Lomo'Instant Wide Glass: First Impressions by Gerardo Bonomo

Photographer and journalist Gerardo Bonomo was one of the first to preview and test our latest addition to the Lomography instant camera family – the Lomo'Instant Wide Glass. Read our interview with Gerardo below to discover the unique features of this camera and explore the photos he captured while experimenting with its various settings.

Hello Gerardo, welcome back to our magazine! What have you been up to lately?

I’ve been continuing my work in photographic education through my YouTube channel and my website. I’m also carrying on with my one-on-one sessions on black-and-white analogue photography, covering everything from mastering light to printing with the enlarger.

What were your first impressions of the new Lomo'Instant Wide Glass as soon as you held it in your hands?

This isn’t the first time I’ve experimented with a Lomo product—the most similar one to this camera was the Lomograflok Instant Back. Although instant photography isn’t my primary way of capturing reality, I’ve always had a passion for Polaroid’s Polapan 55, which allowed you to obtain both a positive and a reprintable black-and-white negative in just 30 seconds. With Lomography, we step into a different, more experimental world, yet one where predictable results are still achievable—nothing is left to chance unless you want it to be, and this aligns perfectly with my photographic philosophy, which revolves around the concept of awareness.

How was your experience with this camera different from others you’ve used in the past?

When it comes to Lomography, the Lomo'Instant Wide Glass opened up new horizons for me, especially in the realm of intentional double, triple, and even more exposures. The results were fascinating because nothing was ever left to chance. Of course, these are unique pieces—it’s difficult to create identical ones, just like serial prints from negatives. But even with Polaroid, I used to make unique pieces, which hold great added value. They elevate you to the level of a painter, who never creates the same painting twice, bringing photography closer to Art through the concept of the unicum.

Two hundred years ago, early photographers produced unique pieces for quite some time, starting with Niépce and moving on to Daguerre. In a way, this is a return to the origins of photography, but without the uncertainty that came with those beginnings. Photography, used like painting: every shot, every canvas is a one-of-a-kind piece.

What feature did you appreciate the most?

First of all, the quality of the shots—the new lens with optical glass raises detail reproduction to an excellent level. However, photography isn’t just about detail reproduction, so what I appreciated the most was the ability to create an infinite number of exposures on the same photograph. Always working with the concept of awareness, using a tripod, and carefully evaluating the darker areas of the image to overlay other images in those spots for readability across the entire multiple exposure. I even varied the distance from the subject and the focus after the first exposure. This opens up infinite possibilities for application.

Is there anything you didn't appreciate about the camera?

What I appreciated the least—but is solvable—is the fact that the Galilean viewfinder is positioned to the left and not aligned with the center of the lens. This isn’t an issue when photographing at medium or long distances, but when shooting at the minimum focusing distance, you need to estimate the framing by eye and then manually position the lens in front of the subject to avoid misalignment, ensuring it’s included in the framed field. Another small, very minor drawback is that the shutter button is extremely sensitive—it’s very easy to press it unintentionally and take an empty shot, which might end up being a masterpiece but falls outside my previously mentioned philosophy of awareness. To avoid this, it’s essential to remember to turn off the camera after each shot.

What settings did you use to capture these stunning photos?

As I mentioned earlier, I rarely shot handheld—it’s just my way of composing an image, always relying on a tripod. I captured photos in sunlight, indoors, and even in some caves, using the bulb (B) mode. In some cases, since the 30 seconds available weren’t sufficient due to extremely low light conditions, I took a second shot without moving the tripod or the framing. This allowed the combined exposures to achieve proper illumination without creating a double exposure where subjects might appear misaligned. The model shots were taken by Guido Amato, who has extensive experience in this genre and is also a fan of instant photography.

I shot many photos at the minimum focusing distance (30 cm). I am a minimalist at heart—a leaf, a fork, or a stone is enough for me to create a subject worthy of being captured. Of all the photos included in this discussion, the one I love the most is the one with the interrupted train tracks and the red sign. For the first shot, I forgot to focus, resulting in an almost painterly, dreamlike vision. I later took another shot with proper focus, but I vastly prefer the first one, even though it “overturns” my concept of awareness.

I reluctantly shot a few vertical photos with the Lomo'Instant Wide Glass. Much like the Polaroid SX-70, these cameras are designed for horizontal framing. I didn’t use the f/22 aperture because the version of the camera I tested was a pre-production model and didn’t yet include this feature. However, being able to shoot at f/22 in the final version is a significant advantage of this camera.

I didn’t use the flash—I’m not a fan of artificial lighting systems. I prefer to adapt to the available light in the scene without altering it with additional sources. However, with colored filters, it’s possible to take flash photos, especially in multiple exposures, where each layer can be bathed in a different base color.

You have also experimented with multiple exposure mode, what do you think of the results?

I have been mostly fascinated by the concept of double or triple exposure. I found it very intriguing. At the same time it is a practice that involves several technical tricks, deliberate underexposure, avoidance of very brightly lit areas where the various parts of the images would not reveal themselves, often the same subject taken from different angles, a kind of cubism - with all my personal limitations.

Is there any advice you would give to others who would like to use the Lomo'Instant Wide Glass?

Carefully follow the instruction manual. Sacrifice a few shots at the beginning to get a clear idea of both under and deliberate overexposure, the use of flash. Always have plenty of film with you, as well as four AA batteries, which power the camera, without which the camera cannot shoot. Work on two modes, the conscious, perhaps more technical one, while at the same time indulging in a more dreamlike, more approximate concept of imaging.

Essential is a carrying bag and Instax film double pack case to store the shots as you work, to prevent them from getting scratched during transport. Be careful, the image, depending also on the room temperature, takes up to 10 minutes to be fully developed. So take your time before judging the shot you just took and proceeding to the next one.

Don’t miss Gerardo’s upcoming videos and articles on his website and YouTube channel.

written by ludovicazen on 2025-02-19 #gear #people #lomoamigo #first-impressions #lomo-instant-wide-glass Share Article