Bonzart Ampel Digital TLR Camera From Japan
This looks like an amazing little toy camera that hardly deserves the title of ‘toy’. There won’t be a hipster photog worth their Holga that won’t be beating back their fellows with up-cycled seat belt camera straps when this gem hits the market. This 5 mega pixel twin lend digital camera boasts a 2 inch LCD screen in a waist level viewfinder, multiple artistic shooting modes (B&W, sepia,vivid, high contrast…), a real ’tilt-shift’ lens in addition to a regular lens so you can make things look tiny, magnet rings for adding other lenses or physical filters, and runs on AA batteries! All this and more for around $180 USD (14,700 JPY) Oh, it will also take videos.
USB beans and yet another ‘toy’ camera
Bonz.jp (Makers page in Japanese)
Gajetdaisuke (Japanese page but well worth to translate)
Flickr user Jet Daisuke has more photos of the camera!
Posted: April 20th, 2012
at 6:44pm by John
Tagged with camera, clever, Japan, neat, Photography, toy camera
Categories: Fun,Japan,Photography,Technology
Comments: No comments
The Classic Macintosh iPad Stand
A clever hack that combines a Mac Classic with a brand spanking new Apple iPad. No, the Mac Classic no longer works after this hack but you have to admit that it’s better than leaving to molder on a closet shelf somewhere.
iPad のスタンドを自作してみる – Macintosh iPad Stand | site hirac.
[Translated via the mighty Google so non-Japanese folks can read it]
Ancient Dogoo Girl
I’m not sure what comment, if any is appropriate for this Japanese TV show. Wow…
Well, you watch this trailer for The Amazing Dogoo Girl — which is going to be a prime-time Japanese TV show from the makers of The Machine Girl, Ju-On and Tokyo Gore Police — and you tell me. Not only is it primetime, it’s replacing perennial children’s TV classic Ultraman, meaning this is more or less designed for Japanese boys aged 6-11 or so… and yet features a heroine with magic breasts, not to mention the villains with evil breasts (like the bee woman). The show isn’t technically as weird as Robogeisha, but I’d say these circumstances propel it past even the legendary Geisha Chainsaw in terms of total insanity
[Thanks to Lonelocust for this one]
Rubber Band Gun Mayhem
Not only is this super fun looking, but there are some very nice build photos that show how the SRBG2007SideWinder is constructed. Electric powered, fires hundreds of shots, simple design, what more could you ask for in a rubber band gun?
But if that wasn’t cool enough, you should look through the pages of the Japan Rubber Band Gun Shooting Association. Yes, there is a group of people that get together and compare notes on how to build rubber band guns.
[via Japan Probe]
SRBG2007SideWinder photo gallery
Japan Rubber Band Gun Shooting Association
(in Google English)
Posted: August 10th, 2009
at 7:09am by John
Tagged with Japan
Categories: Cool,Design,DIY,Japan,To be used for Evil
Comments: No comments
Blackbird Fly TLR Camera
Using traditional film has become the ‘hip cool thing’ for photographers these days. The heck with the instant gratification and low cost of use that digital gives you, shoot with a medium that you have to wait for the results until after you get it back from the expensive lab. Don’t worry if you think the only place you can find a film camera is at a thrift store or a collectible camera store, you can still buy them new. I happened across this fine example of a modern 35mm camera the other day. I give you the Blackbird Fly TLR (wiki: Twin-Lens Reflex). The camera sports a waist level viewfinder, two shutter speeds (bulb and 1/125) and two apature sizes (f-7 and f-11), three format (normal 24mm x 36mm, square 24mm x 24mm, and a full frame with sprocket holes) masks, a hot shoe for a flash, and a manual variable focus (.8 m to infinity). These specs won’t hold up next to a Rollei or a Seagull but then you aren’t paying for that. You get a cool yet functional retro looking (in three colors no less) camera that lets you get all creative with your snapshots. Plus as it uses standard 35mm film you can grab film for is just about anywhere (a little tip: get the out of date stuff, it’s cheap and if the colors are a bit off you can credit that to your artistic abilities).
[via Trends in Japan]
Support my blog and pick up a Blackbird Fly in blue, black, or orange from my Amazon store.
Posted: May 30th, 2009
at 8:59am by John
Tagged with Japan
Categories: Cool,Japan,Photography
Comments: No comments
Striped House Makes Neighbors See Red
I don’t see a serious problem with this but then again I’m not Japanese. I don’t have conformity drilled into my brain since birth.
Renowned manga artist Kazuo Umezu (official web site) decided to go against the flow of his countrymen and painted red and white stripes on his new home. Rather fetching I say. His neighbors were not amused by his artistic antics and did what pissy neighbors do best, took him to court. After the case was reviewed by a judge the house was deemed to attract attention but not to destroy the view.
“Umezu, who attended court wearing a red-and-white striped tie, told reporters after the ruling, ‘‘I would like to live showing respect to others.’’”
Ha! Take that you repressed geezers!
Court turns down neighbors’ plea for cartoonist to remove stripes from house
