To lighten or darken in landscape mode, use ND gels over the lens to darken and over the sensor to lighten. A Roscolux swatch book ($10) gives you 2/3 stop #397, 1 stop (#97), 1.4 stop (#398), and 2 stops (#98). I use removable double-sided tape to fix the gels. A 67mm polarizer slips over the lens barrel nicely, covering both the lens & sensor. Have fun tricking the camera. Also, with the camera on a tripod use the double exposure mode to increase long exposure from 1.6 sec to 3.2 sec.
Thank you Toni (that is your name, right? 😀) They were definitely happy selfies. I hope all's well with you and that things aren't too crazy where you are.
@@ChrisBoland Yes you got my name right 😀 Thank you Chris, hope you're doing well too. Tomorrow our City will be on enhance community quarantine, not everyone is getting help from the government 😪 btw where you from again?
@@ttoniross It's getting serious everywhere isn't it. We are told to stay at home, but can leave for daily exercise and essential shopping. But things might need to get tighter. I live in St Ives near Cambridge in England - goo.gl/maps/4es2iWRxuBqxWHNk6 It's quite rural around here, so you can go for walks without passing too many people. It's a little boring and a little scary, but I get the feeling it hasn't really started yet. Just trying to keep happy and creative.
@@ChrisBoland ohH my your place is beautiful, right now I prefer to be in a rural place as long as I have enough supplies and utilities. We are not allowed to go out for walks, one quarantine pass for every household and there's curfew. For a while I forget about the scary stuff because of your stories and beautiful photos, so thank you. Stay safe and stay healthy Chris 🙂
your example of the red color gel made a subtle, but really impactful difference. not only in the trees, but it made some of the buildings in the background a lil more brown vs without it, instax tends to make the shadows/shade really cool and blue
Glad to see you got back to the UK safely Chris! You're calming videos of late during all this Pandemic and the news I hear of Spain and Italy made me wonder whether you'd manage to get back to the UK. So welcome back, even though it is rather strange here currently. Your video has made me think because my daughter, just this very evening, has stuck a collage of photos taken with her Instax Mini on her bedroom door. It's a wonderful set of memories and I was talking to her about the new back that is been designed for the Hasselblad V-System to get 6" square instants with that line of camera. It's too expensive for me (said to be around $700) but having watched your video, I might check out the Instax SQ6. She does like her Instax Mini though, so I probably won't tkae it much further but interesting regardless.
Thanks very much Ted. I had to cut my holiday a little bit short, but it was for the best. I've been back a couple of weeks or so now, but it feels like a lifetime ago. I saw the Hasselblad back and it looks great, I don't have much experience of medium format - I don't have a medium format camera at all. I definitely recommend the sq6 camera, I think the bigger prints make quite a difference compared to the minis. But they're fun too! Thanks again Ted 👍👍
One more tip: use an off camera flash with an optical slave trigger for better light & greater distance. You can either cover the front of the camera flash (side "spill" is enough to trigger the off camera unit) or leave the camera flash uncovered for some fill in closer than 9 ft. situations. Set the external flash to +/- f/11 @ 800 ISO.
Hi, very helpful, but I still have a couple of questions: 1) I don’t quite understand the very differences between “selfie mode” and “ macro mode” since the have the same focal distance. 2) what’s the focus distance when shooting automatic, or double exposure or lighten and darken mode. They just specify the focus distance when shooting macro, selfie and landscapes. Thank you!
Hey David, thanks for watching and for your questions. Regarding selfie and macro, I don't know for sure, but it's possible they're the same. It's designed to look and be very simple to use, do it wouldn't surprise me if they just thought it was best to have a mode for each scenario - but I don't know for sure. As for the regular focal distance, if macro is 0.3 metres, and landscapes beyond 2, then I guess regular would be in between. To be honest I didn't think about it too much and enjoyed using it.
I have the instax wide, but I've always considered trading it in for the SQ6 because it's more compact. Your video is definitely pushing me closer to making that leap. Love the double exposure at 4:21
That’s it! I was conflicted between this or the wide but I’m convinced this is the one for me! Absolutely BEAUTIFUL shots you took! What film did you use?
I love your photos and this video, really one of the best ones of this camera. What I really do wonder is how did you get your shots so well exposed? No over exposed skies and pics? I have not seen that dark, lovely blue skies in bright day with this camera. Did you use the minus exposure setting?
Thank you very much. It's been a long time since I used this camera, so my memory about the settings isn't very good at all. I think you are likely right though - I probably underexposed a bit and I think I learned to mostly take shots of low dynamic range scenes. Sorry I can't help more.
@@ChrisBoland Thanks. May I ask why you stopped using it? I just ordered it after lots of research (wanted square format) and I am silently wondering here was it a mistake or not... 😄
Good one, Chris. I have the SP2 printer. Very fun and useful, but agree that it does not beat the authenticity of an actual instax camera. Might pick one eventually!
I really love how your photos had turned out, I think they're very artistic! Did you always use the flash even if you were outside and with enough light? I know it's been a while since you posted this video, but I recently got an Instax sq6 and I'm trying to figure out how to proper use this camera. Thank you!
Hello !Thank you for answering to one of my thoughts about the double exposure I was wondering if you have tricks and tips for the parallax problem ? I'm not very good at framing, I don't know if being a left handed looking through the viewer with my left eye plays a role or not (?) Thanks for your brilliant work and nice video 👌☺️
Hi, thank you very much. I think the parallax problem caught me out a few times here. Although most of my subjects were far enough away for it not to matter. You might try just pointing the lens at the subject. To be honest, I like the roughness of it all. Kind of like in lomography I try to not think too much. But that said - you do get immediate feedback from the photo, so it might be a case of trial and error. Sorry I don't have any better tips for this 🙂
@@ChrisBoland I just watched my old pictures, I'm hard on myself, I don't always remember on witch side I frame wrong while not using it for a moment but I see I got a little bit better with time, although I keep failing sometimes, for example, I'm often overexposed my blue skies come out white and very pale skins come out blurred or blinding White Anyway, I love this camera, I love the unexpecteds results and the uniqueness of each photos(this feelings are magicals), it's for me a way to let go my aspirations of perfection and controls, I want to get better because it would be sad for the price of 1 shot to only have failures but I enjoy some of them anyway (excuse my English, I'm french) Thanks for your previous answer and sorry for this long, long message, I can be passionate sometimes😸☺️
It's great to hear you're so into the camera. It's a fun one - frustrating sometimes, but it can give great results too. Have you shot much 35mm film? That might give you the colours and more precise composition you are looking for.
@@ChrisBoland I had a disposable this summer and I enjoyed shooting whit it, it's been a year that I'm thinking about getting a camera with 35mm, I made a few research and I took from eBay a second hand lomography la sardina, it has multiple exposures and you can rewind it if you accidentally forgot to remove the lens cap (now I'm waiting for it) even though I know there is better camera with more features, I want this feeling like when we were younger and not to much thinking about what we shoot. I don't know much about photography, I try to inform myself in a way to not waist every exposures ahah (like with the sq6)
I think you have a wonderful way of thinking about photography - to have that feeling of when we were younger. Keep hold of that and you won't need to learn much. Picasso said that it took him four years to learn how to paint like Rembrandt, but a lifetime to paint like a child 🙂
I love this video. It's nice to see something different but still within your style. Were there any criteria that made you use the instant camera over your other ones? Or was it more of a feeling that dictated when you'd use it? You're making me want to have another go at instant photography. I was given my aunt old Polaroid camera a while ago but it doesn't seem to work any longer. Maybe when we're allowed out, I'll invest in one of the Fuji instant cameras. Whenever I see people with them, they look very fun.
Hey Allysse. Thank you very much. Although I sometimes take a couple of cameras out with me, more recently I have been using one camera for a little phase and then using another. With this camera while in Spain I was more sure of the type of pictures that I wanted to take than I usually am. I bought a really beautiful little album to put my Málaga photos in and was aiming on taking around 20 or so that would capture the main scenes that would remind me of my visit. I developed this way of thinking maybe halfway through the film I used, so it wasn't quite as focused from the start. But I consciously only took one or two on the beach, looking down on the city, selfies etc - to try and capture a variety of scenes that meant a lot to me in as few shots as possible. Plus, I also took a few photos for the review such as the macros of the plants. I hope you get to try instant photography again soon.
You're welcome Alison. I am guessing the focus mode is auto when you use lighten or darken. If we course in an ideal world you should be able to combine settings, but I don't think you can using the L or D mode.
@@ChrisBoland Thank you for your quickly answer !! So you think there is an autofocus mode when you are on the lighten/darken mode ? Yes i'm okay with you, that's too bad that we can't use lighten/darken mode with the others...
I'm guessing it just uses the regular autofocus setting. It definitely still focuses for you. You just can't set it to landscape etc. If you find out anything else let me know 🙂
I have Instax square S6. I love this camera but many of my pictures come dark. Whenever there isn’t sun this problem occurs. I live in Finland here daylight in spring and winter is almost rare. Is there any solution?
Hi Asha! That's really interesting. One reason why an exposure might be too dark is if the camera is pointed at the sun or something very bright - then the camera over-compensates and darkens the picture. But I see you're saying that isn't the case. A version of this will happen if you point at a white or bright scene. A white wall, even in rubbish light will be underexposed. Have you tried using the (L) mode to lighten the picture? Sorry I can't be more help!
Hi Merwyn. I would avoid taking pictures in very low light as that will force a long exposure. Also use the landscape setting for subjects that are over two metres away - and the macro setting if they are closer. I hope that helps.
To lighten or darken in landscape mode, use ND gels over the lens to darken and over the sensor to lighten. A Roscolux swatch book ($10) gives you 2/3 stop #397, 1 stop (#97), 1.4 stop (#398), and 2 stops (#98). I use removable double-sided tape to fix the gels. A 67mm polarizer slips over the lens barrel nicely, covering both the lens & sensor. Have fun tricking the camera. Also, with the camera on a tripod use the double exposure mode to increase long exposure from 1.6 sec to 3.2 sec.
Thank you Robert, they are fantastic tips that I'd never have thought of. Thank you
Easily the best review I found of this camera; focused more on the results than the features. Subscribed! 😌
Thanks so much Josh, I'm really glad you found it interesting. It's a lovely, fun camera. Thanks again 🙂👍
@@ChrisBoland Thank YOU! Convinced to get mine soon. 📷
Love the colors on those prints, I appreciate that you included some selfies, you look happy. 🧡
Thank you Toni (that is your name, right? 😀) They were definitely happy selfies. I hope all's well with you and that things aren't too crazy where you are.
@@ChrisBoland Yes you got my name right 😀 Thank you Chris, hope you're doing well too. Tomorrow our City will be on enhance community quarantine, not everyone is getting help from the government 😪 btw where you from again?
@@ttoniross It's getting serious everywhere isn't it. We are told to stay at home, but can leave for daily exercise and essential shopping. But things might need to get tighter. I live in St Ives near Cambridge in England - goo.gl/maps/4es2iWRxuBqxWHNk6 It's quite rural around here, so you can go for walks without passing too many people. It's a little boring and a little scary, but I get the feeling it hasn't really started yet. Just trying to keep happy and creative.
@@ChrisBoland ohH my your place is beautiful, right now I prefer to be in a rural place as long as I have enough supplies and utilities. We are not allowed to go out for walks, one quarantine pass for every household and there's curfew. For a while I forget about the scary stuff because of your stories and beautiful photos, so thank you. Stay safe and stay healthy Chris 🙂
Thank you 🙂 I'll try and keep the stories coming...
This has been the most satisfying video I’ve come across while researching this camera. I’m definitely getting it. Thank you for this.
Thank you very much Jayy, I'm really pleased you enjoyed it. Have fun with the camera! 🙂
Best review i've seen of the camera! Your shots look great.
Thank you very much. Thanks for watching.
your example of the red color gel made a subtle, but really impactful difference. not only in the trees, but it made some of the buildings in the background a lil more brown vs without it, instax tends to make the shadows/shade really cool and blue
Thanks for watching and the interesting comment. It's really nice to hear what other people see in the pictures.
Thank you for a clear, concise and helpful review. Such a rarity amongst reviews for this camera.
Thank you for the kind comment Richard, you're welcome. 👍
Glad to see you got back to the UK safely Chris! You're calming videos of late during all this Pandemic and the news I hear of Spain and Italy made me wonder whether you'd manage to get back to the UK. So welcome back, even though it is rather strange here currently. Your video has made me think because my daughter, just this very evening, has stuck a collage of photos taken with her Instax Mini on her bedroom door. It's a wonderful set of memories and I was talking to her about the new back that is been designed for the Hasselblad V-System to get 6" square instants with that line of camera. It's too expensive for me (said to be around $700) but having watched your video, I might check out the Instax SQ6. She does like her Instax Mini though, so I probably won't tkae it much further but interesting regardless.
Thanks very much Ted. I had to cut my holiday a little bit short, but it was for the best. I've been back a couple of weeks or so now, but it feels like a lifetime ago. I saw the Hasselblad back and it looks great, I don't have much experience of medium format - I don't have a medium format camera at all. I definitely recommend the sq6 camera, I think the bigger prints make quite a difference compared to the minis. But they're fun too! Thanks again Ted 👍👍
One more tip: use an off camera flash with an optical slave trigger for better light & greater distance. You can either cover the front of the camera flash (side "spill" is enough to trigger the off camera unit) or leave the camera flash uncovered for some fill in closer than 9 ft. situations. Set the external flash to +/- f/11 @ 800 ISO.
Thank you again Robert, that's really helpful.
Just a small correction: The Auto setting doesn't have autofocus. The focusing distance is fixed from 50 cm to 2 meters.
Thank you for the correction.
I've watched a few videos on this camera today and this one is easily my favorite. Great job!
Thanks very much Jeremy, I'm really glad you liked it. Thanks a lot for watching 👍
Hi, very helpful, but I still have a couple of questions:
1) I don’t quite understand the very differences between “selfie mode” and “ macro mode” since the have the same focal distance.
2) what’s the focus distance when shooting automatic, or double exposure or lighten and darken mode. They just specify the focus distance when shooting macro, selfie and landscapes. Thank you!
Hey David, thanks for watching and for your questions. Regarding selfie and macro, I don't know for sure, but it's possible they're the same. It's designed to look and be very simple to use, do it wouldn't surprise me if they just thought it was best to have a mode for each scenario - but I don't know for sure. As for the regular focal distance, if macro is 0.3 metres, and landscapes beyond 2, then I guess regular would be in between. To be honest I didn't think about it too much and enjoyed using it.
@@ChrisBoland thanks man
You're welcome, have a great Christmas.
I have the instax wide, but I've always considered trading it in for the SQ6 because it's more compact. Your video is definitely pushing me closer to making that leap. Love the double exposure at 4:21
I think the Square format is a really nice size - the wide is pretty big! Also, I just today found I have the SQ3 printer which I thought I sold. 🙂
I must say, those pictures are really good, the composition is so well executed
Thank you very much!
One of the most pleasant and beautiful videos I’ve seen as I’m researching Tis camera. Thank you. 🙏🏻
Thank you very much Andrea, that's really kind.
Enjoyed this set Chris. Glad to see you taking "risks" with unconventional travel photography cameras . Most of these came out awesome!
Thanks Darren, I thought it would be nice to do something a little different 🙂
That’s it! I was conflicted between this or the wide but I’m convinced this is the one for me! Absolutely BEAUTIFUL shots you took! What film did you use?
Thank you! I think it's the only film there is - the Fuji Instax Square.
in my top 3 of the best videos about instax sq6: bravo!
Thank very much Alessandro!
I love your photos and this video, really one of the best ones of this camera.
What I really do wonder is how did you get your shots so well exposed? No over exposed skies and pics? I have not seen that dark, lovely blue skies in bright day with this camera. Did you use the minus exposure setting?
Thank you very much. It's been a long time since I used this camera, so my memory about the settings isn't very good at all. I think you are likely right though - I probably underexposed a bit and I think I learned to mostly take shots of low dynamic range scenes. Sorry I can't help more.
@@ChrisBoland Thanks. May I ask why you stopped using it? I just ordered it after lots of research (wanted square format) and I am silently wondering here was it a mistake or not... 😄
It's a fantastic camera, but I had to think about the cost of the film. It's something for special occasions 🙂
Fantastic review. Thanks so much for this! SQ6 is definitely on my wish list now!
Really glad it was helpful - thank you!
Good one, Chris. I have the SP2 printer. Very fun and useful, but agree that it does not beat the authenticity of an actual instax camera. Might pick one eventually!
Thanks José, I was actually thinking that I miss my printer now. 🙂 I might look at the SP-3 as I have some square film around.
@@ChrisBoland Ah, great!
I really love how your photos had turned out, I think they're very artistic! Did you always use the flash even if you were outside and with enough light? I know it's been a while since you posted this video, but I recently got an Instax sq6 and I'm trying to figure out how to proper use this camera. Thank you!
How did you managed to get such a nice sunset with sky colours. Dark underspose mode?
Hi, I don't remember my settings exactly, but yes I must have underexposed it.
I visited Cambridge with my sq6 this summer😊 Had a fantastic time there🎉
Thanks for the comment Roger - really glad you enjoyed yourself! 🙂
My god ! Your voice is soooooothing ! New subbie here. ❤️❤️❤️❤️
Thank you very much Chris! 😊
Chris Boland 😍😱😍. Hope you guys are doing well ! ✨binging your videos !
@@chris03almanzor51 Thank you, and there are more videos to come! 🙂 Let me know if you have any ideas for other videos. 👍
Hello !Thank you for answering to one of my thoughts about the double exposure
I was wondering if you have tricks and tips for the parallax problem ? I'm not very good at framing, I don't know if being a left handed looking through the viewer with my left eye plays a role or not (?)
Thanks for your brilliant work and nice video 👌☺️
Hi, thank you very much. I think the parallax problem caught me out a few times here. Although most of my subjects were far enough away for it not to matter. You might try just pointing the lens at the subject. To be honest, I like the roughness of it all. Kind of like in lomography I try to not think too much. But that said - you do get immediate feedback from the photo, so it might be a case of trial and error. Sorry I don't have any better tips for this 🙂
@@ChrisBoland I just watched my old pictures, I'm hard on myself, I don't always remember on witch side I frame wrong while not using it for a moment but I see I got a little bit better with time, although I keep failing sometimes, for example, I'm often overexposed my blue skies come out white and very pale skins come out blurred or blinding White
Anyway, I love this camera, I love the unexpecteds results and the uniqueness of each photos(this feelings are magicals), it's for me a way to let go my aspirations of perfection and controls, I want to get better because it would be sad for the price of 1 shot to only have failures but I enjoy some of them anyway
(excuse my English, I'm french)
Thanks for your previous answer and sorry for this long, long message, I can be passionate sometimes😸☺️
It's great to hear you're so into the camera. It's a fun one - frustrating sometimes, but it can give great results too. Have you shot much 35mm film? That might give you the colours and more precise composition you are looking for.
@@ChrisBoland I had a disposable this summer and I enjoyed shooting whit it, it's been a year that I'm thinking about getting a camera with 35mm, I made a few research and I took from eBay a second hand lomography la sardina, it has multiple exposures and you can rewind it if you accidentally forgot to remove the lens cap (now I'm waiting for it) even though I know there is better camera with more features, I want this feeling like when we were younger and not to much thinking about what we shoot. I don't know much about photography, I try to inform myself in a way to not waist every exposures ahah (like with the sq6)
I think you have a wonderful way of thinking about photography - to have that feeling of when we were younger. Keep hold of that and you won't need to learn much. Picasso said that it took him four years to learn how to paint like Rembrandt, but a lifetime to paint like a child 🙂
I love this video. It's nice to see something different but still within your style. Were there any criteria that made you use the instant camera over your other ones? Or was it more of a feeling that dictated when you'd use it?
You're making me want to have another go at instant photography. I was given my aunt old Polaroid camera a while ago but it doesn't seem to work any longer. Maybe when we're allowed out, I'll invest in one of the Fuji instant cameras. Whenever I see people with them, they look very fun.
Hey Allysse. Thank you very much. Although I sometimes take a couple of cameras out with me, more recently I have been using one camera for a little phase and then using another. With this camera while in Spain I was more sure of the type of pictures that I wanted to take than I usually am.
I bought a really beautiful little album to put my Málaga photos in and was aiming on taking around 20 or so that would capture the main scenes that would remind me of my visit. I developed this way of thinking maybe halfway through the film I used, so it wasn't quite as focused from the start.
But I consciously only took one or two on the beach, looking down on the city, selfies etc - to try and capture a variety of scenes that meant a lot to me in as few shots as possible. Plus, I also took a few photos for the review such as the macros of the plants. I hope you get to try instant photography again soon.
Beautiful photos really loved the vid as always
Cheers Patrick, thanks a lot. I think there might be more Instax coming soon :-)
Thanks for your vidéo, do you know wich is the focus for lighten and darken mode ? Car we take landscape AND portrait with ?
You're welcome Alison. I am guessing the focus mode is auto when you use lighten or darken. If we course in an ideal world you should be able to combine settings, but I don't think you can using the L or D mode.
@@ChrisBoland Thank you for your quickly answer !! So you think there is an autofocus mode when you are on the lighten/darken mode ?
Yes i'm okay with you, that's too bad that we can't use lighten/darken mode with the others...
I'm guessing it just uses the regular autofocus setting. It definitely still focuses for you. You just can't set it to landscape etc. If you find out anything else let me know 🙂
@@ChrisBoland Thanks, no problem !
Hi, how do u use Instax SQ 6 to make cloud have weight? I tried some cloudscape by this, and they turn out to be very flat.
I'm very sorry - it has been a long time since I used this camera and I don't have the answer to that question.
I have Instax square S6. I love this camera but many of my pictures come dark. Whenever there isn’t sun this problem occurs. I live in Finland here daylight in spring and winter is almost rare. Is there any solution?
Hi Asha! That's really interesting. One reason why an exposure might be too dark is if the camera is pointed at the sun or something very bright - then the camera over-compensates and darkens the picture. But I see you're saying that isn't the case. A version of this will happen if you point at a white or bright scene. A white wall, even in rubbish light will be underexposed. Have you tried using the (L) mode to lighten the picture? Sorry I can't be more help!
Actually whenever the sun doesn’t appear my pictures are dark.
Have you tried using the L mode to lighten the exposure?
Yes, but then it gets over exposed
That sounds really frustrating, sorry to hear that.
I love sq6 but my problem is all my photos are blurry any tips? Please help.
Hi Merwyn. I would avoid taking pictures in very low light as that will force a long exposure. Also use the landscape setting for subjects that are over two metres away - and the macro setting if they are closer. I hope that helps.
@@ChrisBoland thank you so much will try it again.
That's great! There is a specific selfie mode to use for that 🙂
You're a fantastic photographer
Thank you very much indeed, that's really kind.
@@ChrisBoland Thank you - you've piqued my interest in instant photography as a viable pursuit
Very cool images
Thank you!
this is not a review this is a poem, you have bars lol
Ha, thank you very much :-)
Einfach schön , beruhigend ,super
Vielen Dank 👍👍
Beautiful work 👏
Thank you very much Sergio 🙂👍
Hey, you can hey 20 sheets for 19 dollars on Amazon. And also in Walmart. 👍🏽
Thank you 👍
@@ChrisBoland Your welcome ✌🏽
Such good pictures
Thank you very much!