More Fun Than A MiG

More fun and a lot easier to park.

Lomo have just sent us some of their new Lomography instant cameras. They run under the term LOMO'INSTANT - with one of those floating apostrophes that so maddens teachers of English. In this case the makers should be forgiven because the product is actually quite nice.

It is an instant film camera that takes the Fujifilm INSTAX cartridge and spits out paper prints that develop in 90 seconds outside the camera. You'll need Fujifilm INSTAX film for it as the kit has no film pack in there - you'll also need to get some AAA batteries if you plan on shooting directly on Christmas morning.

The black example you see in the pictue is the camera on its own - it has a wide-angle lens built in - the equivalent of a 27mm focal length. There seem to be two focusing ranges for it - 1 metre to infinity and a closeup position of 40 to 90 cm. This is selected by a lever on the right hand side of the lens standard.

The shutter has a tie-in with an light meter inside the camera but you can command it to do multiple exposures if needed. You can also do unlimited long exposures - we used to call it Bulb but that was a long time ago when there were bulbs. For all we know there might be bulbs right now in Krasnogorsk...

Anyway, it is an ambitious little 27mm - f:1.8. To aid that ambition there is an on-board electronic flash tube and I note that the makers have pressed into the body of the camera the following little note:

flash on - always good, day & night

The comma is impressed there as well...There is a separate on position for the flash that treats of night and long exposures.

For those who wish to push out the Volga boat a bit, there is a kit with three additional lenses; a 170º fisheye attachment, a portrait attachment that brings the focal length to 35mm equivalent, and a close-up lens that will let you down to 10-15 cm from the subject. They are simple lenses and it's not rocket science but they probably have other people to do that...

For extra fun there are coloured gel filters, shooting technique cards, and the instruction manual. It really would make a cheerful present under the Christmas tree and anyone who receives one will be sure to drive the rest of the family nuts at Christmas lunch - leaving the dedicated Camera Electronic photographic shopper in peace to enjoy the turkey and brandy pudding.

You gotta think ahead.