Today I'm back with another Lomography-related post!
This post will be a two-in-one: a review of Lomography's Simple Use Camera and a brief review of the Lomochrome Purple film stock.
If you've been following me on Instagram, you'll know that a couple of months ago I acquired the Minolta SR-T 101, an analogue camera that shoots 35mm film. I have since tried different kinds of film stock (rolls of film) and am always keeping an eye out for more!
Even before getting the Minolta, I knew that one film stock I really wanted to try was the Lomochrome Purple. Lomochrome Purple is Lomography's homage to Kodak Aerochrome and EIR, two iconic infrared films. Like its predecessors, Lomochrome Purple distorts the colours of reality but it does this by painting your photographs in purple hues (see photos below).
Simple Use Reloadable Film Camera
I didn't want to use Lomochrome Purple in my Minolta while still learning to use it, so I opted for one of Lomography's Simple Use Reloadable film cameras instead. These cameras are already loaded with batteries and film so you can start shooting almost right away (you just need to advance the film) when you take it out of the box.
The Simple Use camera is very portable - it's small, super light, and will easily fit into an average coat/jacket pocket. The camera feels like a toy and really brings me back to the few times I used a disposable camera in the past.
Unlike your traditional disposable camera though, this Simple Use counterpart is actually reloadable! More about this later.
The second thing I can suggest about using the Simple Use camera is to check the batteries. These cameras are supposed to come pre-loaded with working batteries, but mine were dead by the time they reached me. It felt very odd to just keep pressing the shutter release button, advancing the film, and not knowing if you were capturing anything. Having working batteries definitely gave me more confidence that I was actually taking photos.
To check if the batteries are working, press and hold the flash button at the front of the camera until you see a light at the top:
If you've been pressing the flash button for about 10 seconds and no light comes on, you'll have to replace the batteries. The way to do that is to access the battery compartment by peeling away this sticker on the bottom of the camera:
Although you don't need batteries to operate the camera, I would recommend using flash as often as you can because even outdoor photos can turn out darker than expected if you don't use it.
I think that what makes the reloading process tricky is that it works in the opposite way that many analog cameras work. Traditionally, you would take the film roll, wind it a little bit onto the taking/take-up spool, close the camera, take your photos, and rewind the film after using it up.
In a Simple Use camera, the idea is that you wind all of the film onto the taking spool first (with the camera closed of course). As you take photos, the film goes back into the film cartridge. This is why you don't need to rewind the film after you finish it - it's already in the film cartridge!
I'll probably give it a go and try to reload the camera with some inexpensive film. If all goes well I'll either make a post about the process or make updates on Instagram (possibly both).
Lomochrome Purple Colour Negative Film
Despite my worries about the Simple Use camera almost all of my photos turned out okay!
If I had to describe Lomochrome Purple in one word it would be: unpredictable. You don't really know how your photos will turn out until you get them developed and that is what makes the process (and this film) really exciting.
I have another roll of Lomochrome Purple that I'm looking forward to trying out in the Minolta! Keep an eye out on Instagram because I'll be posting the developed photos there.
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