A new 120 camera: the Lomo LC-A 120

Ricardo Miranda · Sep 8, 2014

Hi!

The Lomography Society have revealed a new medium format camera: the LC-A 120.

http://www.lomography.com/magazine/...-magical-fully-automatic-120-film-camera-ever

http://microsites.lomography.com/lca-120/

arealitystudios · Sep 8, 2014

Ok, I'm going to admit I'm curious about this. Normally I don't go for Lomo stuff, but I do own an LC-A and it gets a surprising amount of use. As a quick snapshot camera it's pretty good and I ended up keeping it over an Olympus Stylus due to the fact that having to turn off the flash on the Olympus constantly was annoying.

If this camera is compact enough, it would be interesting to have something that could be a reasonable quality point and shoot in medium format. A step above a Holga in optics and faster in operation than say an old folder.

The price tag seems steep, but then again, it's Lomography and they over inflate prices a lot.

trythis · Sep 8, 2014

Me too! I am very interested in this as a possible camera instead of getting an older Fuji rangefinder. I have been looking for a near point and shoot MF camera since I am too busy with two babies to fool with all manual heavy equipment. Holgas and Diana's do nothing for me so this...this is a big maybe!
Further research time!:munch:

It looks like vignetting or bad falloff is unavoidable, that is not my favorite part of Lomo cameras.

arealitystudios said:
Ok, I'm going to admit I'm curious about this. Normally I don't go for Lomo stuff, but I do own an LC-A and it gets a surprising amount of use. As a quick snapshot camera it's pretty good and I ended up keeping it over an Olympus Stylus due to the fact that having to turn off the flash on the Olympus constantly was annoying.

If this camera is compact enough, it would be interesting to have something that could be a reasonable quality point and shoot in medium format. A step above a Holga in optics and faster in operation than say an old folder.

The price tag seems steep, but then again, it's Lomography and they over inflate prices a lot.

canuhead · Sep 8, 2014

price is a bit high but if the lens is good and doesn't vignette *too much* , could be a winner.

Prest_400 · Sep 8, 2014

It seems a very interesting option, ultrawide 38mm, 6x6 P&S.
The closest comparison would be the 645 Fuji GA's, which can be gotten for a similar price. If it is a rather too much toy camera, as lomos tend, it seems a steep price. But then, it has that FL akin to a Hasselblad SWC.

ntenny · Sep 8, 2014

It looks to me like the only real advantage over a typical 120 folder is the auto-exposure. The idea of a point-and-shoot 120 camera is an interesting one, but I'm not sure this version justifies its price except for users who can't or don't want to meter.

The same camera with a rangefinder or something, and a lens that covered better---that would be an interesting market niche, but it's not really Lomo's metier, I guess.

[Edit: I hadn't realized how very wide the lens really is, which makes a difference particularly in justifying the zone focusing. In that light, it makes more sense for people who are comfortable with superwides; it's not my thing, but there are people who do it very well. I wonder if it can take a center filter to tame the vignetting.]

-NT

michr · Sep 8, 2014

I'm interested, but not at this price. How hard is it to find a 38mm lens that covers 6x6 poorly? Does anyone know where I could find something similar for 6x6 but for not much money?

Nick Merritt · Sep 8, 2014

Glad to see such a camera is available, but that vignetting is way too much for me.

Newt_on_Swings · Sep 8, 2014

Ouch. That sticker shock for a lomo. How is such a camera over $400! I always liked the lca and I would be interested in buying this camera, but that's way to much for me. Very unique though, not many lenses that go that wide for 6x6, the blad swc pops into my mind first.

adelorenzo · Sep 8, 2014

Agreed, the vignetting is way too much. That's a lot of money for a toy camera.

nbagno · Sep 8, 2014

arealitystudios said:
Ok, I'm going to admit I'm curious about this. Normally I don't go for Lomo stuff, but I do own an LC-A and it gets a surprising amount of use. As a quick snapshot camera it's pretty good and I ended up keeping it over an Olympus Stylus due to the fact that having to turn off the flash on the Olympus constantly was annoying.

If this camera is compact enough, it would be interesting to have something that could be a reasonable quality point and shoot in medium format. A step above a Holga in optics and faster in operation than say an old folder.

The price tag seems steep, but then again, it's Lomography and they over inflate prices a lot.

RE: Flash... Wish I would have paid closer attention when I bought my Stylus. I hate the flash defaulting to on, more than annoying.

wildbill · Sep 8, 2014

Only $429. What a steal. All that vignetting isn't easy to manufacture.

Kerik · Sep 8, 2014

After spending the money and being disappointed in the Belair camera and the Lomo Petzval lens, I'm not giving any more money away on unproven gear. Lomo = Nogo.

michr · Sep 8, 2014

Kerik said:
After spending the money and being disappointed in the Belair camera and the Lomo Petzval lens, I'm not giving any more money away on unproven gear. Lomo = Nogo.

What disappointed you about the Belair? I've been thinking about getting one myself.

summicron1 · Sep 8, 2014

michr said:
What disappointed you about the Belair? I've been thinking about getting one myself.

every time i think I want a Belair I remind myself that I have a super ikonta C that I'm already not using.

LOMO is very good at producing sample pictures with their cameras/lenses that are very good, hoping to make you think buying the product will give you the same results. I actually get very good results with Holgas, but you gotta work at these things, and remember that the cameras are Russian/Chinese, where quality is job two.

TheToadMen · Sep 8, 2014

summicron1 said:
every time i think I want a Belair I remind myself that I have a super ikonta C that I'm already not using.

LOMO is very good at producing sample pictures with their cameras/lenses that are very good, hoping to make you think buying the product will give you the same results. I actually get very good results with Holgas, but you gotta work at these things, and remember that the cameras are Russian/Chinese, where quality is job two.

The LCA-120 is in itself a nice camera, but an electric Holga for USD 429 / EURO 399 ???
Check out the classified section on this forum and you'll find many much better cameras for much less.
Like a nice Bronica set.
It seems Lomography-com is in the business of selling overpriced cameras - and with success it seems ...
So - yet again - I'll wait a year or so and will get one on Ebay for about $60.

darkosaric · Sep 8, 2014

Yes, price is high. But anyhow - new film camera is on the market. And today also we saw new lenses are coming... It is a good day for film photography .

I think best feature of this camera is wide angle lens - many 120 film cameras are cheaper, but usually with ~80mm lens - this will be a selling point.

thegman · Sep 8, 2014

I had a regular LC-A once, the build quality was lacking of course, but otherwise, I really liked it as a camera. Price was high too, of course.

This 120 one I find very interesting, and frankly I think the price is very good. Where else would I buy a compact, ultra-wide 6x6 camera (new or second hand) for that sort of price? I ask because I'd like to buy one.

adelorenzo · Sep 9, 2014

Don't get me wrong, I like the compact format and the wide focal length. If the lens actually covered the 6x6 negative I'd think about getting one.

Dr Croubie · Sep 9, 2014

I'm seeing a lot of negativity about the vignetting, but I think that's more the flash than the lens.
eg, compare this and this one, to some like this and this one. At the least, I think stopping down helps a lot. Probably also the difference between E6, C41, B+W, and X-processing whatever doesn't help. (of course, you never know what they've done digitally either, in adding or removing vignetting).

Still, it's expensive, but that's Lomo and hipsters have cash these days. If I come up with something that sells that well for that much, I wouldn't care what anyone else says either, I'd just be rolling in the cash coming in.

zanxion72 · Sep 9, 2014

O.k. Who would buy that Lomography crap at the price tag of an awesome rolleflex, or a rolleicord. Lomography people have a really bad sense of humor.

darkosaric · Sep 9, 2014

Lets put the question in this way: Somebody would like to buy you a gift, and asks you what do you want - Lomo LC-A 120 of new Ipad tablet (more less the same price) ?

trythis · Sep 9, 2014

I would take the lomo 120 over any apple device.

TheToadMen · Sep 9, 2014

darkosaric said:
Lets put the question in this way: Somebody would like to buy you a gift, and asks you what do you want - Lomo LC-A 120 of new Ipad tablet (more less the same price) ?

Third option: a Holga 120 PAN panorama camera, 5 bricks of sorted roll films, and a dinner togehter for the same money
http://cgmoyer.blogspot.nl/2012/01/holga-120-pan-review.html

Bert from Holland
http://thetoadmen.blogspot.nl

wilper · Sep 9, 2014

IMO the Lomo LC-A120 has three things going for it: auto exposure, wide angle lens and it will fit in a coat pocket for easy carry. I have seen other suggestions for what to buy for the same money, but this far I haven't seen anything that fills that same niche. At least not that eats 120 film, there must be some 135 compacts that do the same even if I can't name any off the top of my head.

If money is no objective I suppose it will be a nice entry level camera for someone who doesn't mind the vignetting. I might get one myself once they drop in price a bit, for use as a travel/tourist camera. Until then I'll stay with a folding camera, but I recognize that they are very different picture making tools.

A new 120 camera: the Lomo LC-A 120

Privacy & Transparency

Privacy & Transparency