Well, the Lomography people have released their newest camera, the Lomo LC-Wide. I have mixed feelings about this! On the one hand I think that it would be a fun camera to have. I mean, it does have quite a few interesting features. It takes 35 mm film but has inserts that let you take a square format picture (24 x 24 mm), or a half frame (17 x 24 mm).
That sounds fun in theory but there are a few problems. I have a holga camera that my uncle gave me as a gift a few years ago. Its a great way to go out just enjoy taking pictures. The results I have gotten from my holga have sometime been not so great and other times been terrific. I tried cross processing just a little while ago and love it! But with a camera like the LC-Wide, since it takes 35 mm film, having a square picture or a half frame would mean that the size of the results you get are much smaller than the pictures I get using 120 film with my holga. A few years ago I used to own an original Olympus PEN half frame camera. It was metal and had a solid construction. You put a role of 36 pictures into a half frame camera and get 72 pictures from it. But the results are of a lower quality that then will have trouble being printed into larger photos.
LC-WIDE
The ability to take really wide landscape type pictures is something that does appeal to me. It is said to have a ” ultra-wide-angle 17 mm Minigon glass lens”. Thats pretty cool, but…the above concerns I just mentioned about using square and half frame pictures on 35 mm film, when combined with the price, mean that I most likely will not be getting this very soon. Now would I like my family to get a clue and give this to me as a gift? Oh hell yes! Would I pay $389 dollars for it myself? Um..not right now. (Not on a teachers salary!)
You can decide for yourself by looking here: http://www.lomography.com/
A bagillion other web sites have the technical specks but just for the heck of it:
TECHNICAL DETAILS
Exposure area: 36 x 24mm, 24x 24mm (square format), 17 x 24mm (half frame format)
Film Type: Standard 135 roll film
Lens focal length: 17 mm
Maximum aperture: 1:4.5
Angle of view: 103 degrees, 89 degrees (square format) 81 degrees (half frame format)
Focusing range: 0.4m – infinity
Maximum shutter speed: 1/500
Minimum shutter speed: Unlimited
Auto exposure mode: Programmatic
Exposure range: Unlimited ~ EV18
Multiple exposure: Manual shutter cocking with independent MX switch
Film sensitivity supports (ASA/ISO): 100, 200, 400, 800, 1600
Flash: X-type synchronization hot-shoe
Tripod socket thread: Standard 1⁄4″ tripod socket
Cable release: Universal cable release socket
Overall dimensions: 108 x 68 x 44.5mm
Weight: 220g (film and battery not included)
Camera Ramblings and other Geek Stuff 