If you start with analogue photography or lomography, the question of the right camera quickly arises. With this article we want to help beginners in their search!
If you ask X photographers for the right camera, you will get X different answers, so we want to limit ourselves a bit in this article.
A good choice to experiment a little bit is surely a used camera. Here it is worthwhile to ask around a little in the relatives or the circle of acquaintances. Also a look in the usual online exchanges does not hurt.
In this article, however, it is more about cameras that are easy to get and are produced. Since the budget is usually quite small at the beginning and you don’t know if you will enjoy it at all, we set the limit at about 100€. Furthermore, cameras with follow-up costs (e.g. the Spinner 360 or the Sprocket Rocket for which you should already have a scanner) or with obscure formats are out of the question.
We also limit ourselves to 35mm cameras. Although there are many Lomographers who started with a Holga or a Diana F+, medium format is more expensive, harder to get compared to 35mm film, you have less pictures and the development is not always possible in large laboratories.
So I would strongly advise beginners against using a medium format camera at the beginning. The pocket film cameras from Lomography are also clearly out of the question. They are cute, but with the high cost of film, the search for a suitable lab and the like, a beginner quickly loses the fun of photography.
Furthermore, the camera of your dreams should be easy to use. If you have only taken pictures with a small digital camera that takes care of everything, you quickly forget to adjust everything correctly.
To sum up, the perfect beginner’s lomo camera should be under 100€, not have a special format, swallow 35mm film and be easy to use.
So here are some possibilities for beginners!
Fisheye One and Fisheye No. 2
Lomography’s fisheye cameras (Fisheye 1 and Fisheye 2) are loaded with 35mm film and are easy to use. They can be used to take great snapshots and give a special look to party photos.
Since both cameras have a built-in flash, indoor photography is no problem. There are no overstraining setting options, the focus cannot be set incorrectly and the fisheye lens allows you to get close to your subject. With time, the fisheye effect can get a little boring.
Multi-lens cameras
Whether it’s a Supersampler, Action Sampler, Oktomat and Pop 9 from Lomography or a cheap multi-lens camera from eBay, they all have one thing in common, and that is more than just one lens. They are loaded with 35mm film, are easy to use and for a sum of 5 to 50 Euros they are also well within the budget.
With a multi-lens camera you can take really cool pictures, especially with movement. But if you take pictures indoors or in less light, you’ll soon reach the end of your possibilities. Also the “effect”, like with fisheye cameras, can quickly get boring.
Holga 135 (BC)
The Holga 135 already corresponds quite exactly to the camera we are looking for. It is loaded with 35 mm film and is easy to use, but offers more possibilities than the previous ones. You can connect a flash, there is a bulb mode and you can easily make multiple exposures. Furthermore, especially the Holga 135 BC with its vignetting provides the typical Lomo look.
The robust plastic camera is certainly a good choice for beginners.
Diana Mini
The Diana Mini is often recommended by Lomography even for beginners. She exposes on 35mm film either square or half format.
A flash can be connected, either the Diana F+ Flash or, with an adapter, flashes with a hot shoe connection. Unfortunately, according to some users, she seems to be a bit bitchy and to cause problems from time to time.
Also the square format can cause problems during development in the industrial laboratory. The price of the flash is of course much higher than the Holga.
SuperHeadz Wide and Slim
The SuperHeadz Wide and Slim is a 35mm camera with a wide angle lens. Because it has no adjustment possibilities, every beginner should be able to handle it.
Especially in sunshine and with a crossed slide film it conjures a great Lomo effect. It is completely made of plastic and compact and should therefore fit in every pocket. Unfortunately, its aperture is quite small, which means it needs a lot of light for a properly exposed picture, and it has no connection for a flash, so it is not really suitable as an everyday camera.
La Sardina
Like the Wide and Slim, the La Sardina from Lomography is a wide-angle camera. However, it offers much more than the SuperHeadz camera. For example, it can be used to make long and multiple exposures
A flash can also be connected to the La Sardina, but only the “Fritz the Blitz” from Lomography. When photographing with it, don’t forget to focus properly and pull out the lens.
Colorsplash camera
The Colorsplash is a 35mm camera from Lomography. It has a fixed flash in front of the colour filter.
There are not many adjustment possibilities, e.g. the focus is fixed. For parties and the like it is certainly a good choice.
Underwater camera from the drugstore / disposable camera
If your wallet does not allow you to spend a lot of money, a glance at the nearest drugstore does not hurt. Here disposable and underwater cameras are sold for small money.
Most people should have used a disposable camera before and you can’t do very much wrong anyway. For the beginning you can’t do much wrong with such a camera.
In some shops there are also underwater cameras that can be refilled. That means you don’t give the whole camera to the developer, but take the camera out of the housing and rewind the films. Afterwards you can put a new film into the camera.
Because of the low price it is not so bad if the film is lost or broken. However, these underwater cameras have the same problem as the Wide and Slim, they are not very bright and should be used outside.
Conclusion
In conclusion one can say that there is not much wrong with the Holga 135, La Sardina and maybe the Diana Mini.
If you want something unusual, the fisheye and multi-lens cameras would be the right choice.
If you only have a little money at your disposal and would like to have a look at something, the disposable camera is the right choice for a start.
If money is not important, I would recommend the Lomo LC-A(+) (eBay / Amazon*).
Of course a used camera makes sense, but you should get some information or ask a friend of mine, not that you pay too much or buy a wrong camera.
As a tip at the end I can only advise not to give up immediately, if the result is not immediately pleasing, just continue and, I can promise, it will get better.