Lomo’Instant Wide review: Vintage shots worth the camera weight

SINGAPORE — Lomography is about celebrating creativity and experimenting with film photography, and the latest Lomo’Instant Wide polaroid camera stays true to its motto: “Don’t think, just shoot.” If you are not familiar with the line, you will be after getting to play with the latest Lomography camera.

I got my hands on a Lomo’Instant Wide Black and lenses set, which comes with an ultra-wide-angle lens attachment and companion viewfinder, a macro lens attachment, splitzer (in essence, a filter cap for multiple exposures), remote control lens cap, coloured gel filters and a pack of photo prints.

Like all lomography products, the Lomo’Instant Wide is designed to fit right into a vintage camera collector’s closet and, like all vintage cameras, it is bulky, chunky and almost impossible to fit into a regular tote bag.

After almost dropping it while getting out of a cab, one thing is for certain: Lomography should have included a dedicated strap along with the camera instead of selling it separately.

As part of Lomography’s trademark lo-fi aesthetic, the camera is made to feel inexpensive and analogue-ish. It is predominantly plastic and covered with a faux leather skin. Its slapdash exterior may be unappealing to those used to their digital and more robust counterparts, but I was fine with it, although it seemed pretty susceptible to scratches.

On the plus side, it is a conversation starter. While bringing it out for a test run, several onlookers commented on the camera and asked to see my photos.

A BLAST TO USE

The Lomo’Instant Wide handles like a charm. With controls well placed at the back and a shutter button easily reachable at the front, the camera is a blast to use once you get the hang of it. Pop in four AA batteries and a pack of Fujifilm Instax Wide, and you are halfway there.

On its back you get a flash on/off switch, an MX button that easily toggles on the multi-exposure mode, EV compensation (+1 for brighter on rainy days; -1 for darker), and a shutter speed control that allows you to shoot on auto mode, at 1/30 or on “bulb” mode (long exposure). Keep it on auto and it is simple enough for children and older folks to use.

Using the lens is just as simple. Twist the ring around it to set your focal distance for three types of shots: Close-up selfies, wider group shots and landscape shots.

Those familiar with instant cameras will know how wildly inaccurate framing through their optical viewfinder is. Thankfully, the Lomo’Instant Wide’s viewfinder comes with a dotted rectangular box that marks off exactly where to frame your shots.

As for the two additional lens attachments that came with the review set, you can screw either onto the camera’s existing lens. I stuck mostly to the ultra-wide-angle lens attachment, which resulted in great outdoor shots. Lomography has ingeniously made the regular viewfinder swappable for a wide-angle variant, for more accurate framing.

Unfortunately, the same cannot be said for the macro lens attachment. Since I was practically shooting blind on a non-macro viewfinder, the photos were completely out-of-focus, unusable and, frankly, a waste of film.

Another clever addition to its repertoire is the lens cap, which can wirelessly control the camera’s shutter.

NOT-SO-AFFORDABLE FUN

While I had plenty of fun with the Lomo’Instant Wide, every shot during the two-hour test run was a constant reminder of how expensive it was. At S$18.80 a pack for 10 polaroid shots, it is almost S$2 a piece. The camera, which costs from S$298 to S$398, is not exactly affordable either. With that price tag you can easily get a decent digital point-and-shoot camera or a second-hand film SLR with an extra lens to boot.

If you are not put off by the steep price and would like to “Instagram” the old-school way, I would definitely recommend the Lomo’Instant Wide. Nothing beats seeing your photos develop in front of you — it reminded me of how fun photography can be when one stops mindlessly chasing megapixels.

If you are in the market for an instant camera, this is definitely the one to go for. It is perfect for parties and probably the type of camera you want to whip out — albeit cautiously — when you are up for a short road-trip.

The Lomo’Instant Wide Black (or White) edition with lenses costs S$358. The green/blue Portobello Road and vintage brown Central Park editions with lenses costs S$378 and S$398 respectively. The frills-free Lomo’Instant Wide Black (or White) edition sans lenses is priced at S$298.

These cameras can be bought online at shop.lomography.com or at the Lomography Gallery Store.