Lomography

[Cine_Monkey]

Hi gang, I know its off the cine theme slightly, but I recently discovered this great russian camera called a LOMO, that is kinda so bad its good?
Anyway, revalalnce to our forum is it takes these wonderful color saturated photos with high contrast, that look just like a cine film!

Yeah I couldnt beleive it when I first saw the photos, they look just like a cine projection, really beautifull Vingnetting and great colors take a look,

http://www.lomography.com/

[munnin]

I am a lomoman myself... do take in consideration that the heavy vigneting that caught your attention is produced mainly by one of their cameras the LC-A and, slightly by the Holgas... so don't just go rushing to grab a lomo cam just because it's lomo... :twisted:
curiously enough, and not OT, lomo also has some super 8 cameras, the auroras if I am not mistaken... lousy cameras for what I have seen

[Cine_Monkey]

Yes it was the LC-A I was thinking of getting, its small and meant to be well made, do you have any experience with it? Is it really as "indestructsble" as people say?

[Taqi]

Yes it was the LC-A I was thinking of getting, its small and meant to be well made, do you have any experience with it? Is it really as "indestructsble" as people say?

Errr....no. They are pretty basic and the build quality is questionable (though I've heard the newer ones are much better). The screws tend to fall out the front (easily fixed) and they are prone to jamming if you get dirt anywhere near them.

That said they feel pretty solid compared to modern digital crap... and they can produce images unobtainable by digital means. Not sure whether the colour saturation is due to the lens (coating?) or the film you stick in them. The more way out "lomographs" you come across tend to be produced by running slide film through them then cross processing as negative.... the cheapest crappiest own-brand slide film from Jessops can produce really good results (honest!)


I have to say that I did a comparison with an Olympus XA2 (which is a very similar camera and much more modern/better built), and using bog standard 200 asa negative, I couldn't tell much difference.. I got some very good results from the Lomo using Fuji Superia Reala 100 though - super fine grain, great colours.

And I've found using a decent lab (and telling them the film is from a lomo) helps, otherwise all your nice lomo effects can be wiped out when they do your prints...

I suppose as with any camera, you have to work it to get results and the Lomo does reward work and experimentation. Just don't get sucked in by the Lomo hype - I maybe get one or two "lomographs" per roll of film (but then I'm a crap photographer :oops: )

Still, I love my Lomo. Take it everywhere with me.

ps you may want to check out the Cosina CX1/CX2:

http://www.collection-appareils.com/app ... ml/cx1.php

Looks familiar......

[Cine_Monkey]

Just wondering which lomo you own?

[Taqi]

LCA. Couldn't live without it.


I doubt most of the other cameras (ie "samplers") are Lomos at all - I would guess they are made in China...

I always use the Lomo to take stills on any Super 8 outings - to see how it compares with K40 run through my Nizo Pro. Shame you can't cross process super 8....... :roll:

[alan doyle]

the lomo cameras are great fun,but a joke if your into reliablity..

guys,if your into great german industrial design..
type agfa optima camera into ebay in germany...
models 335....535...1035...
fantastic lens,very reliable.
does everything the lomo lca,can do but this camera is better looking and reliable. the exposure with reversal stocks is spot on..
cost on ebay.no more than 25 euros 10 if your lucky.
i have the latest leica digilux 2,leica lens 5 million pixels..
but i am still using my 3 agfa optimas,with fuji reversal stocks.
check out this website..
http://cameras.alfredklomp.com/optima1535/

[scott]

I have a Holga, and it can be lots of fun to play with. I advise that you do your own developing, as I've had labs crop the viginetted parts of the photo because some monkey in a white coat thought it was a 'mistake'. Man, is that frustrating.

I also have a Kiev 35A, which is a Russian copy of a Minox 35mm camera. It takes much better (?) photos than the Holga, is cheap, and is light and compact. It's a great camera to just stuff in your pocket, and has a surprisingly good lens.

And of course a modern fancy-pants SLR is also in the camera bag....

Experimentation with these cheap cameras and developing/printing my own stuff is how I learned about exposure, composition, etc. I would suspect that many here have a similar story.

Happy Lomography,

Scott