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Reflex has just launched the Reflex I: the first newly-designed manual 35mm SLR system to see the light of day in more than 25 years. The camera pairs a classic look with a modular design that enables personalization, including an interchangeable film back and lens mount. Reflex I supports legacy lenses, as well as both personally designed 3D-printed components and third-party accessories.
To help fuel the customization options, Reflex plans to freely release most of the camera’s electronic and hardware designs once the camera officially hits shelves. Notable among the modular design is Reflex’s I-Plate and included universal M42 lens mount; the company says buyers can also use alternative mounts compatible with Nikon F, Olympus OM, Canon FD, and Pentax PK lenses.
Loading film, meanwhile, has been simplified via the modular I-Back, an interchangeable back piece that enables photographers to pre-load film for rapidly swapping to a different film during a shoot. Other modern features hope to join these two modular components, though their inclusion will partly depend on how successful the Reflex’s Kickstarter funding campaign is.
The Reflex I features an integrated flash and continuous LED light source, a first for analog cameras, according to the company. Photographers can select between three different LED intensities, plus the flash.
Assuming the Kickstarter campaign reaches at least £150k in funding, the company plans to integrate the Reflex I with a companion mobile app that will log the settings for each film and shot, enabling photographers to note the settings used to capture their favorite photos.
Reflex is offering the Reflex I camera body early bird units to backers who pledge at least £350 / $ 458 on Kickstarter. Deliveries to those backers are estimated to begin in August 2018. The Kickstarter campaign also offers other rewards for different backing tiers, such as a bundle with just the I-Back and I-Mount, a prime lens, “Analogue Pack,” and more.
Check out the campaign page for more details.
Camera Specifications:
- Type: Single Lens Reflex Camera
- Format: 135 film, 35mm/FF
- System: Reflex RM
- Lens Mount: Reflex I-Plate (in M42, Nikon F, Canon FD, Olympus OM, Pentax PK)
- Focus: Manual
- Film Loading: Reflex I-Back
- Film Advance/Rewind: Manual
- Exposure: Manual – Aperture Priority (+ 4 stops EV)
- DOF inverted preview
- Shutter Speeds: 1s – 1/4000th, Time and Bulb
- Metering: AV + Spot + 4 stops EV
- ISO: 25-6400
- Controller: Arduino based modular design
- Connectivity: Bluetooth (BLE) enabled
- Body: Magnesium Alloy
- Weight: 490g
- Dimensions: 134mm x 74.5mm x 34mm
- Electronic system: 5v Ion Lithium rechargeable via USB-C
- Resolution: Zero Megapixels
Articles: Digital Photography Review (dpreview.com)
