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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