Compact cameras and film photography continue to enjoy a resurgence, particularly among younger photographers drawn to the nostalgic look of analogue images and to cameras small enough to carry everywhere. Few, however, are quite as distinctive as the Lomomatic 110.

Following the release of the Lomography Lomomatic 110 Camera with Flash (Metal) (available for $159 / £149), Lomography has now unveiled the new Lomomatic 110 Camera & Flash Discomatic, a colorful new design edition priced at $119 / £109. Combining retro styling with a sharp glass lens, automatic exposure, and a unique sliding film advance, it delivers a shooting experience unlike almost anything else available today.

While 35mm film remains the format most photographers return to, Lomography champions the smaller 110 format, remaining the only manufacturer producing both 110 film and new 110 cameras

The new Lomomatic 110 Camera & Flash Discomatic

"Our mission to keep film alive is thriving, and we are proud to be the only current producer of new 110 film and cameras," says Lomography. It states that the Lomomatic 110 is "the sharpest, most creative pocket-sized camera on Earth", with "pictures are sharper than you’d ever imagine!"

One of the Lomomatic 110's standout features is its sliding film advance. Rather than winding the next frame with a traditional leveler, sliding the camera body advances the film and prepares it for the next shot, creating a tactile shooting experience that's as enjoyable as it is distinctive.

The Discomatic edition pairs funky design with a 23mm Minitar CX multi-coated glass lens, automatic exposure, two aperture settings, zone focusing, and adjustable ISO.

It also includes the detachable Lomomatic flash with colored filters for creative lighting effects, while long-exposure and multi-exposure modes encourage experimentation with every roll of film.

Specifications
• Film Format: 110
• Focal Length: 23 mm
• Available Apertures: f2.8, f5.6
• Shutter Speed: Auto (A) 30s to 1/250, Bulb (B) up to 30s
• Flash: Lomomatic 110 Flash
• Available ISO Settings: 100, 200, 400
• Multiple Exposure: Yes
• Tripod Mount: No
• Cable Release: No
• Battery: 1 x CR2
• SKU: hp110disco

Availability
The Lomomatic 110 Camera & Flash Discomatic is available from Lomography for $119 / £109.

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Disposable film cameras have ridden the analog resurgence as a simple, low-commitment way to try film photography. But now, Lomography, the company known for quirky, colorful film and film cameras, is introducing a reusable, cheap compact film camera that shoots twice as many photos per roll.

The Lomography Simple Use Half-frame is a reusable film camera, but like Lomography’s other “Simple Use” series cameras, using one is close to the experience of working with disposable film. The camera comes pre-loaded with film, so users don’t need to worry about learning to load the camera until the second roll.

While reloadable, the new camera is a straightforward point-and-shoot without any manual controls. The camera uses a 21mm lens with an f/9 aperture and fixed focus.

The built-in flash also feels like a classic disposable – except that it also comes with colored gel filters to create colored lighting effects.

As a half-frame camera, each photo is spliced in half, which means users get twice as many photos from each roll of film, effectively cutting the cost of each photo. The pre-loaded film contains 40 shots, while loading a new 36-shot roll yields 72 images.

Half-frame cameras can also create a diptych – or two images next to each other – or can be developed, printed, or scanned as two photos, depending on how the images are developed.

Lomography says that the pocketable camera is made with 100 percent recycled materials.

The Half Frame Simple Use camera will be available pre-loaded with two different film options: ClassiColor (including colored flash gels) or black-and-white Lady Gray (which naturally doesn’t include the colored flash gels).

Pre-orders have opened for both variants, with shipping estimated to begin later this month. The color variant is set to retail for $34.90 / £24 / AU$44.90 / CA$39.90, with the black-and-white option at $29.90 / £21.90 / AU$37.90 / CA$33.90.

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I don’t think it’s a coincidence that early digicams and dedicated compact cameras are resurging in trends at the same time that computers can “create” AI images. Experimental film giant Lomography has a new option for photographers trading modern tech for analog: The Fisheye No. 2 35mm Camera La Mer.

The Fisheye No. 2 takes circular photos, thanks to its built-in 10mm 170-degree view fisheye lens. That allows creators to fit more of the scene into the photo, or use the unusual distortion as a creative effect.

Lomography says that the Fisheye No. 2 La Mer is designed for experimental photography, embracing the exaggerated perspective of a fisheye and mixing it with film imperfections like grain, unusual color mixes, and light leaks. And yes, the camera is also capable of snapping multiple exposures.

The Fisheye No. 2 has a fixed f/8 aperture and only two choices for shutter speed: 1/100 or bulb. A built-in flash allows those settings to keep shooting indoors and at night.

As a 35mm camera, the Fisheye No. 2 takes a readily available film format, opening up more flexibility and experimentation based on what film is inside.

Those features are wrapped up in a compact camera – although the bulbous lens on the front adds to the size and gives the camera a rather unusual appearance. The camera uses a detachable viewfinder that slides into the hot shoe slot.

Lomography’s Fisheye No. 2 camera has actually been around since 2009 in multiple different colors and special editions, but the June 2026 refresh brings a seashore-inspired makeover to the analog compact camera. The new version of the camera features a pastel periwinkle body and a soft yellow color to the viewfinder.

Like the existing colorways, the experimental camera isn’t made to take a major hit on the budget (at least not on the camera itself). It retails for $69 / £69 / CA$89 / AU$109. The camera is available from Lomography and needs to be purchased along with 35mm film.

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Lomography has just released the new 2026 colors for its unique Sprocket Rocket 35mm Panoramic Camera. We have gotten used to this unusual panoramic film camera coming in new colors every year, and this year we are getting mint green and pink duotone versions, that mix it up by having different colors on the front than the back.

What makes the Sprocket Rocket different is that it exposes the full width of the film – including the two borders of the emulsion with the sprocket holes. The compact camera device can use any 35mm film and produce 1:3 panoramic images. First introduced in 2011, the camera can give you up to 18 images per roll, and has now been made in a dozen different colors and special editions.

You do need to use a specialist lab that can provide you with prints that actually show them, rather than cropping them off – but Lomography offers this service themselves, and also offers scanning solutions so that you can digitize your holey panoramic images once they are processed

The camera itself is about as simple as you can get, with few controls. Rewind and advance knobs are the only top-plate controls and there’s no shutter button. Instead, you fire the shutter by activating a small lever on the lens. Shutter speed and aperture are set via the lens, too. A reverse gear means you can creatively combine multiple exposures on the one frame.

Exposure is fixed at 1/100sec or via bulb mode and the only apertures available are f/10.8 and f/16. Focusing is similarly simple, with two settings: 0.6-1m for closer subjects and 1m to infinity for everything else. You do get a hotshoe, however, so you can attach a flash. No battery is needed, as everything is mechanical.

The Sprocket Rocket is available from Lomography and selected retailers for $69 / £45 / AU$69.

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Lomography has launched two new Petzval optics to complete a five-lens series. These are the Joseph Petzval Focus-Coupled Bokeh Control 27mm f/1.7 and 135mm f/2.5 Art Lenses.

If you’ve never heard of a Petzval lens before, they can be traced all the way back to 1840, when Slovak-Hungarian mathematician and physicist Joseph Petzval pioneered the design. The Petzval lens was first resurrected by Lomography back in the early 2010s and has since become rather trendy in Hollywood for its stylized appearance, producing spiraling shallow depths of field, extreme fall-off, and prominent vignetting.

This latest full-frame incarnation of the Petzval lens from Lomography is said to be a modern take on the optics’ distinctive swirling bokeh, with both manual and innovative focus-coupled bokeh control for stills and video. Lomography has even used recalculations from Joseph’s 1840 original, while each lens is “expertly handcrafted”.

All told, the series comprises 27mm, 35mm, 55mm, 80.5mm, and 135mm primes, all priced at $599 / £399 / AU$799. However, you can essentially get one lens free if you order the five-lens bundle at $2,396.00 / £1,596 / AU$3,196.00, because you save $599 / £399 / AU$799.

The two new additions bookend the series, with the 27mm f/1.7 and 135mm f/2.5 being the widest and longest focal lengths in the line-up, respectively.

Both lenses are available for Sony E, Nikon Z, and Canon RF mounts, while the swirling bokeh can be adjusted via a stopless bokeh control ring across seven levels. Lomography’s focus-coupled tech is said to eliminate shifts in focus when adjusting said levels, while the lenses are optimized for video with both uniform gear positions and follow-focus compatibility.

The 135mm model features a 1.5m close-focusing distance, an aperture range of f/1.7 to f/22, and a 67mm filter thread. The 27mm model has a 0.3m close-focusing distance, an aperture range of f/1.7 to f/22, and a 77mm filter thread. Both feature optics with multi–coated glass, with exteriors built using anodized aluminum.

The two lenses are available to pre-order now, with the 135mm and 27mm having an expected delivery date of June and April 2026, respectively. The remaining three lenses in the range are are on sale now.

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Lomography has built its reputation on playful, experimental film cameras that celebrate imperfection. So when the company announced the Lomo MC-A, a sleek, metal-bodied 35mm compact that looks far more Contax than Diana, I was immediately curious. This is Lomography clearly trying to appeal to photographers who love film but also value good design, and dependable, everyday usability.

After spending time shooting with the MC-A, I can safely say this is one of the most refined cameras Lomography has ever made – though it isn’t without a few quirks that remind you of its lo-fi roots – but it surprised me how much I enjoyed shooting with this camera, and how close I am to adding one to my own camera collection.

Specifications

Price

At $499 / £499, it’s safe to say the Lomography Lomo MC-A sits firmly as a more premium compact film camera. It’s priced well above toy cameras and plastic compacts from Lomography or Kodak, but while it undercuts the eye-watering second-hand prices of classics like the Ricoh GR1 or Contax T-series, there are a lot of quality second-hand compact film cameras you can pick up for less than this.

However, given the build quality and features on offer here, the pricing feels largely justified, especially when you consider how scarce and fragile many vintage compacts have become. You don’t have to look hard for tales of broken ribbon cables or burned-out screens on classic models. Here you are getting a new camera, with a warranty and the peace of mind that brings – should anything go wrong.

The MC-A also matches the price of the Pentax 17, which, if you want a new camera more advanced than a plastic Kodak point-and-shoot, is really your only other option.

Design & Handling

This is where the MC-A really surprised me. Lomography cameras usually lean into bold colors and quirky styling, but the MC-A is sleek, restrained, and genuinely premium looking. I had the black version to test, and it’s really an attractive object, and honestly, one of my favourite-looking compact film cameras, right up there with the Ricoh GR1 and Contax T3.

The metal body feels substantial in the hand and reassuringly robust. Although I will say the inscription on the top plate, I definitely could have done without it. Personally, it’s a little too “live, laugh, love” for my taste, but that will come down entirely to personal preference. Maybe next time it can just come as an optional decal in the box.

The strap eyelets feel strong and are a good choice, opening the camera up to a lot of third-party straps – the MC-A looked fantastic paired with my Peak Design Form leather strap.

Up top, the most surprising addition is a small screen displaying camera settings. It's a simple design, and is the only way you can check/change the ISO (between 12 and 3200), flash settings, battery, and how many shots you have left on your roll. It can also flash up key settings like shutter speed and aperture when the shutter is half pressed, and show a countdown for a self timer.

However, I do feel that the screen real estate could maybe be better utilised. It has the space to show more information at once, for example, the camera only shows ISO when you press the ISO button, but it could show it all the time, as a lot of the space is otherwise empty. Exposure compensation is also shown only as a symbol, rather than an actual numerical value. I’d prefer to at least have the option to switch between a simple view and a more information-overloaded setting.

Operationally, the camera is excellent. Auto shutdown is a great touch, both saving battery life and protecting the lens by retracting it into the body. The lens has a 32mm focal length, so it is a balanced option for street and travel, as well as group shots. The lens also has a filter thread for attaching UV, polarising, or ND filters.

Available apertures are f/2.8, f/4, f/5.6, f/8, f/11, and f/16, paired with a 1-500 second shutter speed. The aperture markings around the lens ring are clear, but some are quite close together, so I occasionally had to triple-check which setting I was in, as often it isn't immediately clear which number is the most upward.

The inset wind lever looks great and feels equally good to use, with a smooth, satisfying action, and it being inset into the camera body means the MC-A can keep a sleeker profile. I didn't have any of the issues with the lever not winding far enough and stopping me from shooting that some reviewers have reported, although there were some overlapping frames in my developed film (jump to the next section for more on that).

The buttons are a little on the small side, but not annoyingly so, and are easy to press with responsive feedback. Dials hold their position well and have a satisfying click to them. They didn’t easily slip about when being pulled in and out of my pocket, although they were easy to turn with just a thumb or finger.

Autofocus was pretty spot on. I shot four rolls of film with the MC-A, and the only time it missed focus was when I got too close to my subject (I need to practice my distances). The autofocus is not subtle; it is a little loud and piercing, and in quiet environments it can be jarring. Other vintage compact cameras’ autofocus is also noisy, but in 2026, I kind of hoped modern technology might have solved that problem.

As well as autofocus, the camera has manual focus using a zone focus system accessed with a dial on the front of the camera. Although I stuck mostly to autofocus for this review, I tried a few shots, and the zones seem to be accurate.

The viewfinder, while functional, is cramped, and the internal LED lights reflect around the frame more than I’d like, occasionally making it harder to see clearly.

Film loading is straightforward: push the leader into the spool and close the door. I found it easy, but it might take a little adjustment for anyone used to simpler drop-in systems. However, there is no film advance indicator, so you just have to trust that your film has been properly loaded. The rewind mechanism works well so long as you go in the right direction, with clear tactile and audible feedback when the film comes off the spool.

The door latch is well-designed. You have to lift and twist it to open the camera, and I felt like it would be extremely unlikely that I would manage to do this by accident. The camera also has a tripod thread; however, this is positioned right in the corner, which leaves the camera feeling unbalanced on smaller tabletop tripods, but it is fine on larger ones.

Power comes from a single CR2 battery, which is thankfully still easy to find, although Lomography includes a rechargeable CR2 with a built-in USB-C charging port, which I didn’t know where a thing, but glad that they are!

Performance

Image quality surprised me a lot, if I'm honest, just expected this to have more of Lomography's usual lo-fi camera vibes. But instead, images are very much in line with what I’d expect from a lot of compact film cameras. You can get cleaner, sharper results from an SLR with big lenses packed with more glass elements, but photos from the MC-A look pretty great.

Wide open, there can be some strong vignetting, which, depending on your take, either gives images a distinct character or ruins them, but I don’t mind it here and plays into the lo-fi Lomo vibe. Corners are soft at maximum aperture but improve noticeably when stopping down, while central sharpness remains solid throughout.

Overall, the MC-A produces images with character, sharp enough to look far more premium than a toy camera or cheap plastic point-and-shoot, but not clinically perfect. Although this still won't be everyone's cup of tea, I think it strikes a good balance between the photos Lomography cameras might usually be known for and a more standard film compact.

My only major gripe was that there were a few instances of slightly overlapping frames, with it happening once or twice per roll. Although I can’t attest to whether it was just my copy or a wider issue with the camera, other reviewers have noted a few issues with the wind lever as well. It wasn’t frequent enough to put me off the MC-A, but it’s worth noting if you’re expecting absolute mechanical precision.

Editor's Note: Lomography has confirmed that this is a known issue with some early pre-production samples, and it should be fixed in the final version.

Sample Images

Below are sample images all taken on the Lomo MC-A. I have included a little of the film borders, so you can peek at the sharpness and vignetting right up to the edges of the frame.

Verdict

The Lomography Lomo MC-A is a fascinating and surprising camera. It’s far more refined and premium than I expected, and in many ways feels like Lomography’s most “serious” camera to date. The build quality is excellent, the design is genuinely lovely, and the shooting experience is mostly a joy.

There are minor frustrations – the loud autofocus, some vignetting, and a few ergonomic oddities – but none of them fundamentally undermine the experience. If you’re looking for a modern, reliable alternative to aging premium film compacts, and still with a little character baked into your images, the MC-A is one of Lomography’s strongest efforts yet, and one I am considering adding to my own film camera rotation.

Alternatives

The resurgence of analog photography has brought a handful of new film cameras for the modern era – but many of them focus on beginner-friendly tools or affordable prices with plasticky designs. Lomography’s newest film camera, however, is a compact with an all-metal body, a glass f/2.8 lens, and both auto and full manual shooting.

The Lomography Lomo MC-A is a compact camera with a built-in 32mm f/2.8 lens. The camera uses the full frame of 35mm film, but the MC-A isn’t all retro – the battery is rechargeable via USB-C and there’s a small LCD screen to display the current settings. It is a very different beast from its ancestor, the Russian Lomo LC-A, which was such a sales success back in the 1980s.

Lomography says the MC-A is a film camera for all skill levels because the camera includes both auto and manual shooting options. The compact camera has both automatic exposure and auto focus options, but there’s also an aperture priority mode for intermediate users and full manual exposure for advanced photographers.

Photographers can also choose to ditch the autofocus and use manual zone focusing. The camera also supports multiple exposures, with no limit to the number of exposures per frame. The built-in flash has both an auto mode and a first-curtain mode for long exposures.

Lomography is largely known for its colorful films and affordable film cameras, many of which are built with plastic. But the MC-A strays here too, offering an all-metal body. The 32mm f/2.8 lens is also made with glass, not plastic.

The top of the camera houses a dial for shutter speed and another for exposure compensation. A toggle at the top switches from manual to autofocus. On the top left, there’s a small LCD screen that displays settings and battery life, with buttons for options such as flash, self timer, and ISO.

The camera’s aperture is controlled with a dial around the lens. A switch near the lens adjusts the zone for manual zone focusing. The back of the camera houses the film door, viewfinder, and film advance lever. The camera also has a PC sync port and a tripod mount.

Weighing 332g / 11.7 ounces, the MC-A remains fairly small and lightweight, despite its metal build and glass lens. The compact camera measures 125.8mm / 4.9 inches wide by 69.5mm / 2.7 inches high by 42mm /1.65 inches deep.

The camera ships with what Lomography calls its “signature tools,” including a protective filter, a Splitzer, protective camera wrap, colored flash gels, a leather hand strap, and the rechargeable CR2 battery.

While there are a number of secondhand film cameras available, film cameras that are new in-the-box are harder to come by. The Rollei 35AF is a compact film camera with manual exposure that retails for $799 / £695 / CA$1,334 / AU$1,464. The Pentax 17 is a compact half-frame film camera, but it doesn’t have full manual exposure modes. It retails for about $500 / £500 / CA$599 / AU$749.

Lomography arguably has the largest selection of new film cameras, from build-your-own to 110 format to even medium format. The Lomo MC-A brings a bright lens, metal design, and a mix of auto and manual exposure tools to the lineup.

Pre-orders opened for the Lomo MC-A on October 22 in black or silver color variants. The camera lists for US$549 / £449 / AU$799 / CA$699.

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Analogue film photography is often loved for its color possibilities – and Lomography has a new film emulsion that it describes as an “ode to color.” The Lomography LomoChrome Classicolor 200 is a limited-edition 35mm film designed to favor the reds.

Lomography describes the colors coming from the Classicolor formula as true-to-life colors, but with more “energetic reds” and “crisp” blues and greens. The energetic reds also translate to skin tones with a warmer blush.

The company says that the film is versatile enough to move from sun to shade to indoors. In daylight, Lomography describes the film as soft and luminous, while in shaded light creates warm, earthy tones. The ISO 100 creates a medium grain structure will adding to that flexibility of using the film indoors or out.

The Lomochrome Classicolor 200 is coming first to the 35mm format, but Lomography says that it will also be coming to 120 and 110 formats soon. The color negative film is designed to be developed using the standard C-41 process. A DX code is included, which allows cameras with a DX reader to automatically detect which ISO film is inserted.

Classicolor is a a handcrafted film, Lomography says, and uses a “distinctive color-layering process” in order to create those tones.

Available in 36-exposure rolls, pre-orders for Lomography Lomochrome Classicolor have already opened, with an estimated November shipping date. One roll of the film retails for $11.90 / £8.90 / AU$16.90.

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What are the most popular colors in photographs? That’s a question film photography giant Lomography not only asked, but also analyzed across 15 years of data – and the findings illustrate a curious trend.

Lomography analyzed images shared by its community from 2010 to 2025, plotted the most dominant colors in the photographs for each year, and shared the results in a recent blog post. The chart makes a gradual change in colors obvious: bold colors are shrinking while monochrome tones make up a majority of images.

In the earliest data from 2010, blacks, whites, and grays take up a majority of the colors, which makes sense as those tones will be part of both black and white and color films. A significant portion of the hues in 2010 are still vibrant colors. By 2025, however, those colors take up a far smaller section of the chart.

Looking at images exclusively from the Lomography Community doesn’t necessarily indicate trends across photography as a whole, as Lomography’s community skews heavily towards analog photography. But the data shows an interesting shift among the film community and an increase in black and white and a decrease in bold colors.

Lomography has a few theories for why black and white is becoming a favorite among film photographers. The first theory is in the film labs themselves, which have started using more autocorrections when scanning film, which can create less vivid colors than using a profile designed for a specific film emulsion. Instant film with less saturated colors may have played a role as well, Lomography theorizes.

Another potential culprit is that modern films tend to be more neutral, while black and white stocks like Ilford HP5 Plus have become more popular. As the cost of film increased, the lower cost of black and white film may have also played a role.

When I loaded film into my first analog SLR, I also reached for black and white film, for two key reasons. One, black and white just felt more nostalgic as it existed long before color film. But I thought black and white may be easier to start with, as predicting how a photograph with only black, white, and gray would look felt less daunting than predicting how a photograph with every possible color would look.

The other curious trend I noted in Lomography’s analysis was that, in 2010, warm colors made up a good portion of the hues on the chart. But by 2025, the cooler blues and purples seem to make up a larger percentage than oranges and yellows.

Lomography’s final take? “We’re not mad about this trend at all,” the company wrote. “Watching the colors that spark our Lomographers’ creativity and seeing how they’ve shifted over time is fascinating. Because here’s the beauty of film photography: there are no right answers. Just the freedom to follow your mood and let your wild side shine, whatever shade it comes in.”

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The retro look is in high demand among compact cameras – but nothing is quite as retro as cameras that use real film – and analog photography brand Lomography is back with its latest film camera. The LomoApparat 21mm Alexanderplatz Edition is a compact 35mm film camera that comes bundled with accessories that are designed for experimenting.

The LomoApparat is a point-and-shoot film camera with a wide-angle 21mm lens. The new Alexanderplatz edition outfits the camera with a look inspired by the Alexanderplatz square in Berlin, including a textured wrap and a metallic silver and black geometric print design.

The new look refreshes the 35mm film camera. The LomoApparat is designed largely as a point-and-shoot. The aperture is fixed, and the shutter speed is usually at 1/100. But, there is an option to shoot longer bulb exposures, while the camera also has a double exposure mode for creative experimenting.

Experimenting is really what the LomoAppart series is all about, as evidenced by the range of unusual accessories that come bundled with the camera. The camera includes both a kaleidoscope and splitzer filters, plus a close-up attachment. Further creative experimentation can be had with the gel slider that gives the flash color. And that’s not including the creative flexibility of choosing which film to load inside.

Lomography calls the LomoApparat Alexanderplatz a camera for rule breakers. “Diving headfirst into the unfiltered energy and storied Strasse of Berlin, the new LomoApparat Alexanderplatz is made for the fearless, the wanderers, and the rule-breakers. An analogue companion for every adventure, this rebellious little camera is ready to capture the unapologetic energy of life on 35 mm film,” the company wrote in a press release.

After previously launching the camera in the UK earlier this year, the new film point-and-shoot officially opened for pre-orders in the US this week.

The Lomography LomoAppart Alexanderplatz is available for pre-order in the US for $99 and is available in stock in the UK for £99 and Australia for AU$139.

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No stranger to rejuvenating analog camera technology, Lomography has just announced the Joseph Petzval Art Lens Series. A handcrafted collection rooted in the optical heritage of Joseph Petzval’s original 1840 portrait lens, recalculated and reengineered for modern mirrorless camera systems.

Designed for full-frame Sony E, Canon RF, and Nikon Z mounts, the lineup begins with the Joseph Petzval 55mm f/1.7, 80.5mm f/1.9, and 35mm f/2. Soon to be joined by two further lenses, a 27mm and a 135mm (already in development), completing what will be a five-lens Petzval series. Notably, some of these focal lengths, including the 80.5mm, are available for full-frame mirrorless cameras for the first time.

Above: an example video of the Petzval lenses in action, featuring the different levels of Bokeh control

The distinctive Petzval aesthetic remains at the heart of this series. Sharp subjects are rendered with crisp clarity in the center, melting into swirling, dreamlike backgrounds that can be tuned through seven levels of bokeh swirl control. Blue-tinted flares and warm highlights add an atmospheric glow, creating images that feel rich with texture and character, straight out of the camera.

The lenses are designed with both photographers and filmmakers in mind. Fully manual, each lens features smooth, stopless aperture and focus rings, with a chrome-plated bokeh control ring for quick, tactile adjustments. The black anodised aluminium build is both durable and refined, reflecting Lomography’s handcrafted approach while still being prepared for the challenges of daily use.

For filmmakers, the Petzval series offers precision engineering tailored to modern workflows. A 180° focus throw, follow-focus compatibility (MOD 0.8), and unified gear positions across the range ensure seamless lens changes during production. Focus-coupled bokeh control enables smooth, uninterrupted creative adjustments without focus shift, while the built-in ¼-inch lens support guarantees stability for handheld shooting, gimbals, or tripods.

Petzval lenses have recently seen a resurgence in Hollywood, featuring in films such as Poor Things, Everything Everywhere All At Once, and The Northman. The aesthetic provides a dreamlike quality that works as a significant compositional tool and adds atmosphere to the scenes.

The technical specs highlight their versatility. The Joseph Petzval 55mm f/1.7 is built on a four-element, three-group Petzval design with a 43° field of view, an aperture range of f/1.7 to f/22, a closest focusing distance of 0.7m, and a 67 mm filter thread.

The 80.5mm f/1.9 shares the same optical layout with a 30° field of view and a 0.8m close focus, and the 35mm f/2 expands to five elements in four groups, with a 63° field of view and a close focus of 0.4m. All models are multi-coated, employ helicoid focusing, and are crafted to work intuitively for both photographers and videographers.

The Joseph Petzval Art 55mm f/1.7, 80.5mm f/1.9, and 35mm f/2 lenses are available to preorder now for $499 / £339 / AU $682 each, or as part of a three-lens bundle that includes all three focal lengths, with the 27mm and 135mm versions still in development.

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Back in 2013, Lomography launched a Kickstarter to resurrect a photographic relic of the 19th century, the Petzval lens, now available as the Petzval 55mm f/1.7 MkII Art Lens ($449 / £349 / AU$649) and Petzval 80.5mm f/1.9 MkII Bokeh Control Art Lens ($499 / £399 / AU$809).

But far from an optical oddity, its unique, vintage aesthetic has garnered favor with photographers, filmmakers and even Hollywood productions. And although I've noticed the Petzval’s distinctive spiraling bokeh pop up in various movies, most notably Poor Things, I knew nothing about this incredible optic’s history.

That is, until I watched StudioBinder’s excellent YouTube video, ‘The Trendiest Lens in Hollywood – And How You Can Use It’.

ABOVE: Watch StudioBinder’s video on the Petzval lens

The Petzval’s origins can be traced right back to 1840 when it was designed by its namesake, Slovak-Hungarian mathematician and physicist, Joseph Petzval.

But a world away from providing the ethereal cinematography for films such as Poor Things, I was amazed to find out that it was originally used to cut down the average 10-minute exposure time of the period’s chevalier lenses to just 30 seconds.

It was also sharper than rival lenses, thanks to Petzval’s background in mathematics. But that sharpness only extended to the very center of the frame, hence the ethereal effect we know and love today. Exactly how the lens’ construction produced this optical anomaly is explained excellently in the video.

Today’s cinematographers have embraced the Petzval lens’ distinctive, spiraling bokeh, extreme fall-off and heavy vignetting for its storytelling qualities. The ethereal look is ideal for dream sequences or surreal subject matter, while also drawing the eye towards the center of the frame.

But there’s another reason why the Petzval has garnered favor with the filmmaking elite: sharpness, or lack thereof.

As the StudioBinder video states: “Today, many cinematographers feel that the look of digital cameras is too clean, resulting in an image without much character.” And some photographers are running into the same problem, with one solution being vintage optics or vintage-style optics.

So there you have it. Watch the video above to learn more about the Petzval lens, how to use one, and its application in Hollywood.

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If you're into photography oddities, Blazar has made the first practical anamorphic lenses for photographers, and I had no idea Luke Skywalker's Lightsaber was made from a vintage camera flash. Plus, the Nikon Z6 is a whole lotta camera for $700 – I might pick one up as a second body.

I’ve long been a fan of using prisms and filters to take unusual photos – which is why, when Lomography announced the LomoApparat 21mm Alexanderplatz Edition, I immediately stopped scrolling.

The LomoApparat is a compact film camera that’s made for weird, “rebellious” photographers because it comes bundled with a handful of accessories to create unusual photos on film.

The Alexanderplatz is a special edition of the original LomoAppart that Lomography introduced in 2022. The new special edition is inspired by Berlin and the historic Alexanderplatz square, giving the camera a textured place wrap on the front and a silver and black geometric print.

What makes the LomoApparat weird is the different accessories that come bundled with the camera, which are designed for creative experimentation.

The macro lens attachment is the only “normal” accessory of the bunch. A kaleidoscope attachment makes images look as if they were taken through a kaleidoscope.

The Splitzer attachment enables creators to separate the image into two sides, reflecting two different parts of the scene into the image. Even the camera’s built-in flash comes with an unusual tool; a colored slider enables the camera’s flash to change colors for different looks.

While the LomoAppart is designed for experimentation, it’s also made for simplicity. It’s a point-and-shoot 35mm film camera that has a fixed focus and fixed f/10 aperture on the wide 21mm lens.

The shutter speed is typically fixed at 1/100th of a second, but photographers have some flexibility with the Bulb mode for long exposures. The camera also supports double exposures.

One of the reasons that I love film is that the results are imperfect, often unpredictable, and experimental. That’s especially true when trying out different film emulsions, of which Lomography has plenty of creative options. Bundling a simple film camera with a kit of accessories designed for experimentation feels like the perfect match.

Of course, it’s also possible to pick up separate kaleidoscope filters and splitter effects, and prisms that will work with film cameras, but I like the way Lomography bundles everything into one fairly affordable package.

The LomoApparat 21mm Alexanderplatz retails for $99 / £99 /AU$159 with the camera and special effects accessories included. (Don’t forget to add some 35mm film, though!) If you don’t need the special edition design, the price drops by about $10 / £10 / AU$20 if you opt for the original variant instead.

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Browse the best film cameras, the best 35mm film, or the best camera filters.

Lomography has always made a mission out of making film photography more accessible, and its latest release, or rather re-release, is no exception. The brand has introduced two 'new and improved' film scanning kits set to make scanning your negatives easier, faster, and more creative than ever.

Whether you’re just getting started with film photography or you’re a weathered pro, these all-in-one kits are perfect for anyone who wants to take control of their scanning process quickly and easily. Now, you can scan your 35mm, 120mm, and special format negatives right from your smartphone or digital camera with complete flexibility.

Above: A video showcasing the Lomography DigitaLIZA+

The Lomography DigitaLIZA+ ($74.99) is the first option, designed for those looking to get high-quality scans with a personal touch. It enables users to adjust the color, tone, and contrast of scans so you can get exactly the look you want. The 35mm standard frame makes it easy to get started, and the improved backlight panel ensures consistent lighting across the strip.

In addition, there’s a removable spirit level to help you keep everything perfectly straight. The DigitaLIZA+ is also ideal for more experimental formats, like overlapping exposures or sprocket hole shots. It’s all about making the process simple, fun, and customizable.

Secondly, there’s the Lomography DigitaLIZA Max ($99), which takes things up a level. It includes everything the DigitaLIZA+ offers, but with the added bonus of a smartphone stand, so you can scan with your phone. It’s lightweight, portable, and ready to go whether you’re at home or on the move.

If you prefer to use a digital camera instead, you can easily swap out the stand. The DigitaLIZA Max also handles all types of negatives, including special formats like panoramic frames and overlapping exposures, so you’re covered no matter what you’re working with.

Both kits were initially released in 2022, and have been redesigned to be compact and modular with improved light panels, making them perfect for scanning at home or on the go. You’ll have full control over your scans, ensuring you get the best results every time. Lomography states that they are a hassle-free way to turn your film negatives into high-quality digital images that you can share and relive whenever you want.

With the growing nostalgia for analog photography, now is the perfect time to breathe new life into your memories on film and make new ones. Lomography’s new and improved DigitaLIZA kits continue its commitment to making film more accessible, which is also clear in their recent releases, like their new Lomo Daylight developing tank.

Whether you’re an experienced analog shooter or just starting out, these new scanning kits make it easy to embrace the creative, hands-on world of film photography.

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Check out our guides to the best Lomography cameras and the best film scanners.

I never thought I would see a new daylight developing tank in 2025, but it’s fantastic to see Lomography bringing this handy film processing accessory back to market.

The Lomo Daylight Developing Tank 35mm is designed to make film processing quick, easy, and accessible to everyone. Whether you’re at home or on the move, this compact all-in-one system eliminates the need for darkrooms and changing bags, allowing film to be processed hassle-free in any environment.

Loading film has never been simpler. The intuitive lightproof design helps users spool their film in seconds, making the process smooth and frustration-free.

With a minimal chemical requirement of just 350ml per process, the tank is both efficient and cost-effective. Carefully placed slots allow for easy liquid pouring, while a secure, waterproof lid prevents spills, ensuring a clean and controlled workflow from start to finish.

Everything needed for film development is built into its compact design. The system includes a 35mm reel, a loading crank, a film counter, a film cutter, and a film retriever, making it a complete toolkit for analog photographers of all experience levels. From retrieving the film from the canister to completing the final rinse, the entire process is handled within the tank, offering convenience without compromising quality.

This new system provides creative freedom for photographers who love to experiment. Whether developing film through standard agitation or inversion methods, or pushing the boundaries with film soup and push/pull processing, the tank accommodates a variety of techniques.

By removing the barriers to developing your own film at home, it encourages film photographers to explore their craft in new and exciting ways.

Daylight tanks are not now – the best known was probably the ones made by Jobo. However, by helping to simplify one of the most challenging aspects of film photography, Lomography has made the magic of developing film more accessible than ever to the users of its film cameras and 35mm film.

With its effortless spooling system, lightproof design, and mess-free operation, this tank, I think, is set to become an essential tool for anyone passionate about shooting and processing 35mm film.

Check out our guide to the best darkroom equipment available for home processing and printing

Analog film fanatic camera maker Lomography has launched two new Lomo’Instant Square Glass cameras that use an innovative foldable bellows design to pack away to a third of their shooting size for transportation. They shoot instant photos and most notably are compatible with both Instax Square and Instax Mini film, thanks to an interchangeable back.

The dual-format cameras have a premium 95mm glass lens (45mm equivalent), ensuring super-sharp and vivid instant photos. An advanced automatic mode ensures perfect exposures. They also come with Close-up and Splitzer lens attachments for additional creative possibilities. The Close-up lens attachment allows for sharp snaps from as close as 50cm, while the Splitzer invites artistic experimentation with multiple exposures.

There are two new models, Pemberley and The Blues, and each has its own distinctive look while offering the same functionality as the existing Lomo’Instant Square Glass cameras. Pemberley comes in a pastel color palette of pinks, greens and browns, while The Blues has denim jeans styling for a more rock 'n roll vibe.

Advanced yet easy-to-use settings include zone-focusing switchable between 0.8m, 1-2.5m and infinity, and the ability to control exposure compensation. The aperture can be set to f/10 or f/22 for extended depth of field, and there's a built-in flash for shooting in low-light scenarios. There's also a self-timer mode, and the camera comes complete with a remote control.

The Pemberley and The Blues cameras join the existing Lomo’Instant Square Glass range and are set to retail for $149 / £ 139 / AU$335.

Don't miss our guides to the best Lomography cameras and the best instant cameras.

Lomography’s newest 35mm camera crams twice as many photos in a single roll of film. The Lomography Half-Frame Lomourette is a quaint but affordable half-frame 35mm compact camera with a fixed lens and a large flash.

The Lomourette body takes some obvious inspiration from the brand’s popular Diana F+ camera, including using the same flash. But where the Diana F+ shoots 120mm film with a switch to shoot 12 full images or 16 smaller images, the Lomourette splits every frame of the 35mm film for 72 images per 36-exposure roll.

Lomography is the latest brand to launch a half-frame - following on the heels of the Pentax 17, Kodak Ektar H35, and the Alfie Tych+. The Lomourette isn't Lomography's first half frame, however, and is an update of the Diana Mini, which allowed photographers to choose from half-frame or square.

While brands like Pentax say the half-frame format is about both reducing costs and using an aspect ratio closer to a smartphone screen, for Lomography, the half-frame format is also designed for creative expression. The Lomourette encourages photographers to use the split diptych, or side-by-side images to explore contradictions or craft mirrored images.

The Lomourette uses a fixed 24mm lens with either f/8.0 or f/11 available. Similarly, photographers have just two options for shutter speed with 1/60 or Bulb mode. The lens is manually zone focused using four different distance settings.

In keeping with Lomography’s focus on creative experimentation, the Lomourette allows for unlimited multiple exposures per image. Photographers can shoot a single shot, or experiment with double or triple exposures before manually advancing the film.

The camera, which takes one AA battery, also ships with colored gel filters. As a 35mm camera, the Lomourette takes any 35mm type film, including Lomography’s wide range of options designed for unusual colors and creative effects.

While the specs don’t include full measurements, Lomography calls the camera “a petite, whimsical confidante.” I’ve experimented with a Lomography tiny camera in the past, and the toy-like-feel and expectation of imperfect images brought with it a feeling of play and creative freedom.

The Lomourette joins a growing number of newly launched half-frame cameras. With a list price of about $69 / £75 / AU$ 106, the new camera sits on the more affordable end with cameras like the Kodak Ektar H35 rather than the Pentax 17 which offers a few more controls but doesn’t quite offer full manual exposure modes. While half-frame has been around since the Sixties, the format seems to be seeing a resurgence as a way to mix the growing interest with the rising costs of analog photography.

The camera launches in three different color options. The Picnic edition is a minty green with a white top plate while the classic is a black camera with a blue top plate. Both list for $69 / £65 / AU$ 106. A Water Lilies edition wraps the camera with a Monet Water Lilies-themed artwork and sits at a slightly higher list price at $79 / £75 / AU$ 121.

Order the Lomography Half-Frame from B&H for $69-$79

Classic Edition | Picnic Edition | Water Lilies Edition

Or shop directly from Lomography internationally

Hungry for more half-frame? Browse the best film cameras, read up on the history of half-frame or find the best 35mm film to fit inside the new camera.

Lomography has been busy cooking up new colorways for its Sprocket Rocket 35mm Panoramic Cameras. That’s right, the best Lomography cameras now look even more extra, thanks to the attractive-looking white and teal hues, Coconut and Peacock, respectively. These add to the existing trio of colors: black, Baja Blue and Bittersweet (a pale red).

The Austrian analog camera manufacturer says; “these cameras are dressed to impress and ready for bright, bold and boundary-pushing photography!” If you’re tempted by the allure of these vibrant-looking shades, they’re available now and are priced at $79 / £69.

What is the Lomography Sprocket Rocket?

The Sprocket Rocket 35mm Panoramic Camera was released back in 2011 as the world’s first panoramic wide-angle 35mm film camera dedicated to sprockets. What this means is that the device can take the best 35mm film (or any 35mm film for that matter) and deliver 1:3 panoramic images. It’s called the Sprocket Rocket because it will expose right to the edges of the film, right over the sprocket holes. Pretty neat.

The camera itself is about as simple as you can get, with few controls. Rewind and advance knobs are the only top-plate controls and there’s no shutter button. Instead, you fire the shutter by activating a small lever on the lens. Shutter speed and aperture are set via the lens, too. You can only shoot exposures at 1/100 sec or via bulb mode and can select apertures of just f/10.8 and f/16. Focusing is similarly simple, with two settings: 0.6-1m for closer subjects and 1m to infinity for everything else.

A hotshoe allows you to mount the best flashgun and the camera is able to shoot multiple exposures by simply refraining from advancing the film. Best of all, the Sprocket Rocket’s simple design doesn’t require a battery. It’s a purely mechanical device.

If you’re interested in film photography, check out the best light meters or the best film cameras.

Lomography is proudly proclaiming the Lomo'Instant Wide Glass as "the best instant camera on Earth". That's certainly a bold claim, particularly since it shares many of the same USPs – such as a glass lens and external flash sync – as the mighty Polaroid I-2.

Still, I think it backs up this claim with gusto. As the name suggests, the Lomo'Instant Wide Glass is a premium version of the Lomo'Instant Wide featuring a glass, multicoated lens. And, as you may also have twigged, it shoots on Instax Wide film.

So what else sets it apart from the Instax Wide 400? Pretty much everything, actually, from the ability to turn off the built-in flash to the fact that you can connect to an external flash via the PC Sync port. Not to mention additional shooting modes, focal ranges, a remote control, manual shutter speed options… and a higher price tag.

Let's take a closer look at the Lomo'Instant Wide Glass and see how it stacks up to its full-frame instant camera counterparts.

Lomo'Instant Wide Glass: Specifications

Lomo'Instant Wide Glass: Price

The Wide Glass comes with a $279 £249 / AU$299 price tag – which is an absolute bargain, compared to the $599 / £599 / AU$1,099 of the Polaroid I-2, but considerably more than the $149.99 / £129.99 / AU$229.99 asking price for the Instax Wide 400.

The Polaroid has more features, including LiDAR autofocus, and more luxurious build quality. The Instax has far fewer features, making it a more straightforward camera to use, and a more plasticky build. I personally think the Lomo'Instant justifies its price tag, but it's still a lot for an instant camera.

Lomo'Instant Wide Glass: Design & handling

The Lomo'Instant Wide Glass body is modeled after a vintage folding bellows camera, though obviously there are no bellows and it doesn't unfold – but for those of a certain age, the design is cool and evocative.

Like its opposite number from Instax, the Wide Glass is a hulking big camera – as you can see below, it's literally bigger than a medium format camera! That's a necessary evil with Instax Wide film, as the large cartridge inherently requires a big body.

Ergonomically it's not as pleasing as the curvy, comfortable Instax Wide 400, particularly since it lacks the handgrip below the shutter button. That said, it's an infinitely better-looking camera – not just due to its vintage shape, but also thanks to the faux-leather and silver finish (rather than the faded-bar-of-soap color of the Instax).

Its build quality is better, too, particularly when it comes to the metal lens barrel and glass element – and it should be noted that the lens features four built-in focus ranges (0.3 m, 0.6 m, 1-2m and infinity), and so doesn't require the easily-lost lens attachment that the Instax needs for close-ups. Curiously, though, the selfie mirror (present on Lomography's regular Wide camera) has been ditched.

The aforementioned lack of handgrip can make it a little tricky to get purchase (I took some very precarious one-handed shots leaning out of a window, which I don't recommend!) but also stops the camera feeling too blocky.

I love the amount of controls on the back of the body – particularly the satisfying, clock face-style shutter controls – though they can be overwhelming for anyone expecting the pick-up-and-shoot simplicity of the Instax Wide.

But then again, since the Lomo is aimed specifically at advanced users who want more control, I don't know how legitimate a concern that is. At the very least, I'm eternally grateful for having the ability to turn the flash off!

As noted there is a tripod mount, along with a PC Sync port should you want to get uber creative with more than just the on-board flash. The lens cap also doubles as a remote trigger (with self-timer function), and accessories like a Splitzer (for creative multiple exposures) and flash gels are included.

Honestly I always worry about losing the latter two, so they tend to end up staying in the box, but the lens cap is genuinely useful – both to protect the lens, and to take the faff out of taking selfies and group shots.

Lomo'Instant Wide Glass: Performance

I did a considerable amount of shooting with the Lomo'Instant Wide Glass, including a lot of side-by-side shots with the Instax Wide 400 to see how they compared. In short, the image quality of the Lomo is far superior.

The glass lens produces much sharper images, and the multi-coatings not only render richer color – they also minimize flare. The fact that the lens has a slightly wider focal length (90mm, versus the Instax's 95mm) also means that you get slightly more in your frame – particularly if you're really pushing things and taking an arm's length selfie!

Crucially, I also found that the Lomo delivers much better exposures. The Instax really tends to overexpose bright areas (such as skies) and underexpose dark ones, whereas the Lomo picks out detail even in shadowy areas of the image. I've included a selection of side-by-side shots in the Samples section below, so you can see the differences between the two cameras.

While you can leave the camera on auto, much like the Polaroid I-2 the whole point of the Wide Glass is to get creative and experiment. I loved using the shutter control switch, especially with its pleasing "hand on a clock face" design, and of course the ability to manually turn the flash on and off (which is missing on the Instax Wide) is massively appreciated.

All the controls might be overwhelming at first, and there's certainly a risk of errantly toggling the flash or adjusting the exposure compensation with your palm, but the audience for this camera will welcome the freedom and scope for creativity as much as the image quality.

The biggest challenge, as usual with Wide cameras, is learning how to frame in the viewfinder. There is a second window in the viewfinder to help compensate for parallax, but if you're anything like me (and especially if you wear glasses) you'll still misfire the odd frame!

Lomo'Instant Wide Glass: Samples

Lomo'Instant Wide Glass: Verdict

The Lomo'Instant Wide Glass is my favorite wide instant camera. The glass lens delivers fantastic image quality, the camera exposes scenes well, and the wealth of control and creative options make it a supremely versatile camera.

BUT, these come with caveats. Yes, the image quality is great, but bear in mind that this is a hundred-odd bucks more than the Instax Wide 400. It's also a much more complicated camera, making it more daunting to give to a family member to take a couple of shots, and it's a little more ergonomically unfriendly.

In terms of pure performance, I'd put this right up there with the (three times more expensive) Polaroid I-2. So it really depends what you want from your instant photography; if image quality is paramount, look no further. But if you want something that the whole family can use – and at a price that's more "impulse" than "investment" – the Instax might be a better bet.

Lomo'Instant Wide Glass: Alternatives

Lomography launches the Lomo’Instant Wide Glass, a new addition to its instant camera range offering 'unmatched' quality.

At Digital Camera World, we are no strangers to bold claims when provided with a press release. However, the Lomo’Instant Wide Glass ranks among the top, with Lomography stating that the new instant camera is the "best instant camera on Earth," boasting "unmatched sharpness and unbelievable color."

My colleague, DCW editor James Artaius, put these claims to the test in his review. "The Lomo'Instant Wide Glass is my favorite wide instant camera," he concluded, adding that, "In terms of pure performance, I'd put this right up there with the (three times more expensive) Polaroid I-2." High praise indeed!

The new multicoated 90mm glass lens enables users to capture a sharper image than plastic due to the improved optical clarity, especially when shooting directly to the camera's Fujifilm Instax Wide film. This, in turn, provides richer colors and sharper details, especially when utilizing its minimum focusing range of just 30cm.

Lomography claims to have developed the Lomo’Instant Wide Glass with studio and fashion photography in mind, being able to provide instant professional film prints while on set. This can enable the photography crew to get an idea of the final outcome before committing to a look or setup.

The instant camera enables the user to manually adjust and refine certain settings, such as shutter speed, which ranges from 8s to 1/250s and, to a certain extent, aperture with its automatic f/8, f/22, and manual fixed f/22 aperture modes.

Other notable features include a tripod mount for increased stability, a PC-Sync port, built-in flash, exposure compensation, and multiple exposure modes.

As with most Lomography cameras, there are also more ways to get creative. The camera comes with colored gel filters, a Splitzer lens attachment, and a remote control lens cap that features a shutter release button and timer switch.

The Lomo’Instant Wide Glass is available now for $279 / £249 / AU $299. This may just be the best Lomography camera, but whether it is the greatest instant camera on Earth you can find out in our full Lomo’Instant Wide Glass review.

Check out our guides to the best instant cameras and the best Lomography cameras.

Lomography has released yet another new edition of its Lomomatic 110 – the Bellagio edition is a brass-bodied film camera that embodies the era of ’60s cool.

It comes hot on the heels of the Zebra Crossing edition, which has zebra-print detailing to appeal to fashionistas and joins the original plastic Golden Gate and metal-bodied Flash Metal variations.

Aside from the exterior alterations, the Bellagio offers the same functionality and specifications as the other Lomomatic 110 models. It's a pocket-sized analog camera that uses the retro 110 film format, with a 23mm Minitar CX multi-coated glass lens, automatic exposure control, a zone-focusing slider, adjustable ISO, and the choice of f/2.8 or f/5.6 apertures.

Like the other Lomomatic 110s, it comes complete with a metal wrist strap – only this time it's brass-coloured – as well as a tin canister for holding your 110 negatives.

Also in the box with the Lomomatic 110 Bellagio is a matching detachable Lomomatic Flash in the same brass build. It comes with a selection of colored filters; these slide in front of the flash head for multicolored lighting effects.

It's certainly fun to use, especially the way the film advance mechanism works, winding the film onto the next frame by snapping the camera closed and reopening it again.

Sample images

It's encouraging to see that the Lomomatic has been embraced by the public, and will hopefully spur other manufacturers to embrace the 110 format.

The Lomography Lomomatic 110 Zebra Crossing comes with a flash for $189 / £169 (Australian pricing TBC). Lomography also offers a range of 110mm film stocks.

See our guides to the best Lomography cameras, the best film cameras and the best film stocks– and of course, the best film scanners.

Lomography has released a new edition of its Lomomatic 110, a pocket-sized analog camera that uses the retro 110 film format. The Zebra Crossing edition has zebra-print detailing to distinguish it from the previously released plastic Golden Gate and metal-bodied Flash Metal variations.

Aside from this cosmetic tweak, the camera offers the same functionality and specifications as the other Lomomatic 110 models. It's fronted by a 23mm Minitar CX multi-coated glass lens, has automatic exposure control, a zone-focusing slider, adjustable ISO, and the choice of f/2.8 or f/5.6 apertures.

Buillt-in tricks include multiple and long-exposure shooting modes, and it comes complete with a stylish metal wrist strap and tin canister for holding your 110 negatives.

Also in the box with the Lomomatic 110 Zebra Crossing is a detachable Lomomatic Flash with a selection of colored filters; these can be slid in front of the flash head for multicolored lighting effects.

In our review of the Flash Metal model, we surmised that the camera "looks great with fantastic retro styling but is awkward to use, has fiddly settings and it isn’t the cheapest way to get on the vintage 110 bandwagon".

It is undeniably fun, however, particularly the cool film advance mechanism, which winds on to the next frame by simply sliding the camera body closed and open again.

Sample images

Film photography and cameras have seen a huge resurgence in recent years, and it's great to see more 110 options like this to go along with popular 35mm cameras like the Pentax 17 and Rollei 35AF.

The Lomography Lomomatic 110 Zebra Crossing comes with a flash for $119 / £109 (Australian pricing TBC). Lomography also offers a range of 110mm film stocks.

See our guides to the best film stocks, the best film cameras, and the best film scanners.

Lomography is renowned for its quirky colorways adding maximum fun to some of its best analog cameras. Lately, in addition to the bright pastels and acid trip colors, it has been harnessing classic art history with collaborations from some of the greats.

Two of the best Lomography cameras the Lomo'Instant Automat and the Lomoapparat 21mm Wide angle will be adorned by the classic artworks of Austrian artist Egon Schiele.

Egon Schiele was a leading figure in the Austrian expressionist movement and is considered one of the most influential artists of the 20th century. His artwork was bold, daring, and ahead of its time and the works on these cameras look as contemporary today as when first created.

Schiele worked very closely with Gustav Klimt and you can see influences in both artists' work. Lomography recently issued the Gustav Klimt Collection, much in the same way, and featured some of his most renowned work.

The Schiele Collection features two separate cameras, each offering something different as a camera but also in aesthetics.

Lomo'Instant Automat camera and lenses

One of Lomography's best instant cameras, it features Schiele's intricate sketches Seated Woman with Bent Knees (1917) and the striking Self-Portrait with Striped Shirt (1910), each detailed with gold.

The Automatic instant camera is designed for even the most novice of photographers to experiment creatively and have fun while doing so. Automatically adjusting the aperture, shutter speed, and flash output, each shot is accurately exposed for the given scene.

A great feature of the camera is that it comes with a selection of different lenses offering a more versatile instant camera experience. The camera comes in a box with fisheye, wide-angle, close-up, and splitzer lenses for further experimentation as well as a remote-control lens cap for self-portraits much like the emblazoned artwork.

Lomoapparat 21mm Wide angle

The exciting and bold red-colored camera is adorned and complimented by two of Schiele's most famous works, Self-portrait with Chinese Lantern Plant (1912) and the captivating Portrait of Wally Neuzil (1912), inspiring a playful approach to shooting.

The perfect camera for taking those sunny holiday snaps, the lightweight camera features a 21mm lens and fixed settings for 'perfect exposures every time'. Multiple exposure and bulb modes enhance the playful experience, along with the interchangeable lenses and colored filters.

Above: A gallery of sample images

The Lomography Schiele Collection is available to purchase now – the Lomo’Instant Automat & Lenses Schiele Edition for $199 / £179 / AU$219, and the LomoApparat 21 mm Wide-angle Camera Schiele Edition $99 / £99 / AU$109.

The works chosen to adorn the cameras are exquisite, and act as a reminder to experiment, push boundaries, and have fun while doing so!

You might also be interested in our guides to the best Lomography cameras, the best Lomography lenses, and the best instant cameras. 

The 90s aesthetic is very much in style, and film cameras will be the go-to in 2024, thanks largely to social media trends. With the sudden resurgence of analog photography, more film stocks are being developed and improved upon to cater to the trend, and Lomography has just announced a potential summer classic!

The all-new LomoChrome Color '92 Sunkissed is an ISO 400 film available in 35mm, 120, and 110 formats –  meaning it covers all the best Lomography cameras. It has been developed to build upon the versatility of the popular original LomoChrome Color ’92 ISO 400 film, released last year. 

Above: A sample image gallery from the LomoChrome Color '92 Sunkissed

The 'Sun Kissed' element of the name refers to the nostalgic feel of the film's warm tones, transporting the viewer back to the 90s in more ways than one. Designed to provide a warm golden hour glow, the orange and yellow hues provide radiance to skin tones and a cinematic feel when coupled with the cool shadows. 

By looking at the sample images, the film offers a subtle grain providing character to your summer shots. This is enhanced further by the deep glossy blacks which make the tones of color pop, providing both a nostalgic and very modern capture experience. 

Lomography is dedicated to creating unique films stating, We are forever committed to the development of fresh films for contemporary photographers worldwide". It also states that there are more films to come in the future as it continues to work on distinctive styles. 

The LomoChrome Color '92 Sunkissed is available to order now in 35mm for $12.90 / £11.90 / AU$13.90, in 120mm for $11.90 / £10.90 / AU$12.90, and in 110mm for $8.90 / £7.90 / AU $9.90. 

As a photographer who has returned to shooting film lately, I am excited to try out this new release. The sample images look incredible and could quite easily rival the likes of Kodak Gold and Portra 400 as a more affordable yet powerful option. 

You may also be interested in our guides to the best film for 35mm, the best analog cameras, and the best Lomography cameras. 

Lomography is no stranger to creating cameras in wonderful and wacky colors – indeed, some of the best Lomography cameras really push the aesthetics. This time, however, it has opted for a more refined and classic approach, celebrating the art of renowned Austrian artist Gustav Klimt. 

Perhaps Austria's most famous artist, Klimt was an icon of the Vienna secession movement – an artistic movement closely related to art nouveau, formed in 1897. Klimt's paintings were rebellious and pioneering at the time, and are now considered some of the most recognizable and important in art history. 

Four of his best-known works are the subject of the new Klimt Collection of Lomo’Instant Automat Cameras. Two special editions of the camera feature in the collection, each with a separate image on the front and rear. 

First is The Gold Leaf Edition, which was inspired by Klimt's use of gold leaf in his paintings, and features the artworks Portrait of Adele Bloch-Bauer I on the front and The Kiss on the rear. The second in the collection is named the Water Serpents II / Maiden Edition, after the two artworks of the same names depicted on the camera. 

"The Lomo’Instant Automat Camera and Lenses Klimt Collection invites photographers around the world to infuse their instant captures with their own artistry," says Lomography. 

Creativity and artistry have always been at the forefront of the company's product design, and this is no different with the Lomo’Instant Automat. Where it differs from other instant cameras on the market is the ability to add different lenses, providing different focal lengths and creative lens options. 

Creativity is pushed further with the additional features of a multiple exposure mode, long exposure mode, and a built-in flash with colored gel filters. But on top of the experimental and creative elements, the Automat also offers a great traditional instant camera experience. 

It uses Fujifilm Instax Mini film, has a standard focal length of 60mm, features changeable apertures of auto, f/8, and f/22, and offers exposure compensation of up to one stop. 

The Lomo’Instant Automat Camera and Lenses Klimt Collection is available now for $199 / £179 / AU $219. And if the Klimt designs do not take your fancy, Lomography offers plenty of other colorways and designs. 

You may also be interested in our guides to the best instant cameras and best digital instant cameras. And make sure to check what type of instant film you need!

Lomography has introduced its newest version of its LomoApparat 35mm film camera - the LomoApparat Fluffy Omelet. The brightly-colored compact is a collaboration with the Thai art studio Fluffy Omelet.

The camera itself is the same as the original LomoApparat, which was launched in 2022. It features a super-wide 21mm lens - making it great for interiors, street photography, and selfies. The built-in flash has a color-gel filter slider, that allows you to add color casts to subjects that are close to the camera. 

As well as the interchangeable gels, the camera comes with a selection of other creative attachments… A close-up attachment reduces the minimum focus from 0.5m to just 0.2m. The Kaleidoscope Lens attachment creates a multiple-mirrored image effect across the frame. The Splitzer Lens "slices and dices images into wedges of any size and for totally wild image effects" - and works with the camera's multiple-exposure facility.

There is no autofocus - with the lens's focus being fixed. Exposure is also fixed, with a constant exposure of 1/100sec at f/10 - although there is a Bulb setting available for long-exposure lowlight photography. There is a tripod socket too.

As well as the basic black version, the LomoApparat is also available in two other special editions - the orange leather-clad LomoApparat NeuBau, or the cream-leather LomoApparat Chiyoda.

The LomApparat Fluffy Omelet Edition is available now for $99 / £99.

Lomography has launched two new limited-edition versions of its instant cameras, just in time for your summer travels. 

Designed for adventure, the new Lomography "el Nil" editions have transformed the Lomo’Instant Automat and Lomo’Instant Wide cameras. Ranked among the best Lomography cameras available, the instant cameras offer a fun and exciting instant film experience, and these editions feature a new aesthetic makeover. 

• See our review of the recently released Fujifilm Instax Mini 99.

Named 'The Travel Edition: el Nil', the new edition introduces a new color and patterned design, adding a vintage Egyptian vista of sailboats on the Nile set in front of the backdrop of the three Pyramids.

Lomography states, "Whether traversing undulating sand dunes, passing the ancient pyramids, or resting under the shade of rustling palm trees, these cameras will inspire photographers and adventurers alike to capture their travels, experiences, and creative ideas."

Lomography creates cameras that encourage creative play and exploration, with many of its products featuring different artistic options not available on other cameras. The Lomo’Instant Automat and Lomo’Instant Wide cameras offer something a little different from each other and other instant cameras on the market.

The Lomo’Instant Automat is an instant film camera that utilizes Fujifilm's Instax Mini film. With a focal length equivalent to 60mm and two aperture modes of f/8 and f/22, the camera is extremely versatile and ideal for various shooting scenarios from landscape to portrait. The inbuilt flash also provides an option for low-light shooting.

The Lomo’Instant Wide is an 'extra-wide' camera that utilizes the Instax Wide film, creating a larger instant film print than the Mini. The Instant Wide has a focal length of 90mm (35mm equivalent), and like the Automat, has aperture options of f/8 and f/22. 90mm is the focal length of some of the best portrait lenses, utilizing this, the Lomo'Instant Wide is great at capturing people, and is the perfect companion to summer gatherings.

A cool feature of the Lomography Instant cameras, and currently the only way the el Nil editions are available, is part of a kit that includes multiple lens attachments, providing the user with more creative options and enhanced versatility. Close-up, Ultra-wide, Splitzer, and Remote Control Lens Caps are available for both cameras.

The Lomography Lomo’Instant Automat and Lomography Lomo’Instant Wide el Nil limited editions are only available as part of the lens kit, and are priced at $199 / £179 for the Automat and $219 / £189 for the Wide.

If analog photography is your preference, you may be interested in our guides to the best 35mm film, the best film cameras, and the best film scanners. 

Lomography has just released its newest camera and, never one to shy away from surprises, it's a 110mm film camera! 

The Lomography Lomomatic 110 Film Camera is a new advanced analog camera, the third to be developed by Lomography. Film photography is continuing to make a resurgence, but not many of the best film cameras offer 110mm shooting in a compact body that can be slipped into your pocket. 

Packed with creative features, the Lomomatic 110 possesses all the signs of becoming one of the best Lomography cameras on the market, and will likely become a hit this summer.

What is 110?

Popular in the Seventies, 110mm film offered a more affordable entry point to photography for the masses and was considerably easier to use. The frame size was designed to be slightly smaller than the popular Kodak 126mm film, at just 13 x 17mm (0.51 x 0.67in). With the increasing popularity of 35mm, 110mm slowly drifted out of fashion… until now, and it might just be the perfect time for the revival.

Lomography makes cameras that force the user to live in the moment and capture lasting memories in the most creative ways, and the Lomomatic 110 is no different. 

A 23mm focal length enables the user to capture wide scenes and navigate any scenario with auto exposure, dual aperture modes (f/2.8 and f/5.6), zone focusing and controllable ISO settings. Many Lomography cameras offer limited setting options and, although still limited, the 110 offers more control than most.  

The 110 comes in two designs including one with an all-metal silver body named Flash Metal, and one plastic body in a trendy cream and orange colorway named Golden Gate. Both of these come with a premium Minitar CX glass lens, which Lomography states is producing "the sharpest 110 shots imaginable". 

The 110 has a sliding mechanized film advancement, unique to anything else that is currently on the market, making it more compatible and not to mention looking incredibly fun to use.

Lomography also offers the 110 with an optional unique Lomomatic flash attachment, enabling photography in low-light situations when shooting in the corresponding night mode. Much like other Lomography flash cameras you can get creative with color as the flash also has a slot for colored gels further expanding creative choices.

Film photography and compact cameras are extremely popular at the moment and it has seen camera brands such as Pentax and Lomography take advantage of this growing market. Rising film prices also mean it is an ideal time for a smaller frame as it requires a more affordable film stock.

The Lomography Lomomatic 110 Flash Metal is available with optional flash for $159 / £149 (Australian pricing TBC), and the Lomography Lomomatic 110 Golden Gate is available for $119 / £109. Lomography also offers several creative 110mm film stocks, perfect for everyday shooting. 

See our guides to the best film stocks, the best film cameras, and the best film scanners. 

Lomography is no stranger to adding a pop of color to its cameras, and the new Fisheye No.2 camera is the latest camera to receive a makeover, with what might be the juiciest edition yet. 

Lomography is a camera, lens, and film manufacturer focused on experimental analog products that unleash new creative possibilities. The best Lomography cameras offer something unique, and the Lomography Fisheye No.2 is no exception. Direct flash fisheye snapshots are certainly not the norm, but despite the medium, they look modern and offer something different from traditional events or holiday snaps. 

First released in 2009, the Lomography Fisheye No.2 is a 35mm film camera with a fixed 10mm lens for a wild fish eye experience, ideal for capturing creative snapshots. The camera lens is fixed focus and captures a set aperture of f/8, and the built-in flash provides a further creative license. A removable viewfinder gives the user the option to shoot from the hip and live in the moment - a way of life suited to this camera. 

As if making quirky experimental analog cameras wasn't niche enough, Lomography often adds new color editions to inject even more wackiness. We recently saw an update to the Sprocket Rocket panoramic camera with fresh new colors, and the Fisheye No.2 is the next camera model to get a makeover.

Papaya Pop is the latest edition and it certainly provides an explosion of color! A bright orange exterior with yellow polka dots will certainly be a summer statement and is ideal for those heading to sunny climes.

Lomography's ethos is to create products that encourage creative fun and experimentation with the analog process, and they constantly succeed. The Fisheye No.2 was already a neat camera for taking unique analog snapshots, and the introduction of the new Papaya Pop edition has made it the perfect camera for your holidays!

The Lomography Fisheye No.2 Papaya Pop is available now for $79 | £69.

Analog photography is certainly making a resurgence, and you can find more information in our guides to the best film cameras, the best 35mm film stock, and the best film scanners. 

The recent increase in film camera sales has brought a resurgence of analog shooters, and in what seems like perfect timing Lomography has just launched updated colorways for its unique Sprocket Rocket 35mm film cameras. 

First released in 2011, the Lomography Sprocket Rocket was the world’s first panoramic wide-angle 35mm film camera dedicated to sprockets. They offer a unique and creative way to capture panoramic views of the world around you, in 35mm film. Lomography has just released two new vibrant colorways for 'out-of-this-world' creativity that should get you in the mood for summer. 

The Sprocket Rocket camera is a quirky and unique camera that offers a lot of fun when shooting 35mm film. The panoramic aspect ratio enables users to create images that differ from the norm, which can be super fun, but also a great tool in evaluating how you view the world. I wrote recently about how I started shooting in a panoramic aspect ratio to beat a creative slump, and I may just give it a go again with the Sprocket Rocket in film.

Considered among the best Lomography cameras, the Sprocket Rocket camera shoots in a 1:3 aspect ratio and can capture 18 exposures from a roll of 35mm film. The uniqueness of these cameras comes from capturing the sprockets in the exposed image, offering a retro feeling that is typically tied to the darkroom. If seeing the sprockets arent your style but you still want the panoramic film look Lomography has you covered, the camera comes with a frame insert that covers the sprockets.

No strangers to the whackier side of photography aesthetics, the updated colors will offer two new vibrant options, Bittersweet, which is a vibrant mix of pink and red, and Baja Blue, which is a blue that touches on light purple.

Although it may look like a toy, the camera has several useful features that enable users to push their creative boundaries further. The camera offers the ability for multiple exposures, long exposures, a hot-shoe flash, and a tripod mount.

The Sprocket Rocket Bittersweet and Baja Blue are the two new color options and are available now. With the summer approaching, these would make for a fun shooting experience.

Lomography offers a wide range of products that feature our guides such as the best film for 35mm and the best Lomography lenses. 

Lomography is a company that’s made a name for itself by producing simple, affordable analog film cameras as an alternative to all things digital. It also it offers a wide range of photographic film in 35mm, 110 and 120 formats. For this review, I’m looking at the LomoChrome Purple edition from the Lomography Simple Use Reloadable Film Camera 35mm range. There are currently five cameras in the complete set, all of which are basically identical apart from the film they come pre-loaded with, and the stickers that cover the front and back of each model. Despite being reloadable, they look and feel very much like single-use disposable cameras.

Specifications

Price & Availability

As with other editions of the camera, the LomoChrome Purple version is available directly from Lomography as well as from a number of other retail outlets. It’s priced at around $25 / £23, which is very inexpensive considering that 27-exposure rolls of the actual film (without the camera) retail for around $11 / £11 a throw. Further purchase options include buying discounted bundles of various cameras in the range, and even an underwater casing that costs around $25 / £20.

Design & Handling

Some say that variety is the spice of life. One thing I like about this range of Lomography cameras is that you can buy one option with a favored film stock, and then try others, either buying the film on its own and loading it into the camera, or buying another camera with the film pre-loaded. The LomoChrome Purple option reviewed here intends to give ‘vibrant violet hues’. Other choices include Color Negative, advertised as giving ‘dazzling, saturated colors’, Lady Grey black & white, LomoChrome Metropolis for ‘moody, muted shots’, and LomoChrome Turquoise for ‘brilliant blue and orange hues’.

Although it’s a reloadable camera, it shares a trick with typical single-use cameras. The pre-loaded film is wound completely out of the canister onto the take-up spool. Each time you take a shot and wind the film on using the frame advance wheel, it winds step-by-step back into the canister. That is good news when you get to the end of a roll of film, as it’s ready to take out and get processed.

It’s more of a chore reloading the camera with a new film. The procedure involves threading the film onto the take-up spool and closing the back panel. Then you need to slide a release latch to disengage the film advance sprocket, before using the crank underneath the camera to wind the entire roll of film out of the canister and onto the take-up spool. It’s fiddly and involves some time and effort. On the plus side, the frame counter keeps tabs on the process so it automatically displays the number of shots available on the roll.

Handling proved a bit of a mixed bag for me. With a separate viewfinder window, you need to keep your fingers away from the lens, as well as clear of the flash if you’re using it. With that in mind, I tend to hold this type of camera by its top and bottom, using my first finger and thumb of each hand. I found the film loading crank was positioned beneath my left thumb, and it rotates every time you advance the film for the next frame. It’s not a major problem, just a bit of a niggle.

The lens has a 31mm focal length and f/9 aperture, which is typical for this type of film camera, as is the minimum object distance of 1m. Again, par for the course is that the focus distance and exposure are both fixed, so you’ll always be shooting at f/9 with a shutter speed of 1/120th of a second. The flash has a range of about 2m and a recycling speed of about 5 seconds, which is actually pretty fast for this type of camera. It’s powered by a pre-loaded AA battery, rather than the smaller AAA battery often featured.

Not just for purple hues, the camera joins other in the range by featuring three colored gel filters that spin around for positioning in front of the flash. You can mix the yellow, cyan and magenta filters for additional color options, for example combining yellow and magenta to make red, cyan and yellow to make green, or magenta and cyan to make purple. It’s a neat idea but combining different filters can be a bit fiddly.

Photo Performance

I took this Lomography camera on a day out, shooting architectural and landscape scenes to put it to the test. Lighting conditions ranged from very bright direct sunlight to deep shade. I also took some indoor shots with and without flash. 

I found that the pre-loaded Lomography Lomochrome Purple ISO 400 film was pretty forgiving considering the fixed exposure settings of the camera, set at 1/120th of a second at f/9. It coped with bright and dull outdoor lighting but, indoors, I found that images were generally underexposed, even when using the built-in flash at a fairly short range. 

True to its billing, the film accentuates purple hues, to the extent that images have a very severe color cast. Straight off the camera, pictures look like a box of photos that’s been lying around for more than a few decades and gone completely off-color. Sharpness is pretty lackluster, as I’d expect from a camera of this type.

Sample Images

This gallery of sample shots was taken in varying lighting conditions from bright direct sunlight to deep shade, as well as indoors with and without flash.

Verdict

This Lomography camera is pretty good value for money, considering that it comes complete with a roll of Lomochrome Purple ISO 400 color negative film and an AA battery pre-loaded. The massive color shift delivered by the film is either something that you’ll love for creative effect, or find utterly awful. That's entirely up to you. It’s a bonus that you can reload the camera with a different type of film after first use, but it’s a fiddly process that requires a bit of patience.

Alternatives

In an age of digital high-tech frippery, the Lomography company is a champion of relatively Lo-Fi analog photography. As such, it offers a wide range of reloadable and disposable film cameras at various price points and an even wider range of film stock in a variety of sizes, including 35mm, 110, and 120 formats. The camera I’m reviewing here is the ‘Color Negative’ edition from the Lomography Simple Use Reloadable Film Camera range. Apart from the different stickers that cover the front and back of each model and the film it’s supplied with, the camera itself is essentially identical for each edition. Although reloadable, they’re also viable as single-use disposable cameras.

Specifications

Price & Availability

The Color Negative edition of the camera is available directly from Lomography as well as from various other retailers. It’s priced at around $25/£23, which is very inexpensive considering that 36-exposure rolls of the actual film (without the camera) retail for around $15 / £15 a pop. 

Putting eco-friendliness to one side, it’s almost worth paying the extra and getting a new camera with each roll of film. That saves the hassle of reloading it, which I’ll come to later. Discounted bundled options containing multiple versions of the camera are also available, as well as an underwater casing that costs around $25 / £20.

Design & Handling

I’m a bit of a sucker for Pick ‘n’ Mix. For me, the neat thing about this range of Lomography cameras is that I can buy one with my preferred film stock included, and try others further down the line. Choices include Color Negative, advertised as giving ‘dazzling, saturated colors’, LomoChrome Purple for ‘vibrant violet hues’, Lady Grey black & white, LomoChrome Turquoise for ‘brilliant blue and orange hues’ and LomoChrome Metropolis for ‘moody, muted shots’.

As I’ve mentioned, you can buy bundles of the cameras, for example comprising all five versions that include the different film stocks, a Wedding bundle, and even a Pool Party bundle that has the underwater casing thrown in for free. An upside of having different cameras loaded with different film is that you can grab the one that’s most ideal for any particular shot or shooting scenario.

The camera comes pre-loaded with film. As with single-use cameras, it’s wound completely out of the canister onto the take-up spool. Each time you take a shot and wind the film on using the frame advance wheel, it gradually winds back into the canister. That keeps things simple when you get to the end of a roll of film. All you need to do is cut a slit through the part of the sticker that covers the bottom of the camera, open the back on its hinge after releasing the locking catch, and take out the canister.

Reloading the camera with a new film is more of a faff. This time you need to pull out enough film to engage on the take-up spool, slide a release latch to disengage the film advance sprocket, then use the crank underneath the camera to wind the entire roll of film out of the canister. It’s fiddly and time-consuming but at least the frame counter resets automatically as part of the process.

A handling issue that bothered me a bit is that I like to hold this type of camera by its top and bottom, using my first finger and thumb of each hand. I find that avoids the risk of stray fingers blocking the lens and flash unit. The only problem is that I found the film loading crank was positioned beneath my left thumb, and it rotates every time you advance the film for the next frame. It’s not a big issue, just a bit annoying.

The rest of the camera is pretty standard fare. The lens has a 31mm focal length and f/9 aperture, and a minimum object distance of 1m. As usual for this type of camera, the focus distance and exposure are both fixed, the latter combining the f/9 aperture with a shutter speed of 1/120th of a second. The flash has a range of about 2m and a recycling speed of about 5 seconds. As with its film, the camera comes pre-loaded with an AA battery for powering the flash. Again, you need to cut through the part of the sticker on the underside of the camera if you need to change the battery.

A neat novelty item is that the camera features three colored gel filters which revolve on a spindle and can be positioned in front of the flash. You can use each of the yellow, cyan and magenta filters on their own or combine yellow and magenta to make red, cyan and yellow to make green, or magenta and cyan to make purple. The idea works well enough in principle but using the filters is a bit fiddly in practice.

Photo Performance

To judge the performance of this Lomography camera, I took it for a sunny day outing, using it in wide-ranging lighting conditions, from direct sunlight to deep shade. I also took some indoor shots with and without flash. 

I found that the pre-loaded Lomography Color Negative ISO 400 film gave enough latitude for really bright scenes under direct sunlight, without overexposure, yet still delivered usable exposures in deep shade, despite the camera having a fixed exposure setting of 1/120th of a second at f/9. 

Flash proved all but essential when shooting indoors, even under bright room lighting. The camera can’t compete with even a basic smartphone for sharpness and the retention of fine detail in images, but that’s par for the course with cheap plastic film cameras.

Sample Images

This gallery of sample shots was taken in varying lighting conditions from bright direct sunlight to deep shade, as well as indoors with and without flash.

Verdict

I feel that the Lomography Simple Use Reloadable Film Camera Color Negative is pretty good value for money, considering that it comes complete with a 36-exposure roll of color negative film and an AA battery pre-loaded. Image quality is average for this type of camera, so don’t expect too much in the way of sharpness, but color quality and exposure latitude are pretty good. Technically, you can reload the camera rather than binning it after one use, but it’s a relatively fiddly and time-consuming process compared with most reloadable cameras. It feels more like a disposable camera that can be hacked for re-use.

Alternatives

I'm not a big fan of manual focus lenses full stop - the way I shoot requires fast autofocus and the ability to shoot lots of photos quickly which just isn't possible with manual focus lenses - especially when shooting with your aperture wide open. Even with focus peaking on, it's hard to get the focus perfect and lots of the photos I took using the Lomography Bokeh Control Art Lens had a soft focus on the eyes despite focus peaking telling me they should be sharp.  

I'm still trying to decide whether I think the lens looks cool or is a little bit lame. It's like Snoop Dog and Mad Max have come together to design a lens... it's loud, and a little bit steampunk, although it is entirely different from any other lens I've ever seen which I suppose is refreshing. However, for me, the gold is just a little too flashy. I should mention, that it does come in a black option as well, but based on its performance, that wouldn't change my mind on whether I'd want it in my kit bag or not...

One of the first things you notice about this lens is one of the things that sets it apart from other manual lenses - a sliding knob on the very front that allows you to change the bokeh effect. You can opt to have a very rounded, bubble-like bokeh, a very classic-looking blurred background or a very smooth look where the colors almost blur into one another. 

It has a clickless aperture ring which allows you to go from f/2 - f/16 and even though there are markings on the lens itself, it was difficult to be super accurate with it. From the moment I got this lens out of the box, I sensed it was a lens to use more for enjoyment and creativity than for taking professional shots but that was perhaps because it was shiny gold and I would feel a bit ridiculous bringing it out on a shoot. 

There is a focus ring towards the back of the camera which allows for a smooth transition between focus points and you will be using this a lot, especially if you change bokeh modes frequently. There's no way you would get away with using this lens without focus peaking, I had mine set too high but even then it was hard to get it perfect. I tried using both focus peaking and focus zoom when taking some portraits and still found it hard to take a shot where the eyes are pin sharp. 

Another quirky feature of this lens is you can change the look of the bokeh using a set of aperture filters. They come in different shapes including hearts, snowflakes, mandalas and more. They get fitted into the back of the lens and held in by a barrel that you can screw in and out but the barrel seemed to be missing from the demo model so I never got a chance to test them out.  However, this isn't a reason I would go out and buy this lens since I think Bokeh which is any other shape than round is tacky. 

Lomography Nour Triplet: Build and Handling

The lens itself feels very nice to use - it features a focus ring, an aperture ring plus a switch that enables you to change between three bokeh modes - soft, classic and bubble. As you'd expect the soft mode gives a very dreamy, smooth background, the bubble mode makes the bokeh very rounded while the classic mode gives a look you'd expect from any other lens. 

When you switch between the different bokeh modes you do annoyingly have to refocus every time as the point of focus drastically changes. If you're trying to see the difference between shooting on soft and bubble for example, this can be quite time-consuming as you have to refocus and recompose. It would've been handy when testing to have a tripod so I could accurately shoot the same composition and compare the images. 

For a 64mm lens it is very heavy, coupled with the fact it doesn't have autofocus and is mostly aimed at being a portrait lens I find it hard to find a real purpose for this lens. I'd take the Sony FE 50mm f/1.8 over it any day

Perhaps it's because I got the demo version or perhaps it's just a flaw in the design, but the lens cap is so incredibly loose it easily falls off, it has no magnetic to connect it to the body of the lens so it can easily fall off if loose in your bag.

Lomography Nour Triplet: Performance

If you're after a lens that delivers something a little different than your standard 50mm or 85mm portrait lens then the Lomography Nour Triplet f/2.0 64mm lens does just that. With three bokeh modes to choose from, you can choose how blurred, rounded or smooth your bokeh is which adds an element most modern digital lenses just can't do. However, if you're after a portrait lens that is fast to focus, delivers pin-sharp images 99% of the time and doesn't weigh a great deal, this is not the lens for you. 

While I had a lot of fun switching between the different bokeh modes, I found that unless the sun is shining and the image is bright, it's quite hard to tell the difference between them. This is a lens designed for bright lights - after all, it is a bokeh lens so that is a bit of a given. I did take some really beautiful images even in darker environments, but the images I took when the sun was shining brought out the lens's selling points. 

If you're not that bothered about getting sharp images and prefer to focus on composition, color and being creative you can take some beautiful images. For example, if you were taking photos of a musician for an album cover or a band for promotional material this would be a brilliant lens to use but as soon as you need to shoot high-quality, crisp images you'd be better off using an autofocus lens!

Lomography Nour Triplet: Final Verdict

I want to like this lens but it has too much stacked against it. It's not lightweight nor compact, it isn't easy to use and the images aren't particularly sharp. You can take some beautiful images with it but they're not images I would necessarily use professionally and I wouldn't bother to invest in a lens I could only use for fun. 

The gold finish is loud and while this may appeal to some for me it's just a little too avant-garde. Imagine whipping this out somewhere you're trying to be a little bit incognito (such as a Moroccan Souk or the busy streets of Bangkok) you'd be a walking, flashy target.

I do like being able to change the style of the bokeh from rounded to smooth but I have no interest in changing the shape of it so for me at least, this is a pretty futile feature. 

Overall if you've got some excess cash that's burning a hole in your pocket and you want a lens that is fun to use but not necessarily going to get you the best results, the Lomography Nour Triplet f/2.0 64mm lens adds something a bit different to your kit. But I'm still struggling with what type of photographer would rather but there money into this than something faster, lighter and more versatile. 

Lomography has jazzed up its 35mm film fisheye camera, Fisheye No.2, by introducing a new colorway – Grape Jam. 

Subtle is not a word that can be used to describe Lomography's cameras, and that is certainly the case with its newly updated purple-and-lime green colorway on the Fisheye No.2. The best Lomography cameras have character in abundance, and this is no exception!

The Fisheye No.2 is a camera that has been out a little while, and one that offers a unique experience to film shooters by providing a fixed focus fisheye lens on a 35mm camera body. The camera is exceptionally lightweight and portable, and rocks "a vibrant PU leather purple coat with a sassy pop of green on the viewfinder", designed to turn heads and grab attention.

The lens has a focal length of 10mm and an ultra-wide 170° angle of view, with a pair of shutter speeds (Bulb and 1/100) along with an f/8 aperture. The detachable viewfinder enables users to shoot from the hip or traditionally, by attaching it to the camera's hot shoe.

The camera is capable of shooting multiple exposures, an increasingly popular trend among new film shooters. Another feature is the built-in flash, which is a neat creative tool enabling you to capture unique party shots.

"This funky gadget offers fun for everyone, beginner or advanced, with exciting features that allow creativity to soar," says Lomography.

The new Grape Jam colorway is out now, along with the existing models, Acapulco La Quebrada and the original (black and silver) – check out the official Lomography website. 

So, what is Lomography? 

If you read this far and wonder what the hell I've been talking about, you won't be alone. The Lomographic Society International was established in Vienna in 1992, and it's an organization dedicated to experimental film photography. It prides itself in not just recreating traditional film cameras and lenses, but experimenting and pushing the boundaries of film photography – as is evident with the Lomography Sprocket Rocket, Fisheye Baby, and the Lomography Konstruktor F.

Lomography doesn't just make cameras, it also makes some of the best film for 35mm and medium format cameras, the best Lomography Lenses, and it makes some of the most unusual festive photography gifts. 

Analog photographers have had it tough the last few years with rising film costs, but there is a silver lining for those who shoot 120 film. In a bid to support film photographers and ensure that the magical format doesn’t fade away, Lomography has announced a price drop on all its 120 films – meaning medium format photographers can spend more time creating and less time worrying about the cost. 

The people at Lomography believe that film should be for everyone, not just those who have pockets deep enough to keep up with the rising costs. They've branded 120 film as an endangered species, which is hardly surprising considering a 5-pack of Kodak Porta 400 120 film will set you back around $85 / £75 / AU$140. 

• Not put off by rising costs? Check our guide to the best camera film

With developing costs on top, it means film photographers are looking at each shot costing over well $2 / £2 / AU$3.80. While professionals may be able to justify that, photographers who do it as a hobby might find themselves outpriced. 

Film photography has a magical quality that doesn’t transfer to shooting digitally. You might be able to edit your digital photos to look like they're shot on film, or even turn your film camera digital, but nothing quite compares to shooting on real film with its surprise light leaks and the possibility of happy accidents. The problem (and beauty) of film is you can’t always get it right. However, experimentation shouldn’t be expensive – and it’s a shame that the cost is putting people off. 

Perhaps Lomography is the unsung hero of the film world – it has given us cool, retro-styled, quirky cameras such as the Diana F+, and has produced a range of creative colored films that give your images a dreamy aesthetic. 

Thanks to these new price drops, you can now pick up a 3-pack of ISO100 color negative film for just $27.90 / £22.90 / AU$27.90 (was $36.42 / £29.90 / AU$39.90) or a pack of ISO800 rolls for $30 / £24.90 / AU$29.90 (was $39.90 / £34.90 / AU$43.90). A single roll of Potsdam Kino ISO100 film is now nearly half the price, and its Redscale XR 50-200 film that renders photos rich orangey / red hues is also just $27.90 / £22.90 / AU$29.90 for a triple pack. 

As a medium format film photographer myself, this is honestly the most exciting news I’ve seen in the camera world for some time. I also shoot 35mm film and as much as I want to use these two mediums more often, I have massively cut down on the amount I shoot because I just can’t afford to. 

I love shooting with Kodak Portra or Kodak Gold, but I think it might be time to expand my horizons and start shooting with Lomography film instead. 

If you want to try your hand with film, take a look at the best film cameras. If a drop in prices isn't enough to sway you, though, check out some of the best medium format cameras in the digital realm instead. 

Feel that digital photography is just a little too perfect? Aimed at photographers of all abilities and experience levels, and promising what’s described as a dreamy filmic aesthetic with ethereal color-drenched images, and visible vignetting – along with the unpredictability this low-fi analog film brand is known for – the Diana F+ is claimed as one of Lomography’s best-loved analog creations. 

Though the Lomo version has been around since 2007, its origins can be traced further back to Hong Kong factory-produced cameras of the 1950s and 1960s. We’re reminded of the look and feel of the Holga brand here too. We were sent the regular ‘teal’ and black version of Lomography’s Diana F+ to play with here, though other variants, limited or otherwise, are also available; at one time there was even a glow-in-the-dark Diana F+ camera body. In addition there are even 35mm film shooting Mini, 110 film format, plus pinhole lens-only versions of the Diana.

But, despite its fetching retro appearance, can we overlook the Lomography Diana F+’s creaky toy-like build long enough to feel confident about loading a roll of 120 film onto its cheap plastic spools? 

Lomography Diana F+ specifications

Lens: 75mm fixed, f/8 maximum aperture

Film type: 120 (medium format)

Viewfinder: Optical

Dimensions: 12.5x9.5x7.6cm, 5x3.75x3-inches

Weight: 220g

Key features

Very much a snapshot camera, the Lomography Diana F+ has a fixed focal length of 75mm, which suggests portraits as an ideal subject, is compatible with rolls of 120 film, can be tripod mounted and requires 1xAA battery to power its old school style clip-on flash, that can be bought as a kit with the camera body itself. This flash also comes with a set of nail file sized colored gels that can be slid in front of its bulb.

Lomography suggests the fun, analogue nature of the Diana F+ encourages experimentation with long exposures, multiple exposures, and layered effects and it comes with a choice of two shutter speeds.

In the case of the latter aspect, here it’s similar to Lomography’s Sprocket Rocket panoramic camera, which also features a lever atop the lens barrel that allows us to either select ‘N’ for normal exposures (1/60 sec ) or ‘B’ for Bulb or long exposures; the shutter staying open for as long as the shutter release lever is held down. Should you wish to experiment with this second setting, best make use of the tripod thread provided at the base of this model.

There’s also a choice of two image sizes – via a plastic sliding switch on the back we can either select 12 full frame squares, or, if using a supplied adapter, 16 smaller squares. There are Heath Robinson style plastic masks supplied with the camera that can be fitted to its interior so we end up with 16 images at 42x42mm aspect ratio, or ‘endless panoramas’ at 46.5x46.5mm. 

As well as rudimentary control over shutter speed, there is three-position zone focusing which we’ll get to in a moment, plus a choice of manually selectable apertures linked to lighting conditions, including pinhole, f/8, f/11 and f/16 settings. Despite this relative ‘sophistication’ however, the build quality has us suspecting it’ll be a case here of ‘point and hope’ as much as anything. This has to be set against the fact that the Diana F+ camera is very affordable; indeed its price tag almost makes it an impulse purchase for the curiously minded.

Build & handling

Though the Diana F+ may resemble a classic camera of yesteryear, its build is rather less robust. In fact it’s distinctly plastic-y and toy-like. Even the thin plastic neck strap supplied resembles and old cassette tape that’s become unspooled. This meant we found ourselves using the camera quite gingerly to avoid inadvertently snapping anything off through using too much force; even loading the film involves the bending of plastic to slot our roll into place. While overall the camera is too bit bulky to fit into anything except a roomy jacket pocket, it is however very portably lightweight, especially when compared to most digital examples.s

As with the likes of the panoramic 35mm shooting Lomography Sprocket Rocket, the Diana F+ benefits from a lot of available light to function at its best. Rudimentary it may be, but we admired the fact that the version of this camera sent for review included the big and bold clip-on flash, reminiscent of the type wielded by paparazzi in 1960s movies, which affords it a degree of creative flexibility and allows for interior shots.

But first things first; to load our roll of 120 film we need to nudge the lever at the base to the unlock setting, at which point the entire camera back can be manually slid down and removed. Once we’ve isrted our roll of film to the left and threaded it through the take-up spool on the right, it’s a case of sliding the back into place again and advancing our loaded film until we see a number ‘1’ appear through the window on the camera back.

Aperture is adjusted via a four-way slider switch tucked on the underside of the lens barrel. Here there are four settings: cloudy, partially cloudy, sunny and pinhole – the later for if we want the more obvious and pronounced vignetting effect. Focus is adjusted by rotating the dial tucked within the rim at the front of the lens, with a choice of three available distance settings. The first option is between one and two metres from our subject, best suited to single person portraits. The second option is between two to four metres from our subject, which is better for group shots, or, finally, a focus distance setting of between four metres to infinity, which seems the best option for photographing landscapes. Rotating this toy-like lens dial doesn’t allow us to see any adjustments in real time through the cheap plastic optical viewfinder however. In fact, other than allowing us to get a vague idea of our compositional frame, the viewfinder is pretty useless. So, as usual with Lomography cameras, taking pictures is a ‘point and pray’ process of trial and error. Which should be looked on as part of the fun and enjoyment of using the Diana F+. If we want razor sharp, finely focused and perfectly exposed images then we’ll need to look elsewhere. 

Performance

The Lomography Diana F+ is the usual frill-free image capture device we’ve come to expect from the brand, suitable for both beginner and enthusiast. At the same time it feels like there must be some sort of black magic involved in the fact that a camera this defiantly cheap and plastic-y is nevertheless capable of producing images.

Rather than via a shutter button being located on the top plate, this camera takes pictures via a downward flick of a shutter switch on the top hand side of the lens barrel.  

It took us a while to get our head around it before using the camera, but essentially when we’ve shot our 12 exposures, the take-up spool becomes the exposed film spool, meaning we remove the film and spool in tandem when unloading. 

It’s good practice to then take out the now empty film spool from the left hand compartment, and it move it over to the right, where it becomes the take-up spool for our next 120 film roll. 

Until the penny dropped we were initially confused to find our film spool in the left hand compartment when YouTube demonstration videos on how to load the camera showed it positioned on the right. Having familiarised ourselves though, it wasn’t an issue going forward. Before taking the exposed roll of film out, it’s similarly good practice to wind on a little further than we think we need after all 12 frames have been exposed, just to be on the safe side.

Versus

Lomography offers a very broad range of very affordable and slightly less affordable point and shoot film cameras, including several to bear the Diana name s touched on in our introduction. Having used its 35mm Sprocket Rocket before the Diana F+, we appreciated the locking mechanism at the base of the latter. With the ‘Rocket we were never quite sure if its plastic back would inadvertently pop off and expose the loaded film in the heat of the action. The alternative to getting a new film camera from Lomography is to go the second hand route of course, though here prices have been creeping up. Nevertheless we did manage to find quite a few Kodak, Agfa and Halina vintage 120 roll film cameras on the world’s biggest auction site for cheaper than, or comparable to, the contemporary era Diana F+. 

Verdict

Nobody would choose the Lomography Diana F+ as their one and only dedicated, standalone camera. You’re much more likely to purchase one if you already have an extensive collection of high tech gadgets and gizmos and are actively seeking something a bit more rough and ready, irrational as that may seem, for results that stand out from the crowd. 

Fashioned from plastic that audibly creaks when the camera is in use, the accent here is on fun rather than gallery quality photography. That said, double exposures with the camera, intentional or not, plus vignetting would be classified as ‘art’ by some. 

Ultimately it’s best if we don’t have high expectations – the hit and miss nature is all part of the Lomography’s plastic novelty-like charm after all. So it’s best to simply embrace the low-fi madness. The naturally curious and the creative minded are the ones who will get the most out of Lomography’s Diana F+.

Lomography has launched a crowdfunding campaign for a brand new creative portrait lens inspired by an 11th Century scientist. The Lomography Nour Triplet V 2.0/64 Bokeh Control Art Lens is the thirteenth Kickstarter project from the manufacturer, and it is already on the verge of smashing its $100,000 goal (approximately £81,640 / AU$156,410). 

The new lens is designed with inspiration from Egyptian scientist Ibn al-Haytham, and is set to become the world's first full-frame mirrorless lens fully dedicated to spherical aberration control. 

Dubbed "the godfather of modern optics", al-Haytham's discovery of spherical aberrations led to the first camera obscura – and his work is still used for optical advancement today. The name Nour comes from the Arabic word for knowledge and light, another hat-tip to the scientist's contributions.

The lens targets creative portraiture, and the Nour Triplet offers a difference for the photographer with adjustable spherical aberration. The 64mm focal length – coupled with the f/2 aperture – is a creative fit for portraiture, but where this lens differs from the norm is with the unique ability to control the softness and shape of the spherical aberration. 

One of the three dials on the lens enables you to switch between three different effects: Soft, Classic, and Bubble. Each offers something different to the creator; Soft allows for a dream-like soft focus on the scene, Classic is (like the name suggests) classic bokeh with more of a typical portrait lens look, and Bubble creates spherical soap bubble-like bokeh balls. 

The lens also comes with specially-shaped aperture plates in order to change the shape of the bokeh and background effects. The control of contrast between the sharp and soft sections of your frame provides the ability to really make your subject pop.

The experimental lens will be available for the Sony E, Nikon Z and Canon RF mounts. Although it is designed with the past in mind, it has been designed to be intuitive to modern-day shooters. The Nour Triplet is hand-crafted and available in ionized aluminum or brass, which I have to say looks beautiful (and straight out of a photography history book).

Although niche and highly experimental, this lens offers something that others do not and that may just be what you require. Other soft focus lenses on the market include the Lensbaby Velvet range and the Canon RF 100mm f/2.8L Macro, though neither offer as much control over the dream-like effects as the Nour Triplet V 2.0/64 Bokeh Control Art Lens.

If you like the look of the lens and wish to back it, see the Kickstarter page. The prices are: 

Early bird pledge black aluminum lens: $335 / £276 / AU $528
Early bird pledge brass lens: $410 / £338 / AU $646
Final retail price black aluminum lens: $449 / £370 / AU $707
Final retail price brass lens: $549 / £452 / AU $865

Editor's note: As with all crowdfunding projects, there is no guarantee that the final product will match the early depictions in the campaign – or that the final product will be completed or delivered at all. DCW does not endorse this or any other crowdfunding campaign. 

If you're looking for creative cameras as well as lenses, take a look at the best Lomography cameras. 

As the digital photography revolution got going in earnest some 20 years ago, the emerging Lomography took a different tack, reinventing and to an extent resurrecting the film camera as a low cost novelty. Defiantly analogue, it perversely stood out when everyone else was ‘going digital’. 

Instead of seeking perfection in pixels, its pocket money priced cameras were all about willingly embracing their imperfections. Light bleed, fuzzy focus, vignetting and dodgy colors were seemingly all part of the charm, as were camera designs that harked back to classic looks, or were garishly rendered in brightly coloured plastic. Because of this it built up a fan-base among photographers who were not only willing to go against the grain, but accept the appearance of visible film grain, dust spots and worse – something digital photography had sought to banish.

With a younger crowd as well as an older generation now discovering or re-discovering film, prompted by the old-school effects now to be found via smartphone filters, fashion may just have ticked back around in Lomography’s favour.  Seems timely then to focus on its wonderfully named analogue-only product the Sprocket Rocket, a panoramic camera shooting on 35mm format film. 

It’s so named because it exposures the image across the full height of a frame of 35mm film, including and extending past the sprocket holes, those small rectangular perforations used to guide the film out of its canister, through the camera and back again. Sounds typically wacky, right? Well, read on to find out how it pans out in practice.

Specifications

Lens: 30mm fixed, with choice of f/10.8 or f/16 apertures

Film type: 35mm

Viewfinder: Optical

Dimensions: 3x6x3.3-inches approx.

Weight: 215g

Key Features

We were sent the camera for review in a lovely sea green/ teal colour, but our UK representative tells us this particular hue has been discontinued, which is a shame. Fortunately, alternative colours are available.

The Lomography Sprocket Rocket is very much set up for daytime use. There are two settings just above the lens, accessed via a metal lever, with ‘N’ denoting its Normal setting of 1/100-sec capture speed and ‘B’ indicating Bulb mode, intended for longer exposures with use of a tripod. In the latter mode the camera’s shutter remains open for as long as we hold down its release lever. A screw thread is provided at the base of the camera for anyone wishing to try out longer exposures, but Normal setting is the better option for everyday handheld snapping.

Beneath the 30mm lens there is a further manually operated metal lever for swapping between the camera’s aperture settings, which are simply sunny at f/16 or cloudy at f/10.8. We were advised to keep the setting on cloudy, as, with a glance at those apertures, it’s obvious the camera will work at its best with lots of available light and preferably a roll of ISO400 film loaded. Should we wish to go further there’s even a vacant hotshoe for use of a flashgun – which isn't provided – atop the Sprocket Rocket.

In terms of focusing, we just have two zone focusing options. A twist of its lens ring either arrives at its closest shooting setting of 0.6 to 1 metre, or alternatively one metre to infinity, the latter preferable for the sort of landscape shots we may be considering this camera for.

Then it’s a question of flicking the shutter release, located to the right of the lens if viewing the camera from the back, or to the left if viewing it front-on. This makes a satisfying ‘slap’ to indicate the shutter firing. On a couple of occasions when we didn’t hear this noise, we noticed the lever that swaps between Normal and Bulb mode had been accidentally nudged somewhere between the two settings.

We get a stated 17 or 18 shots per roll of inserted 120 roll film, depending on how competently we’ve wound it on, or haven’t. As the camera is essentially exposing the width of two frames of 35mm film to produce a single 1:3 aspect ratio panoramic image, we don’t get the regular 36 exposures one might initially expect. As there’s the ability to manually wind and rewind, the possibility is also here for creative double exposures, or overlapping shots – something that can happen unintentionally if we’ve forgot to wind on the film from the previous exposure, or simply haven’t wound the film on far enough.

After a couple of decades of increasingly sophisticated digital camera use, the Sprocket Rocket comes across as very bare bones by comparison. It has the potential to both charm and frustrate us in equal measure.

Build & handling

The Chinese made Sprocket Rocket’s construction is mainly plastic with a few metal accessories – chiefly its controls. That said it manages to feel reasonably robust when held in the hand, with little in the way of give to its frame. After 25 years of shooting digitally, we had to remind ourselves of the basics of loading a roll of film, however, making sure it’s been taken up by the internal sprockets and winding it on before we can take our first shot. 

With the back of the camera held on by a pair of metal clips and its plastic seal not appearing uniformly light tight, we weren’t overly confident that our exposures wouldn’t suffer from light bleed. Other reviewers have also complained of the metal clips / clamps catching something accidentally and the camera back inadvertently being pulled off, thereby losing several exposures. Carrying it in our bag, we took to winding an elastic band around the body, just so the back wouldn’t unintentionally spring off. Alternatively a piece of strong tape could be used.

While the camera body is plastic, so too are the optics, but we can’t grumble too much about that given the camera’s price point. Best view this as a tool for fun and experimentation with film photography, rather than producing the sharpest pictures possible. While the camera overall looks a little bulky compared to a regular 35mm snapshot, the plastic construction at least ensures the Sprocket Rocket remains relatively lightweight and portable with it.

Performance

We had a roll of Lomography’s ISO400 ‘Lady Grey’ monochromatic film to use with our Sprocket Rocket review sample. As noted in our intro, the difference between shooting with a standard 35mm camera and the Sprocket Rocket however is that this device exposes literally right into the sprockets of our film roll, so we get those little telltale rectangles at the top and bottom of our images, further highlighting the fact that these aren’t images from a digital camera.

Obviously the panoramic shooting ratio provided by this camera makes it perfect for group shots and landscapes – with the view through the plastic viewfinder giving a rough indication of what we’ll get, rather than being faithfully precise. 

Slightly confusingly at first, the shot indicator atop the camera jumps from exposure number one to a dot indicator, then on to shot number three. So it was only when we’d advanced to the third shot we realised we’d missed out shooting a possible second frame. In short, every second frame is denoted by a dot, rather than showing a number. Once we’d realised this, it ceased to be an issue, but it did throw us at first, especially as there is no hard stop each time we advance a frame, as even a throwaway film camera provides.

Because a panoramic image takes up the width of two frames of 35mm film, we also felt we were winding on further than we needed to at first, compared with shooting on a standard 35mm camera. Again it's a simple case of familiarization, as well as embracing any mistakes. It’s also wise to manually advance the film after each time we take a shot, as it’s easy to forget whether we’ve wound the film on or not when retrieving the camera after a period of inactivity.

When we’ve come to the end of the film and it’s time to rewind it into the canister and send for developing; we could have done with an extra little crank on the side of the top dial marked ‘wind’, to speed up the process, which felt like it took ages. If you’re into mindfulness or simply want to enjoy photography at a slower pace we guess this process could be quite meditative, however. 

While typically images from this camera are reasonably sharp in the centre despite the cheap plastic lens, to nitpick there’s visible fall-off and vignetting towards the edges. Imperfection is part of the character and charm of most Lomography products however, and it’s all about going for something ‘different’, so it would be churlish to be too judgmental. If we know we’re buying a toy camera at the outset and prefer a unique look rather than a perfect one, then we aren’t going to be massively surprised when we get toy camera like results.

Verdict

If you can get over the impatience and inconvenience of having to get the roll of film processed before you can see the results – as well as needing to find a lab who can cope with a different format – or simply want to try a slower and more considered photographic approach, then the retro Sprocket Rocket comes up trumps. The accent here is on photographic fun and experimentation for an almost pocket money outlay, though, as advised, lots of light and a roll of ISO400 35mm film is required to get the best out of it. Its uniqueness, slightly wacky functionality and imperfect results are all part of the Lomography Sprocket Rocket’s appeal however, and at this price it’s surely worth a punt.

You might also like...

If you like the idea of either re-discovering or getting freshly into shooting film, and don’t want to simply track down a second-hand film camera or SLR, then Lomography has a plethora of toy-like or even more sophisticated alternatives to the Sprocket Rocket that let you go as wild as you want in terms of experimentation and seeking a unique look. There are different models for differing film types too, not just regular 35mm; for example its Diana F+ camera shoots rolls of 120 film. The results from these cameras all require developing however, so if you hate to wait, also check out the Fujifilm Instax range of instant cameras. These popular glorified toys are likewise available at pocket money prices.

Read more:
Best film cameras
Best 35mm film
Best Lomography cameras

Lomography is riding the renewed wave of interest in film photography and is gearing up to launch a brand new film – the LomoChrome Color ‘92 in 35mm, 110, and 120 formats.

Excitingly this is a brand new never before seen emulsion, and not a reworking or rebranding of other films like we have seen from rivals recently. This is actually Lomography's first release of a new film product since LomoChrome Metropolis film in 2019.

• Read More: Find out more in our guide to the best Lomography cameras.

The heavily nostalgic new LomoChrome Color ‘92 film is inspired by the 1990s, when the Lomographic Society International was born, and according to Lomography, this new color negative film will recreate the iconic colors of that golden age for the modern film shooter. In the first sample images supplied by Lomography, the colors and tones from the LomoChrome Color ‘92 look fantastic, and as a 90s baby, they take me right back to my childhood photos.

The new LomoChrome Color ‘92 film will be C-41 and rated ISO400. Lomography describes the new film as offering "delicate and colder undertones", but with a "burst of retro charm and classic analog character". Lomography also claims the film will offer a good dynamic range, so it should be a great option for those that like to under or overexpose their films.

Lomography will begin a phased rollout with the 35mm version coming first, which will then be followed up by the 120 ad 110 variants at a later date. LomoChrome Color ‘92 will be available initially in single packs and is available to order right now from the Lomography store.

Lomography films are all about having fun and enjoying photography, the company is known for playing with color in its films, and Lomography offers a range of films that are much more zany and playful than rivals, such as the LomoChrome Purple or LomoChrome Turquoise, as well as catering for those after a more traditional film, such as the Lomography Color Negative. Lomography also offers a range of reusable cameras preloaded with various films for quick and easy photographic moments, as well as quirky cameras such as the Diana+ that offers a new dimension to taking film photos.

I always enjoy the unusual and unexpected nature of shooting with Lomography film and cameras, and I can't wait to see what the new LomoChrome Color '92 is capable of.

If you are interested in shooting film, you can find out more in our guides to the best 35mm film, the best 120 medium format film, and the best film cameras.

For striking images with a difference, the best Lensbaby and the best Lomography lenses are a great place to start. These lenses throw pixel-peeping out of the window in favor of fun, striking visual effects. 

They allow you to create images with vivid bokeh, with a distinctive look, or with lo-fi visual effects, and they do so without the price tag of premium lenses. This has been a successful formula, to the point where both Lensbaby and Lomography have plenty of lenses available. 

So how do you go about choosing one of these unique art lenses?

Eye-catching effects

While Lensbaby and Lomography lenses are definitely different, there are a few things that remain constant. The meaning of a focal length hasn't wildly changed, so it makes sense that if you want to shoot subjects that are further away, you want a lens with a longer focal length. A good portrait lens should have an equivalent focal length of about 85mm, a good street lens will probably be at around 35mm, and a great landscape lens is wider than that. A wider maximum aperture is best for low light and creating shallow depth of field. All these things are just as true for specialist lenses as they are for regular ones. 

But once you get into the specifics, that's where you find the charm of these lenses. Able to capture images with sweet spots of sharp focus and artfully blurred defocused areas, Lensbaby and Lomography have an extremely distinctive and recognisable aesthetic. Their retro charm makes their images immediately stand out from others, and if you want to mix it up and produce something with a little quirky charm, these are the kind of lenses you want to buy.

There are limits. Fundamentals of the design of Lensbaby and Lomography lenses prevents them from having modern features like autofocus. They offer a back-to-basics shooting experience, and if you're a little too accustomed to the instant convenience of digital photography, you may find them more trouble than they're worth. If, however, you're ready to put some effort into getting used to them, there's a lot of fun to be had here. 

Five things to watch out for

1. Mounting concern
These lenses are available for specific mounts, so check before you buy. Lensbaby lenses tend to be a little more widely compatible, and newer ones are even available for newer mounts like Canon RF.

2. Manual focus
As mention, you shouldn't expect creature comforts like autofocus: all these lenses are completely manual, so you do all the work, but can take all the credit.

3. Maintain composure
Some of the special effects on offer here necessitate careful shot composition - don’t expect maximum visual pop right from the off. It's a far cry from point and shoot, that's for sure. 

4. Modular systems
Lenses like the Lensbaby Edge 35 are designed to work with a separate housing - in this case, Lensbaby's Composer Pro II. This is great if you’ve got one, but it can get expensive you haven't. Make sure the box will have everything you need to start shooting before you click "buy".

5. Budget options
All our lenses use glass elements, but really cheap novelty lenses with plastic elements are out there if you want a uber low-grade look.

The best Lensbaby and Lomography lenses

The Sol 45 harks back to Lensbaby’s origins of simplicity and creativity, and, unlike the Edge 35, it doesn’t require an extra like the Composer Pro. The two lenses do still share a similar tilting feature that allows you to tilt the front section to any angle.

The idea is that you pick a subject within the frame, bend the lens towards it, then focus with the manual focus ring. Behind this is a larger ring which enables you to lock the sweet spot of sharpest focus in the centre of frame. Unlock this ring and focus can be shifted towards the edges of the frame. The aperture is fixed at a fairly large f/3.5, helping to produce a sharp circular region of focus around your chosen focal point, surrounded by stunningly smooth bokeh. 

There’s also a pair of ‘bokeh blades’ that can be pulled across the lens to introduce some interesting texture to the out-of-focus areas. Mount the lens on a crop-sensor body and the focus sweet spot gets closer to the edges of frame, which can be handy with some compositions.

Peak image sharpness is no match for Lensbaby's Burnisde 35 optic, but chromatic aberration is minimal, and the Sol 45 produces very attractive and highly distinctive images for a very fair outlay.

An excellent optic when paired with Lensbaby's Composer Pro II body, the Lensbaby Double Glass II offers unique points of focus with an adjustable bendy design that will allow you to really get creative and hands-on with where you want your focus to be, finding the ideal sweet spot. 

For those of us who have always relied on autofocus, this lens is not an easy one to adjust to, being fully manual. But it does however make for a superb tilt shift lens when used correctly and can change the shape of bokeh for a novel affect using magnetic drop-in disks which are included with the optic as a bundle. 

The Lensbaby Double Glass II Optic is a fantastic bit of kit for those who are looking to get super creative with their photography, find new inspiration, and to branch out to different genres and subject matter. Although, this lens might not suit someone who doesn't have a lot of patience, as it will take time to learn, understand, and experiment with to really discover what this optic can do and the best ways in which to use it. 

• See our full review of the Lensbaby Double Glass II Optic

The Lensbaby Velvet 28 is the latest in a line of Velvet optics from the company, and if you have it come across it before, 'Velvet' is a synonym for 'soft focus'. 

That's not to say the images you'll get are going to be out of focus. Instead, image detail should still be rendered tack-sharp, but your photos will benefit from a soft velvet glow that will permeate the image and intensify towards the edges.

Not only do you get this dreamy glow, but the Velvet 28 has another neat trick up its sleeve in the shape of its rather handy 1:2 macro capability. This means it can double as a useful close-up lens (with the same ethereal soft focus, if you so choose, or you can deactivate if you prefer). Nicely made as well with an all-metal construction, and while the long focus throw can make it a faff, this is a great lens if you're looking for something a little different. 

Lensbaby’s quirky lenses have proved popular with photographers who want to apply creative effects at the shooting stage and make their images stand out from the crowd. The Burnside 35’s signature look is a bright, sharp central area surrounded by bokeh that has a swirl effect and prominent corner vignetting, making it an interesting proposition for portrait photographers.

Covering full-frame or crop sensors and available in Canon, Nikon, Fujifilm, Sony, Micro Four Thirds and Pentax mounts, the Burnside 35 looks quite old school, but its metal barrel and silky-smooth focusing action give it a high-quality feel. The long focus throw makes manual focusing a pleasure - a good thing, as like other Lensbaby optics, this is a completely manual lens with no electronic assistance.

To really get the most out of the Burnside, shoot wide open at f/2.8 with your subject close to the camera and well separated from a ‘busy’ background with plenty of texture to make the swirling bokeh effect really pronounced. There’s even a slider between the focus and aperture rings to simultaneously control vignetting intensity and the amount of bokeh swirl.

The Lensbaby Spark 2.0 combines a Sweet 50 (50mm) optic with a tilt-shift system that allows for creative effects. As is typical with Lensbaby, the lens makes it easy to create surreal, striking bokeh effects and portraits with a different. However, what's interesting about the Spark 2.0 is that the optic itself can actually be swapped out, opening up possibilities for different focal lengths. Want to try a Sweet 80 for more of a portrait look, or a Sweet 35 for architectural perspectives? You can!

The maximum aperture on the Spark 2.0 is f/2.5, representing a considerable improvement on the f/5.6 of the original Spark. The tactile feel of the lens mechanism makes it really satisfying to use – you use your fingers to manipulate and contort the body to get the image looking the way you want it to. So while you're not going to be acquiring focus especially quickly, doing that has never been the point of Lensbaby. If you're prepared to put in the work to learn it, you'll find the Lensbaby Spark 2.0 to be an immensely rewarding lens to use. 

See our full Lensbaby Spark 2.0 review

The 35mm Edge 35 is part of Lensbaby’s Optic Swap System and is designed to be used with the Composer Pro or Composer Pro II lens housing. Simply insert the Edge 35 into the housing and rotate clockwise. The Composer Pro’s ball and socket design then allows the Edge 35 to be tilted in any direction, and in doing so you move the plane of focus in the image, similar to the tilt element of a tilt-and-shift lens.

The result is a sharp band across the scene with near and far objects both being in focus. Tilting up or down creates a horizontal slice of focus, while tilting left or right gives a vertical slice, and tilting diagonally produces diagonal slices. A locking ring near the lens mount enables the movement to be tightened and loosened as required.

Built quality isn’t quite up there with the Burnside 35, but you still get a metal barrel and glass elements. Focusing is manual-only and controlled using the front ring on the Composer Pro, while the aperture ring can be found on the Edge 35 and runs from f/3.5 to f/22. With careful focusing, you can get impressively sharp results at the point of focus, with steep fall-off and attractive bokeh.

See our full Lensbaby Edge 35 review

Think ‘premium glass’ and you probably envisage pro-grade fluorite glass and ultra-low dispersion elements. This Diana Premium Glass lens has none of the above, but it is priced accordingly, and at least its three lens elements are glass, where similarly-priced lenses can be based around horrid plastic elements.

But sure enough, cost-cutting is evident in the Diana’s cheap-feeling plastic barrel and mount, and it requires a plastic mount adapter to attach the lens to a Canon or Nikon DSLR. That ‘premium’ glassware is put to good use though, as sharpness is on par with Lomography’s Petzval lens, and is actually not bad even without making allowances for the lens’s price. There’s also very little distortion and not much chromatic aberration either.

Focusing relies on a ridiculously positioned focus dial that requires you to reach into the front of the lens barrel, meaning you’re quite likely to smear the front element, but that could be a bonus when you’re trying to go maximum hipster with a soft focus look.

If you’re after a cheap lens that’ll help you learn the art of fully manual photography, this is a smart buy, although its high optical quality can ironically make it a little too good for seriously lo-fi images.

Here we have a modular lens system consisting of a base unit that attaches to your camera lens mount, which in turn serves as the foundation for three prime lenses. The base contains some of the optical elements, the diaphragm and focus ring, while the add-on lenses provide three different focal lengths. The Thalassa lens is a 35mm f/3.5; the Despina is a 50mm f/2.8; and the Proteus is an 80mm f/4.

Each add-on lens is very small, but then they’re also very basic. All are completely manual, so not only do you do the focusing, but you also have to manually control exposure metering. The add-on lenses are weighty and well-made, but the base unit feels crudely fashioned by comparison.

Fortunately all three lenses produce exceptional detail rendition, insignificant distortion, hardly any vignetting and very little chromatic aberration. Manual focusing is simple and almost immediate, and the total lack of electronic assistance also lets you learn how under- and over-exposure can produce attractive creative effects.

It’s hard to make a case for the Neptune system on price and specs alone, but it does score more highly on fun factor and helping you maximise your creativity.

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Lomography Petzval 55mm f/1.7 MKII review

Quirky and creative manufacturer Lomography has announced the comeback of its charming Fisheye Baby 110 Camera, a format that's ideal for casual snapshots. 

The new camera will reappear in a fun and bold "Bauhaus edition" as well as a sleek black and silver metallic colorway called Fisheye Baby Metal. Lomography film cameras are known for producing photos full of elements that most digital photographers want to avoid –  think vignettes and light leaks – in the name of creativity. The Fisheye Baby 110 Camera is well-named, as it's truly a tiny, pocket-sized camera. It gives users a 170-degree view and also features a PC-sync socket, as well as bulb and MX mode.

The Fisheye Baby 110 Bauhaus and Fisheye Baby 110 Metal are both available now, for $34.90 / £34.90 along with the rest of the 110 cameras on the Lomography website.

What is 110 film?

110 film is incredibly small, and sometimes called “pocket film”. It is packaged in a reloadable cartridge which you don't have to rewind, and therefore you can switch films partway through without spoiling the whole film. Lomography is the only producer of the 110 film format, and it offers plenty of options to choose from – including color negative, black & white, slide, and Redscale.

• 110 cameras: the rise and fall of little film format

What is Lomography?

The Lomographic Society International was established in Vienna in 1992, and it's an organization dedicated to experimental film photography. It produces the best lomography cameras, lenses, and accessories, and regularly expands its collection with new products like the Fisheye Baby 110.

• See the best Lomography cameras in 2022

Who is a Lomographer?

The term Lomographer can be applied to anyone "with a passion for photography, and a hunger for experimentation," says The Lomographic Society. There have been over 15 million photos uploaded to the Lomography community so far. 

You might also like the best instant cameras and the best portable printers. Plus check out these Lensbaby and lomography lenses here.

The best Lomography cameras are a way to enjoy a more tactile, analogue photographic experience. Embracing imperfection and lo-fi aesthetic rather than chasing pixels, Lomography cameras have a dedicated fanbase, and encompass many different types of film for all sorts of creative looks. It's great for choice, but can make it all the harder to pick which one is right for you!

If you're a bit sick of seeing shelves of black cameras and near-identical lenses, Lomography provides a welcome change of pace. The range certainly isn't perfect, and you may find your time with a Lomo camera marred by occasionally wishing you had just a bit more technical control over your image, but it's fun and adventurous, and the world of photography would be all the poorer without it.

So, where to begin? We've picked out our selections of the best Lomography cameras available right now, a mix of models new and old. We've also found all the best prices and deals from retailers across the globe…

Using a Lomo camera doesn’t have to involve wondering where to get your film processed, as, capitalising on the success of Fuji’s Instax camera and film range, Lomography itself now offers instant camera alternatives. This option’s a close rival to Fuji’s Instax Wide 300, thanks to the wider format prints it outputs and the four AA batteries required for power. The viewfinder here is in a different location compared to its near Fujifilm doppelganger, but it’s still relatively bulky with limited controls. We do, however, get dedicated buttons for disabling the flash and adjusting exposure between +/- 1EV. The best results are to be had with the exposure dialled down and flash disabled. Complete with selfie mirror on the front and a large ridged lever for the shutter release, a lens ring allows for the focal distance to be dialled in between 0.6 metres and infinity. Bond ally ‘Q’ must have had a hand in the design here, as the lens cap houses a CR2025E lithium cell that allows it to double as a remote. Clever!

Brightly colored plastic shells and features pared back to the minimum – meaning that all you really need to do (or can do) is point and shoot – all the hallmarks of a Lomo camera are present and correct here, including the fact that you need lighting conditions just right to be able to take a picture. That said, there’s now a version of the Diana F+ with the option to clip on a flash, which adds a degree of flexibility. Core features include three-position zone focusing, only one shutter speed (1/60 sec) plus apertures linked to lighting conditions, including pinhole, f/8, f/11, f/16. So, to a degree, it’s as much as case here of ‘point and hope’ as anything. While the core Diana F+ camera is very affordable, there is a boxed accessory kit for those who want to branch out and experiment even more. Don’t be too disappointed by the at times crude results you’ll get – the hit and miss nature is all part of the Lomography charm.

See our full Lomography Diana F+ review

For when you want to squeeze absolutely everything into your frame there’s this ultra wide option – that’s also commendably portably pocket friendly – for deriving that heavily vignetted, super saturated and inevitably slightly fuzzy Lomo look. The 17mm lens provided here goes wider than your standard kit lens and could be aptly described as ultra wide angle. And all from a camera that looks like it has been beamed in from the 1960s or 1970s. On this unit we get the relative luxury of automatic exposure too, with shutter speeds from 1/500 sec to infinity and an aperture range that stretches from f/4.5 to f/16. Users will need to invest in three LR44 batteries to be able to make use of this model, though that’s hardly a barrier to either purchase or creativity.

For those who want to try out 35mm film without overcomplicating things too much, Lomography's La Sardina camera is a solid choice (it comes in a few colours, though we like the black "8-ball" edition). Simple to load and equipped with straightforward, clearly labelled controls, the La Sardina does not exactly over-burden its user with exposure options. You're working with an f/8 lens and your shutter speed choices are twofold: 1/100sec in N mode, or Bulb. Thassit. As such, we'd recommend using films with a decent ASA speed rating (at least 400 to be on the safe side), but as long as you take this precaution you'll have plenty of fun here. The useful wind dial also makes it easy to experiment with multiple exposures, so you really have the capacity to get creative.

A palm-of-the-hand camera for roaming shooters, the Diana Baby 110 has been around for a few years but is still a great choice for analogue shooting on the move. It takes little-used 110-format film, which you might struggle to find much of outside of Lomography's official shop, as it discontinued and all bit forgotten until the firm revived it. Analogue monopolies notwithstanding, images shot on the Diana Baby 110 look surprisingly good considering how tiny the camera is, and it's amazing that Lomography managed to pack in extra features like Bulb mode and the ability to produce multiple exposures, allowing you to add a little extra flair to your shots.

The idiot-proof operability of a disposable film camera, but without the waste: the Lomography Simple-Use camera is the most literal possible interpretation of point and shoot. Coming loaded with a roll of Lomography Colour Negative 400, it's an incredibly easy camera to use for a bit of lo-fi fun, and the coloured filters that can be placed over the flash to give it a tint do give the user a little creative freedom. Best of all, while it operates a lot like other disposable cameras you mightbuy, the Simple Use camera is actually reloadable with other 35mm film, so it isn't as wasteful. This camera also comes in versions pre-loaded with other types of Lomography film, including black and white or Lomochrome Purple, so there's plenty  to choose from.

See our full Lomography Simple-Use Camera review

This is an appealing and affordable option for those looking to investigate the joys of shooting on film. The original Rocket did get replaced by a bright red 2.0 version but we can't find it on sale anywhere. Designed with one thing in mind the Sprocket Rocket captures the biggest photos possible on 35mm film with a sprocket exposing frame and a panoramic perspective. The lens has a focal length of 30mm, the aperture range is between f/10.8 and f/16 so you will definitely need to shoot with ISO400 or ISO800 film even on a sunny day. It comes with a hot-shoe mount so you can attach a flash which is recommended if you want to shoot inside.
See our full Lomography Sprocket Rocket review

Lomography’s Lomo’instant Automat, Leica’s Sofort and Fuji’s SQ6 are like peas in a particularly cosy pod, in terms of size, styling and placement of key features such as viewfinder and flash, plus the ability to use Instax Mini film. Lomo’s version is powered by two harder to find CR2 batteries rather than standard AAs and is, in typically quirky fashion, powered up with a twist of the lens barrel. Operation is point and shoot all the way via a 60mm lens, boasting an aperture of f/8, located front and centre. A lens ring allows photographers to dial in a focal distance between 60cm and infinity. Nothing is wasted here: the mirrored shutter release button is placed on the front, where it also facilitates the inevitable ‘selfies’. Once again on a Lomo camera, the optical viewfinder provided is tiny – so accurate framing is tricky. Whether you choose this one or its Leica or Fujifilm equivalents will come down to personal taste – and the budget you’re working with.

The appeal here is being able to build your own camera utilizing the plastic kit shell provided. The upgraded version of the Konstruktor even comes with a PC socket for flash photography, though you’ll need the hot shoe adaptor in the optional accessory kit (another $20). However, we found there were a lot of plastic panels, parts, screws and springs to put together so this is one that will reward those with a degree of patience as well as constructing dexterity. Unsurprisingly, like the camera body itself, the lens here is plastic and we get another fixed focal length 50mm lens boasting an f/10 aperture. On a positive note we enjoyed using the waist level viewfinder and the through-the-lens viewing that comes courtesy of the spring loaded mirror level. Very Heath Robinson it may be, but it’s not without charm if you don’t mind putting the initial work in. See our full Lomography Konstruktor F review.

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• Lomography Petzval 55mm f/1.7 MKII review

Vacations just got even more groovy with these super-cute, beach design-inspired 35mm cameras from experimental photography brand, Lomography. Designed with unique deckchair fabric, cut from a different piece of cloth and totally exclusive, no two cameras in Lomography's new Acapulco Beach Edition range are the same.

• Make sure to pick up the best film for 35mm cameras

These new Mexican beach-ready bodies are not only aesthetically amazing, but each one has its own unique style of photography. The La Sardina Acapulco Caleta camera comes with the Fritz the Blitz flash and offers ultra wide-angle snaps. The Fisheye No.2 Acapulco La Quebrada camera, on the other hand, has a built-in flash and boasts an incredible 170° circular fisheye view.

Available now from Lomography's online store, and selected retailers, the La Sardina Acapulco Caleta  camera is ideal for taking to the beach and on vacation for unpredictable holiday snaps, priced at $119 / £109 /AU$129. 

Able to capture portraits of friends, as well as the tranquil azure waters and scenic cliff views with its ultra-wide-angle lens and experimental MX exposure switch and rewind dial for mix-and-match snaps.

The Fisheye No.2 Acapulco La Quebrada camera is also available for purchase now, priced at $69 / £69 / AU$79, and is estimated to begin international shipping from September. This camera has the ability to squeeze the entire beach into a shot with its 10mm focal length and fisheye lens. 

With a super-wide 170° field of view, and a powerful built-in flash sitting on the shoe, there's endless creative possibilities with this camera from long exposures at night to multiple exposures in the bulbous and fun spherical images that it creates.

Both cameras are able to shoot multiple exposures, perfect for experimentation, and being fixed at f/8 with a 1/100 shutter speed means that you don't have to worry about any technical settings (aside from choosing the ISO of your film) and can simply have fun shooting with these Lomography cameras.

• You may also be interested in: the best film cameras, as well as the best film scanners, and be sure to check out our review of the Lomography Konstruktor F.

Film photography specialist Lomography has always been more about putting the fun back into photography, rather than developing the sharpest lenses or delivering the most detailed images. In other words it’s almost the exact opposite of most other camera manufacturers, keen to push the envelope and tempt photographers to spend more on their new, upgraded and better-performing products.

It’s safe to say that ‘Lomo’ cameras have relied on lo-fi, Heath Robinson-style, plastic cog-powered charm as a sales tool, rather than the very latest tech. And so what if the resulting pictures are a bit blurry or the colors look a bit odd, when it’s about the overall ‘experience’?

Taking this resolutely analog approach one step further, or perhaps a step up, is the Lomography Konstrukor. This is a 35mm film SLR, the brand’s first. There’s only one problem, or ‘challenge’; it arrives in plastic kit form. Yes, just like those airplane models and robots we ham-fistedly glued together in our youth. Happily there’s no need to glue this one, however, as the disparate parts either snap together or are assembled using provided screws and tightly coiled springs. So, are you up for the challenge?

Key features

We have to say the packaging of the Lomography Konstructor F looks great for the pocket money friendly price demanded, and will appeal to an audience who enjoy crafting, as well as model making and photography. The initial idea and inspiration, at least, appears sound. Like a piece of origami, the inter-leaved, inter-locking cardboard box design unfurls itself to reveal the components neatly compartmentalized before us. We can imagine huge gift potential for the photo buff or shed-dwelling dabbler in your life – even if that’s you, yourself.

We then attempted construction. Lomography states that this can take an hour or two, ‘usually’. We quickly discovered that the instructions in its glossy booklet didn’t 100% marry up with the parts presented before us. Some had been pre-assembled, and were thus missing from the plastic frame on which we were expecting to find them. We easily wasted five to ten minutes while we figured this out. 

Fortunately, a metal screwdriver is provided out of the box for the application of the tiny screws provided for assembly, negating the need for glue, which would have made a couple of the build stages impossible to undo and re-do to finesse. And yet, trying to differentiate one tiny black metal screw a few millimeters in length from another equally miniscule black metal screw proved tricky, if not impossible – and in the end we hoped it wouldn’t make a lot of difference anyway.

For reasons unclear, one plastic frame of camera parts is labeled with the prefix A, while the second frame has parts labeled with the prefix P. All the parts referred to with the prefix ‘B’ in the instruction manual are not to be found on any frame, however, and are loose in the box. This isn’t explained at the outset and necessitates some detective work on the part of the assembler, in trying to best match the disparate parts with the small images shown in the manual. Again, this elongates the process while equally stretching the patience of the assembler – particularly if you’re eager to get it done in a particular time frame you’ve set aside.

Construction

While the box claims that the Lomography Konstruktor F can be put together as a working SLR example in two hours, we spent over double that constructing the camera.  The ability to rush things came down to the fact that we were aware at every stage that we were attempting to build a camera that would, eventually, be required to work. That meant making sure we followed instructions as closely to the letter as we could – to avoid having to re-do certain stages. Even then, we found ourselves having to unfasten and refasten screws a couple of times, as certain plastic parts weren’t quite gelling together as well as we would have liked. It’s safe to say that quite a lot of patience is required, with various parts so small and fiddly that working to a set timeframe just isn’t an option.

A particular kicker is that once the camera is completed, the realization dawns that no roll of film is included in the box with the Konstruktor. It would have been a sensible for Lomography to include one or two rolls, even if it pushed up the initial price slightly. It’s like being given a toy as a child and finding you can’t actually play with it or test it out straightaway, as batteries aren’t included. Or maybe the manufacturer suspects that the construction is such a challenge that actually ending up with a fully working camera will prove impossible for many. 

Interesting, the sample we were given to construct from scratch came with an pre-fitted PC socket for theoretically pairing with an accessory flash. Unsurprisingly said flash is not included in the deal, but it does show some ambition at least.

Handling

Generally to date we’ve enjoyed the low-tech approach and affordability of Lomography’s products, which goes some way to alleviate occasional handling frustrations and hit-and-miss results from the at times toy-like gear. Our first thoughts upon completing the build of the Konstruktor however were that we don’t want to have to do that again in a hurry – and that we’ll opt for a ready-built Lomo next time. If we could afford it, most of us would pay for someone from Ikea to come around and construct our flat pack furniture too.

Though we’d endeavored to follow instructions chapter and verse, we weren’t expecting a performance to match a ready-made SLR from any of the larger household brands. Cocking the shutter to reset the mirror, which on our camera build took several attempts each time for some reason and seemed to respond better to a thumb flick rather than a definite press, followed by a press down on the shutter release button to take a shot, we found the shutter ‘action’ a little softer than we would have liked. 

During construction we were forced to source a set of cosmetic tweezers to be able to stretch the tiny spring – the length of our smallest fingernail – that anchors the shutter release mechanism, and enables it to move up and down. We suspect that, like in other reviews we’ve read of this build project online, we may possibly have over-stretched it. But not having a properly working sample alongside ours, we can’t be sure. This is probably why Lomo supplies two of these particular springs, along with half a dozen additional screws, in case parts get lost or damaged in the build. 

When our patience returns or we have a spare hour, we may try undoing the final stages of our build and attempt to replace it with our spare spring to see if it makes any difference, though we suspect it may not.

Lining up and framing each shot involves looking through the top down viewfinder, with a pop up magnifier provided to aid the process. We found this works best in bright sunlight – anything less and we found the image through the viewfinder to be fuzzy and indistinct, like we were viewing it through frosted glass. Focal distance is given on the lens ring itself to aid focusing. 

We found it best to hold the lens firmly in place with one hand while making adjustments with the other; otherwise it’s all too easy to accidentally unscrew the lens, as this isn’t a piece of precision equipment we’re working with. If we’re being charitable, we might suggest that such limitations can sometimes become assets. However this is certainly no cheap substitute for a factory-built SLR proper. Pay pocket the money price, don’t go into it with high expectations, and your satisfaction level may be reasonable. At worst it can be decorated colorfully with the sticker sheet provided and, as we’ve done in the past with Lomo products, stuck on the shelf as a photographic curio.

Lomography Konstruktor: Verdict

While the process of constructing your own all-plastic camera, rather than getting the usual ready-made off-the-shelf alternative from Lomo, is a unique and interesting one – and your respect for those factory workers who do this day-in-day out, with magnifiers strapped to their eyeballs, goes up immeasurably as a result – it does require oodles of time and patience and is not an experience we’ll be rushing to repeat, despite the satisfaction of completing the build at the end of it. 

As an insight into camera assembly and the components that make up a film SLR, plus a means of whiling away a few hours, the Lomography Konstruktor works well. As a camera in itself however, we’re not so sure. This one is best viewed as a bit of a project for those who love to tinker and anyone who doesn’t mind a trial and error process to end up with usable results.

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Got a collection of old film negatives gathering dust in a drawer? You could bring them into the digital age using one of the best film scanners, but Lomography has just launched a fresh way to scan your negs using your digital camera, or even smartphone.

The DigitaLIZA+ and DigitaLIZA Max scanning kits can hold 35mm, 120 or special format negatives, with the film holder positioned on top of a separate backlight panel. You then photograph each illuminated frame with a camera of your choice.

The DigitaLIZA+ is the more basic of the two kits and is designed to work with your normal digital camera - compact, mirrorless or DSLR. Slip a 35mm film strip into the holder and the backlight below illuminates each frame, ready to be 'scanned' by your camera fitted with a macro lens. A frame advance knob on the holder makes it easy to quickly and precisely advance each frame, while a removable bubble level is on hand to ensure the scanning kit and your camera stay perfectly straight.

120 negs can be loaded into the backlight panel section, and an adapter frame is inlcluded to enable and 127-format film to be scanned as well. Thanks to the modular design, it's also possible to remove the backlight panel and use your own lighting source for greater scanning control. 

The DigitaLIZA Max kit includes the same 35mm film holder and backlight modules, but adds a smartphone holder stand, plus an additional base plate for greater stability. The inlcuded stand allows you to clamp your smartphone and suspend it at just the right height above the negs to get perfectly framed 'scans' every time, simply by photographing each negative using your phone camera. The whole set-up is somewhat reminicent of a classic film enlarger, if you squint, a lot! Alternatviely, remove the stand and you can scan using any digital camera.

But while the DigitaLIZA concept may be fresh, but it's not entirely a first. Alongside the launch of the D850, Nikon released its ES-2 Film Digitizing Adapter Set which would attach to a Nikon macro lens, leveraging the resolving power of the D850 (along with its built-in color inversion setting) to capture high res 'scans' of 35mm negatives.

Likewise, cheaper dedicated all-in-one film scanners also use a built-in camera sensor to capture digital image 'scans' of your film (we use the word 'scan' in inverted commas, as simply taking a picture of a negative isn't acutally scanning it).

But while much faster than a traditional film scanner, these camera-based film scanners tend to provide disappointing digitized image quality. Lomography's DigitaLIZA scaners could well strike just the right balance of fast, cost-effect film scanning, while your preferred digital camera or smartphone provides high digitizing quality.

Both versions of the DigitaLIZA kit are available for pre-order from the Lomography Online Shop, though you'll have to wait until May for wider retail availablity.

The DigitaLIZA+ Scanning Kit is priced at $74.90 USD, while the DigitaLIZA Max will cost $99 USD.

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Lomography has announced its latest instant camera, the Lomo'Instant Automat, Suntur Edition, featuring a beautiful wraparound illustration by Thai artist Suntur.

This is, of course, a special edition of the base Lomo'Instant Automat, one of the best Lomography cameras you can get. Its signature feature is an exclusive illustration that covers the camera, titled Fear Less Smile More, by Suntur – aka Yozanun Wutigonsombutkul, a renowned artist from Thailand.

• Read more: Best instant cameras

According to Lomography the spirit of the illustration, and of the Suntur camera, is to be inspired by the world around us and to embrace the freedom of analog photography. 

"Perhaps you fear 'taking a bad photograph' and are avoiding your true creative potential. Well, at Lomography, there are no bad photographs. This collaboration is here to tell you to face your fears head-on, with an instant camera in your hands… Embrace the world of experimental photography and feel free to take photos of the things that make you happy."

The Automat Suntur is equipped with a native 35mm equivalent f/8 lens, and comes with three additional lenses: a wide-angle, close-up and fisheye. In addition it is bundled with the Splitzer lens attachment – a brilliant tool that blocks light from hitting part of the film, so that you can shoot multiple exposures without re-exposing the entire frame each time.

Indeed, the camera can shoot unlimited multiple exposures, among other features unique to instant cameras – such as a lens cap that doubles as a remote shutter. It also boasts colored gels for the flash, a 30-second bulb mode, exposure compensation and tripod mount. 

Like all Automats it accepts Fujifilm Instax Mini film, but also takes a pair of CR2 batteries (not included) instead of the usual AA cells. 

The Lomo'Instant Automat, Suntur Edition will start shipping from early October, and is priced $189 / £139 (approximately AU$260). 

Read more: 

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Love Lomo? The Lomography Atoll Ultra-Wide 2.8/17 Art lens has just been announced for full-frame mirrorless cameras – and could be ideal for street, travel and landscape photography (or even portraits, if you're feeling brave). 

The Lomography Atoll Ultra-Wide 2.8/17 Art has an incredible field of view of 103° – and this extremely wide angle can help you produce dramatic-looking images. The manufacturer boasts about its ability to produce beautiful-looking colors with little distortion and stunning details. 

Read more: Best Lensbaby and Lomography lenses

Interestingly, even though wide-angle optics are generally used to capture more of the environment in your frame, this latest lens from Lomography can focus extremely close to subjects as well. 

On Canon RF, Sony E and Nikon Z-mount cameras, you can focus as closely as 0.1m. Getting that close to a subject can help you isolate it in the frame, and also produce an extremely shallow depth of field despite the 17mm focal length. On Leica M cameras, the minimum focus distance increases to 0.25m. 

Coupled with a maximum aperture of f/2.8, you can achieve impressive subject separation and background blur by getting right up close. "It’s fun since I can get super-close to the subject!" says photographer Daisuke Hashihara. 

"The closest focus distance is 10 cm on this lens, and the close-up portrait I could get from this lens was so vivid and powerful."

This looks to be a versatile lens for both photographers and videographers, both by virtue of its compact fully manual design and the resulting images. "The detailed image quality this lens produces is by far the best of all Lomography’s Art lenses,” adds Hashihara.

The Lomography Atoll Ultra-Wide 2.8/17 Art lens is planned to launch in August for $649 (approximately £475 / AU$852). However, the lens is currently halfway towards its funding target on Kickstarter – where you can save up to $150.  

Key specifications

• Focal Length: 17 mm
• Format Coverage: 35 mm/ full-frame
• Field of View: 103º
• Lotus Lens Hood: Yes
• Lens Construction: 13 multicoated elements, 10 groups
• Focusing: Manual
• Closest Focus Distance: 0.1 m (Canon RF, Nikon Z, Sony E), 0.25 m (M)
• Maximum Aperture: f/2.8
• Aperture Construction: 8 blades, f/2.8 - f/22
• Aperture Ring: Dampened
• Depth of Field Scale: Yes
• Mount: Canon RF, Nikon Z, Sony E (with close-up lens base) & M (native) 
• Electronic Contacts: No
• M Mount Rangefinder Coupling: Yes
• M Mount Frameline: 28 mm
• External Optical Viewfinder: Yes
• Materials: Sandblasted anodized aluminum
• Dimensions (including lotus lens hood and close-up lens base): 87 mm (Canon RF), 91 mm (Nikon Z), 89 mm (Sony E), ø73 mm × 79 mm (M)

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Wish you could shoot underwater with 35mm film? The Lomography Analogue Aqua makes your waterworld wish come true, packing a reloadable film camera with reusable waterproof housing and a roll of 35mm Lomo film. 

Under normal circumstances, the Lomography Analogue Aqua would obviously be ideal for this time of year when everyone is looking to gear up and take advantage of the good weather to hit the beach. 

Clearly there aren’t as many uses for even the best waterproof cameras under the current circumstances, but when the lockdown lifts and we can all get back to normal, this will be an ideal camera to pack for your long-overdue vacation. 

The Analogue Aqua is essentially a Lomography Simple Use Film Camera in an waterproof housing, both of which can be reused. The camera body can be reloaded with 35mm when empty and rehoused to shoot underwater again.

The camera comes preloaded with one of two types of Lomo film – either Color Negative 400 (a 27-exposure ISO100-400 film “for dazzling colours and bold brightness in a variety of lighting conditions”), or Lomochrome Purple (an ISO400 film with 36 exposures “for exquisite earthy reds, crisp plums and velvety violet notes crafted by a fusion of special color compounds”).

The Simple Use Film Camera inside the Analogue Aqua kit features a 31mm lens with an f/9 aperture, capable of focusing from 1m to infinity. It has a shutter speed of 1/120 sec and a built-in flash (with a 15-second press-and-hold recharge time) powered by a single AA battery. 

Both varieties of the Lomography Analogue Aqua are available for $39.90 / £37.90 (Australian pricing to follow) from the Lomo website, with delivery in May. Standard Simple Use Film Cameras are available with Color Negative 400 for $21.90 / £19.90 or LomoChrome Purple for $23.90 / £21.90. 

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Lomography has unveiled the latest of its Simple Use film cameras, which combine the design of the best disposable cameras, but with the added benefit is that you can reload the plastic camera for re-use afterwards.

The Lomography Simple Use Camera LomoChrome Metropolis, to give its rather long name, comes preloaded with a 27-exposure roll of the company's new Metropolis color print film. Lomochrome Metropolis went on sale earlier this year and offers a retro grungy look to your pictures – characterized by muted colors, gritty grain, and . 

The camera has a fixed 31mm wide-angle lens, with a fixed exposure of 1/120sec at f/9. Focusing is also fixed with a depth of field range stretching from 1m to infinity.

There is a built-in flash unit however, which is powered by a single AA battery – and this has three colored filters which can be slotted over the flash to create psychedelic effects. 

Other products in the Lomography Simple Use camera range include models preloaded with black-and white or LomoChrome Purple films.

The Lomography Simple Use Camera LomoChrome Metropolis is available now for $22.90 / £21.90 / AUS$39.99.

Read more:
The best film cameras in 2020

Specialist photography manufacturer Lomography have announced the launch of an exciting new lens in their Petzval range on Kickstarter. The Petzval 80.5 mm f/1.9 MKII SLR Art Lens continues the vintage theme of previous Petzval models, being finished in stylish brass. This gives the lens the aesthetic of a lens built in the 19th Century, paying homage to Joseph Petzval, the creator the world's first dedicated portrait optic.   

The new model is designed for both stills photographers and video shooters, featuring a bright f/1.9 maximum aperture and is compatible with Canon EF and Nikon F lens mounts. 

The key aspect which makes the lens ideal for portrait photographers is the use of a stopless aperture and helicoid focusing mechanism. The lack of preset aperture stops allows total control of the depth-of-field in an image, unlike other lenses on which the photographer must decide between fixed settings, neither of which may be optimal for the current shooting conditions. It is also the perfect option when shooting video as focus and f/stop can be seamlessly altered whilst a clip is being recorded. The minimum aperture is f/16.

Bokeh is the speciality of the Petzval 80.5 mm f/1.9 MKII. Probably the most notable feature is the optical design of the lens, which enhances the effects of field curvature rather than attempting to correct it, as is the case in the majority of other modern dSLR lenses. This choice by Lomography produces images with a novel optical effect - the self-termed 'swirly bokeh'. This is unachievable using an equivalent 85mm lens from the Nikkor or Canon lens ranges.

Interestingly the company plans to provide another variant of the 80.5 mm f/1.9 MKII - an Advanced Bokeh Control Edition, featuring a bokeh control ring. This allows 7 strengths of swirl bokeh effect and will be available in a black anodized aluminum finish. 

To enable even greater creative freedom the lenses accept additional aperture plates, such as a heart, diamond, star and circle, for further bokeh shaping.