Introducing the New Nana 35mm Camera: What to Expect



Say Hello to "Nana": Your Ultimate Film Photography Companion

Three years ago, FilmNeverDie introduced the Niji 35mm reusable film camera, pioneering an era of nostalgia and creativity. It was a remarkable journey, and it will forever hold a special place in our hearts. But, as they say, change is the only constant, and today, we are excited to introduce the next chapter in your film photography adventure.

From the very inception of Niji, we've been pondering how to enhance the film camera experience. It's in our DNA to constantly explore the horizon, be it through innovative tools for the lab or, in this case, an improved camera to make your film photography journey even more enchanting and seamless.

Ladies and gentlemen, we proudly present "Nana" – a name that signifies grace, ladyhood, spring, and even the number 7 in various languages. In Thai, it also means a 'Meeting Place'. This camera is not just a product; it's the first step in an elegant rendezvous with innovation.

With the spirit of its name in mind, Nana comes with not one but three significant upgrades:

1. Motorized Magic: No more manual winding! Nana takes care of that for you, making your photo-taking process smoother and more enjoyable.

2. Aesthetically Pleasing - a Metal Body: Inspired by the finely crafted Contax T2, Nana boasts a premium metal body casing with a minimalist design. It's a step up from the Niji and the typical 35mm reusable cameras.

3. Sharper Shots -  Nana is designed with a new optical system that excels not only in portraits but also in capturing breathtaking landscapes with improved sharpness compared to the Niji. 

You might wonder, "How sharp is sharp?" Well, see the samples below for a taste of what Nana can achieve.

Release and Pre-order Information: We are currently in the final tooling stage and to make this dream a reality, we need your support to perfect the Dual Focus mode and add another Portrait lens element on the 30mm thread of the camera.

Today, we're thrilled to open pre-orders for Nana. However, as the name suggests, it will take 7 months to deliver this incredible product to your hands. But don't fret – we've been hard at work, and we already have a working prototype and since Oct 2023 we have improve the sharpness of the landscape photo which you can see in the Kickstarter campaign.

This confidence allows us to offer Nana at an amazing early bird price point. We aim for a retail price of  $350 - 395 AUD (updated from original $299.95 AUD when published in Oc 2023,) but if you pre-order today, you can secure it for just $225 for a limited time, via Kickstarter. 

Nana, like our CP800, is set to revolutionize the market. We can't wait to capture beautiful moments using the Nana camera at future Film Never Die meet ups’

What we share so far on Instagram : 

For the tech enthusiasts, here's what we can share about the camera:

Inspiration for design: We drew inspiration from the design and outer body of the Contax T2 premium point-and-shoot camera. Our goal was to replicate or come as close as possible to creating something similar. However, it's important to note that this first version falls considerably short of the Contax T2, especially at this price point. Hence, the metal body construction.

Regarding the focusing mechanism…
The Nana focusing system: an update, initially we wanted to draw inspiration from tiling the film plane with the camera back (see the next paragraph from the original write up of this blog post).

However after countless hours of experimentation, doing such a mechanism is possible but will increase at least another 50-100mm from the back of the camera and the mechanism itself could prove problematic for durability.

Thus we pivot to the front of the camera and our next research and development goal will be to add on lens element using the 30mm thread size to allow better portrait photos. This is where we need you to further support us in this research and development endeavour thus the Kickstarter.

( Original write up in Oct 2023  : our camera boasts nearly 100 moving parts at the front of the unit. Incorporating autofocus was a significant challenge. During our research, we stumbled upon the Ricoh YF20-E, which allowed the lens to move by pulling a lever in front of the camera, thus changing the focus point. This gave us an idea: what if we could shift the back of the camera? While we're not the first to attempt this, we were inspired by the old-school medium format cameras and the Contax AX. We found fascinating stories on Emulsive.org that delve into this concept further (you can read them here: Link)).

Tech Specs:

• 31mm f/11 fixed lens , 1/125s , 1 element lens ( updated from 31mm f/9, when first published this blog)
• Dual focus mode achieved by adding a different lens element on the front of 30mm thread (updated from shifting the film plane of the camera, when first published this blog)
• Built-in flash
• Operates on AA batteries
• Sturdy metal front casing
• Motorised film wind on and wind off ( toggle button )

Believe in the magic of film photography, and join us on this enchanting journey with Nana.Thank you for being a part of our ever-growing film photography community, please support and or help spread the word. 

See this Kickstarter page for more information and the latest test shot from the Nana Camera prototype.