Lomography is one of the biggest names in the world when it comes to instant photography. So, when they come up with a new product, people sit up and take notice. They have launched a campaign on Kickstarter to raise funds for a new project called Lomo ‘Instant Camera that, from the looks of it, is determined to revolutionise the way instant cameras have been used.
This camera inspires to extend the borders of instant photography and has an array of impressive features that is usually not found in cameras of this class. This camera has many advanced features including three different modules for shooting that includes an auto flash, an advanced system of lenses and unlimited multiple exposures that enable the user to combine a number of shots in a single frame.
It outshines the Instax Mini cameras that FujiFilm came up with, but does not compare closely with the same company’s NeoClassic 90. It definitely is better than the basic camera but not in the same league as the premium ones.
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Lomo‘Instant has all the features that Lomography specialises in — the double exposure, coloured gels for flash, attachments for fish eye lenses, long exposure and the ease of use. It draws power from four AAA batteries and has an automatic flash that you can choose to turn off. It comes with a tripod mount and a cable release mount. It comes with an exposure compensation setting of +2/-2 and apertures of f/8, f/11, f/16, f/22, and f/32. The camera does not have a feature to enable you to focus manually, but it does offer a good range of focus with its wide lens.
The camera uses four AAA batteries to draw power from. It comes with a rather cool feature — there is a mirror on the front of the camera, right next to the lens. It has been placed there for selfies. The mirror will give you an idea of where your face is in relation to the lens, so that you can grab a quick shot of yourself or one of yourself with a friend.
You will probably not be buying the camera because of all the specs. The Lomo’Instant is fun to use and holds a special appeal for the creative. It is versatile enough to be comfortable snapping photos at a party or in the hands of a photographer travelling the world looking for interesting images to shoot.
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The only drawback seems to be the fact that it uses the smaller Instax Mini film format. Instax Wide is slightly more expensive to shoot, and is about twice the size in terms of surface area. If the makers had used the larger film format, it would only have resulted in adding to the bulk of an already bulky camera and increased the cost. If you want an instant camera, and are not disappointed with the size of Instax Mini images, then Lomo’Instant is worth a try.
(Ayyappa Nagubandi is an entrepreneur, co-founder and CEO of Possibillion Technologies)