Toby Wilkins – Creator and Founder
ObscuraFlex™ is the brainchild and passion project of Toby Wilkins, a Portland based British filmmaker, vintage camera enthusiast, and amateur inventor.
As a dyslexic child who struggled to maintain a C-average, Toby left school at seventeen to attend a technical college where he developed a passion for cameras, computers, design, photography, technology, art, and all things creative.
The History
In 2017, disheartened by the discontinuation of peel-apart Polaroid film, Toby began brainstorming ways to keep his beloved Polaroid Land Camera alive.
Within days he had built the first cardboard prototype of what would become the ObscuraFlex™ adapter – a simple device that lets you shoot with a vintage Polaroid camera using your smartphone instead of film.
Through countless iterations Toby refined the design to work with not just Polaroids, but other large format cameras that can use the adapter to shoot digitally, or as a powerful digital-assist viewfinder to shoot film.
This led to art projects like the street trash photo essay "One Man's Trash" and a variety of portrait works.
The Rebirth
In early 2024, Toby posted a series of short video reels showing his adapters in use. The response was overwhelming, with millions of views from photographers and vintage camera fans.
This sparked a revival of the project, and Toby began exploring small-batch manufacturing and new materials, all while sharing progress with a growing audience.
The Future
Toby hopes to bring the ObscuraFlex™ adapter to a small but passionate community. His goal is to solve challenges with multi-lens phones and future-proof the system with a modular design.
Currently available in limited runs for simpler phones and popular vintage cameras, the design is evolving to support a wider range of gear. Upcoming supported models include:
- Mamiya Universal Press 6x7cm
- Mamiya Super 23 6x9cm
- Toyo-View 4x5in
- Linhof Technika 4x5in
- Wista Technical 4x5in
Join the mailing list to get updates—and keep making art!