Medium format: Encyclopedia II - Medium format - Lomography and other low-budget medium format cameras

Medium format - Lomography and other low-budget medium format cameras

While most professional medium format cameras are very expensive, some inexpensive plastic imports, such as the Diana and Holga, are gaining in popularity, particularly with toy camera enthusiasts. Due to the poor quality of the camera, the exact image captured on the negative is somewhat random in nature. These camera usually have distorted lenses that offer poor or uneven focus, light leaks that vignette or oddly colorize an image, and a multitude of other "flaws" that are generally undesirable to photographers. While these elements certainly are "flaws" in camera design, they can produce interesting, artistic, or enjoyable results. Because of the popularity of lomography and toy camera culture, medium-format photography has seen a resurgence with the amateur class. Lomography detractors point out that twin-lens reflex cameras (TLRs) and folders without the distortion and light leaks can be had on the used market in the same price range.

The Chinese Seagull TLR and medium-format cameras from the former Soviet Union such as the Russian Lubitel and somewhat better made Ukrainian Kiev-Arsenal 60 and 88 are also available at moderate prices. These cameras can deliver quality images, although the lenses and camera bodies are not at the level of those from Swedish, German and Japanese manufacturers.

Used folding cameras, TLRs, and box cameras are also cheap option to shoot medium format. Sadly many U.S.-made folders, including most of the mass produced Kodak folders use the discontinued 620 film requiring the user to respool 120 film.

Adapted from the Wikipedia article "Lomography and other low-budget medium format cameras", under the G.N U Free Docmentation License. Please also see http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki