lomography is a con - discuss

[mr rusty]

Having just seen this

http://uk.shop.lomography.com/lomo-lc-a-gold?utm_source=MailingList&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=+The+Golden+Lomo+LC-A

I am amazed. These prices are just bonkers. does anybody actually buy this stuff? Marketing hype gone mad or what?

[Tom Kershaw]

I'm not sure it is a con, more of a marketing created "movement". The idea of 'don't think, shoot' seems appealing to some, when perhaps they would be better served with a Mamiya 7II etc. (other cameras are available).

Tom

[WetMogwai]

Sometimes they have good deals, but it is rare. I once got some good prices on bulk Arista II and some European store brand C-41, but they are usually far overpriced on just about everything.

[5stringdeath]

We were just talking around here today about the whole Lomo/Holga/Diana "now its hip to shoot with these things" trend going on ... and how the prices on amazon etc. are pretty ridiculous. I think I bought my Holga for like $2 years ago. A gold plated Lomo ... that's just nuts.

[Barry S]

The whole Lomo thing had me scratching my head until I realized it was about hipster fashion, not photography. Hence, the Urban Outfitters retailing makes perfect sense. The camera is a fashion accessory-like a tweed driving cap. But that's ok in my book because a few of the mob that arrives for fashion will stay for art--and that's a good thing--not everyone is freshly minted from an MFA program. It's better than wearing your pants around your ankles. :)

[5stringdeath]

Hmm, from my standpoint its the freshly minted MFA's who ARE carrying them :-)

[David A. Goldfarb]

I think BarryS has the right read on this. If it's getting people to shoot some film and try something different and a few of those people become more serious about it, then I'm all for it.

[dmr]

Hmm, from my standpoint its the freshly minted MFA's who ARE carrying them :-)

LOL! :)

Or maybe MBAs who wish to appear artsy? :)

[nsurit]

To paraphrase a political staement of days past, "It's the image, stupid!" I'm not talking about your image as a real hipster, but rather the photographic image you have produced. A gold plate piece is still a piece. Now don't get me wrong, I own and use "toy" cameras and have created some pretty interesting low tech images with them, however they are just one of the tools in the kit. Gold plated? I don't think so. How much film and chemistry could I buy for those bucks? Bill Barber

[MartinCrabtree]

Well it's not all bad.It's got people buying film.Can't b*tch about that.

[arealitystudios]

I’m not sure I’d call it a con though I do think there are a lot of vendors that way over charge for toy cameras. I think I would agree with the above posts that for many toy cameras are more of a fashion accessory than an actual photographic tool. But let’s face it, for some people Leicas and Rolleis are more of an accessory or a status symbol than an actual camera too.

In general though I do not disagree with the Lomo philosophy. Shoot from the hip and just create. Not a bad motto at all and if it gets some folks to buy film and have fun with the creative process you won’t see me complain. I’m willing to bet more than a few people who buy toy cameras end up falling in love and eventually start buying other types of film cameras as well.

For my part I own several Holgas and an LC-A. The LC-A is actually quite a sophisticated little monster. It’s durable and you’ve even got some manual control. As much manual control as a Yashica Electro anyway.

[5stringdeath]

Well it's not all bad.It's got people buying film.Can't b*tch about that.

Agreed!

[mr rusty]

wow, so many replies so quickly!

I receive these advertising promos in my mailbox from lomography, and when I read that one I just couldn't imagine the sort of person who would want to drop that much cash on a "toy" camera. Agreed, getting people to shoot film is great, but I feel a bit sorry for anybody getting carried along by the hype who could get some seriously better cameras for much less money.

[photoncatcher]

Hey, if it keeps people shooting film, it's a good thing. Right? I personally always thought that the "toy" camera market was kind of weird, but like I said it helps keep film alive.

[gurkenprinz]

With all the GAS and FAS going on at lomography.com, whatever you think of it, they might just save slide film from extinction! Not E-6 processing, though... :-)

[JBrunner]

LOL... then everything is a con...the price is always what the market will bear.

[Greg Davis]

I got my MFA about 4 years ago and I don't know anyone who shoots with a Holga or Lomo. It's all digital or large format film for me and my former classmates. Some of my high school students are interested, though. What really sucks, though, is that I bought one for $10 while in college, and now they are around $40 and up.

[Robert Hall]

LOL! :)

Or maybe MBAs who wish to appear artsy? :)

I resemble that remark! ;)

[Andy K]

It is only a con if you pay their store prices for cameras.
Lomo got me back into photography about fifteen years ago when I came across an LC-A in a charity shop. Bought it for £5, did some research and came across this 'shoot from the hip' thing. So I did that, started enjoying myself, dug out my old Zorki 4K and got a little more serious. Now I'm buying bulk film, doing my own developing and enlarging and shooting medium format alongside 35mm.
They may overprice some of the cameras they sell but from time to time they do some great film deals. But most of all, they get more people using film.

Some photos I made back then with my LC-A:

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v223/Minitar1/ColourFilm/MyBug.jpg

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v223/Minitar1/ColourFilm/AsdaToms.jpg

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v223/Minitar1/ColourFilm/screen2.jpg

[Q.G.]

The entire Lomo-thing started when a group of people said "f* you" to expensive cameras and strict photographic rules, and just went out to have fun with cheap thingies without caring about anything.
The current Lomo-thing is the exact opposite of that spirit: again you have to spend too much money, on the right gear, and follow strict rules.

Lomography has gone from a fun idea to utter idiocy.
By doing so, people buying from Lomography show that they don't understand what it was about at all. So anyone who buys a crap camera for top dollars thoroughly deserves to get a crap camera for top dollars. And no fun.