list of supported cameras is available on the Kickstarter page.
The external screen will add about US$51 / £38 / AU$71 / CA$69 to the cost, and the external battery (which is required to use the screen) costs another $44 / £33 / AU$62 / CA$60, plus shipping.
The electronic viewfinder is a $340 / £252 / AU$474 / CA$466 add-on, with the battery included.
Those add-on costs are on top of the I’m Back Roll itself. The version with 64GB of storage is expected to retail for about $699 / £529 / AU$1013 / CA$975, but if the final steps are successful, early Kickstarter backers can get 29 percent off that price.
All crowdfunding projects carry some risk to the investor. The I’m Back Roll has surpassed the original goal, but the company is finalizing the mechanics and is now estimating a December 2027 delivery.
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Another option for a film-like look on digital? Convert an old film lens to fit on a mirrorless camera. Or, keep it analog and browse the best film cameras.
