new 6x12 camera to come by Lomography

[AgX]

Folder, 6x12 or less, automatic exposure 2-aperture shutter, interchangable, focussable lenses

http://microsites.lomography.com/belair/#about

 

[EASmithV]

wow... thats actually a real camera from them... glad there's a market...

 

[okto]

Why does Lomography keep making things I want? >_<

 

[Andy K]

Looks interesting. And unusually for Lomo International it's being offered at a reasonable price. Wish I had £200 spare!

 

[AgX]

For quite some cameras out of their range you can find much cheaper alternatives on common fleamarkets. Not for this kind though.

I wonder what kind of lens constructions they use.

 

[Rom]

Looks very interesting. Thanks for sharing.

Now i have the week end to explain and convainc my other half that this camera is such very interesting.

 

[C.poulton]

Oh, I'm very very tempted.... Gosh, I've already got too many film cameras as it is and I've just bought a Lubitel 166u as well, but still........ :confused:

 

[Klainmeister]

well hell, pull of the lens, throw on something more competent and you have a legitimate 6x12!

 

[Richard S. (rich815)]

Tempted but just spent some dough on a 6x12 back to use with my Wista and Graflex. Also still trying to find time to use the Spinner 360 I bought from them on impulse a couple years ago...

 

[John Koehrer]

The more expensive two mention they've got metal bodies, not the inexpensive one. The samples don't look all that sharp so likely to be plastic lenses.
But. I do have a real 58mm sitting in a drawer. Time to flip a coin?

 

[werra]

Well, from the pictures it appears that only covers are metal, not the whole body.

 

[summicron1]

what are the lenses? I looked and looked and it does not say. Really crap site for tech information about the cameras they are selling.

 

[AgX]

As far as I can see Lomography typically give no information about the lenses of their cameras. (And the manufacturer of the Holga range only differs between "glass" and "plastic".)

 

[fastw]

They look great, but the sample photos look like they came out of a $25 Helga. Don't think so.

 

[Andy K]

They look great, but the sample photos look like they came out of a $25 Helga. Don't think so.

What's wrong with photos looking like they were made with a Holga? People pay enormous amounts for smartphones with very good cameras built in and then go out of their way to make photos that look like they were made with a Holga.

 

[AgX]

I agree. I don't think there was ever the concept behind Lomography to offer cameras that can produce photographs that would be considered high-end technicalwise.

 

[wilper]

They look great, but the sample photos look like they came out of a $25 Helga. Don't think so.

But is that look something that came from the camera as such, or from their choice of film and development?

I'm considering one of those cameras as an entry into medium format, but I'm not interested in the Holga look.

 

[Steve Smith]

Look at the price compared with the recent Fujifilm/Bessa medium format folder. I think some people's expectations are a bit high!


Steve.

 

[munz6869]

I've bought and use stupider cameras (Graphcheck sequence camera, etc...). Why wouldn't I enjoy using this one?

Marc!

 

[mabman]

IMHO the colour samples look similar to colour samples taken with the LC-A. I wouldn't doubt if they deliberately designed their lenses for this 6x12 to replicate that look, as a fair bit of their target hipster market (no offense) seems to like the colour qualities of the LC-A.

I'm still debating about whether to get one of these, but in the meantime it has inspired me to figure out a more practical way to use my converted Polaroid 110A (which has a 127mm lens, which isn't very wide, but is very sharp) that shoots 6x12.

 

[fastw]

What's wrong with photos looking like they were made with a Holga? People pay enormous amounts for smartphones with very good cameras built in and then go out of their way to make photos that look like they were made with a Holga.

Maybe people do, but Holga doesn't cost 200 Euro. I wish they'd built a proper camera, not a toy. It's a pity.because it looks so good.
Somebody earlier said, they might fit a better lens to it, good idea.

 

[summicron1]

Folder, 6x12 or less, automatic exposure 2-aperture shutter, interchangable, focussable lenses

http://microsites.lomography.com/belair/#about

actually, this web site

http://microsites.lomography.com/belair/#cameras

does have some tech information -- at 58 and 90 lens, and i think the gallery shots are not as bad as some here are saying -- a few that look as if they were cross-processed, but a lot of sharp and properly exposed shots.

interesting.

 

[AgX]

I get the exactly the same page with both links.

 

[Andy K]

Maybe people do, but Holga doesn't cost 200 Euro. I wish they'd built a proper camera, not a toy. It's a pity.because it looks so good.
Somebody earlier said, they might fit a better lens to it, good idea.

I don't see anywhere on their site where they claim this is a high-end camera.
If you want good results from a Lomo camera, then buy one of the only real Lomo cameras, the LCA, the Smena, or the Lubitel, and make sure the one you buy was manufactured before the introduction of the LCA+. I have an LCA bought 16 years ago. It's a great little camera with an excellent sharp lens and superb metering.

 

[Silverhead]

I'm wondering if Lomo's going to continue their tradition of build quality with this camera...or sadly, the lack thereof. I've bought a number of their cameras & products over the years and most of them either quickly broke or under-performed in a major way. While I love the Diana+'s pictures, it's so flimsy I would fear for its' life if I ever accidentally dropped it. The Diana Mini I bought regularly freezes up in the middle of the roll. Ditto the Lomo 35mm back for the Diana. I like the fact that the Bel Air has a bellows--which makes it a lot more convenient than the very bulky Holga 120 Pano that shoots 6x12cm--but why do I get the feeling that the bellows is going to be the first thing on the Bel Air that's going to come apart? This is a big reason why on the whole I prefer Holga gear over Lomo--the Holgas are in general much sturdier.