Illustration courtesy of Ali Felski
I love my Canon 40D. I really do.
It’s a fantastic piece of 21st century photographic technology. I can go shooting, pack hundreds of photos onto a memory card, and immediately enjoy the results. As a consequence, I’m less thoughtful about what I shoot. It’s shoot, check, re-shoot, check, move on. Unfortunately, I’ll find I’m crippled by indecision in selecting “the shot” from three, five, ten captures of the same scene. There’s too much choice!
If you’re also suffering from technologically-induced malaise—never fear! There is hope. In this article, we’re going to take a step back in time and revisit three cameras that will re-inject fun (and mystery!) into your photo-taking adventures.
Lubitel-166 Universal
First up is the Russian-made Lubitel-166 Universal. Manufactured in Soviet-era Leningrad, this medium format twin-lens reflex LOMO is the most expensive of the three cameras we’ll be covering.
I’ve no idea what sort of crazy KGB spy missions my Lubitel might have dutifully observed, but the first thing its new owner did was drop it. The accident knocked the two lenses’ gearing out of whack which, as you will imagine, made accurate focusing impossible. (For those unfamiliar with twin-lens reflex cameras, the upper lens, used for focusing, is geared directly to the lower lens, used for exposure.) Never dismayed by my own clumsiness, I confidently loaded the down-but-not-out Lubi and set out into the winter night’s chill.
The long-exposure photos I took that first night out were, on the whole, out of focus. Considering the subject matter, though, the soft focus enhanced the ethereal nature of the scene.
This marvel of Soviet optical engineering, despite my reckless handling, performed well even in the dead of night in the harshest of winter. I’d recommend giving this camera a try as a first foray into “cheap” photography. Its wide range of controls will be familiar to anyone comfortable shooting in manual mode on her DSLR.
For more great (and mostly well-focused) Lubitel photos, check out the Lubitel group on Flickr.
Holga 120
The Holga, a cheap, Chinese-made medium format camera, has soared in popularity in recent years. The toy camera’s resurgence may be attributed to its cheap construction and availability. Photos often sport light leaks, blurring, and vignetting. Each Holga has its own problems—*ahem*—personality. My Holga, for instance, is largely devoid of light leaks but is quite prone to vignetting and blurring.
Shooting with the lightweight Holga is very simple compared to the Lubitel (with its wider range of features). Holgas typically have two exposure modes (“normal” and “bulb”), two aperture settings (“sunny” and “partly cloudy”), and focal adjustment from three feet to infinity. None of these controls, mind you, are incredibly accurate.
Unlike most cameras, Holgas have no automatic ratcheting to force the film to the next frame. (In normal operation, you would wind the film until a number appears in the window on the camera’s back.) This manual film advancement trait can be used to create some killer panoramas or other great multi-exposure scenes. Try pulling that off with your fancy DSLR!
There’s a very active Holga community on Flickr with many great examples of what’s possible with this camera.
Yumeka DX-3
The final and most mysterious camera is the Yumeka DX-3. This one is a simple, compact Taiwanese 35mm with several aperture settings (f/8, f/11, and f/16) and automatic exposure metering. I snagged mine at a flea market in West Virginia for the lowly sum of $1. Google knows surprisingly little about this camera (quite strange considering it’s, ya know, Google).
Still, this camera is exciting to use and is incredibly quirky. First quirk: a faulty shutter button. When I encountered this eccentricity, I was rightly upset. I’d snapped a photo and couldn’t advance the film: the camera wasn’t yet convinced I’d taken a photo. No choice but to force a double exposure. Crappy first-time experience, but the second time it’s art! A useful trick once you get the hang of it.
The Yumeka (like the Holga) leaks light like a champion. The film door itself is far from securely latched shut (nothing a little electrical tape can’t fix, of course). The leaks are unpredictable, but they also add a stroke of intensity to your captures. As with any cheap flea market camera, you get what you pay for (and that’s not a bad thing).
Caveat Emptor
The cameras covered here are cheap, prone to manufacturing aberrations, and — yes — may just expose your film to broad daylight if you’re not careful. But! They are unconventional, fun to use, and are a welcome departure from the trappings of modern digital photography.
“But Jason,” you say, “I can totally Photoshop light leaks and add vignetting already. Why would I waste time shooting and developing film?!” To you, dear reader, I say this: That’s part of the fun.
By giving yourself a break from technology, embracing serendipity, and throwing caution to the wind, you’ll find your creativity refreshed. Thanks for reading and please share your great cheap camera stories in the comments!
Great article, Jason! This is exactly what I’ve been experiencing since last fall when I started shooting with film cameras, and now I shoot *primarily* on film (medium format, Polaroid, and sometimes 35mm if I want to have fun with my old Canon FTb, Nikon F, or newly acquired Voigtlander :)
Getting in touch with physical means of production, whether through photography, painting, sculpture, sketching, or various other non-digital methods, is a great way to broaden your appreciation and perspective—and to get away from the computer ;)
Nice write-up Jason, making me want to go out side and play with some cameras. I’ve been enjoying your flickr set recently, definitely some really nice work there.
I personally like working with the Kodak SSUC, stunning piece of 21st technology.
I love that you embrace the faulty nature of these cameras and take advantage of their imperfections.
Questions: where do you get your films developed? and even though these are cheap cameras, does the development costs trump your experience or limit how many photographs you take? If money is no object, I’d go back to film photography in a heart beat.
Great article Jason. Can’t beat finding a old camera for a $1 at flea markets.
Yes!
I’ve been on a similar kick lately.
It’s amazing how much a few limitations can completely change the way you view the world.
Great post Jason. I’ve been fortunate enough to add a few high-end cameras to my collection (including recently a used Hasselblad), but my favorite one has to be my Holga. I bought it a few years back for $10, and went through a few rolls until I got the hang of it. It’s great for street photography, and I’ve sometimes had people come up and ask me about it. I also kind of like not knowing exactly how a shot is going to turn out until I pick it up from the lab. Sometimes you get some great results.
@Dan It’s always a welcome occasion getting out from behind the computer and out into the big, scary “real” world!
@Nguyet I get all my developing done at Penn Camera (the Tysons Corner, VA store). They have pretty quick turnaround and aren’t terribly expensive. I tend not to get prints, instead using a film scanner I picked up along the way. Cost of development is a definite consideration, but I haven’t found it to be prohibitive. The film itself ends up costing more than developing. As a result, I usually end up with less film on-hand and thus shoot fewer (but more thought out) photos than I would with a digital.
Thanks to both of you for the kind words!
@Jon Definitely! For me half the fun is finding the hidden or unexpected gems that you end up with on your processed roll. I don’t at all remember taking this photo in NYC, but it’s one of my favorites:
http://www.flickr.com/photos/jgarber/2479058490/in/set-820098/
There’s also a big shoot-from-the-hip Holga/LOMO scene, as well. The fourth Yumeka DX-3 photo in the article is a shoot-from-the-hip and it turned out better than if I’d been aiming for something.
@Martin Thank you, sir. I’ve considered underwater photography, but all of the kits for DSLRs are way out of my budget. What kind of results are you getting from the Kodak single use you linked up?
@Travis Great write up (and beautifully designed site!) on the AE-1. My dad picked up an AE-1 from a friend of his for me to shoot with during high school photography and it’s one of my favorite cameras to date. If they’re kept in good shape, they’ll last a lifetime.
Nice article, Mr. Garber. I miss the days of spontaneous photo walks through DC and getting stranded in wintry weather while shooting night photography. Couldn’t agree with you more about the character and the surprises one gets when shooting film with a clunky old camera.
Thanks for the inspiration! I definitely need to break out my Holga once again and continue adding to my collection:
http://www.flickr.com/photos/nickwhitmoyer/tags/holga/
I loves me some cheap cameras, including the obligatory pinhole camera I had to make in school. The Holga was the best, though. I had a flash on it walking through the cemetery in Ft Worth where Lee Harvey Oswald is buried with an old man search for the headstone that reads just OSWALD on Halloween back in 1999.
I took the film to get developed, as I was not with resources at the time to do it myself, by a Dodge Color. The dude who process the film was on his last day working there and he left the film in the fixer overnight. And all the images were gone. I was a bit peeved.
Anyway, the point is, I know that they would have been great photos, just like all the others. Thanks for writing this article.