Lomo Action Sampler KIT > Reviews (1)

- - - ACTION SAMPLER OVERVIEW- - -

This camera is made by the same Russian camera company the made the famous Spy Camera the Lomo LC-A . Using the same lens technology to create the beautiful and unpredictable photographs [called Lomographs] that capture four images with four lens / shutter - each shutter snapping the image one at a time, on standard 35 mm film.

The result? "Animated photographs", since each lens takes one tiny image per corner of the exposure, a fraction of a second apart, each of your printed photographs are split into four quarters, so you get four mini "moving" images per photo!

The camarea has a unique clockwork mechanism, where the see-through plastic body allows you to see the whole process at work. When you take a picture, the multi-coloured cogs spring into life, the four shutters click simultaneously. When you then wind on the film, ths also winds up the clock work, for the next shot, very nifty design!

The viewfinder is laughable though, it is only a pink piece of hinged plastic that you lift up and sort of look through.

But all this seemingly bad points detract from the spontanuity of Lomographs - Shoot from the hip - as they say. It's just for fun so don't fret about its simple features.

- - - MY EXPERIENCES - - -

Unfortunately the times I have used my Action Sampler have not been very successful. For some reason the film did not wind on properly and so the exposures overlapped each other getting that weird "image on top of other image" effect.

But I am lucky enought to have a film scanner and have ended up scanning up all my negatives to create digital images instead of getting them printed - also many chemists and photoshops have refused to print the images! You really need to tell them clearly that you have been using a Action Sampler, so they don't think you've taken some crazy images.

Also - You are at the mercy of the weather - which is bad for me living in England. The camera works best in very sunny or bright conditions, so I would reccommend this for a holiday.

- - - FINAL WORD - - -

Despite the [potential] technical problems with the camera, it does take fun images and is so easy to use for a great effect that it *almost* compensates for its unrealbility.

But the camera is so cheap it really is worth the effort.