Instead of trying to emulate the analogue look, why not shoot on analogue? Well, for most it’s the prohibitive price of film, while for others it’s the expectation that film photography is a complex endeavour. Even though there are plenty of 35mm film cameras on the second-hand market, buying one can seem daunting, as you never quite know whether they will work properly. Using a 35mm half-frame film camera is one way to save, but with the Pentax 17 at nearly £500 and the Kodak Ektar H35N at around £70, it’s not a viable option for most.
Thankfully, companies like Lomo have been making new and affordable analogue cameras, such as their latest Half-frame Simple Use Reloadable Film Camera, which comes preloaded with 40 images on either LomoChrome Classicolor (£24.90) or Lady Gray Black & White (£21.90). That’s incredible value!
Lomography Half-frame Simple Use Reloadable Film Camera at a glance:
- Film: 35 mm
- Film Format: Half-frame (17 mm × 24 mm)
- Lens Focal Length: 21 mm
- Shutter Speed: 1/120 s
- Aperture: f/9
- Focusing: 0.6 m to Infinity
- Flash: Built-in flash (one press to charge), 15-second recharge time
- Battery (flash): 1 × AAA battery 1.5 V (included)
- Preloaded with LomoChrome Classicolor ISO 200 Film or Lady Grey Black and White ISO 400 Film
After this initial preloaded film stock, you can load a regular 35mm film and expose two images side by side, creating two 17mm × 24mm vertical frames. This way, you can get more out of that precious film stock and be more creative by pairing your images as diptychs.
There are also three gel filters (cyan, yellow and magenta) and a built-in flash that help you experiment with colours and low-light scenarios.
These cheerful half-frame cameras cost a little more than a disposable camera, but you can reuse the body and reload it with film stock of your choice after you fly through your first roll.
The Lomo is now available on Lomography’s website alongside other analogue cameras, lenses, accessories and film stocks.
Related content:
- Best instant cameras and printers
- Best 35mm film cameras
- Lomography MC-A review – style and substance
- Lomomatic 110 camera from Lomography released with glass lens
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