Stepping away from my usual practice and workflow, I recently had the opportunity to test out the new Lomo’Instant Wide Glass camera. Is this truly the best instant camera on earth?
A Brief History of Lomography: What Is It?
Before diving into the specifics of this camera, it’s worth taking a quick detour into Lomography’s roots. Lomography isn’t just a brand—it’s a whole movement. It began in the early 1990s when a group of students stumbled upon an obscure Russian camera called the LOMO LC-A. They loved the quirky, unpredictable results it produced, with its oversaturated colors, strong contrast, and lo-fi aesthetic. The students brought these cameras to the West, and the Lomography community was born. This movement champions analog photography’s imperfections, emphasizing spontaneity, creative experimentation, and a “don’t think, just shoot” approach. The Lomo’Instant Wide Glass camera fits right into this ethos but with some extra refinement thanks to its glass lens.
Overview: What the Lomo’Instant Wide Glass Brings to the Table
The Lomo’Instant Wide Glass camera uses readily available Fujifilm Instax Wide film, giving you that large-format instant film magic. It features a 90mm glass lens (35mm equivalent) that brings a sharper focus and clearer details to your images than you’d expect from most Lomography cameras, and certainly more than typical plastic-lensed instant cameras. The camera comes with a variety of shooting modes, including programmed auto-exposure, manual exposure, and bulb mode for long exposures.
The Camera’s Key Technical Highlights Include
- Film Format: Fujifilm Instax Wide Film
- Lens Focal Length: 90mm (35mm equivalent)
- Aperture: Automatic f/8 to f/22, manual f/22 for greater depth of field
- Shutter Speeds: Bulb mode for long exposures (up to 30 seconds), auto mode from 8s to 1/250s
- Exposure Compensation: +1/-1 EV
- Multiple Exposures: Yes, with in-camera controls for easy multiple exposure shots
- Closest Focusing Distance: 0.3 m
- PC Sync for External Flash: Yes
What Makes It Special?
What sets this camera apart from others in the Lomography range is the inclusion of a glass lens, promising to make images sharper and colors richer and warmer on Instax film. The sharpness is noticeable, which is a big leap compared to the usual plastic lenses used on most instant cameras. This is especially exciting for photographers who are used to digital precision but want to enjoy the unpredictability and tangibility of instant film.
It is a big and bulky camera. The large body is necessary to accommodate the Instax Wide film, but the bulkiness does mean you’ll be more deliberate with how, when, and where you use it. Ergonomically, it’s not something you’d want to hand-hold for too long, especially since there’s no dedicated grip. That took a bit of getting used to for me. A camera strap is a must if you’re planning on carrying it around for extended periods, but this size lends itself beautifully to more staged photography—think studio sessions, portraits, or fashion shoots. I was stopped multiple times while shooting out in public; people couldn’t help but notice this camera, with its retro look and imposing size.
What Is the Lomo'Instant Wide Glass Good For?
What I discovered was a camera that brought the fun back into photography, encouraging creativity over control and making each shot feel truly special. This camera is ideal for making photographers stop and reflect. Each shot feels intentional because, with instant film, you can’t just fire away and delete what doesn’t work. With only 10 Instax frames loaded at a time, you become more precious about each image. For someone who regularly shoots on digital, and occasionally 36-exposure rolls of film, this felt limiting—but in a good way. You can’t waste shots; and if you do, you’ll find yourself calculating that it’s approximately $1 per shot, so every click of the shutter counts. All that while thinking about composition, lighting, and timing.
The Lomo’Instant Wide Glass performs best in high-contrast lighting scenarios, and I made some cool landscape shots during my first testing. The images were sharp, and contrasty, delivering rich tones that worked with the environment, and came out beautifully with the Instax film.
In the studio, there was a bit of a learning curve to overcome. Auto exposure was a bit tricky with studio lighting setups as the camera reads the ambient light rather than the strobes. I found that overriding the ambient light reading by switching to the fixed 1/30th shutter speed worked best. Luckily, the PC sync socket makes it easy to connect to external flashes. I hadn’t used a PC sync cable for years; I really felt like I was going back in time. My Bowens strobes needed modification in order to bring the exposure down to where it needed to be, and I stressed over precious wasted Instax film while I figured this out.
The remote shutter was a lot of fun to work with. Cleverly built into the lens cap, this encouraged people to interact with the camera. The results worked well, and this brought a lot of fun to the studio session. I found that the remote shutter needed to be held close to the camera in order to work; the results were intermittent otherwise.
Up Close: Viewfinder Framing
One important thing to remember when shooting close-ups is the viewfinder’s position. Since the viewfinder is off to the side, you’ll need to compensate for parallax when framing your shots. Luckily, the camera provides a close-up frame within the viewfinder when shooting at distances of 0.3 or 0.6 meters, so you can ensure more accurate composition in these instances.
The Lomography Look: A Different Aesthetic
Lomography has its own unique look, and that grunge, acidic color palette isn’t for everyone—especially if you’re coming from a background of professional digital photography or even high-end smartphone cameras. The colors feel experimental, with unpredictable saturation and contrast, and often there’s a lo-fi quality that many find charming. However, this may take time to embrace if it’s something that you are not used to. That said, if you lean into it, this aesthetic can become an exciting creative tool, and you’ll earn yourself a spot as a Lomography fan.
I really enjoyed experimenting with the Splitzer attachment. It allows you to split the image into different segments and combine multiple exposures in one frame. With few limits on how many times you can expose a single frame, the possibilities are endless. This feature eliminates the “only one shot” pressure and makes every frame an opportunity for something truly creative and unexpected.
Who Is This Camera For?
From seasoned photographers looking to switch up their practice and break a few rules to casual users who want something fun and accessible, the Lomo’Instant Wide Glass is a great addition to your kit. I could see this being a hit in a studio or client-facing environment too—imagine giving clients an instant print from their shoot to take home while they wait for their final edits. That’s something special and easily achievable with the PC sync connection to studio lighting.
Instax film is on the expensive side, but it’s still one of the more accessible analog formats out there. This camera would make a fantastic gift option for non-photographers, thanks to its user-friendly operation. It’s a fantastic way to introduce the younger generation to film photography. When not in use, this camera looks fantastic on display; I’ll be keeping this on a shelf in a display case rather than packing it away in a camera bag when not in use, thanks to its beautiful design.
Closing Thoughts
The Lomo’Instant Wide Glass certainly won’t be your everyday carry, but after adjusting to its quirks and embracing the Lomography aesthetic, I found myself growing more and more fond of it. Is it perfect? No. Is it meant to be? Also, no. Each shot is an adventure, and there’s excitement in watching the image pop out of the camera. Yes, it’s a big, bulky camera, but that forced me to slow down my practice, and that can only be a good thing. Ergonomically, it could be better. It’s not the kind of camera you’d want to hand-hold for any length of time while wandering around like I usually do, but this quirk does encourage a more considered approach to shooting. In short, it’s worth the extra space in your bag for the creative possibilities that it opens up.
Are you a fan of the Lomography aesthetic? What value does it add for you?
