Tag Archives: Zone Focus

Zone Focus is a common type of guess focus for camera. The camera user sets the focus using a set of icons or other symbols representing groups of distance. For example the Olympus Trip 35 has 4 zones for focus (0.8, 1.5, 3m and infinity)

You Wanna Go Large ? – Lomography LC-A 120 A Long Term Test

To some, the LC-A 120 might just seem to be an overpriced lump of plastic designed to exploit more dollars for Hipsters. But the LC-A 120 is without doubt one if not the most important camera launched in the last decade. And I’d argue it’s one of the best new cameras despite a few flaws.

Continue reading You Wanna Go Large ? – Lomography LC-A 120 A Long Term Test

One Hand in My Pocket – Minolta Pocket Autopak 430Ex review

In the last year or 2,  I’ve shot a lot of 110 cameras. They have tended though to fall into 3 camps – modern toy shooters with plastic lenses for the lomo crowd, simple 70’s cameras with that classic minox 110 shape or the bonkers high end SLR & rangefinders. The 430E & 430Ex sit in that middle group but with some high end features that raise them above the average. Continue reading One Hand in My Pocket – Minolta Pocket Autopak 430Ex review

Some Thoughts About 38mm/2.8 Camera – Guest Post by Al Mullen

This is just a broad overview of what seems like it was the most popular non-slr 35mm camera  from 1970-1985. I have 5 that are similar with mostly mechanical differences. Continue reading Some Thoughts About 38mm/2.8 Camera – Guest Post by Al Mullen

Plastic Shoot out – Holga 135BC Versus Roniflex X3000

I’d recently mused about the alternatives to a Holga 135 series camera given the high cost. Just after that a newer color optical lens camera arrived and I managed to get a working 135BC.

Roniflex X3000 camera
Roniflex X3000 camera a Fixed focus plastic lensed 35mm camera


But which camera rode high if any and which one ended sadly up in the Bin ? Continue reading Plastic Shoot out – Holga 135BC Versus Roniflex X3000

Holga 120N Review : End of a (Plastic) Era

Late in 2015 Holga production ceased. A sad fate for an iconic plastic camera that helped drive the Lo-Fi photography movement and remains much beloved today. Luckily you can still buy ’em brand new.

Holga 120N
Holga120N, a film camera captured ironically by instagram

But how does the 120N (the closest to the original 80’s Holga) fare today and compared to the obvious rival product from Lomography,  the Diana F+.

Continue reading Holga 120N Review : End of a (Plastic) Era

The spy who blurred me – Beier Beirette K100 Review

This is my second dalliance with this East German camera. This series of basic viewfinders have a sound a like name to Bond’s original firearm before Fleming gave him the  Walther PKK and like its namesakes compact and stylish. But is this camera worth taking on her majesty’s secret service or has been a Quantum of Solace ?

Beirette K100 35mm Soviet era DDR zone focus simple camera. #film
Beirette K100 35mm simple compact from 70’s East Germany

Continue reading The spy who blurred me – Beier Beirette K100 Review

FED Mikron Camera 1 roll Review

Since I got my Olympus PEN EE-2, I’ve been seeking out a more focusable Half frame camera. As well as the obvious EES-2, one camera caught my attention from the Old USSR, the ФЭД Микро or in English  the FED Mikron/micron sometime dubbed the Soviet PEN.

FED Mikron (ФЭД Микро) half frame 35mm soviet camera
FED Mikron (ФЭД Микро) half frame 35mm soviet camera

So when I finally got a working one I headed out with a roll of trusty Kodak BW400CN.

Continue reading FED Mikron Camera 1 roll Review

Cosina CX-2 Review – The Grandfather of Lomo ?

Lomography’s Mythology¹ describes this quirky zone focus shooter as the progenitor of the camera that started Lomography, the LC-A. But how does this camera that the Russians so slavishly copied, stand up on its own ?

Cosina CX-2 film Camera
Cosina CX-2 35mm film Camera. The alleged inspiration for the LC-A

Continue reading Cosina CX-2 Review – The Grandfather of Lomo ?

Olympus XA2 Review : Good yes but classic…..

I suspect this review may get me flamed, but I have to be honest whilst the XA2 is a good P&S camera IMHO it isn’t the classic it’s often described as

Olympus XA2
Olympus XA2 open & closed

That said it’s not a bad choice and can give you great shots.
Continue reading Olympus XA2 Review : Good yes but classic…..

Diana Mini Review : Ultra compact abet challenging fun

Irony shot on instagram from 2013
Diana Mini ironically captured on instagram. In classic Blue black

The Diana Mini has been one of Lomography Society International (LSI) best-selling products and is a gorgeous re-imaging of their simple 120 film Diana F+ in mini form taking 35mm film. But like its big brother, it is a camera of 2 halves good and bad. But do those halves balance out in this toy class manual shooter ?

Continue reading Diana Mini Review : Ultra compact abet challenging fun