The social media zeitgeist has come together to make film cameras cool again. This time around, the attention is on fixed-lens film cameras, with used prices of classic models like the Contax T2 skyrocketing simply because Kendall Jenner plugged it on a talk show. Lomography, which never stopped making film cameras, is capitalizing on the trend with a freshly designed 35mm compact, the LomoApparat ($89). The plastic-lens camera is a joy to use and snaps photos that mix up sharp clarity and funky aberrations. It's an easy recommendation for any photog in want of a snapshot camera, enough so that we're giving it our Editors' Choice award.
Available in Basic Black or Italian Leather
The LomoApparat looks much like a camera out of the '80s or '90s. Its construction is all plastic, down to the lens, and its industrial design is reminiscent of old Volvos—boxy, but good. Lomo markets the camera in two versions; I received the basic black edition for review. If you prefer a bit more color, the Newbau edition costs a little more ($99) but has an Italian leather wrap and a mix of cream and sea foam blue plastics. It's a worthwhile splurge for fashionistas.
The black version of the camera trades the leather for a pebble-texture plastic finish. It's not as luxurious, but does its job of giving you a bit more handle on the camera. A banded metal wrist strap is included. The Apparat's light and compact build (2.5 by 4.3 by 1.7 inches, 5.8 ounces) lends itself to handheld use. For longer exposures, the flat bottom makes any flat surface a camera support, and there's a standard tripod socket.
The lens is a wide-angle prime, made with optical-grade plastics rather than glass. Its 21mm focal length gets more of the world in the frame than most compact digital cameras or your smartphone's primary lens can manage. Its f/10 aperture calls for mid-speed film in bright light, and you'll want to use the built-in flash for indoor snaps or to add fill to a subject.
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It's easy enough to turn off the flash when you don't want to use it; just press the charge indicator light on the front of the camera to toggle the flash. A single AA battery loads in the bottom to provide power to the flash. You can use the Apparat without a battery if you don't have one handy, just without flash.
Colored gels are included for photogs who want to add a bit of color to photos, and the camera has a clever built-in holder to house a few of them at once. While I didn't get a full set with my review sample, the retail version of the camera includes cyan, green, magenta, neutral gray, red, and yellow gels. You can install up to three in the camera at a time, and cycle through them using a simple lever that moves the filter holder up and down.
To snap photos, you need to flick the power switch, positioned just above the lens, from Off to its N (Normal) or B (Bulb) position. For Normal operation, the Apparat uses a fixed 1/100-second shutter, good enough for motion-freezing results in most scenarios. Bulb is used for long exposures: the shutter stays open for as long as you hold the button down, so you can make motion-blurring long exposures if it tickles your fancy. Either mode can be used with or without the flash.
Multiple exposures are supported, too—the MX button on the rear cocks the shutter without advancing the film, so you can experiment with exposing two or more images on the same film frame.
The optical viewfinder does its job. It's not exactly huge, but it is crystal clear and bright. It shows a good approximation of the frame, at least as far as my memory can manage. My film scans matched up with the photos I remembered taking.
In all, the LomoApparat handles quite well. I used it for a trip to Manhattan and it slid into my jacket pocket with ease. It also proved to be an easy camera to carry on a short hike at a local trail. There's one thing to watch out for, though—your fingers. I noticed my fingers creeping into the frame in several shots, blocking a part of the picture. There's a built-in hood to help prevent this, but it was no match for my not-so-dexterous digits, even more so when I was wearing gloves.
Picture Quality and Creative Accessories
The hood isn't only there to keep your fingertips out of your pictures. It does an effective job of keeping the sun from hitting the glass at askew angles, necessary since the plastic-fantastic optics definitely flare when the sun is shining directly into the lens, and the hood also serves as a mount for the included creative accessories. The Apparat ships with Close-up, Kaleidoscope, and Splitzer creative filters.
I didn't receive the Splitzer with the reviewer, but I've used it before with other cameras. It's a clever thingamajig containing a wheel that turns and blocks out either one-half or three-quarters of the view of the lens. You can use it for clever multiple exposures that put more than one scene in one frame.
The Kaleidoscope filter is a prismatic add-on. It splits the picture into angled fragments, with repeated elements. It's not an everyday filter, but it can be fun for the right scene. I liked the results it delivered when taking a snap looking straight down a New York street from the High Line (above).
The other attachment is for Close-up shots. The LomoApparat's lens is a fixed focus design, but with plenty of depth of field. Without the Close-up filter, the camera is good for arm's length selfie distances. With the attachment, however, you can get much closer, about 7.8 inches, for more creative angles. Going wide and close is a good way to give a subject an imposing look.
The Apparat's lens is plastic, so it's not tack sharp like a multi-element glass lens, but we're not talking Holga or Diana toy camera quality here either. Pictures show good detail through much of the frame, especially the center. There are imperfections for sure—our tester showed some funky blur and vignette toward the edges of the frame, which I expect every copy of the camera will deliver.
There are some other aberrations of note. I saw some patches of blur, surrounded by sharper detail in photos. You can spot it in the stone wall in the photo above, toward the left of the picture. There's an odd spot of blur in between the very edge and middle of the frame. I'm not sure if every Apparat lens is going to have that exact bit of character, but you should expect (and embrace) imperfect results when taking photos. The Apparat is not a camera for perfectionists.
There is one big technical win, however, and that's distortion control. I was really happy with my New York City architectural photos. Shots of landmarks like the James A. Farley Building and Vessel came out looking good, with properly straight lines that are free of ugly barrel distortion. I have no qualms recommending the Apparat to photogs looking for a film camera for urban and street photography. The wide lens also does a good job for landscapes and selfies.
Loads of Fun—and Good Pictures
The Lomography LomoApparat ticks a lot of good boxes for creators shopping for a compact film camera. The low price is certainly welcome, especially among expensive vintage models, and the wide 21mm lens sets it apart from most fixed-lens compacts. Lomo includes a full set of filters and gels with the camera, too, adding some value for photogs who want to flex their artistic muscles and make some abstract and experimental photos.
The LomoApparat is an easy Editors' Choice winner from this reviewer. I'll admit, I have a soft spot for wide lenses and film cameras, but I was especially happy with the photos I got back from the lab with the Apparat. They've got more clarity and character than you get from Lomo's other 21mm compact, the La Sardina ($74.90). (I used my personal La Sardina to snap photos when I interviewed Lomography's founders a few years ago.)
There are other film compacts to consider, of course. The half-frame Kodak Ektar H35 is an even more economical option, coming in at $50 and getting twice as many photos per roll of film than full-format 35mm cameras like the Apparat. Lomography offers up a diverse range of film cameras, too, including the panoramic Sprocket Rocket and the glass-lens LC-Wide. And, when shopping for film gear, there's always the used market to consider. Who knows, you might get a deal on a Contax T2 from an old photographer who's never heard of Kendall Jenner.
The Lomography LomoApparat is a fun snapshot 35mm film camera for newbies and veterans alike thanks to its extra-wide lens, creative features, and focus-free design.
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