The full details of the press release are included here in this article. Briefly, here are the important bits.

Lomography 120 Film New Prices (in US Dollars)

Color Negative 100 ISO 3 Pack : was $34.90, NOW $24.90
Color Negative 400 ISO 3 Pack : was $34.90, NOW $24.90
Color Negative 800 ISO 3 Pack : was $39.90, NOW $27.90
Redscale XR 50–200 3 Pack : was $35.90, NOW $24.90
Potsdam Kino 100 ISO : was $10.90, NOW $6.90
LomoChrome Metropolis 2021 : was $12.90, NOW $11.90
LomoChrome Purple 2021 : was $13.90, NOW $11.90

Lomography’s film can be purchased from retailers such as B&H Photo (there may be a delay with price reductions as retailers roll out the change), or through Lomography’s own online shop.

In a time in which prices seem to be universally on the rise, including prices for film and cameras, it’s a relief to find some good news of price reductions.

If you’d like to learn more about Lomography’s film, you can find many of their films profiled here. And if you’re unsure of which medium format film camera is right for you, take a look at our many medium format camera reviews and buyer’s guides.

Lomo’s films, which in many cases offer visually unique images and a strong individual identity, are now competitively priced with more “normie” films like Ilford’s HP5, Kodak Portra, and Gold 200.

I’m pretty stoked whenever a company moves to keep film photography affordable and bring more people into the craft. This move by Lomo should encourage people to try medium format, even if they had previously thought the format prohibitively expensive.

For my part, I’m already scouring eBay for a new medium format film camera.

Medium Format Film Camera for sale | eBay

Get the best deals for Medium Format Film Camera at eBay.com. We have a great online selection at the lowest prices with Fast & Free shipping on many items!

120 Film | B&H Photo Video

Your source for 120 Film from top brands like Kodak, Lomography, Ilford and Rollei. Visit us for outstanding prices, selection, and fast shipping.

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​The Camera and Lenses

Alright gear heads, I hope you’re ready; there’s a bit to go through before we reach the central theme of this piece. I’ll start first with the camera.

If you’re thinking to yourself, “I don’t remember a Toyo Super Graphic, only the Graflex Super Graphic.” You wouldn’t be shamed by many people. Toyo purchased the manufacturing rights of the Super Graphic from Singer/Graflex in the early 1970s, with the earliest Toyo versions being produced in late 1973 and early ’74.

The camera body itself is just about the same as its older Graflex brother. They even share most of the same features; a revolving back, electronic shutter release for handheld use, rangefinders with interchangeable cams, and front standard swing. There is also what is called a flash computer, but from what I’ve been able to gather, it amounts to a calculator that resides at the top of the body to aid in flash metering.

Both the Graflex and the Toyo require an odd ball 22.5 volt battery for the electronic shutter release. I didn’t use it because I’m not enough of a mad man to use this camera handheld.

What lenses did I pair with this unstoppable force? I was extremely lucky to purchase this camera with three magnificent lenses, all three of which saw use over this last week.

First, the nifty fifty and the widest focal length of the three, a Nikkor-W 150mm f/5.6. For the uninitiated, calculating the 35mm equivalent of a 4×5 lens is quite easy, simply divide the focal length of the 4×5 lens by 3, and that is your 35mm focal length equivalent. This method is used to determine if you’re using a wider angle or more telephoto lens. Since the first lens in the trio is 150mm, divide that by three, and you get 50mm, which is arguably the most standard focal length in the 35mm format.

Next in the lineup is another Nikkor-W lens, the 210mm f/5.6. The optical formula of both of these large Nikkors is comprised of six elements in four groups. A simple, yet effective formula that we have seen in Nikon’s 35mm glass. Aperture diaphragms on both are comprised of seven blades. Both lenses stop all the way down to a minuscule f/64, a favorite of large format pioneers Ansel Adams and Group f/64.

The 150mm lens takes 52mm filters which is also the same size as my 35mm lens filters. This is an incredible upside since I won’t have to worry about investing in a set of filters for at least one of my 4×5 lenses.

Finally, to round out the lineup is a Fujinon T 300mm f/8. Unfortunately, I wasn’t able to find much information about this lens. The few various forums that I read that even make mention of this lens just write it off as decent. Which is kind of a shame because the portraits I made with this lens were incredibly sharp stopped down, soft at the edges wide open, and even made for a great lens for architecture and detail work. Once again, longer focal length lenses not getting the love and credit they deserve; where have I heard this before?

Film

The next item on the list, what film did I use? Well, since pack film has rode off into the sunset, Polaroid is not doing Polaroid things (deciding instead to create Bluetooth speakers), and wet plate collodion is chemistry class with a camera, I used the next best thing we have available – a Lomo Graflok Instax Wide back and Fuji Instax Wide film.

This might be blasphemous to the die hard instant shooters, but Instax Wide on 4×5 is near pack film quality. Before I’m banished from all instant film circles, let me plead my case.

Instax Wide doesn’t usually come to mind when discussing the greatest of the instant films. You usually hear mentions of the various Fuji FP series. Polaroid made its name with SX70, 669, and the multitude of consumer film for which it was world famous. Not to mention, the large format peel apart, namely 4×5 and 8×10. Ansel Adams, as well as many professional photographers loved this instant tool as a means of checking lighting, composition, and a print as well as a negative to use as a reference or a print on its own. Instax Wide has the ability to take the place of those once beloved instant greats.

Lomography graced us large format nerds with the Lomo Graflok Instax Wide back to use on cameras with what’s called a “Graflok” back, otherwise known as a camera with a Graflex style film back. Since my new Toyo is a Japanese Graflex, this makes it perfect for this use.

My experience with Instax Wide on 4×5 has been nothing short of refreshing and humbling. It reminded me that large format is nothing to rush and that a simple mistake can cost an exposure. Since Instax is readily available and significantly cheaper than sheet film, I had no qualms with making a mistake on Instax. After all, it’s all apart of the process.

The quality of Instax Wide is wonderful. The color film brings vibrancy, pastel if over-exposed just a touch, and the process of watching the image slowly come to life makes even the most casual of instant film shooters smile ear to ear.

Instax Wide is very capable at 800 iso which means you can shoot in broad daylight at f/32 or in low light, so long as you meter for your highlights or shadows. Unfortunately, latitude is not this instant film’s middle name. You need to meter for shadows and let the highlights be eradicated or meter for the highlights and let the shadows fall into Mariana’s Trench. There’s hardly an in between. You can do what I did and play around with over or under exposing by a third or two since the apertures on large format lenses are de-clicked which allows for more precise control of exposure.

In case you were wondering about my metering process, I use a Pentax Spotmeter V. As simplistic as it may be, this meter does exactly what I need it to do and that’s about it. Most of these new meters are a bit too space age for my taste.

Polacon

Finally, the main event. I acquired my new 4×5 at peculiar time; one week before Polacon 7. For the non-instant shooters, Polacon is an annual convention that takes place in Denton, TX. It’s everything you think it is – photographers who are passionate about the instant film process gather for photo walks, print sales and trades, talks, presentations, comparing notes, lamenting about instant film’s recent discontinuations, and of course, all of the instant photographs.

To prepare, I borrowed the Lomo Graflok back from a good photographer friend (thanks Jen!) and quickly learned my process for using such a method of shooting.

This year would be my first attending Polacon, so what better way to do it than by attending a morning photo walk on day two of the convention? I showed up with my Super Graphic on the tripod and was quickly met with smiles and greetings. Everyone was welcoming, enthusiastic, and ready to get the instant photos underway.

All instant film types were present, Polaroid 600, SX70, I-type, Polaroid Go, Duochrome, Fuji pack film, and even 8×10 Polaroids! It was truly a sight to behold. However, there were some bittersweet undertones the more I talked to various people. Perspectives ranged from all over as the people I talked to were from various states, Minnesota, California, Florida, other parts of Texas, and so on. That’s right, this instant film convention attracts people from far and wide. Which is a beautiful thing, but the more and more I talked to these various people from different walks of life, they all had the same concerns – how much longer is instant film going to be around? Kind of a buzz kill at a convention celebrating instant photographs, but a valid question nonetheless.

One simply can’t put into words the passion everyone had not just about instant film, but the raw process of photography it involves. Instant film isn’t the sharpest, the latitude is not great, and sometimes, it down right looks kind of terrible if the exposure just isn’t absolutely perfect. None of that matters here. This was an interesting perspective and a refreshing one to embrace since I always second, third, and fourth guess about my compositions and exposures, especially on large format.

At one point or another, we’ve all experienced snobbery to some degree at a photo walk or meet up; usually a Leica with a persona attached to it. Those Lenny Kravitz Editions are especially guilty. No such snobbery was present at Polacon. Cameras of all shapes, brands, and colors were snapping and clicking away. Images printing out left and right, portraits being taken every couple of minutes. Never have I experienced such a joyous gathering.

The Future of Instant Photography

You may think that since there is a growing convention here in Texas, that should bode well for the future of instant photography. Well, this is where things become a bit pessimistic. Let’s recap how we got here starting with the formation of The Impossible Project.

Impossible Project was formed by ten former employees of Polaroid in October of 2008 who were able to save the last Polaroid production plant in the Netherlands. The goal of this team was to reinvent materials for old Polaroid cameras. A task that was deemed “seemingly impossible” hence the name of the project.

It was announced in March of 2010 that Impossible was successful in recreating a monochromatic film for certain cameras, a success no one saw coming. Just one year before, in 2009, Fuji announced a discontinuation of FP100B, FP400B, and FP500B with shipments concluding in March of that year. In September of 2011, FP3000B45, the 4×5 version of its famous high speed black and white peel apart film was discontinued with all 4×5 instant pack film being discontinued by 2013. On February 29, 2016, an infamous day to instant film shooters, Fuji announced the discontinuation of FP100C, officially putting the nail in the coffin for the beloved pack film.

That was a condensed version of a long, painful timeline of events, but here we are in 2022. Instant film is still around, Fuji pack film sells for absurd amounts on the internet with expiration dates varying wildly, averaging $150 for a pack of 10 instant photos.

Polaroid markets itself as a lifestyle brand, most recently releasing Polaroid Music, a Bluetooth speaker for which no one was jonesing.

Impossible reached out to Fuji about purchasing one of the machines used to keep the fabled pack film afloat and Fuji essentially told them to kick rocks. Those machines have since been repurposed (more likely sold for scrap) to make cosmetics, which is the primary source of profit for Fuji outside of its digital cameras and Instax film. From what most people have heard whether it be word of mouth or internet conjecture, Fuji is only making pro grade and consumer 35mm and 120 film in the 21st century out of tradition for the absolute die hard photographers.

Just a couple months ago, I acquired a pack of FP100C and FP3000B and put them through my Mamiya RB67 equipped with the Polaroid back. It was a fun, rewarding experience and a way to loosen up and keep the photo-creating process intact without having to burn film that needs to be handled in absolute darkness when developing.

I gave most of my instant pack film prints away, which for some is heresy, but I did that because it excited onlookers to watch me peel apart these two thin pieces of paper and see a vibrant image come to life right before their very eyes. Don’t get me wrong, I get as excited as the next person about peel apart film, but it’s an experience that the uninitiated will remember for a long time. They don’t know the heartbreak of the discontinuation.

I implore anyone reading this who has an abundance of pack film stored away in their freezer to do one simple thing: load that film into your holder and shoot it. You are not doing that film any good by keeping it in your freezer or fridge. It’s already gone. I’ve made my peace by giving away most of my 100C and 3000B prints. The smiles on those strangers faces are worth more than what that instant film could have brought me personally.

I wasn’t around during pack film’s heyday, I was fumbling around with a Sony A6000 at that point. I understand that many people have made memories with pack film and want to extend the supply for that much longer. The more you attempt to extend the supply, the longer you keep it in that arctic dungeon, the less likely that film will look like what you remember. Life is already short, just shoot your pack film and cherish the memories you make while doing so. When it’s all said and done, not only will you have the memories, but you will also have some priceless photographs. Is that not why we love instant photography?    

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But over the last few years I’ve increasingly realized there is another part to the film ecosystem that the film community often doesn’t talk about, the camera supply side. Sure, we hear about it when a celebrity or popular YouTuber highlights a camera and prices suddenly skyrocket. Times like these, the realities of a market with largely a fixed supply and varying demand become all too apparent. But there seems to be a solution to this that not many people take. Buy new cameras. Not “new to you,” but like, new, from a company, with a box and everything. You don’t even have to go to eBay for them.

So that’s what I decided to do this year. If I wanted to buy a camera, it had to be new.

Now for 35mm options, I’m pretty well stocked and don’t have much of a need for a new camera. My Pentax KX was my first camera and it’s still my favorite by far. If I had to pare down to just one camera, it would be an easy choice. The KX is a glorious piece of kit.

Medium format was an entirely different beast. Up until 2020 I had never shot a medium format camera. Despite taking some photography classes in college, it just never came up. But after doing some research, I initially got into the format with the Mamiya C33 TLR, picking up the 65mm and 105mm in a kit. Fantastic camera, amazing glass, loved the system, two-thumbs up. Would buy again. But I mostly shoot documentary family stuff, so a camera with no metering and longer lenses made it not ideal for the everyday shooting I do. I then turned to a Pentax 645n, which solved both of those complaints. But it’s a big camera. It doesn’t pass my critical “fits in my car’s center console” test, which means I often don’t take it with me and the family, and thus it’s a bit of a shelf queen. Plus it’s possibly the loudest camera in existence. So maybe medium format just didn’t meet my needs.

The Solution Presents Itself

While researching for medium format options that might thread my rather specific needle, I happened upon Eduardo Pavez Goye’s review of the Lomo LC-A 120. What stood out to me was the form factor, a 6×6 camera that was coat pocket-able and weighed less than the Pentax 45mm f2.8 lens for my 645n. It’s nothing fancy, basically a 6×6 full auto point-and-shoot, but it seemed to meet my requirements. Eduardo’s review piqued my interest in its capabilities. It offered a glass ultra-wide lens, and seemed to have decent metering.

The one thing I was concerned about was the camera’s zone-focusing. I hadn’t really done much zone focusing in the past, and it seemed like a completely unreliable way to try and grab a shot. But while I was debating about the camera, I got a hold of a Rollei 35, with a similar focal length to the LC-A 120 (40mm vs 38mm). After a few rolls and being able to get a good hit rate with it, I was encouraged to take the plunge on the Lomo.

What is Zone Focus, Plus How and When to Do It

Zone focusing (sometimes called scale focusing) allows a photographer to know what will be in focus without even looking through the viewfinder. It's an invaluable technique that's often used in street and other types of photography where speed and spontaneity are factors.

Struggling to Make It Work

As someone who’s ordered a fair amount of camera gear in the last few years, there was something exciting about getting the LC-A 120. Rather than arriving trapped in bubble wrap and smelling musty, it came fully sealed in a brand new box. Honestly, Lomography’s packaging was almost too much, very stylish and ornate, with an included photo book of sample photos from the camera, a manual, cable release, and a strap. I appreciate the accessories, but all the paper and space seemed a little wasteful. I’m sure it looks good on a shelf but give me the option for minimalist packaging.

That being said, everything seemed very thoughtfully included, down to the LR44 batteries needed to operate the camera. This was my first sign that maybe these cameras weren’t selling like hot cakes. The batteries included were expired and starting to corrode. Not the end of the world; they remained safely nestled in their packaging and I had a bunch of spare batteries around, so I was off to the races.

I quickly shot off two rolls with the camera, and everything seemed to be operating as expected. In my haste, I neglected to put on the camera strap included with the camera. When I decided to add it on, I noticed that one of the strap lugs was super dented. If this was an [EXC!!++++++] camera from eBay, I probably wouldn’t have thought twice about it. But, it came like that straight out of the box. The camera had a warranty from Lomography, so I contacted their support and got an exchange.

This is where things got frustrating. I am now on my fourth copy of this camera, all returned under warranty. While the first two rolls from my original dented unit turned out fine, every other copy has given me not insignificant light leaks on my photos. With the first roll, I thought it was something I did during loading. But after being extremely careful and even trying to load it in a dark bag, I was still getting light leaks.

Throughout this process, Lomography’s support has been top notch. They are quick to respond to emails, and turned around the exchanges very quickly. But it was extremely frustrating when the returns didn’t seem to resolve the issue. This is either a design flaw with the camera or perhaps an effect of these cameras sitting for some time, maybe both.

A Word on Lomography

At this point, I’m sure some readers will think to themselves, “What did you expect, you bought a camera from Lomography. They make cheap plastic junk.” While my own experience with the LC-A 120 was less than ideal, I can’t abide this kind of knee jerk negativity. I’ve heard Cameradactyl’s Ethan Moses talking about the capital costs involved with making a camera using plastic injection molding, and they are daunting. You can say that Lomography chases fads or doesn’t make cameras that you like, but you can’t deny they are investing in building out both sides of the analog photography world in a way that very few companies can today. A lot of this is bringing new products to market, like the Lomograflok.

While my experience with the LC-A 120 may have been frustrating, and quality control might be something Lomography should double down on, the reason I was attracted to the camera in the first place was because it was genuinely innovative. It filled a niche like no other available camera could. I remain impressed with it as an idea, even if the execution didn’t live up to it. Do I wish Lomography could do better in some regards? Sure. But I refuse to view them as anything other than essential to the future of analog photography.

Life After Leaks

Setting aside the light leak issues, let’s talk about using this camera. Remember how I said that zone focusing the Rollei 35 gave me the confidence to take on the LC-A 120? Well I was partially justified in that act of hubris. Focusing on it is fairly reliable, but operates much differently than on the Rollei. With that camera, you’re essentially using a fully manual camera, with a traditional focus scale on the lens. This matters because I really only shoot the 35 at f/8 or slower, meaning that I know how much depth of field I’m going to have to help hedge my guess about guessing distance wrong.

You don’t have that luxury on the LC-A, since the aperture (and shutter speed for that matter) are all handled by the camera. Instead of a set focus scale, you have a little lever with set markings and detents for 0.6m, 1m, 2.5m, and infinity. You can also set the lever in between these, but you’re really guessing at that point. There are some advantages to this arrangement. Unlike the Rollei 35, you can both quickly confirm and change focus with the camera up to your eye, perfect for quick shots. Since there are only four options, you can just rack the level quickly to move the focus. Given that the lens only goes down to f/4.5, you’ve always got a little depth of field to play around with, especially beyond 1 meter.

Overall, I actually really like the design of this camera. The body is all plastic, but when handling it, you don’t get any creaks. Lomography uses a softer touch plastic where you grip the camera, embossed with a leatherette styling, and feels good in the hand. The shutter button feels really nice, with a long throw but a solid actuation. Like the 35mm original LC-A, the 120 is designed for quick street work. The lens cover needs to be slid down to shoot. Having it up blocks the viewfinder and locks the shutter, so you can’t accidentally shoot a frame, a nice touch. I was afraid that moving the lens cover would also move the focus level, but luckily your focus stays put.

A lot of what makes me put up with the travails of the LC-A 120 is the lens. At 38mm on a 6×6 negative, it offers a 21mm equivalent field of view, which is always wider than you think it is, especially vertically. This alone makes the camera unique, as getting a lens that wide in medium format generally requires buying a lens that’s considerably more expensive and heavy. That wouldn’t mean a lot if it was bad, but I find it sharp enough and punch as hell. In all of the sample photos Lomography puts up for the camera, they show a heavy vignette. I haven’t found it to be nearly as dramatic, often there’s no vignette, so your mileage may vary.

Areas of Improvement

I suspect that Lomography isn’t actively manufacturing this camera any more and selling through old stock. All the replacements I received showed signs of sitting for a while (one was quite dusty). If that’s the case, there are a few features I’d love to see Lomography add to a refreshed model, maybe a Lomo LC-A 120+.

Asking for aperture priority on this camera seems silly given that it’s a simple device electronically. But I wish there was a way to lock the aperture into a set stopped down position, say f/8. That’s something you can do on a flipping Holga. Not only would this make it easier to focus critical shots, but it would also be nice for working with flash. Right now using flash means everything is shot wide open, which is rarely ideal.

Speaking of flash, the camera does have a hot shoe but hacks a PC sync port. I know I could get an adapter for the shoe, but it would be nice to get some off-camera flash a little easier with this camera. While I’m at it a proper bulb mode would be great for long exposures. You can sort of do this by blocking the light meter, but just give it to me as a proper option. Exposure compensation is that other glaring omission on this camera. Given that you can only set ISO in full stops from 100-1600, even having a ∓ 1 option would add a lot of flexibility. Again you can sort of hack it with the ISO dial, but it’s a hassle.

Would I Buy It Again

Honestly, if I had known about the light leak issues, I would have just kept my original copy and done without a strap. The camera is pocket-able enough that I just would have used a wrist strap on the other good lug. I’ve ended up with a lot of wasted, or at least compromised, film as a result of this camera. A lot of it was original frozen Acros, that hurts.

But I keep wanting to love this camera. It’s truly unique in the photography world. The look you can get from the lens is great, made even better because you can take it anywhere. While expensive compared to a lot of other Lomography gear, compared to other ultra-wide, portable, or just more recent medium format cameras, it’s priced competitively, if not a bargain. With everything I’ve gone through with this camera, the one thing I would never do is buy it used. I can’t reiterate how nice it was to have a warranty on this camera, with actual company support, rather than hoping that I could get a refund on eBay or something like that. While you can definitely find bargains on these used cameras online, I’d hesitate to pull the trigger unless you get it in writing that it’s in light tight condition.

Overall the LC-A 120 is sticking around for now. When it nails a shot, it’s just so dang fun. Right now it fits really well into my need for packing light. Combined with my Rollei 35, I can pack two cameras on my without needing a bag (although if both are in my pockets probably a belt). I now know its limitations quite well. It’s serviceable as a fun documentary camera, where I’m not strictly look for precision. I thought that this might be a great landscape companion, but until I can tame the light leaks, I think that’s asking a bit too much. I’ve recently found a lot of fun using it with flash, dragging the shutter to get some striking motion blur and a relatively crisp subject.

Knowing what I do now, I’d probably pass on buying it. I don’t need a medium format camera for my work. But now that I have it, it’s still a striking and supremely unique camera.

Buy a Lomo LC-A on eBay here

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[Some of the links in this article will direct users to our affiliates at B&H Photo, Amazon, and eBay. By purchasing anything using these links, Casual Photophile may receive a small commission at no additional charge to you. This helps Casual Photophile produce the content we produce. Many thanks for your support.]

The post The Camera of Shattered Dreams: Living with the Lomo LC-A 120 appeared first on Casual Photophile.

If you’re like me and you’ve been bemoaning your long lost opportunity to explore the funkadelic world of Aerochrome, look no further than Lomochrome Purple to scratch that itch.

Since buying my first roll of Lomochrome Purple just over a year ago I have manically shot roll after roll, and I’m proud to say it has become one of my favorite film stocks in my arsenal. It has given me a completely new way of seeing the world around me and has expanded my imagination. Each roll I’ve shot makes me feel like I’ve stepped into a magical world of wonder.

Fairyland forests. Purple mountains of majesty. Skies of turquoise. I’ve put it through so many different scenarios, thinking surely something will trip it up, but it has yet to let me down. Surprisingly versatile, this film stock will give you a new perspective of the world around you and expand the horizons of your photography.

What is Lomochrome Purple?

Lomochrome was originally launched by Lomography in 2013 in 35mm and 120 film sizes. Over time they added 110 and Lomography has even done limited runs in 16mm and Super 8. As part of a big production run in 2019, Lomography decided to re-formulate the film to offer an even more saturated emulsion with stronger magenta hues. This is the current version available for purchase today.

Lomochrome Pruple’s inspiration, the iconic Aerochrome, was a color positive film (commonly called slide film). But Lomochrome Purple is a color negative film and can be developed in standard C-41 chemicals. This means that it’s more easily developed and more easily shot (positive film is notoriously finicky about exposure compared with negative film). Lomochrome has a suggested ISO range of 100 – 400, which gives it wonderful flexibility for a variety of scenes and lighting scenarios. Depending on which ISO you choose to meter it at, the color and look of your results will vary.

The show-stopping element of this film stock is the way it completely transforms and morphs the normal colors of our everyday world. Per Lomography’s website, “blue becomes green, green becomes purple, and yellow becomes pink.” Take this film on a hike outdoors and suddenly your surroundings will be a sea of purple. Or if you are more of an urbanite, take it for a spin downtown and you’ll have a unique world of teal skies and magenta buildings.

Lomochrome Purple in Action

I’ve personally shot this film stock in both 35mm and 120, but not 110 format, as I do not have any 110 cameras in my collection. While it sings in both 35mm and 120, my preference is for the latter, as medium format is my go to for sharpness and resolution size. I decided to shoot the very first roll I bought at night, mainly because a number of people told me it couldn’t be shot at night and I just felt compelled to prove them wrong. For an extra element of trippiness, I decided to slap an 8-point star filter on my lens and the results were out of this world. Like a night time purple and pink laser show from space. I highly recommend this stock if you’re a night shooter and looking for a different way to change up your shots.

Ever since this fateful first roll, I have shot Lomochrome Purple in a wide range of scenes including throughout downtown Milwaukee in a variety of lighting conditions, on a number of hikes in Wisconsin’s idyllic state parks, and even some portraits with a good friend of mine. And it’s held its own in every single scene I’ve put it through. I was especially surprised with how well it performed in evening city shots. In these types of scenes I often find standard C-41 films can be a bit of a challenge, as the shadow of large urban buildings with the setting sun can give off some unusual tones and color casts. But nope, Lomochrome Purple took it like a champ.

I typically meter at either ISO 200 or 400 depending on how much light is available in my scene. I’ve found the shots metered at 400 offer darker, bluer purples, while the frames shot at 200 give more pink hues and turquoise skies. Since with this emulsion yellows tend toward the pink side, you can even shoot portraits and have skin tones that will retain a somewhat natural hue (albeit a little more rosy).

Why I love Lomochrome Purple

Simply put, shooting Lomochrome Purple is pure fun through and through. I’m always filled with anticipation and excitement to see exactly how the colors of my scenes will render on this stock, and it never ceases to take my breath away when I get my results. It takes the world I know and flips it on its head. It helps breathe new creative life into me if I’m ever in a photo rut, and it helps remind me of the sheer magic of film photography.

Buy Lomography Lomochrome Purple from B&H Photo here

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Some time later I’ve shot a second roll and I’m finally ready to put fingers to keys in this quasi-review.

What is Lomo Fantome

Lomography Fantome Kino is a panchromatic black and white film repurposed from ORWO film repackaged and sold by Lomography for 35mm film cameras. It’s a part of Lomography’s Kino collection, which are supposed to provide a look reminiscent of classic cinema films.

Fantome’s look is contrasty and punchy – perfect, Lomo says, for striking portraits, cinematic shots and a “film noir” look. It’s ultra low ISO of 8 ensures almost zero grain.

The film canister does not include DX coding, so the film is best shot in a camera which allows the user to manually set the ISO.

Developing and Handling

I developed my rolls of Lomo Fantome the same as all of my films – using whatever method the manufacturer recommends. I don’t mess around with pushing or pulling, and with an ISO 8 film I’m not sure anyone should.

Developing went fine. No surprises. However when I pulled the film off of my development spools I was simply stunned at how difficult to manage the film strips were. They curled worse than any film I’ve ever used. Once dried, the film was just as curly as ever which made scanning more cumbersome than other films.

Images and My Experience

I shot my first roll of Fantome in mid-summer under bright sunlight and blue skies. A time of year in Massachusetts, unlike now, in which life is worth living. I was able to hand-hold my camera for all of these shots, despite the extremely low sensitivity of Fantome. I shot it through my Leica R5, which effectively metered and auto-exposed every shot.

My second roll was shot on a snowy day under grey skies and in miserable cold. For this roll I used a tripod for quite a few shots, which helped quite a bit at minimizing blur and camera shake. This roll was shot through a Canon EOS 1V, an amazing camera that metered and exposed things perfectly.

My takeaway, regarding cameras, make sure your camera has a manual ISO adjustment, and make sure you’re using one which can meter and (preferably) auto-expose in semi-auto or full program exposure modes. This film is just too picky with its exposure latitude to be shooting in full manual. At least that’s the case if you value your time and money. If you don’t, by all means, shoot Fantome all loosey goosey – who cares?

Images from this film, true to Lomography’s press copy, are punchy and high in contrast. The low ISO means that plenty of shots will appear under-exposed or dark. But if you have a good metering camera and auto-exposure mode, coupled with a tripod and nice light, it’s certainly easy to get balanced photos (though highlights will blow out quicker than more balanced films).

The film needs a lot of light – no surprise there, right? And so I really must recommend long exposures and using a tripod. Otherwise, shots are too blurry or too under-exposed. Plenty of the shots used in this review were made from 20 and 30 second exposures.

For me, the film’s biggest asset is its smoothness. There’s just no grain, and I sort of love that. I know grain is a film shooter’s best friend, but sometimes black and white shots just look gorgeous with that sleek, grain-free look.

Then again, if we’re looking for smooth black and white shots, maybe I should just be shooting digital.

Final Thoughts

My opinion of the film now is mostly unchanged from when I’d shot that first roll. Lomo Fantome is a finicky beast. And there are other films (and even digital cameras) which will give us all of the perceived upsides of shooting Lomo Fantome without any of the liabilities. Ultra fine grain, high contrast, moody shots – we can get all of these easily from other, much easier-to-use imaging sources. Fuji Acros or my Nikon Z5 and a nice sit-down with Adobe Lightroom come to mind as simple alternatives.

It’s probable that, in the right hands and in the right conditions, this film could become a photographer’s favorite. In my hands, however, it’s just too difficult. I’m not good enough to hamper my efforts with such a challenging film. Whether that’s a strike against the film or my own ability, well, I think I know the answer. I’m just not that good. But maybe you are.

And hey, I’m happy that Lomography is still making things for us film nerds. That’s at least worth buying a couple of rolls.

Buy Lomography Fantome here

We also sell film in our shop F Stop Cameras

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[Some of the links in this article will direct users to our affiliates at B&H Photo, Amazon, and eBay. By purchasing anything using these links, Casual Photophile may receive a small commission at no additional charge to you. This helps Casual Photophile produce the content we produce. Many thanks for your support.]

The post Shooting Lomography Fantome Kino, an 8 ISO Black and White Film appeared first on Casual Photophile.

But first, some quick thoughts on instant film cameras, generally.

We’re heading into the holidays in a year where film photographers have seen price increases, discontinuations of beloved emulsions, and supply chain issues. But if there’s one thing we know about the future of film, it’s that instant film isn’t going anywhere. Fujifilm and the latest incarnation of Polaroid are still manufacturing loads of film, and if you walk into a Target or CVS you’re more likely to find instant film and instant cameras than rolls of 35mm film. It’s the most popular product in Fujifilm’s stable.

Instant cameras may not satisfy every advanced photographer who wants the highest image quality or creative control, but they make fun gifts for people who just like to take pictures, and sometimes the control freaks among us just need to let go and have fun. And you know how people are always saying to print your pictures? With instant cameras, you can’t not print your pictures! (With a few exceptions.) In fact, as roll film becomes more expensive, you might find that the price per image of instant film is actually pretty competitive these days.

Let’s get to the cameras.

Here’s Every Fujifilm Instax Instant Film Camera

Fuji Instax cameras are ubiquitous and the film is everywhere. The film comes in three sizes: the cheap, credit-card-size Instax Mini, the mid-sized Instax Square, and the largest aptly named Instax Wide.

Fujifilm Instax Mini 11 – There are lots of camera options which use Instax Mini film, ranging from brightly colored to more classically styled. The Mini 11 is the latest iteration of the entry-level Instax camera. This is the camera you get for your tween, or for your friend who wants an instant camera but doesn’t know much about photography, or for your friend who knows everything about photography but wants a camera that’s not black or chrome. The main improvements from earlier Minis are automatic exposure (no more setting for sunny/cloudy etc.) and better flash compensation. There’s a selfie mode that also works for closeups and… basically no other features. 

The Instax 11 costs just $59 and also comes in a variety of bundles with film, cases, frames, albums, stickers, and anything else you can imagine attaching to a camera or its resulting images for fun. If you have a child (or just an inner child) they probably want one, even if they don’t know it yet.

Fujifilm Instax Mini 40 – If your inner child is trying to act more grown up, there are slightly less cute Instax options. The Instax Mini 40 has retro black-and-chrome styling but still shoots auto-everything. Its creative features (or lack thereof) are basically identical to those of the Instax Mini 11, but it wouldn’t even think of existing in purple or having stickers on it. It costs $89.

Fujifilm Instax Mini Neo 90 / Neo / Classic – A step up from both the Mini 11 and Mini 40 in creative control, the Instax Mini 90/Neo/Classic (some combination of those words) comes in analog-looking combinations of black, red, and brown with silver, and offers bulb mode, double exposure mode, and exposure compensation. The macro mode behaves similarly to the Instax 11’s and 40’s selfie mode, allowing for subjects as close as 30 cm, but the name is geared toward photographers who are more likely to take a picture of a flower than themselves. It costs $119.

Fujifilm Instax Mini LiPlay – The final mini camera in Fujifilm’s lineup is the hybrid Mini Liplay.  The main advantage of this camera is that it allows you to take images digitally and select which ones you want to print, so you don’t need to waste film, although it somewhat dampens the serendipity and slightly delayed gratification of direct-to-film instant photography. It also offers a bunch of filters and frame options to customize your prints, and through some curiously applied wizardry it allows you to save a sound as a scannable QR code to turn your image into a multi-sensory memory. It also allows you to use your phone as a remote shutter release (my ears finally perked up). Most of these are features I would never have thought to ask for, but they might be perfect for you or someone on your list. It costs $159.

Fujifilm Instax Mini Evo – Alas the Instax Mini Evo arrives too late for Christmas in the USA and Canada, but your Valentine might take a shine to the Instax Mini Evo, another hybrid that offers ten different “lens effects” (double exposure, light leak, etc.) and ten “film effects” (pale, vivid, sepia, etc.) to apply to your digital images, including images from your smartphone, before printing. The fast 28mm lens, classic styling, and extensive features (including exposure compensation as well as selective printing and all the effects) will appeal to more serious photographers. It will cost around $200, which is a lot for an Instax camera, but may be worth it for a camera that can give you the images and user experience you’re looking for. A full preview of the newest Instax camera can be seen here!

If your head is spinning from all that, take a deep breath and get ready for the Square and Wide Instax cameras!

Let’s talk about squares, first. Most people of my generation (I’m a youngish Gen X-er) grew up with Polaroid instead of Instax, and that classic square image is still what we think of when we think of instant film. The Instax square image is a little smaller than regular Polaroid film, but like all Instax, its colors are more saturated (the black and white film is cooler than Polaroid’s, tending toward purply), it develops more quickly, and the developed image is more stable than Polaroid’s current emulsion. Plus, while Instax Square costs more than Mini film and doesn’t come in a zillion frame options, it’s cheaper than Polaroid.  

Fujifilm makes three cameras for its Instax Square film. 

Fujifilm Instax Square SQ1 – The SQ1 is the most basic Instax Square camera that Fujifilm currently makes. It offers no user control besides selfie mode. Even so, James loves his for its simplicity and its ability to take great photos despite (or because of?) its lack of features [see his full review here]. It also comes in colors like terracotta and glacier blue that are fun but a little less tween-girly than the Instax Mini 11 colors. If you’re looking for a point-and-shoot Instax camera that is a little more mature and shoots a bigger image than the Mini options, this could be it. It costs $99.

Fujifilm Instax Square SQ6 – The Instax SQ6 is a more advanced camera than the SQ1. It includes features such as double exposure, selfie, macro, and landscape modes, and exposure compensation (well, light and dark modes). It comes in a variety of metallic colors, something rather different from the candy-colored Instax Mini 11 and the retro styled Mini 90. It comes with three flash filters in different colors, and more importantly for a lot of photographers, allows the flash to be turned off – which you’d think would be a given, but isn’t, for a lot of Instax cameras. This camera has been quietly discontinued by Fuji, so in a couple of months it may be difficult to find one. This likely means that a new mid-level Fuji Square camera is coming soon. For this reason, your best bet to buying one will be to find one on eBay. It costs around $139 

Fujifilm Instax Square SQ20 – The Instax square also comes in a digital/film hybrid option, the SQ20. Like the Liplay, it gives the user the ability to select images for printing (adding a “time grab” feature to select a frame from a short video) and add various filters to images. It also takes advantage of the larger print area to allow for collages. Bulb, double exposure, and brightness control allow more creativity to the more experienced photographer. This camera has been quietly discontinued by Fuji, so in a couple of months it may be difficult to find one. This likely means that a new digital/film hybrid Fuji Square camera is coming soon. For this reason, your best bet to buying one will be to find one on eBay. It costs around $200.

Want the biggest Instax instant photo you can get? Then you want to shoot Instax Wide film. And to do that with an official Fuji camera, there’s only one option.

Fujifilm Instax Wide 300 – The only camera option from Fujifilm for this format is the Instax Wide 300. There’s one color choice (black and silver). There’s a flash that you can use for fill lighting in backlit situations, but you can’t turn it off. There’s exposure compensation.  There’s a tripod socket. And that’s it. But it takes big photos  If you want an Instax Wide camera with more features, there are a few offered by other companies, and we’ll get to those later in this article. It costs $109.

Fuji is the most prolific of the instant camera manufacturers. Now that we’ve covered them, let’s turn to Polaroid.

Here’s Every Polaroid Instant Film Camera

Polaroid, which has metamorphosed from the Impossible Project to Polaroid Originals and now back to just Polaroid again (with maybe a little DNA from the original Polaroid), still makes cameras that use that big square film that Outkast says you should shake it like. But don’t! Stick it in a dark place and don’t look at it for half an hour or so. Polaroid refurbishes classic SX-70 and 600 cameras for resale, and also makes several new cameras that can shoot both 600 film and the company’s i-Type film that uses the battery in the camera instead of each pack coming with its own. It’s a little cheaper than SX-70 and 600 film, and a little more environmentally friendly.

Polaroid Now – The Polaroid Now is the entry-level Polaroid camera, perfect for beginners, or those who are looking to have fun and not worry about photography beyond pointing and shooting. If you’ve a young kid who’s interested in a Polaroid camera, this may be the one to buy. It is an autofocus point-and-shoot camera in typical Polaroid boxy form that comes in black with that nifty little rainbow as well as a bunch of bright color options like Mint Green and Yellow. Along with ease of use, it offers basic features like double exposure and self timer modes. It uses I-Type film and costs $120.

Polaroid Now+ -The Now+ is a more advanced but very similar camera to the Polaroid Now. The biggest difference is that the Polaroid Now+ connects to a mobile app that allows for far more creative control (finally, a camera with aperture priority!) and comes with five experimental starburst/color/vignette filters. Both cameras have internal rechargeable batteries. It uses i-Type film and costs $150.

Polaroid Go – Polaroid has its own recently introduced teeny film format for its almost equally teeny Polaroid Go camera. Instax Mini cameras shoot small formats in what are often bubbly, boxy cameras, but the Polaroid Go literally fits in the palm of your hand, or close, depending on your hands. Like the Polaroid Now, it features double exposure and self timer modes, but is otherwise an itty bitty point and shoot instant camera. For the shooter who likes the Polaroid aesthetic and small versions of big things, the Polaroid Go is the perfect gift. It even comes with a necklace so you can wear your camera. It shoots the tiny Go Film and costs $99.

So we’ve covered the cameras from the current mass-market manufacturers of instant film. “But wait!” you (or your giftee) will say. “I’m a serious photographer! I don’t want hinky digital filters, I don’t want to connect my phone with Bluetooth. I want some control over my photos, and I want to stick my hinky filters to the outside of the camera!” Well, has Lomography got some cameras for you!

Lomography Instant Cameras

Lomography makes instant cameras for all three sizes of Instax film. We’ll cover those first .

Lomography Cameras for Instax Mini Film – The Lomo’ Instant and Lomo’ Instant Automat use Instax Mini film and come in a variety of colors, tending more toward the retro/analog look than the basic Instax Mini cotton candy shades. The two cameras are similar in appearance and features, but the original Lomo’Instant has a wider 48mm lens (27mm equivalent in 35mm) vs. the Automat’s 60mm lens (35mm equivalent). Both cameras automatically set exposure but give the user multiple creative options, including multiple exposure, bulb mode, exposure compensation, and flash control (i.e. you can turn it off, or add funky color gels). Optional add-on lenses allow for wide-angle, closeup, and fisheye shooting, and the lens cap on the Automat can be used as a remote shutter release. The Lomo Instant Automat Glass pairs these features with an even wider 38mm f/4.5 glass lens that allows more depth of field control than is possible with any other mass market instant camera, if you can nail the zone focusing.

Lomography Cameras for Instax Square Film – Lomo also sells two quirky cameras that use Instax Square film and offer more creative features than Fujifilm’s own Square cameras. The Instant Square Glass, like the Automat Instant, features multiple and long exposure options, exposure compensation, flash, and remote and self timer shutter release. It has a folding bellows design and comes in black, white, and red. The Diana Instant Square camera shoots square film in a Diana body with a fixed 1/100 second shutter speed (plus bulb) and aperture control for different lighting situations, as well as a pinhole setting. It works with all the Diana interchangeable lenses, from fisheye to telephoto. 

Finally, Lomo makes one standalone camera for Instax Wide film, and one instant back. The Lomo Instant Wide shares multiple and long exposure features, flash control, and exposure compensation with its siblings, and also includes a PC sync socket that allows the use of external flashes.  

The LomoGraflok 4×5 Instant Back might be hard to get under the tree this year if you haven’t preordered, but it is something entirely different from everything else we’ve covered so far: a film back for Instax Wide film that attaches to any 4×5 camera with a Graflok back. Of course you need to have such a camera already, but if you do, the LomoGraflok allows ultimate exposure control, and at the reasonable price of $149 (reasonable, that is, if you have a camera to attach it to). It’s clearly not meant for snapshots and requires an existing large format setup, but for the experienced photographer with the right gear who wants to make their own decisions about exposure settings and doesn’t want to spend a ton of money to shoot instant film, it’s a good way to get started.

These are the major manufacturers of instant cameras. There are a lot of other players, so I’ll briefly take a look at a few. These cameras tend to be more specialized, expensive, wonky, or some combination of the three.

Everyone Else Making Instant Cameras

Mint Camera refurbishes classic Polaroid SLR cameras and upgrades them with features such as shutter speed control, dual format compatibility (SX-70 and 600 film), and external flash sync. The prices reflect the amount of time and customization; they are not cheap, but they offer the most features of any Polaroid camera. They also produce modern Instax cameras: the InstantKon RF70 [see our full article here], a bellows-folding rangefinder with full shutter and aperture controls that shoots Instax Wide film, and the InstantFlex TL70 [see our full article here], a TLR with shutter speed control and exposure compensation that shoots Instax Mini film. The price of these cameras (also not cheap) is offset by Mint’s free film program, which sends registered Mint camera users a free pack of film for every four images taken by the camera that they post on social media (Instagram/Facebook) and get 45 likes on.

Like Mint, other companies such as Brooklyn Film Camera and Retrospekt refurbish classic Polaroid cameras, offering them for sale on their websites or restoring cameras which customers already own. They’ll also convert SX-70 cameras to use Polaroid’s higher ISO 600 films.

Jollylook is in the preorder stage for three instant cameras that look like little view cameras with folding bellows: the Auto Instant film camera in Instax square and mini sizes, and the Pinhole Zoom in mini size. The Auto cameras let the user choose the aperture aperture and automatically set the shutter speed, while the Pinhole comes with a fixed aperture and a neutral density filter to allow for longer shutter speeds with the fast (ISO 800) Instax film. They also sell Square and Mini development units for photographers who want to cobble together a back for their own camera.

The Nons42 SL42 shoots Instax Mini film in an SLR body that can accept a variety of lenses from different manufacturers, with a native non-electronic Canon EF mount. The camera can be purchased with a suitable 50mm lens to save the trouble of finding something compatible. The shooter chooses a shutter speed and the camera recommends an aperture for correct exposure. It’s an expensive way to shoot Instax mini film, but entirely unique among all the available options.

And then of course there are the hundreds of classic Polaroid cameras which you can buy from reputable camera shops such as F Stop Cameras (which is run by James, the founder of Casual Photophile) and Blue Moon Camera. You can also try your luck buying a used Polaroid camera on eBay, though when these are untested it is a definite risk.

That just about covers the easily available cameras for shooting instant film in 2021. If I’ve missed any (and I probably have!), please offer your suggestions in the comments. There might not be something for everybody, but there are so many choices that you should be able to find something for yourself or the aspiring instant film photographer on your list. 

Get your favorite instant camera from B&H Photo here

Shop for instant cameras on eBay

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[Some of the links in this article will direct users to our affiliates at B&H Photo, Amazon, and eBay. By purchasing anything using these links, Casual Photophile may receive a small commission at no additional charge to you. This helps Casual Photophile produce the content we produce. Many thanks for your support.]

The post Instant Camera Buyer’s Guide for the Holidays and 2022 appeared first on Casual Photophile.