Modding the Chuzhao Toy Camera with a 17mm Lens Kit
I mentioned in a previous blog post that I really enjoy shooting with the Chuzhao Toy Camera. Because I enjoyed it so much, I also wanted to see what other people were doing with their cameras and if I could get any inspiration from their work.
This was when I chanced upon a YouTube video of a person who had modified their camera. I was fascinated and wanted to do it myself. In his video, he mentioned that he used the Apexel 11-in-1 lens kit, so I just had to try it.
In my other personal blog, I had written a short post and even made a short video slideshow about it, but it wasn't very detailed. I received a few questions because I think the video and blog post weren't very clear. Honestly, I didn't think that so many people would be interested, so the original post and video were mostly for my own records. I've re-uploaded it to this blog's YouTube channel and have embedded it below for your viewing pleasure.
Since I have decided to start this blog, I felt that I should write a more detailed post about the modification in case anyone wants to try it and finds that other videos and guides aren't detailed enough for them.
Choosing the Right Lens Kit
There are several 17mm mobile phone lens kits that you can get online. While the person who originally modded his camera used the Apexel 11-in-1, he mentioned that any of these various kits would work as long as it was a 17mm kit.
While I do think that is true, the kit you use makes a difference in how easy or difficult this mod is going to be. After I modded my own camera, I have seen others use a saw to cut off the thread ring, and another who used a torch (I think) to soften it before breaking it off.
Still, I advise you to just get the Apexel 11-in-1 kit or a similar kit with the same kind of clip setup. The reason for this is because you don't have to saw anything off, and you certainly won't need a heat source to do this.
What the Clip Looks Like
Forcing Out the Thread Ring
I have already done the mod, so my clip isn't in its original condition. But this is a still from the product page to show you what the clip looks like originally. I added text to show you just what kind of clip you need to look out for. So while I think you don't need this exact clip, you should try and look for a similar design because I believe that this design is the easiest to use if you want to do this.
I tried to place the thread ring where it was previously in my clip and mocked up how I forced it out. Unfortunately, since I have already done the mod and I didn't shoot any video of it, this is the best way I can show it to you.
Use brute force. You won't even need a ton of strength because you can use part of the clip as a fulcrum; all you need to do is push hard. If the clip breaks like mine did, it doesn't matter. You won't need that part unless you wish to try and use this setup on your phone. In that case, I would tell you that it isn't possible and that you should get two kits: one for the mod and one for your phone.
After you force the thread ring out, it will look like this. It may be a little rough, and you might want to sand it down, but chances are it won't be horribly rough, and you should be fine to use it as is. I didn't sand mine down because it wasn't too rough.
Securing the Lens
The advice is to use epoxy glue because the fumes from super glue might damage the lens. So, I used this epoxy glue, mixed it in a plastic saucer, and did my best to do a nice and neat job. Then, I let it cure overnight.
Experiment and Have Fun
After that, all that's left is for you to experiment and try out the different filters. If you find other 17mm mobile phone lenses, they will work fine too. I'll write more about the lenses and their quirks in another post when I have more time. Meanwhile, I've edited a few of the photos that I shot in the video linked above so you have some idea of what you can get with this mod.
Meanwhile, if you try this mod out, have fun! And if you like, please drop me a message so I can check out what you've been doing with your Chuzhao camera too. :)
0 Comments