C41
Kodak Portra 400
Kodak Portra 400 is a professional C-41 color negative film known for flexible exposure latitude, natural skin tones, and fine grain.
View profile →tlr-medium-format
The Mint Camera TLR135 is a modern TLR-style camera produced by Mint Camera, a Hong Kong-based company founded to design and manufacture new-production film cameras for the contemporary analogue photography market. Introduced around 2017, the TLR135 applies the twin-lens reflex architecture -- two lenses mounted vertically, one for viewing through a waist-level ground-glass screen and one for exposing film -- to the 35mm format rather than the medium-format 120 film used by classic TLRs.
Reference
Recommended film stocks for the 35mm format your camera takes.
C41
Kodak Portra 400 is a professional C-41 color negative film known for flexible exposure latitude, natural skin tones, and fine grain.
View profile →BW
Kodak Tri-X 400 is a classic black-and-white film known for strong tonality, visible grain, and documentary character.
View profile →BW
Ilford HP5 Plus is a flexible ISO 400 black-and-white film with classic grain and strong push-processing tolerance.
Develop 35mm film
Labs in our directory that process 35mm film.
Before you buy used
About this camera
A modern Hong Kong-made twin-lens reflex body that shoots standard 35mm film through a waist-level ground-glass finder -- a reinterpretation of the classic TLR form factor for the 35mm revival market.
| Field | Value |
|---|
| Format | 35mm |
| Mount | Fixed |
| Years | ~2017 |
| Shutter | Leaf (speeds ~ ) |
| Flash sync | ~ |
| Meter | None |
| Exposure | Manual |
| Viewfinder | Waist-level TLR, ground glass |
| Focus | Manual, ground glass |
| Battery | None required |
Mint Camera was established in Hong Kong in the early 2010s, initially becoming known for its InstantFlex and subsequent Instax-format cameras that reimagined the TLR form factor for instant film. The TL70 (an Instax Mini TLR) was the company's first widely-noticed product. The TLR135 followed as a logical extension: applying the same vintage TLR aesthetic and handling to standard 35mm film.
The timing coincided with the broader analogue photography resurgence of the 2010s, during which demand for new-production film cameras grew significantly. Mint Camera positioned itself alongside companies like Lomography and Reflex as manufacturers offering new cameras that honoured analogue traditions rather than simply repackaging existing designs. The TLR135's specific appeal was to photographers who wanted the TLR waist-level shooting experience without the cost and bulk of a medium-format system.
The Mint Camera TLR135 is significant as one of very few new-production cameras to translate the TLR format to 35mm. Classic TLRs were overwhelmingly medium-format designs; 35mm TLRs were rare even in the height of TLR production (notable exceptions include the Robot Vollautomat and some Tessina-adjacent designs). The TLR135 therefore fills a genuine gap: it offers the ergonomic and compositional experience of TLR shooting at 35mm cost and with the wide availability of 35mm film stocks.
For photographers trained on SLRs and modern mirrorless cameras, the TLR135 enforces a radically different relationship with framing and subject. The waist-level finder places the camera at chest or waist height, producing a different perspective than eye-level photography. The lateral reversal of the finder image slows composition. These constraints are features for photographers seeking to break habitual framing patterns.
Mint Camera's decision to build in Hong Kong rather than manufacture through existing Asian OEM channels gave the TLR135 a degree of craft credibility; production quantities were limited and the company maintained close quality control over the product.
The TLR135 uses a fixed taking lens and a matched viewing lens; the two are mechanically coupled so that focusing the taking lens simultaneously focuses the viewing image on the ground glass. Accessories are limited. Standard lens filters may be accepted depending on the filter thread diameter.
C41
Kodak Portra 160 is a professional C-41 color negative film with fine grain, soft contrast, and natural color.
View profile →C41
Kodak Gold 200 is a daylight-balanced C-41 color negative film with warm color, moderate grain, and a classic consumer-film look.
View profile →Mint Camera TLR135
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