A Shaky Start with the Lomo LC-A+

Ever since I started shooting analogue and joined this wonderful community, there was one camera in particular that caught my eye, the Lomo LC-A+. And as I’ve noticed, it has caught many an eye, because it’s a much-used and much-loved camera. So I decided to order one and see for myself what all the fuss was about.

I have to admit I was hesitant in the beginning. It’s a fairly expensive camera, and I wondered if it was worth it’s money. So I saved up and ordered my LC-A+. I could hardly wait for my camera to arrive, I checked track & trace several times a day to see if there was any progress in the shipping. And then, finally, one fortunate morning, it arrived. In my mind, when I opened the door, the delivery guy came as an angel sent from above, complete with a ray of sunlight and an angelic “aaaaah”-sound.

I immediately opened the packaging, which looks immaculate I must say, and there it finally was, my first LC-A+. When you first grab hold of the camera, it feels like a decent camera and quite sturdy. So in inserted the batteries, loaded it with a roll of film and started shooting right away. And as enthusiastic as I was in the beginning, as soon it faded away over the next couple of days.

When I was shooting in bright daylight I didn’t notice anything strange, but that changed when I wanted to do long exposures at night. I read in the manual that if shoot with insufficient light, when pressing the shutter button, you should first hear one click, which indicates that the shutter is open and a second click, which indicates that the shutter closed again. But I never heard the second click, as many times as I tried. Then I noticed as well that my red light, that indicates if you’re going to shoot with a low shutter speed, acted very randomly. I was bummed to say the least, just my luck. Nonetheless I got my film developed and was little surprised that only the daytime-pictures came out sort of right.

After half a day of reading on the internet I stumbled upon a possible solution. It involved the batteries and that they might be too loose and the battery chamber. So very carefully I adjusted the pin on one end so that the batteries would be more tight together. After that I immediately noticed a complete difference in use. It felt right! I was so relieved and so happy! I finally could start enjoying my new LC-A+!

Well, what can I say about this little camera, that hasn’t already been said. It’s such a nimble little camera. It is very easy to use. And this in combination with it’s modest size makes it an ideal travel companion. If you set the focus right, it produces crystal clear images and may even give you some of the much-loved vignetting. I bring it literally everywhere I go. I am currently doing an internship in Málaga, Spain, and it’s my best friend over here.

After I got used to the camera, I started to think of additional accessories. After some debate I decided to buy the LC-A+ Instant Back. I loved it from the moment I first used it! There is just something about seeing the picture take shape right in front of your eyes. Also, as you only get 10 shots in one cassette, you really have to think about what you are going to shoot, which makes it even more exciting to see the outcome.

So, to my initial question if the LC-A+ would be worth it’s money. It is so worth it’s money… And then some!

written by headlock on 2013-07-23 #gear #review #lc-a #plus #problem #red-light #lomo #instant-back #lc-a #batteries