From Russia, We Love

For some, it's a neat new gadget; for others, the return of an old friend. The Lomo has had a cult following since the mid-'90s, after a group of Austrian students came upon the camera made by a Russian military factory, bought the distribution rights and set up a company, the Lomographic Society, to sell it all over the world. Small, sturdy and cheap, it was perfect for experimental photography. The results were unpredictable, often blurry and psychedelic, but always fresh. Over the past decade, the Lomographic Society has developed all sorts of cameras—one takes only fish-eye shots; another snaps four small pictures on one frame—but a year ago, financial problems forced the factory to stop making the original Lomo (it's an acronym for something long, technical and Russian). Now it's back, only better. The Lomo LC-A+ is now handmade in China, but the look is still Soviet cool. And the lens still comes from the St. Petersburg factory, so the visual quirks—intense colors, sharp contrast, wacky focus—remain intact. A new multiple exposure switch allows unlimited shots on a single frame, while the added cable release lets you fire the shutter from afar. At $320, this model also costs more, but one thing hasn't changed: Lomo is sticking to film. Says Lomographic Society head Matthias Fiegl: "Because young people are used to digital photography, analog is special. Putting the film in the camera, exposing the lens, the chemistry ... It's very exciting." And not knowing how the shots will turn out is part of the fun. If every picture tells a story, with Lomo there's always a surprise ending. www.lomography.com/shop