EP246: GrainHunter — Koniflex II 85mm f3.5 with Lomography 400

Roll #246 — deep in the build for my new film database, GrainHunter

Film: Lomography 400
Developed & scanned: Li-lai Photo, 2025/3/13
Camera: Koniflex II 85mm f3.5

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I'm probably one of the few people in Taiwan who shoots film, builds websites, and writes a blog — all at the same time. Web design isn't just work for me; it's also how I bring my own ideas to life. The project consuming most of my time lately is my own film image database, GrainHunter, at grainhunter.com. The domain name alone has gone through more iterations than I can count — this is probably the fifth version.

Something I've come to understand clearly lately: I need less time, not more. That might sound like a strange thing to say, but I mean it. When I'm time-constrained, my efficiency goes through the roof and things I thought were impossible start happening. The redesign of my studio site Refine Web Design, the overhaul of Taiwan Bike 100 Peaks — both got done precisely because I didn't have much time. As for this blog, I'm keeping it as-is. I don't want it to look polished or professional. The overhead would be too heavy. I like the quiet, low-profile version — where I can write whatever I feel like writing.

The camera on this roll is the Koniflex II 85mm f3.5, which I stumbled across for its unusually long focal length. My previous TLR experience was with the Olympus Flex, which uses a 75mm lens, and the Rolleiflex 2.8D I once owned was 80mm. The Koniflex pushes past 80mm to 85mm, and that was enough to make me curious.

Five millimeters sounds negligible on paper, but it's noticeable — just like how 80mm feels subtly different from 75mm. You can't quite articulate it, but the image has a different character. I think that's one of the stranger things about how human perception works.

Before I actually shot with the Koniflex II, I had no idea what to expect from it. Within five minutes of getting the camera, it broke on me. Sent it to Kao Sheng in Neihu for repair — it came back, went out again, came back again. Old cameras are like that. But once I finally got a roll through it, the results stopped me cold. My first thought was: this feels like the Pentax 6x7 with the 90mm f2.8. The telephoto compression is unmistakable, and the sharpness runs edge to edge. I'd always assumed TLRs were nostalgic curiosities that couldn't fully exploit medium format — nice and light, but a step behind. The Koniflex II completely changed that assumption.

Worth noting: the Koniflex II is probably the best value-to-spec TLR in the 85mm class. It uses 5 lens elements, the same as the expensive Fujicaflex, but weighs in at just 1,020g (source: TLR Milestone Reference):

• Ansco Automatic (83mm f3.5, 3 elements, 1/400 shutter, 1,300g)
• Ciro-flex D (85mm f3.5, 3 elements, 1/200 shutter, 970g)
• Fujicaflex (83mm f2.8, 5 elements, 1/400 shutter, 1,305g)
• Graflex 22 (85mm f3.5, 3 elements, 1/400 shutter, 980g)
• Koniflex II (85mm f3.5, 5 elements, 1/400 shutter, 1,020g)

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#1
Home lately. The photo in the center of the frame is an architectural shot I took with the Pentax Auto 110 and 18mm f2.8 lens (see it on GrainHunter). I like how black and white film images hold up over time — they just keep being worth looking at.
Koniflex II 85mm f3.5 (1/10, f3.5)

 

#2
Monthly book club — even though I spend far more time on screens than on books. The Koniflex II has a built-in self-timer, but with the longer focal length, I had to place it two tables away and prop it up on whatever was available. One shot, first try — lucky. The depth of field came out the way I wanted, though I could have stopped down a bit more if I weren't worried about motion blur at that shutter speed.
Koniflex II 85mm f3.5 (1/5, f3.5)

 

#3
Some MRT station restrooms in Taipei are strangely bright — bright enough to shoot at 1/100, f3.5 indoors. This one is Far Eastern Memorial Hospital Station.
Koniflex II 85mm f3.5 (1/100, f3.5)

 

#4
My son is in his last semester of kindergarten. I've started treasuring every school pickup — asking him if he wants to be photographed whenever I can. Here we were trying to shoot some kumquats growing in the school garden, but the depth of field was too shallow and the whole thing went soft.
Koniflex II 85mm f3.5 (1/200, f3.5)

 

#5
A closer look at the kumquats — this is minimum focus distance on the Koniflex II. My next TLR might be a Mamiya C220, since it can focus closer and swap lenses, but I have a feeling I won't actually like it. That feeling has kept me from buying one.
Koniflex II 85mm f3.5 (1/200, f3.5)

 

#6
I once shot my son playing basketball in this park with the Pentax 6x7 and 105mm f2.4 (see GrainHunter). The Koniflex II brought those frames right back to mind.
Koniflex II 85mm f3.5 (1/200, f3.5)

 

#7
A new IKEA candle scent. No scent whatsoever.
Koniflex II 85mm f3.5 (1/5, f3.5)

 

#8
iPad time is a special occasion in our house. Special occasions deserve film.
Koniflex II 85mm f3.5 (1/50, f3.5)

 

#9
Kids watching something on a screen enter their own world entirely. Adults are basically the same.
Koniflex II 85mm f3.5 (1/50, f3.5)

 

#10
Beyond the 85mm perspective, the most impressive thing about the Koniflex II is that f3.5 wide open is genuinely usable. One thing worth knowing: the 1/400 top shutter speed and the 1/200 cocking position are separate operations. If you cock the shutter at 1/200 first, you lose access to 1/400 — you're locked in at 1/200 maximum. Keep that in mind.
Koniflex II 85mm f3.5 (1/5, f3.5)

 

That's the full roll — Koniflex II 85mm f3.5 with Lomography 400. Thanks for reading.