This instant camera takes Canon lenses!

Nons SL42 This instant camera takes Canon lenses!
(Image credit: Kibitan / Kibidango)

Have you dreamed of having an instant camera that takes Instax Mini film and Canon EF lenses? Well, now you can have one thanks to the Nons SL42 – a brand new camera that's currently being crowdfunded in Japan.

If you love the unique lo-fi look that you get from the best instant cameras, but you also want to create instant photographs with glorious bokeh, dramatic depth of field and precise focus, now you can mount the best Canon lenses – as well as other lenses that work with EF mount adapters, including some medium format glass!

The Nons SL42 enables you to choose your lens, focal length and aperture for full control over the brightness and creativity of your images. You can, for example, use a fisheye lens or tilt-shift lens for ultra-quirky instant photos. Or even take instant pics using a wide-angle lens for landscapes or telephoto lens for wildlife. 

The camera accepts standard Instax Mini film – the same stuff used by popular cameras like the Instax Mini 11 – so you don't have to worry about hunting down expensive or exotic film stock. 

There is a caveat, which is that your images will all feature a 'porthole' as if they were taken on a fisheye – something that is dictated by the image circle on the lens you're mounting, so some will be larger, smaller or softer than others. 

Like most instant cameras the Nons SL42 is quite a chunky device, as it accommodates large film packs. It measures 158 x 65 x 116mm and weighs in at 462g, and is powered by two AA batteries. 

It features a cool vintage SLR-style body, befitting the DSLR lenses you can mount to it – including M42 lenses, via an adapter included in the box. As you might imagine, there are no electrical contacts to control the lens you attach, so you'll be operating everything manually. 

The cameras possesses a hot shoe (although it appears to be a cold show on the early images of the prototype) on which you can mount a flash or radio trigger. It can shoot at shutter speeds of 1/250, 1/125, 1/60, 1/30, 1/15, 1/8, 1/4, 1/2 and 1 second.

The Nons SL42 is currently available for ¥34,500 (approximately $329 / £255 / AU$468) if backed with the ultra-early discount, while its standard price will be ¥43,100 ($412 / £319 / AU$585). 

It still has some way to go to meet its target of  ¥3,500,000 ($33,423 / £25,873 / AU$47,525), but it has until 24 December to reach it. For more information, visit the Japanese crowdfunding page

Read more: 

The best instant cameras – from best instax to best Polaroid cameras
Best digital instant cameras: hybrid cameras and instant printers
Instax Mini 11 review
Early Black Friday Instax film deals – great buys on print packs in an instant!

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James Artaius
Editor

The editor of Digital Camera World, James has 21 years experience as a journalist and started working in the photographic industry in 2014 (as an assistant to Damian McGillicuddy, who succeeded David Bailey as Principal Photographer for Olympus). In this time he shot for clients like Aston Martin Racing, Elinchrom and L'Oréal, in addition to shooting campaigns and product testing for Olympus, and providing training for professionals. This has led him to being a go-to expert for camera and lens reviews, photo and lighting tutorials, as well as industry news, rumors and analysis for publications like Digital Camera MagazinePhotoPlus: The Canon MagazineN-Photo: The Nikon MagazineDigital Photographer and Professional Imagemaker, as well as hosting workshops and talks at The Photography Show. He also serves as a judge for the Red Bull Illume Photo Contest. An Olympus and Canon shooter, he has a wealth of knowledge on cameras of all makes – and a fondness for vintage lenses and instant cameras.