"Impossible" lens on Leica CL
Do you remember “The Impossible Project”?
The company which brought back Polaroid size instant film and made a Polaroid printer?
Do you remember the “Impossible Instant Lab” printer?
When it launched, I got it, exited to be able to print from my phone, into polaroid film.
Unfortunately, some time ago it broke, and I was no longer able to use it.
As with my custom goes, when something breaks, I like to disassemble the device and see how it was built.
After my teardown was finished, I was left with the lens of the printer.
I am not sure about what focal length the lens is, but if you look for the new printer Polaroid has made out of the initial Impossible Project, it looks like a 35mm focal, made to cover the surface of Polaroid film. (3.1in or around 8cm).
Polaroid Lab lens.
With the lens in my hands, I would have loved to see how it performed on a regular mirrorless camera.
I looked for a 3D printing shop near me and had myself printed a mount for the “Impossible Lab” lens.
It’s a very simple mount. A prototype I would say. The original idea was to make something better if I was satisfied with the picture result, feel or aesthetics of the lens.
The cavity to hold the lens is just a cylinder. To focus, I manually move the lens back and forth with my hands. Because I own a Leica CL, the chosen bayonet was the L-mount.
I tested it a bit, then forgot about it until recently.
Back to present, I tested it again, around my Tokyo neighbourhood and today I would like to share some of the pictures with you.
What do you think?
At the end of the video below, you can find a test video recorded with the Impossible Lab lens.
Thanks for reading.
Tomas.
