Chupa Chups Photo Pop
written by gemma81de
on November 28th, 2008
, 8 comments
(2 votes)
image from flickr
A few years ago, in the middle of the 00’s, German Lomographers were fussing about a new toycam that was thrown onto the market by lollipop company Chupa Chups. They were sold for various prices (always for less than 5 Euro) at various shopping malls and even drug stores. Nowadays however they are hard to get.
The Chupa Chups Photo Pop is completely made of plastic, including the lens. It comes in three different colors – green, red or blue and with a round grey plate around the lens and viewfinder. Especially fun is the included lollipop with strawberry flavour. It is located above the film spool and rotates everytime you transport the film to the next frame. All in all the CCPP is a real beauty.
A bit unusual is the way the camera handles the film. The film cartridge gets inserted at the right of the camera and before shooting you have to unwind the complete film onto the spool on the left. So when you transport the film after taking a picture you wind it back into the cartridge. For everyone who tends to forget such things there is a sticker with instructions on the back of the camera.
The front of the camera shows a button but it is only meant for decoration. It doesn’t have a function. The CCPP has a fixed-focus lens and only one aperture (though I have no idea which one). Therefor it is an easy to use point-and-shoot camera
In true toycam style you don’t have to forgo light leaks. If you leave the camera at a bright place or don’t forward the film for a while you’ll get light leaks in the color of the camera (so in my case they are greenish).
Since the CCPP doesn’t have a hotshoe or a built-in flash it is not very good to use indoors. However, with a 400 ASA film it is possible if you can live with grainy pictures (check the gallery of this review for an example).
When I first got my Chupa Chups Photo Pop I was a bit skeptical and it took me one year to fill the first roll of film. Since I saw the first results finally I wouldn’t want to miss it. What I love most about the camera is how intensive the colors turn out, even if you use normal negative film instead of cross-processed slide.
For me the camera became a nice 35mm alternative to use when my LC-A is blocked for a specific project or when I go to a place that is potentially dangerous for a camera. Of course it is much better to destroy or lose a 2 Euro camera (as much as I love it) than my precious LC-A. But so far the CCPP proved to be quite undestroyable. Although I always carry it around in my backpack unprotected from the various other items inside it doesn’t have a single scratch. The only thing that doesn’t work anymore is the picture counter – but who needs that anyway?
If you are now obsessed with getting your own Chupa Chups Photo Pop I wish you all the luck to find one! As hard as the search will be – it’s certainly worth it.
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