Lomography has introduced an updated version of its renowned Lomo’Instant Wide camera, replacing the previous plastic lens with a new glass one. This camera stands out as one of the few and best instant cameras utilizing Instax Wide format film. Many Lomo fans are delighted as Lomography has responded to customer demands by launching the Lomo’Instant Wide Glass model, directly competing with Fujifilm’s Instax Wide 400 camera, which has also received a modern upgrade and fresh design.

Unleash Instant Photography with Lomo’Instant Wide Glass

Design and Build Quality

Lomography has made only minor design tweaks with the new Lomo’Instant Wide Glass model. The retro suitcase-style design remains a favorite among users. However, the offset viewfinder, which has been a concern since the original release in 2015, still persists. Despite this, the viewfinder parallax markers do assist in framing the subject. The camera has a significant weight, thanks to the metal lens barrel and glass element, giving it a sturdy and premium feel. There are two buttons on the back for toggling the flash and multiple-exposure mode, along with a switch for exposure compensation and a dial at the bottom for selecting modes. The built-in flash can be easily turned on or off, with a default of being on when the camera is powered. There are also two LED lights above the flash button to indicate when the flash is charged and when it is on. The shutter button has a cool striped rectangular design with a nice clicky feel. Although the viewfinder can be a bit of a challenge at times, with the need to triple-check its alignment with the lens, Lomography has included a window on the back to show the yellow stripe on the film cartridge, a nice touch. One gripe is the lack of grip and the width of the camera, making it slightly cumbersome to carry around without a strap.

Image Quality and Focusing

The Lomo’Instant Wide Glass is marketed as the sharpest instant camera, and our testing has been quite impressive. With the 90mm glass lens (35mm equivalent), it produces beautiful and sharp photos when focused correctly. However, getting the focus right can be a bit tricky, especially with close-up shots. There are four focus zones - 0.3 m, 0.6m, 1-2m, and infinity - that need to be adjusted by twisting the lens. The original Wide’s closest focus zone was 0.6m, and we found it took some getting used to. We wasted a lot of film during the testing process, but we learned a lot. A pro tip is to use a tape measure to accurately measure the distance from the lens to the subject, measuring from the film eject slot. Lomography plans to release an official camera strap with distance markers soon to assist with focusing. Despite some challenges, we managed to get some perfectly crisp landscape shots along with some blurry macro images. Prints often exhibited vignetting, especially when the exposure compensation was set to zero, which is a common aspect of instant photography.

Accessories and Features

The Lomo’Instant Wide Glass comes with some amazing accessories. The remote shutter-control lens cap is a standout, allowing users to click one side as a remote shutter and the other side with a timer feature. It works well but requires proximity to the camera. The camera also comes with colored gel filters for the flash and a splitzer lens attachment for more control over multiple exposures. Although we didn't get to test these extra accessories with the prototype camera, they add to the creative potential of instant photography. The mode dial on the back has options for A (automatic), B (bulb), f/22 (for manual exposure setting), and 1/30 (shutter speed), which is useful for studio or tripod use.

Price and Availability

The Lomo’Instant Wide Glass is available for $279 / £249 / AU$299, which is a reasonable price considering the image quality and design. It is more expensive than Fujifilm’s Instax Wide 400 model but not as premium as other wide-format glass competitors. Instant photography comes with the cost of film, which can be relatively high. However, Instax Wide film is affordable and accessible for most people. It's more about the experimentation and fun rather than just image quality.

Sample Images

From the sample images, it's evident that getting a clear image can be a challenge. For example, it took many tries to get a clear image of a dog surrounded by autumn leaves. What was thought to be within the 0.6m zone was actually sharper in the 1-2m mode. This camera is not a point-and-shoot instant camera; it requires effort and practice to get the focus right.