The Nons Instant Back ($279) lets you use modern Fujifilm Instax Square film with long-discontinued Hasselblad film cameras. The appeal is obvious for photographers who already have a V series Hasselblad, as instant film gets you shareable prints immediately without a trip to a film lab. And for Fuji Instax fans, the back gives you access to higher-quality hardware than the plastic-lens Instax SQ1. The Instant Back takes a bit of extra care to use compared with one-button instant cameras, but is still a worthwhile purchase if you already have a compatible camera. Photographers who are serious about instant format but don't have a Hasselblad should instead consider the Nons SL660. It costs a hefty $649 with a lens, but that's still cheaper than getting a vintage Hasselblad and compatible glass.

Leveraging Hasselblad's Modular Design

Hasselblad V system cameras are built for mixing and matching. Whereas most photographers are used to changing just lenses on SLRs, V series cameras also let you switch film cartridges (even in the middle of a roll). In days of yore, this flexibility let photographers swap between black-and-white, color negative, slide, and instant film on the fly. The concept still exists in the digital age, too; the 907X & CFV 100C includes a digital body for XCD autofocus lenses and a removable 100MP digital back that also works with film bodies.

(Credit: Jim Fisher)

Today, Hasselblad film cameras are available only on the used market, but there are still plenty to choose from since the line started production in 1957 and continued through mid 2013. The Nons Instant Back isn't compatible with every V series camera but supports the 500C, 500CM, 501C, 501CM, 503CX, 503CXi, 503CW, 903SWC, 1000F, 2000 FCM, SWC, and SWC/M models. The back also works with the PME5 or PME51 prism viewfinder attached.

(Credit: Jim Fisher)

The list of incompatible models is shorter: You can't use the 200 series, 500EL/M, 553EL/X, and Flexbody cameras, or the NC2 Prism Finder accessory. The compatibility comes down to mechanics. The Nons back, which measures 4.4 by 5.1 by 2.0 inches (HWD) and weighs 11.6 ounces, is oversized compared with a standard A12 roll film magazine (3.3 by 3.7 by 1.8 inches, 14 ounces), and simply won't fit on some camera bodies.

(Credit: Jim Fisher)

I tested the Nons Back with the only compatible camera I have on hand, an original production year 500C that's been in my family for decades. As for lenses, I turned to a late-50s Zeiss Planar 80mm F2.8 and 70s-era Zeiss Sonnar 150mm F4.

Tales From the Dark Slide

If you swapped film backs on a Hasselblad before, setting up the Nons Instant should be mostly seamless. Getting it to lock properly on my antique 500C camera took a bit of extra force versus a 120-format film back. I can't speak to the experience with more recent bodies, but you still might need to take a little more care and time than you're used to.

(Credit: Jim Fisher)

The dark slide, a removable piece of metal that protects the film from exposure when you change from one back to another, is another concern. The slot it goes into is very tight to start, so it's worthwhile to work the slide in and out of the back a few times to loosen it before first use. It's also imperative that you wind your camera to return the mirror before any attempt to remove or insert the slide while the Instant Back is mounted. If you don't, the gears that advance the frame for roll film will get in the way and potentially damage the slide or your camera. If you damage the slide, you can get a replacement for $19. The Instant Back has a holding slot to store the slide, so at least you're not likely to lose it.

(Credit: Jim Fisher)

Nons also cautions that the slide isn't entirely light-tight, so you should take care to keep the Instant Back inside your bag and away from the sun if you've got it loaded with film. It's also a good idea to make sure the slide is fully inserted into the back before taking it off the camera; it may work its way out partially, another chance for a light leak.

(Credit: Jim Fisher)

I spoke to a representative from Nons about the engineering decisions behind the slide design, which is more finicky to use than those for Hasselblad roll film backs, which put the slide on the opposite side of the back. The rep pointed to the film eject slot, which has to be on the left, as the reason. The only other engineering option was to omit the slide entirely, but Nons felt that would take away from the appeal. I'm in agreement there, changing out film types (or swapping to a CFV digital back) in the middle of a pack of film is important for creators working with mixed media. If you're only using your camera for instant film you can just keep the slide in the storage slot and be happy.

(Credit: Jim Fisher)

Using the Nons Instant

The ins and outs of the slide aside, using the Nons Instant Back is straightforward. It only has a few switches. There's one at the top to unlock the back from the camera, another to open the rear film door, and a simple On/Off switch. An internal battery with a corresponding USB-C port provides power. The Instant Back ships with a USB-A-to-USB-C cable, but not an AC adapter. The USB port does not support QC charging, so you should be fine with any basic adapter you have. Nons doesn't say how many exposures you can expect on a full battery, but I got through two packs of film without recharging. You can use a power bank to recharge too, and the back still operates even if it is plugged in and charging.

(Credit: Jim Fisher)

The Instant Back has a single button for ejecting a frame. Instax film doesn't start to develop until you eject it, so it's no problem to snap multiple exposures on the same frame. An LED display on top shows the number of frames left in the film pack. Instax Square cartridges hold ten frames. At press time, color Instax Square costs about $1.00 per image ($19.95 for two packs of 10 shots a piece). Black-and-white film is more costly a $1.50 per image ($14.99 for one pack of 10 images). Special edition films fetch an even higher price. Fuji also regularly releases color film with different border styles at a slight premium.

(Credit: Jim Fisher)

As for exposure, Hasselblad cameras are mostly manual, so unless you're using a metered prism viewfinder, you need to meter scenes for yourself. Instax Square film is an ISO 800 formula, so it's worth adding a neutral density filter to your lens to keep exposures short enough for wide-aperture images with blurry backgrounds, at least in daylight.

(Credit: Jim Fisher)

The results are worth the hassle (pardon the pun), especially if you are already familiar with a Hasselblad. After all, the Fuji SQ1 and SQ40 cameras that use Instax Square film include just basic features and plastic lenses. The Lomo'Instant Square has a sharp glass lens but doesn't support through-the-lens focus so you need to be good at estimating subject distance to get sharp pictures.

Just how sharp the photos from the Nons Back are depends on your lens choice. My copy of the Zeiss Planar 80mm is soft by modern standards and its single-coated optics are prone to flare, but images still show more detail and contrast than a plastic alternative. If you have more recent, multi-coated lenses, you can get results more in line with modern-day optics.

(Credit: Jim Fisher)

Either way, the Instax Square film format has an imaging area that's close to the 2.4-inch (6cm) film a Hasselblad takes. A black border will appear around your photos because Instax film is just a smidgen larger, but the angle of view and character of your lens won't change. This is in slight contrast to the Nons SL660, which uses lenses made for 35mm camera systems and enlarges optics to cover a medium format sensor. As a result, it cuts two stops of incoming light and doesn't offer accurate framing through its viewfinder.

(Credit: Jim Fisher)

Hasselblad viewfinders come with their own set of quirks, including reversed left-right movement if you use a waist-level rather than an eye-level prism finder, but accurately show your frame and are oversized for easier manual focus. I used a 500C, which has a dim focusing screen that's tough to use in all but bright light and can't be swapped out in the field, but later models support user-changeable focus screens.

(Credit: Jim Fisher)

A Clever Add-On for Classic Cams

We often think of instant cameras as point-and-click distractions from the digital world. And there are plenty of good, low-cost options available for photographers who want the one-button snapshot experience, including our Editors' Choice winner for Instax Square film, the Fuji SQ1. But those who prefer to take their time with manual focus and exposure, as well as anyone who has a Hasselblad simply warming a shelf, should think about adding the Nons Instant Back. It's relatively inexpensive, enables you to use a library of quality optics, saves you trips to the film lab, and works fairly seamlessly.