Lomography has officially began a Kickstarter project to try and fund their first release an instant film camera. Multiple colors, lens choices, exposure settings, and more! With 30 days to go on they currently have $32,000 raised of their $100,000 goal. The settings for this camera look pretty cool and, I think, worth backing.
Anyone who has used an instax, instax mini, polaroid, and many others can say how much fun it is to hold your photos in your hand only seconds after a shot is taken. It looks likle Lomography has recognized the jump in sales and seems to be trying to get their foot in the door with the "Lomo'instant" which is NOT just like every other instant camera.
Their camera will have an advanced lens system which will have one built-in wide angle lens with a 0.5m close focusing distance. Also, you will have the chance to add a fisheye and portrait lens attachment to it to change things up. This is exciting to hear especially if it holds on well. My "wide" attachment for my instax was pretty cheap and didn't really do it any justice. On top of the multiple lens choices there are a few other noteable specs this camera has packed into it.
- Advanced Lens System: One built-in Wide Angle lens with 0.4m closest focusing distance, plus additional Fisheye and Portrait lens attachments available.
- 3 Shooting Modes: Shoot photos with auto-flash on for immediate great results, or take direct control with manual shooting modes (with flash and without flash).
- Unlimited Multiple Exposures: Combine multiple shots on one frame for amazing experimental instants.
- Infinite Long Exposures: Perfect for low light, dawn/dusk and nighttime shooting. Get artistic with light painting and create beautiful light streaked instants!
- Color Gels: Transform your photos with color (in a flash!) by shooting with fun color gels!
- Easy 2 Step-Focusing: Quickly get the shot you want.
- Uses Fujifilm Instax Mini Film: The most widely available instant film on Earth.
- Tripod Mount and Cable Release Thread: Advanced extras for ultra-impressive instant photography!
I was really excited to hear it would be taking Fujifilm Instax Mini film as it is very inexpensive. It is a fraction of the cost of a Polaroid photo with just as good of quality. The Lomo'instant also had some great color choices to choose from. In most cases the color of your camera has no impact, but with these, they are great conversation starters with friends at parties or hangouts and having one that fits who you are is just a nice little add on.
The different exposure modes offered by the camera make it very unique. Anyone who has an Instax Mini can really see how nice it was to start getting more control of the instant photos when they added bulb mode. Even though it wasn't a true bulb mode, it was nice having the ability to do slightly long (10 second) exposure photos. The Instax Mini also allowed you to do a double exposure photo. Now, with the Lomo'instant you can do long exposure photos, UNLIMITED multiple exposure photos, and control aperture. This camera has "the largest aperture setting in the instant photography world!"
Camera Specs
- Film Format: Fujifilm Instax Mini Film
- Exposure Area: 42mm x 64mm
- Shutter Speed: 1/125s / Bulb
- Exposure compensations: +2/-2 Exposure Values
- Ejection Mechanism: Motorized
- Multiple Exposures: Yes
- Built-in Flash Guide Number: 9(m)
- Automatic Flash Output: Yes
- Battery Supply: 6V (4x AAA batteries)
- Tripod mount: Yes
- Cable Release Mount: Yes
- Aperture: f/8, f/11, f/16, f/22, f/32
To get more information on this camera or back it, you can visit the Official Lomography Kickstarter page here
[via Kickstarter and The Phoblographer]
I looked at the Fujifilm Instax portable printer as it prints with the exact same instant film, its portable, and you can use any smart phone to take the images and send to the printer. At 2"x3.5" the resulting photo is just too small for anything other than super casual scrap-booking/decorating kind of use. I ended up buying the Canon Selphy which can also be battery powered and prints up to 4x6" for about the same cost. It makes much more sense to me to use my existing cameras and buy basically an instant portable printer rather than an all in one device that is most likely a poor camera by comparison.
People will buy this for that "lo-fi" look. I backed it since it looked interesting and I want to support these new analog ventures. But I already have the Instax 90 Neo Classic that has a very nice lens and creates very impressive, sharp Instax photos. It's a great portable system. This one by Lomo looks to be like the Neo Classic but with their own "lo-fi" touch. Distortion, flare, all that... I have the Diana with the Instax back too but that gives me less control so I'm looking forward to seeing what this guy can do. The Instax Share printer is fantastic (I have that too...I may have issues...). I've found that I use the printer much more when doing photo shoots of kids and senior portraits and such. I can send the image from my X-T1 to my phone and then from my phone to the printer. Hopefully soon it will be a one shot deal. The images are slightly overexposed but it works fantastic and has it's own uses. I think all of these have a niche and frankly I'm glad to see that there is interest in analog again :)
Now if I could only hack a film slr like an AE-1 to shoot instax film. I want more control of my exposure than this gives you and a hotshoe to trigger a flash.