Lomo cameras. The best cameras for lomography. Cameras for lomography. Each artist has his own brushes

The megapixel race seems to have reached a dead end for a long time, but it is clear that it will not end any time soon. There are more and more digital cameras, and people are increasingly looking for something else - something that would be guaranteed to get rid of:

Imposed prejudices associated with assessing image quality. Interesting photo does not always have to be clear, have high detail and correct color rendition!
Spending significant sums to pay for these prejudices.
Electronic library monotonous digital photographs that are unlikely to ever be printed on paper.

Unlike a digital SLR, crow cameras are more of a creative tool. They are cheap, easy to design and use, and reliable. And most importantly, they give the owner a unique charm of “sacrament”, inherent only in traditional photography (you never know in advance what will happen in the end).

A man armed with a crowbar challenges other people's stereotypes with just his appearance. He does not have to think about how successful the results will be, but must always be ready to take the shot.

The Lomocamera becomes a wardrobe item, but is not always obedient to the will of its owner. It is not designed for playing with composition and exposure, but involves fast shooting “from the hip”: quantity begets quality. Frames are recorded on film - standard 35 mm or wide (type 120).

Holga 120N

"Holga" is a cheap medium format point-and-shoot camera, invented in 1982 in Hong Kong and is a simple device with a lens made of plastic lenses, without a built-in flash. The name in the original version was Ho Gwong (“very bright”) - it characterizes one of the main properties of the resulting image. “Holga” cannot in any way be considered a “toy”, although formally it is classified as a toy camera. There are many amazing professional photos, filmed specifically on Holga. This camera has a “special look” at familiar things. What is valuable in it is precisely the “imperfection” of the picture, which in skillful hands turns into an artist’s brush: unnaturally rich shades, low detail, movement, dark corners.

The first model Holga 120S - with plastic optics, a shoe for an external flash, a frame format of 6 x 4.5 cm. It was replaced by the 120N version - it is distinguished by support for two formats (6 x 4.5; 6 x 6), slightly upgraded optics (also plastic), the presence of shutter speed Bulb.

In addition, you can find on sale a version of the Holga with a built-in flash that has four color filters (120FN), as well as modifications with a glass lens (Holga 120GN), a glass lens and a flash (120GCFN). And even without a lens at all, instead of which there is a tiny hole - “Pinholga”. All new Holgas have the ability to shoot square frames (6 x 6), but vignetting on this format is higher than with 6 x 4.5. New versions of "Holga" with glass lenses and flash are almost the same in price from more simple options. But photographers prefer the simplest “Holgas” - it’s not a matter of price.

Since the 120N model is equipped with a shoe for an external flash, it makes sense to pay attention to this particular Holga model. The plastic lens has a focal length of 60 mm and allows you to capture objects located at a distance of 1 m or more in the sharpness zone. The aperture has only two settings - “sunny” and “cloudy”.

LOMO Compact Automat

The first Soviet automatic point-and-shoot camera, developed at the Leningrad Optical-Mechanical Association (LOMO), which went into circulation in 1984 and gave its name to the lomography genre. In 1981, the USSR Minister of Defense Industry Igor Kornitsky was presented with a Japanese compact camera Cosina CX-2. The minister really liked the camera, and he set the task of creating a similar device in the USSR.

The Cosina camera was taken as a basis, which Soviet engineers carefully studied during two years of work on the Soviet analogue. Work under the leadership of Mikhail Kholomyansky culminated in the launch of the LC-A into production in 1983.

The first batch, released in a small edition, was presented to the delegates of the XXVII Congress of the CPSU. The camera soon became a massive success. Production of LOMO Compact at the LOMO plant was resumed several times, but the camera received well-deserved worldwide recognition only in the mid-1990s.

These days, the LC-A is more of a cult object than a technical tool. In good condition (there is nothing to break), the device can be purchased at a second-hand store - as a rule, the price does not exceed 2.5 thousand rubles.

By modern standards, the LC-A body is somewhat large for a point-and-shoot camera, but it fits easily into a pocket - it weighs 250 g and measures 107 x 68 x 43.5 mm. The Minitar-1 lens has a focal length of 32 mm with an aperture of f/2.8. It is protected by a curtain that is moved using a lever. The shutter cuts shutter speeds from 1/500 to 2 sec.

Wide-angle optics not only provide relative versatility to the camera, but also reduce the time spent focusing. The owner of the LC-A only needs to select one of four values on the distance scale: 0.8, 1.5 or 3 m, infinity. Focusing is thus done by eye. There is an optical viewfinder for composing the frame, although real Lomographs do without one.

The LC-A has two modes - automatic and aperture priority (A). The film speed value is entered manually. The exposure metering system allows you to use both modes in any lighting conditions.

The lens is of fairly high quality, provides interesting color rendition (with bright, saturated shades), but is characterized by a strong vignetting effect (darkening in the corners of the frame), thanks to which photographs taken with LC-A can be easily distinguished from others.

The camera is not afraid of severe frost (-15) and, as they say, even falling from the third floor - in general, it is very, very reliable. In all aspects, except for image quality. It's unpredictable, and that's the beauty of LOMO. The artistic effect is created by: barrel distortion, shimmer effect, darkened edges, beautiful background blur.

In the Soviet Union, sometimes they made downright unique things, today we’re talking about one of these products, the LOMO 135 series camera. Two versions of the camera were produced - 135ВС and 135М.

LOMO-135VS was developed in the 70s of the 20th century and was produced at the Leningrad Optical-Mechanical Association named after V.I. Lenin, abbreviated as “LOMO”, from 1975 to 1982.

Camera LOMO-135M very similar to LOMO-135ВС and was produced at the same plant from 1981 to 1984. The differences between these cameras are very minor, so it makes sense to combine reviews of these cameras into one.

From 1975 to 1984, 175,400 cameras were produced, many of which were exported under the COSMIC 135MS brand.

What is so remarkable about these cameras? Let's take a closer look at the pros and cons

These are scale cameras. The cameras do not have a rangefinder or any automation. The shutter is central. The exposure is set according to the corresponding icons based on the calculator built into the camera.

The state of the sun and atmosphere determine exposure:
Sun -1/250, Sun in haze - 1/125, light clouds - 1/60, clouds - 1/30, rain 1/15, there is also a shutter speed "B" - manual.
The shutter speed values are in no way tied to the sensitivity of the film, unlike the Sunny 16 rule, in which, on the contrary, the shutter speed is set based on the sensitivity of the film, and the aperture based on the state of the sun and atmosphere.

The location of the subject is responsible for the aperture, taking into account the sensitivity of the film: mountains, beach, open area, shaded.

In some ways, the exposure calculator is similar to the calculator of the famous and most popular camera of the USSR “Smena 8M”, but it is still more advanced, since in addition to the state of the sun, it also takes into account the location of the subject, making exposure correction. The camera also strives to close the aperture as much as possible in order to reduce focusing errors to a minimum, offering fairly long shutter speeds but very closed apertures. The photographer may well shift the exposure pair depending on his creative goals.

Fragment of instructions for the Lomo 135 camera

In terms of determining shutter speed and aperture, everything is done ingeniously and very simply. For amateurs, this is exactly what you need to do. An inexperienced photographer, using these simple icons, can quickly and easily understand the basic concepts of exposure, the relationship between shutter speed, aperture, ISO and current lighting.

I photographed three films using these icons, and as you can see, I got an excellent result. The films are evenly exposed, the percentage of defects is minimal.

Lens

These cameras have a rigidly built-in lens “Industar-73”, made according to the “Tessar” scheme (4 elements in three groups), focal length 40 mm, aperture F2.8 - these are typical characteristics for amateur cameras of the 70s of the last century. I was pleasantly pleased with the first films; the lens is very sharp and contrasty at almost all apertures. The lens is the highlight of this camera. The photos come out wonderful! The lens has 10 aperture blades and creates an almost perfectly round aperture that will appeal to bokeh lovers.

Focusing is carried out either using a metric scale on the lens frame, or using a simplified dial indicator with icons in the viewfinder ( front portrait - 1 m, chest-length portrait of two people 1.4 m, full-length portrait of a group of people 4 m, building - infinity).

I also had no problems with focusing; I was almost always in focus. But this probably reflects many years of photographic experience.

I liked the optical viewfinder a little less; it does not have the brightness and clarity that I would like. For example, I compare it with my Olympus 35DC, and in this matter LOMO loses to the Japanese. But in general it is possible to live.

Spring mechanism

Now about the main feature of this device, the spring mechanism for cocking the shutter and rewinding the film. On top of the chamber there is a large round flywheel for winding the spring motor. When you rotate it counterclockwise, a spring is wound up, thanks to which you can take up to 8 frames at a speed of 3 frames per second! And note, this is 1975! This is just great! Both of my cameras consistently produce 8 frames from one full winding of the spring, and the cameras are almost 40 years old!

A little about the cons

Of course, this development of Soviet engineers also has disadvantages, because any product is a compromise between price and quality.

The spring mechanism is quite loud when the shutter is released, sometimes this can attract the photographer's attention from others and prevent him from taking an important shot.

But there is one trick here. In order not to attract attention to yourself while shooting with a loud sound, you can press the shutter button but do not lower it, the camera will take a photo, but will not rewind the foam (and this is the noisiest operation). Next, we move the camera to the side, you can hide it in a bag or jacket pocket, or simply lower your hand, and only then release the shutter button, the camera will noisily rewind the film and rewind the jam, but you will no longer be busy :)

It is quite possible that the spring mechanism is the weak link in terms of reliability. Let's see what operation shows.

Experienced craftsmen recommend not cocking the spring mechanism of this camera all the way, for all eight frames, but limiting it to 3-4 frames, so the spring will last longer. Also, do not leave the spring mechanism wound if the camera is not used for a long time.

The winding flywheel, located on the top panel, is quite large and protrudes greatly beyond the camera, which somewhat spoils the compactness of the device.

The viewfinder is not very large and not very bright.

The inscriptions applied to the metal body with paint are not very durable and are prone to erasing.

The aperture control ring is not very conveniently located around the lens lens. Also, the shape and design of this ring is not particularly ergonomic; you can easily get your finger into the lens and leave a greasy imprint on the surface of the lens.

The set of shutter speeds is limited to the range from 1/15 to 1/250 seconds plus “B”. I would like at least another 1/500 of a second to shoot with modern high-sensitivity films. Let's say in the bright sun in the mountains or on the beach with ISO 400 film, we will get one stop of overexposure even at the highest short shutter speed 1/250 and aperture 22.

But in the 70s and 80s, amateur photographers used films with GOST sensitivity (ISO) 32, 64, 125, maximum 250, and this range was quite enough for all occasions. Longer shutter speeds than 1/15 second are practically not applicable without a tripod; blurring of the image in the frame is guaranteed. It should be noted that these issues are easily resolved by selecting the film sensitivity and are not a big problem.

The back cover is also not ideal; it takes a certain amount of effort to remove and install it back, and you don’t always understand whether you are clearly in the grooves, much like with the manual transmission of the old Moskvich.

Unfortunately, the camera does not have eyelets for a neck strap; you cannot hang the LOMO 135 around your neck. But there is a hand strap, but for some reason it is made on the left edge of the camera, and the shutter button is on the right, which causes some inconvenience when taking photographs with one hand.

Ergonomics and aesthetics

The camera body is metal, not without a certain aesthetics, a kind of metal brick from the 70s. The camera is quite compact but at the same time weighty. According to the concepts of the 70s, the camera is miniature, especially when compared with cameras like “FED”, “Zorkiy” or “Zenith”.

The camera is pleasant to hold in your hands, there is a feeling of a good and expensive thing from the past. Although if you compare it with the best examples of Japanese and German camera manufacturing, then you can find fault with some little things, the production culture is lower. It seemed to me that the earlier model 135BC was assembled a little better; apparently, in the 80s, the build quality began to limp.

LOMO-135 is a completely mechanical camera; it does not require batteries, which in many cases is a serious advantage, since old automatic cameras of the 70s and 80s require batteries of the RC-53 type, which are no longer available; it is difficult to find analogues with modern ones With batteries, older cameras often do not work out exposure accurately. For example, my Olympus 35DC, released in 1972, with modern batteries lies very much when measuring scene illumination, which negates the benefit of automation.

LOMO-135 has a hot shoe, but for some unknown reason the developers placed it on the bottom end of the camera. And if there is a need for flash photography, you will have to hold the camera upside down, otherwise there will be very unnatural lighting from below. In this regard, the camera is similar to the iconic Rollei 35, but of course LOMO is not a Rollei clone, it is an absolutely unique development.

The shutter release button has a thread for a mechanical cable, a small thing, but nice. When shooting from a tripod, shutter speed “B” is very useful. You can take night shots of the city, or try to photograph the starry sky.

The bottom of the camera has a standard thread for a tripod, but for some reason it was combined with the locking mechanism for the rear cover of the film compartment. I see a definite problem in this and would not screw the tripod to this camera very tightly; you could either accidentally open the back cover or not unscrew the tripod without consequences for the lock.

What is the difference between LOMO-135BC and LOMO-135M?

In LOMO-135BC, the calculator for calculating the diaphragm is located on the flywheel of the spring engine factory and it is made a little loose, the readings can spontaneously get confused and scroll, you need to be careful.
LOMO-135M has an exposure calculator located on the camera lens.
For LOMO-135BC, the film sensitivity value in the calculator is limited to 250 GOST, which is approximately 250 ISO. LOMO-135M has a maximum value of 500 GOST (ISO)
The lens frames are slightly different, the diameter of the caps does not match.
The dermantine on the camera body is slightly different in texture.
There are also internal differences, for example in more new version 135M the spring mechanism has been slightly modified. There is evidence that it is more repairable.
And so the cameras are almost identical, LOMO-135M is an easy upgrade of LOMO-135BC, nothing more.

Conclusions:

LOMO 135M (BC) is an interesting, charismatic camera, it’s pleasant and interesting to shoot. A kind of gadget from the 70s. This is the case when the inscription “Made in the USSR” sounds proud! Having developed the first films, I exclaimed: “WOW!” I really liked the pictures from this camera. The photographs are sharp, contrasting, juicy, voluminous. In this regard, this camera is two heads taller than all the cheap point-and-shoot cameras that flooded onto the market in the 80s and 90s. The camera is compact and easy to use. She evokes a lot of positive emotions when working with her.
The engineers of the Leningrad Optical-Mechanical Association produced a truly high-quality and somewhat innovative product of its time. Apparently, it is no coincidence that the worldwide photographic movement “Lomography” has the word “LOMO” at its root, because this company has produced many iconic cameras, such as “Leningrad”, “Smena 8M”, LOMO Kompakt-Avtomat (LC-A), “ Amateur", most of which were distinguished by their simplicity, accessibility and friendliness towards amateurs.
Yes, the 135BC (M) has minor drawbacks. But who doesn't have them? And considering the price on the secondary market, what complaints can there be? I bought LOMO 135BC for 1500 rubles, LOMO 135M for 1900 rubles in perfect condition. Any imported camera in good condition, comparable in photo quality, costs many times more. LOMO is a great way to start exploring the world of photographic film! The 40 mm lens is convenient for most types of photography; it can be used to take both portraits and landscapes; it can be used for genre and street photography.
To be honest, I’m a little sorry that I didn’t have such a camera in my childhood and youth, when I just started taking photographs using FEDs and Zeniths in the mid-80s, LOMO-135 would have made my life easier at the stage of mastering the basics of photography.
Would I recommend this camera to film lovers? Yes, sure! The camera is worthy of attention. But like any old thing requires careful checking.

Check the spring mechanism. After the spring is fully charged to the stop, the camera should produce at least 8 frames. If the camera produces 1-2-3-4 frames, refrain from buying it. Also, the mechanism should not produce several frames in a row after one press; each subsequent frame requires an additional press of the shutter button.
Remove the back cover, open the aperture to 2.8 and check visually and audibly the shutter operation at all shutter speeds from “B” to 1/250, looking into the light from the film compartment side of the lens.
Check the lens for dirt, dust, mold, scratches and intact coating.
Check how apertures switch from 2.8 to 22.
Look at the cosmetic condition of the camera, it can tell you a lot, the better it is, the more likely it is that the camera is in good condition.
Evaluate the operation of the focus indicator in the viewfinder, whether the icons match the values from the instructions, at least approximately.

And if everything is fine, then feel free to buy! The camera is great for the money! If there are defects, then I would not bother with the repair; there may be problems with the repair and it will be more expensive than buying a normal camera.

By the way, in Soviet times, LOMO 135ВС (M) was quite expensive, about 65 rubles, but let’s say Smena 8M cost only 15 rubles, feel the difference. This is a premium compact from the Soviet era.

Gallery of pictures taken by LOMO 135ВС and LOMO 135М

I don't want a soapbox! And I don’t need a “DSLR”. All these boring, “polished” photographs... If only I had a Lomograph with Fisheye and filters, then I would!.. But where can I look for them?

In fact, Anyone can buy a retro camera with some unusual lenses and filters. Where? Abroad. How? Order yourself or through an intermediary. I only gave a hundred dollars (or even less), got some cool stuff there, and went out of my way and filmed something like that...

Well, let's see what real photography gurus shoot with in the 21st century?

Lomographs La Sardina: we take it with color!

Top - Flash Analogue Camera, bottom - Flash DXL Analogue Camera

The next step is when flash appears on your camera. New horizons and opportunities are already opening up here. But La Sardina doesn’t stop there and offers to complement flash effects with paints: included in each camera 4 color filters. By the way, which do you prefer: or, in which your grandmother keeps family jewelry?

Diana: Lomographs of the 60s

From left to right: Diana Dreamer, Diana F Zebra, Diana F Neptune

More unusual Lomographs? Ok, let's look at the next brand. Diana releases exclusive Lomo cameras in the style of the crazy 60s. Guest No. 1 from the past - . How is it different from others? You can take endless panoramic shots, adjust the shutter and aperture, plus a removable lens. Film - 120 mm.

Kill everyone outright with a bright design? Take (film - 120mm). She also knows how to take wide-angle shots. For a bright life, she always has color filters with her. She loves to experiment with exposure and loudly shout that her owner is not a bore. If Zebra is too bright for you, a model with the same abilities but a different color is .

Diana Gold and Diana Novella

For 120 mm, Diana has another guest from the 60s: the camera. She is famous for her penchant for atmospheric images with glow effects, noise and other romantic abrasions. Luxurious - an analogue of Novella, but with a flash. Both are capable of producing panoramic images and increasing the attractiveness of their owner by 70%.

Lomography Diana F+ Flash Mini Camera

And finally, the line Diana Mini: miniature lomo cameras, and. 35 mm, flash, but the main highlight is that whole frames can be turned into halves, combining pieces from different scenes in one picture. Photo vinaigrette is guaranteed! The leopard also comes with a set of color filters.

Fisheye: dynamic depth shooting

Lomography Fisheye 2 and Lomography Gold Fisheye 2

fisheye effect(fisheye) can be called without hesitation the best way turn an ordinary photo into something special. Fisheye can add carousel-like dynamics to even the flattest and static shot. One can only guess how real fish look at this world. But while we are not fish, it is better to buy a Lomograph with additional lenses or even a lens. A couple of stylish options are pastel blue and glamorous. 180 degree view, 35mm film, built-in flash and hot shoe - the ultimate party set!

What if it doesn't turn out to be a masterpiece? It doesn't happen that way

Someone will say that you will never take a normal photograph with a Lomograph. But what kind of norm is this? What good are super-clear shots of everyone standing at attention and smiling tightly? No emotions, no memories, melancholy. It's time to breathe life into photography! Add noise, glare and scuffs (hello Instagram!), make the pictures crawl on top of each other, use unusual effects. One word... Lomography! Here's what you need.

Imposed prejudices associated with assessing image quality. An interesting photograph does not always have to be clear, have high detail and correct color rendition!
Spending significant sums to pay for these prejudices.
An electronic library of monotonous digital photographs that are unlikely to ever be printed on paper.

Holga 120N

"Holga" is a cheap medium format point-and-shoot camera, invented in 1982 in Hong Kong and is a simple device with a lens made of plastic lenses, without a built-in flash. The title in the original version was Ho Gwong (“very bright”) - it characterizes one of the main properties of the resulting image. “Holga” cannot in any way be considered a “toy”, although formally it is classified as a toy camera. There are many stunning professional photographs taken with the Holga. This camera has a “special look” at familiar things. What is valuable in it is precisely the “imperfection” of the picture, which in skillful hands turns into an artist’s brush: unnaturally rich shades, low detail, movement, dark corners.

The first model Holga 120S - with plastic optics, a shoe for an external flash, a frame format of 6 x 4.5 cm. It was replaced by the 120N version - it is distinguished by support for two formats (6 x 4.5; 6 x 6), slightly modernized optics (also plastic), the presence of Bulb.

In addition, you can find on sale a version of the Holga with a built-in flash that has four color filters (120FN), as well as modifications with a glass lens (Holga 120GN), a glass lens and a flash (120GCFN). And even without a lens at all, instead of which there is a tiny hole - “Pinholga”. All new Holgas have the ability to shoot square frames (6 x 6), but vignetting on this format is higher than with 6 x 4.5. New versions of Holga with glass lenses and flash are almost the same in price as simpler versions. But photographers prefer the simplest “Holgas” - it’s not a matter of price.

LOMO Compact Automat

The first Soviet automatic point-and-shoot camera, developed at the Leningrad Optical-Mechanical Association (LOMO), which went into circulation in 1984 and gave its name to the lomography genre. In 1981, the USSR Minister of Defense Industry Igor Kornitsky was presented with a Japanese compact camera Cosina CX-2 at the international exhibition of film and photographic equipment in Cologne. The minister really liked the camera, and he set the task of creating a similar device in the USSR.

The basis was the Cosina camera, which Soviet engineers carefully studied during two years of work on the Soviet analogue. Work under the leadership of Mikhail Kholomyansky culminated in the launch of the LC-A into production in 1983.

The LC-A has two modes - automatic and aperture priority (A). The film speed value is entered manually. The exposure metering system allows you to use both modes in any lighting conditions.

The camera is not afraid of severe frost (-15) and, as they say, even falling from the third floor - in general, it is very, very reliable. In all aspects, except for image quality. It's unpredictable, and that's the beauty of LOMO. The artistic effect is created by: barrel distortion, shuffle effect, darkened edges, beautiful background blur.

"Amateur-166B"

The domestic “Amateur” is the most affordable camera with a frame format of 6 x 6 cm. This TLR camera is an improved clone of the old German two-lens Voigatlander Brilliant.

Two modifications of the “Amateur” are common - 166B (with a frame of 6 x 6 cm) and 166U (“universal” - format 6 x 6 cm or 6 x 4.5 cm when using the included frame). Less common are the earlier versions (“Amateur”, “Amateur-2”). With the same cost for a used camera (about 500 rubles), it makes sense to choose one of the simplest modifications - 166B.

The three-element shooting lens T22 has an aperture of f/4.5 and a central shutter that cuts off the maximum shutter speed of 1/250 sec. At open apertures the lens is well suited for portrait photography, since the image it produces is very soft, with low detail. Particularly good in color rendering latest versions“Amateur”, whose lens has multi-layer coating: bright and saturated colors delight.

“Amateur” is great for creative experiments such as shooting with frame overlay or, for example, using slide film with cross-process development. Now about the difficulties associated with filming with “Amateur”. The first of them is considered to be increased light scattering, which occurs due to poor blackening of the insides of the camera. Additional blackening completely eliminates this problem - but for the most part the problem itself is far-fetched. The drop in contrast in the old “Amateurs” in many cases is a plus for the image.

Low sharpness at open apertures is also not a drawback, although it limits the ability to use the camera in some scenes. This feature“Amateur” is often used to obtain a “soft” image when shooting portraits.

At closed apertures (f/16, f/22), the three-element lens produces significantly better detail, so the camera can be effectively used for landscape photography on a tripod. Especially if you load slide film into it. There is also darkening in the corners of the frame, but to a much lesser extent than in Holga.

The only serious problem when shooting with the Amateur is focusing accuracy. Focusing is achieved not by moving the front panel (as with most TLR cameras), but by rotating a gear on the rim of one of the lenses. This method of focusing is inconvenient, but you can get used to it. The situation is worse with control of focusing accuracy.

As with other TLR cameras, the second (top) lens is used for sighting. But the image does not fall on the frosted glass, but on a collective lens with a frosted circle in the center. It is supposed to be focused in a circle, raising the magnifying glass for precise focusing. Using a lens instead of a circle made it possible to increase the brightness of the image in the mine viewfinder, but it is extremely difficult to accurately focus. The "amateur" in any of the modifications is actually a scale camera: the viewfinder can be used for composing the shot, but not for precise focusing.

In most "Amateurs" (except for the rare "Olympic" version), film rewinding is carried out only with visual inspection frame numbers on the back of the rakcord - through the red window. If you don’t develop a rewinding system for yourself (“I shot it, I rewound it” or “I want to shoot it, I rewound it”), there is a high chance of resulting in involuntary overlap of frames.

LOMO Fisheye Camera

It's based on the LC-A, but instead of just a wide-angle lens, this camera is equipped with a rare fisheye lens. The image obtained with its help is a circle covering an angle of 170 degrees.

The camera is available in two versions: the first has a plastic body, and the other - Fisheye 2 - is different best quality manufacturing (aluminum body), coverage angle of 180 degrees, built-in flash. Distributed by the Lomography community.

Burst cameras

A separate class of scrap cameras are cheap plastic “soap cameras” that shoot on 35 mm film and instead of one lens have several, which makes it possible to place several pictures on one standard frame. In terms of image quality, such options are significantly inferior even to other crow cameras, not to mention serious 35mm cameras. And it's not just that four or eight tiny plastic lenses are worse than one. The frame format itself plays a significant role...

Models differ primarily in the number of lenses. For example, Action camera The Sampler has four lenses and allows you to shoot a series of four frames in a 2 x 2 pattern. There are options with a built-in flash (Action Sampler Flash) or with four panoramic lenses arranged in a row (Super Sampler).

On the website of the Lomographic Society there are options that have a larger number of lenses: Oktomat and Pop 9. The first fits a series of 8 mini-frames on a standard frame of 35 mm film, the second - 9 mini-frames, and all lenses in this model fire synchronously.

"Horizon-202"

The Soviet photographic industry produced many interesting cameras, which Western Lomographers enthusiastically take pictures with. Not only the brainchild of the LOMO plant comes to mind, but also various models of FEDs, Zorkikhs, and Kievs.

The only model that is currently being produced and is actively sold on Western websites is the Horizon panoramic camera - the brainchild of the Krasnogorsk plant named after. Zverev, known to every Russian citizen thanks to his Zenit SLR cameras.

“Horizon” is a panoramic camera that allows you to take pictures on 35 mm film, frame format - 24 x 58 mm. You can shoot 22 frames on standard film. The composition of the frame is built using a wide-angle viewfinder, the image in which corresponds in angle of view to the final shot.

The camera provides high-quality results without the characteristic distortions of wide-angle optics. This is due to the unusual design of the lens: it rotates during shooting. A special feature of the camera is the need to ensure a strictly horizontal position during shooting. Otherwise, severe perspective distortions may occur. To control the horizontal position, there is a bubble level in the viewfinder.

“Horizon” is a completely mechanical camera that works without batteries. Rewinding the film and cocking the shutter are carried out using a trigger.

Model 202 is the main one in the Horizons line. This is a fairly large device (117.5 x 146 x 73 mm, 700 g), equipped with a high-quality lens, which pleasantly surprises when shooting on color film. The model is affordable and has an MC-coated lens that provides a coverage angle of 120 degrees. Unlike the simplified versions of “Horizon”, which are offered on the Lomographic Society website, this model has a wide range of shutter speeds: 1/2, 1/4, 1/8, 1/60, 1/125, 1/250 sec. This is its important advantage, since the simplified versions of Horizon Compact and Horizon Perfect are not much more compact, but are noticeably inferior in shooting capabilities. The shutter curtains on the Horizon Perfect model are specially curved, which guarantees unpredictable shooting results.

“You don’t know in advance what will happen. And you don’t know after the shooting either.” Lomography is as popular today as ever, thanks to the hipster movement. However, it’s not only about fashion, but also about unusual and colorful photographs, which, when developed, cannot be predicted what will happen this time. In this article we will go through the entire history of the development of Lomography and find out how the Soviet plant “LOMO” changed the lives of millions of people.

So what is Lomography? This is the view film photography, which implies photographing with a violation of sharpness, plausibility of color rendition, uniformity of frame density. Simply put, it is life captured in its own unique way. This direction of photography appeared thanks to the LOMO-compact, the camera with which it all began.

Thirty years ago, Igor Kornitsky, Deputy Minister of Defense Industry, who was with a delegation in the German city of Cologne to exchange industrial experience, fell into the hands of a small Japanese camera Cosina CX-2. Kornitsky, who paid close attention to Soviet camera manufacturing, passed it on to his friend and director of the LOMO plant in St. Petersburg, Mikhail Panfilov.

First of all, the Japanese camera was thoroughly studied. “Already at this stage,” recalls Mikhail Kholomyansky, the leading designer of the creative team working on the creation of the camera, “it became clear that it would not be possible to completely reproduce it. We took the path of creating our own, largely original, design.” Thus, after numerous transformations, our answer to the Japanese Cosina CX-2 was born - “LOMO-Compact - Automatic” (LOMO LC-A).

In 1984, mass production of LOMO LC-A began. 1,100 cameras were produced per month, and about 1,200 people worked on them. However, soon the Kompakt-Avtomat “leaked” through the Soviet market to other communist countries: Poland, Czechoslovakia, and Cuba. By the way, since the start of production of LOMO LC-A, approximately 1.5 million of these cameras have been produced.

In 1991, having fallen from a Prague second-hand camera shop straight into the hands of students of the Vienna Academy of Arts Matthias Figl and Wolfgang Stranzinger, LOMO LC-A became the founder of the worldwide scrap movement. Having returned from Prague, which had been traveled far and wide, to their homeland and printed the photographs, the friends were amazed by the results of their spontaneous photographic work - the frames turned out to be unexpectedly very creative and original, while preserving sweet memorable moments.

Everyone wanted to get the same amazing camera, so students began to visit Russia quite often in order to purchase a LOMO LC-A for friends and relatives.

In 1992, fans of this camera united into the International Lomographic Society, whose headquarters are still located in Vienna.

Over the summer, the ten golden rules of Lomography, listed below, were written and published in the Wiener Zeitung on November 5, 1992. Shortly after this, the city council provided the society with an empty house in the 7th district on Breitegasse. It was here that the very first Lomography exhibition took place, at which 700 LOMO LC-A cameras were sold and one of the most characteristic features International Lomographic Society - lomostena.

In 1994, the LOMO plant planned to stop the production of its best-selling photo book due to a drop in demand for domestic photographic equipment, but the first Moscow Lomographic exhibition, held simultaneously in New York, saved the day. And the Viennese friends did their best: they convinced the factory bosses and the then vice-mayor of the city, Vladimir Putin, of the need to continue production of the LC-A.

Development of photographic equipment for lomography

In 1998, the Lomographic Society introduced the world to a strange plastic camera called the ActionSampler, which captured four consecutive images on film, and it became an instant hit. The lenses in it work in turn with an interval of a quarter of a second, that is, the pictures are asynchronously placed on one photograph. With one press of the shutter release, you can create a series of four mini-frames in a 2×2 pattern on one standard frame of film, allowing you to capture action in motion.

In 2000, the SuperSampler appeared - a camera with only four panoramic lenses arranged in one line. Due to the fact that they are triggered in turn, the photograph produces a series of photo stripes.

In 2005, they launched the Fisheye Camera, a small camera equipped with wide angle lens"Fish-eye" with an image coverage angle of 180°. Now there is Fisheye-2 - an improved Fisheye camera with an aluminum body and an additional viewfinder.

In general, the release date is not as important as the model itself, so we will list everything that was released.

Frogeye Underwater is an underwater camera with a waterproof body and flash.
Holga is a medium format camera.
“Horizon-Compact” is a convenient panoramic camera that allows you to take pictures with a viewing angle of 120°.
Horizon Perfect is a panoramic camera with a tripod mount and advanced settings.
Lomolitos Single Use is a disposable camera loaded with 24 frames of film.
Oktomat is a camera with eight lenses that work in turn.
Pop 9 is a camera with nine mini lenses and a flash that shoot simultaneously.
ActionSampler Flash is a camera with four lenses and a four-segment flash.
Colorsplash is a camera with an integrated flash with interchangeable multi-colored (up to 12 colors) filters for highlighting the subject and the ability to set a long shutter speed.
Spinner 360° is a camera that received the European Consumers Choice Awards in 2010.
The Sprocket Rocket is the first camera dedicated entirely to film punching.

It is worth noting that each camera is available in several color options, and many models released specifically for an event (for example, for Golden Week in Japan) have unique colors - animalistic and others.

In 2009, Lomography celebrated its 25th anniversary, celebrating this milestone with limited edition LC-A+ editions such as No Nukes, designed by South Korean designers.

Ten Commandments of the Lomographer

It is these funny rules that are fundamental for every Lomography lover.

Always keep your camera with you.
Shoot at any time of the day or night.
Lomography is part of your life.
Shoot from the hip.
Get as close to your subject as possible.
Do not think.
Be fast.
You don't know in advance what will happen.
And you don’t know after the shooting either.
Now forget all the rules and shoot.

By the way, lomography is the prototype of Instagram, mobile application for sharing photos, in which you can modify pictures using lomofilters. Therefore, if you use such a program, you can confidently consider yourself a Lomographer.

In conclusion, one cannot fail to note the speed with which the scrap movement has spread throughout the world. Lomographers are no longer just “lazy” student photographers from Vienna who lacked the time, desire and opportunity to create classic photographs according to the rules, they are hundreds of thousands of people all over the world, united by common interests, this is a subculture of the photo world that to this day attracts a lot of new supporters who capture the world as it is - amazing, unusual and sunny in any weather!

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