Tech Watch: The Blackbird, Fly

With the self-obsessed majority of us as of late Instagramming, wiping memory cards and generally scrutinizing our cameras’ built-in screens before snapping a few dozen disposable shots, it’s easy to forget how far we’ve come in such a relatively short period of time. To think, could we snap our cats doing dumb shit (under the apparent guise of “cuteness”) with our smartphones 10 years ago?

While it’s easy to get caught up in the general consumer tech trends of new year, new camera, new higher resolution, we still get nostalgic over the fun times locked in the school darkroom with an ex-girlfriend, waiting for photos to develop. (FYI, keep that stuff far away from any naughty bits if you’re going to mess around in pitch darkness.)

For those who remember those halcyon days, there’s a sick new way to feel like an old pro again that still uses film — yes, actual film! The Blackbird, Fly is a plastic twin-lens reflex (TLR) camera that channels the classic Holga cameras (infamous for light leaks, giving each individual photo a special flair). The two objective lenses means there is one lens taking the photo and a secondary viewfinding lens below.

With a plethora of customizations from colors to flashes, this is a fun, versatile camera that’s great to hone that traditional eye for a great image. At only about $100 a pop, how can you go wrong?

Make sure to check out the great Flickr stream of images submitted by current users of the Blackbird TRL.

Pick one up here.