The La Sardina – Fischers Fritze was introduced by Lomography together with the La Sardina – El Capitan, La Sardina – Sea Pride and La Sardina – Marathon in June 2011. It was named after the famous tongue twister. In the meantime, Lomography no longer offers this edition of the plastic camera.
The La Sardina – Fischers Fritze is mostly blue and was printed with the design of a sardine can with tomato sauce. Included with the camera are a poster, a book of photos (“Seeing the world through a sardine cam”), color filters for the flash and a nice box.
The La Sardina has a super wide angle with a focal length of 22 mm made of plastic. The MX switch allows for easy multiple exposures. If you want, you can take long exposures at night with the Bulb mode. The camera also has a connection for a remote shutter release and for a tripod. This avoids camera shake during long exposures.
The La Sardina – Fischer’s Fritze is fed with 35mm film, whether Redscale, color negative film, slide film or black and white film. The development of the finished 35mm film is possible in any normal laboratory. When shooting, you should make sure that the text “Only Shoot if you can red me!” is visible. If not, this can lead to blank negatives and black images.
A good-natured film for color photos is the Kodak Ultramax 400*. This film is quite inexpensive and produces solid images with the camera. About 36 shots will fit on a roll, then the film will need to be replaced.
The La Sardina comes with a flash, the “Fritz the Blitz”. This is powered by a CR123A battery (eBay / Amazon*). No battery is needed to use the camera without a flash, as the camera is completely mechanical.
Technical datasheet
| Attribute | Specification |
|---|---|
| Type of Camera | Viewfinder camera |
| Film format | 35mm |
| Film transport | Manual |
| Film transport mechanism | Rotary knob |
| Picture format | 24 x 36 mm |
| Focal length | 22 mm |
| Widest aperture | f/8 |
| Minimum focus distance | 60 cm / 1.968 ft |
| Focus | Manual |
| Exposure times | 1/100 second, Bulb |
| Bulb mode | Yes |
| Auto DX (Film sensitivity) | No |
| Date imprinting | No |
| Double and/or multiple exposure function | Yes |
| Built-in flash | No |
| Flash Connection | Connection only suitable for Fritz the Blitz |
| Flash sync speed | 1/100 s |
| Tripod mount | Yes |
| Cable release thread | Yes |
| Self-timer | No |
| Power supply | Not necessary |
| Country of production | China |
FAQ about the La Sardina – Fischers Fritze
What kind of film does this plastic camera use?
The La Sardina – Fischers Fritze uses 35mm film. You can use color negative, slide film, black and white film, or even redscale film. Development can be done at any regular photo lab.
Is a battery needed to take pictures?
No, a battery isn't required for basic picture taking. The camera functions mechanically. However, the built-in flash, 'Fritz the Blitz', needs a CR123A battery.
What's special about the lens on this Lomography camera?
It has a super wide-angle plastic lens with a 22mm focal length, which is great for capturing wide scenes. This contributes to the unique perspective of the photos.
How do I avoid blurry photos, especially at night?
The camera has a bulb mode for long exposures at night. It also has tripod and remote shutter release connections to prevent camera shake during long exposures.
What comes in the box with the La Sardina – Fischers Fritze?
Besides the camera itself, you get a poster, a photo book, color filters for the flash, and a nice box. It's quite a complete package for the price.