The Weirdest Camera I've Ever Seen and Why You Should Get One

Occasionally, I'll come across a camera that really excites me as a photographer. This offering by Fujifilm may be the weirdest camera I've ever seen, and I love it!

Cameras come in all shapes and sizes, and many have their fair share of gimmicks. The camera featured in photographer Taylor Noel's video is most definitely one for the gimmick pile. Saying that, the applications and possibilities of this particular camera mean it does deserve some serious consideration as an addition to your camera bag. The Fujifilm Rensha Cardia Byu-N 16 is a 35mm film camera that shoots bursts of images through the 16 lenses it has built into it. This essentially means you have the potential to make short animations of your subjects. Noel goes into great detail, showing off all the features this camera comes with as well as some of the weird modes that can be used with those 16 lenses.

This video does not short-change on examples of images shot with the Fujifilm, which is refreshing to see. I like how Noel shows a range of subjects and possibilities for using this weird camera, and I found its potential uses inspiring. The video also goes on to show how best to process the film from this camera as well as different ways you can animate the frames you have captured.

I think Noel explains this camera best when he says it is one of the cooler and more experimental cameras he has ever owned. While this camera may be over 25 years old, the sort of images and animations that could be made on it would not look out of place in the short-form social media world we find ourselves in. This camera is not going to replace the other cameras you shoot on. I do think something like this could be a great addition to complement a shoot, though. A quick look online showed that these cameras do often come up for sale, and a few places even rent them out. If you're looking for something a little different to shoot with or require some help to see the world differently, I would consider having a look at this weird offering by Fujifilm.

What do you think of this camera? Could you see you or your clients ever having a use for it? We'd love to hear your thoughts in the comments below.