- Lomography has released a new version of its “Simple Use” disposable film camera
- It’s half-frame, meaning it exposes half a frame of 35mm film at a time to effectively double the number of shots.
- It comes preloaded with a roll of film, in a choice of color or black and white
Many people are hesitant to try film photography because they find it too complicated. Lomography is trying to eliminate some of that mystique with its “single-use” disposable cameras — and today, the analog specialists announced the new rechargeable single-use half-frame film camera, which doubles the number of shots compared to a standard roll of 35mm film.
The name “half frame” refers to the fact that the camera only exposes half a frame of 35mm film at a time, cutting the standard 36mm x 24mm horizontal image into two planes with approximate dimensions of 18 x 24mm. This means that even if your shots are smaller, you get a lot more out of them: a standard 36-shot roll of film could produce around 72 discrete images when run through the half-frame single-use rechargeable film camera.
Half-frame cameras are nothing new. In fact, they’ve been around since the 1960s, with Japanese manufacturers first offering them as a cost-effective alternative to standard 35mm film cameras. We’ve also seen more recent entries in the genre, like the Kodak Ektar H35N. They tend to be small, cheap and simple.
However, the Lomography Single-Use Half-Frame Rechargeable Film Camera sets itself apart by taking every possible step to be incredibly and incredibly easy to use. It’s the definition of an idiot-proof camera that anyone can pick up and use, and for that reason it might just be the ideal gateway drug for anyone who’s been tempted to try film photography.
It couldn’t be simpler
Single-use cameras are often described as “disposable” cameras. This means they work just like the kinds of disposable cameras everyone took on trips and then brought back to develop. There’s no way to adjust the shutter speed or aperture – both are fixed – and the lens is completely fixed. The only control other than the shutter button is the flash, which is activated via the essential lightning button on the front.
The Half-frame Simple Use camera also comes pre-charged, meaning it’s completely ready to use. You have two options to choose from: get one preloaded with LomoChrome Classicolor or with Lomography Lady Gray monochrome film. Both of these stocks have an ISO rating of 400, which means they are versatile for most lighting situations. They are however only available in rolls of 20, which is quite small for a 35mm roll. But remember, in a half frame, that’s about 40 shots.
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Once you’ve gone through your shots, you can rewind using the dial on top to extract your film. In another fairly gentle measure of idiot-proofing, the camera body is covered in stickers and labels to remind you to rewind before opening the back door. This is because you have to physically remove two of these stickers before the door can even be opened.
With a plastic lens and fixed settings, this isn’t a camera that’s going to create stunning quality images, even before you factor in the fact that your photos will be half the size of normal 35mm images. However, I think its simplicity means it could be a fantastic choice for anyone who has always wanted to shoot films but found the process intimidating. And with a low asking price of $29.90 / £21.90 / AU$37.90 for the black and white version, or $34.90 / £24.90 / AU$44.90 for the color, you don’t have much to lose by trying it out.
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