Film Lomography Lomo'Instant Automat Glass

Location
Switzerland
Name
Matt
When I heard about this camera, I had to get one: f/4.5 21mm-e, glass lens, multi-coated? If it's about as capable as the Fujifilm Classic Neo 90, but sports a better lens, it should be steal ... Well, how is it? I've shot more than a dozen images so far, and I'd say the lens lives up to most of my expectations; the camera - a little less so. These instant cameras all tend to be bad at exposing the sky, and the Lomo'Instant Automat Glass (LIAG) is no exception; underexposing by one stop (the camera can do +1 and -1) doesn't really make a difference. So I'll have to get a ND filter (still contemplating if it'll be ND2, ND4 or ND8) - thankfully, there's a standard 43mm filter thread. I'll get a UV filter and a snap-on lens cap as well - the lens cap that comes with the camera doubles as a very useful remote control that I'm quite afraid of losing ...

The lens is impressively sharp; I think this is the first camera whose images warrant the use of the big scanner; nevertheless, I'll attach one of the quick-and-dirty (yet pleasingly simple) scans made with Google's PhotoScan (with a tiny bit of help from Polarr - no sharpening, though; I have to find out at what size these images actually look solid):

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A promising, if not totally convincing start - but I'm pretty sure I'll get there.

M.
 
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ND8 was too much, ND4 is on its way, and I now know how to use it. In short: Use it with an ND filter in sunlight, well lit scenes (i.e. Sunny 16) need ND2 (or ND4+1!), photographing the sky in bright light need ND4; cloudscapes in broad daylight would need ND8, but then you'll lose all definition in the landscape. The DR of the film is minimal - but it lends itself to dramatic scenes. The b&w film is more subtle; I'll try to get that across next.

Yesterday evening, I didn't need a filter; instead, the f/4.5 opening of the lens came in handy:
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This is still quite a big rendering of the image - remember that it's originally smaller than a 6x4.5, and the film's ISO 800.

M.
 
Having used Google PhotoScan so far to get a quick impression across, I'll go the whole length from now on and use the flatbed (as I do with with negatives and prints). So it's just a little showcase of how the film turns out in terms of grading and tones, but sharpness is rendered poorly by this method (very unsatisfactory in this case). So, it's also a demonstration that for solid images, the handy tools of modern times simply don't suffice ...
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M.
 
I had to look this up -- Lomo’Instant Automat Glass

What a nice looking camera and concept.
My daughter (11) is using an Instax camera and I recently acquired the SP-2, so we have a bit of film on the shelf. I'll keep an eye on this one and will be interested in your results.
 
The SP-2 is a great concept as well - tempting, time and again. But most probably, the LIAG means the end of the quest for me - it's a very nice camera to shoot with; I would like a bit more manual control, but I think I've tamed it with the ND filters. We'll see. The only alternative (for me) is the MiNT TL70 (2.0) - but that's twice the price, twice the bulk, and the images aren't any better; I like the fact that you can get the ND filters directly - but that pushes the price up once more. I think I'll settle for the LIAG; if I need a simpler alternative with less direct intervention, the Fuji Instax Classic Neo 90 does the job sufficiently well.

All that said, what I'd really like to see is a Lomo'Instant Wide (Automat) Glass of some sort (a LIW(A)G - now that would be something ...). The Lomo'Instant Wide lacks the elegance of the LIAG, but it'd be a competent camera if the lens was better (but alas, it is quite soft).

M.
 
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After some hiatus, here are a couple of shots (b&w again):
2018-09-19-0003_klein.jpg
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2018-09-19-0004_klein.jpg


2018-09-19-0005_klein.jpg
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Needless to say, the colour casts and splodges are pretty annoying - but that's something I have to live with when using this camera, I guess. Still, I quite like the tonality and detail (remember, these are enlargements of sorts!).

M.
 
2018-09-23-0002_klein.jpg
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2018-09-23-0001_klein.jpg
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2018-09-23-0003_klein.jpg
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2018-09-23-0004_klein.jpg
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2018-09-23-0005_klein.jpg
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Definite How-To "Shoot the LIAG in the Sun": Put on a 2 stop ND filter (lens thread 43mm - but beware, it's a 21mm equivalent lens, I use a step-up ring for a 46mm filter to avoid too heavy vignetting), switch off flash, set exposure compensation to "+1" (in brightest conditions or with the sun in the frame, don't). Works like a charm - by a simple adaptation of the Sunny 16 rule. This way, the Instax Mini colour film really delivers, and the glass lens lets the camera punch way above its weight (that is to say, price). Best Instax (Mini) camera, period. I actually think Lomography should put a ND2 and a ND4 (one and two stop filter, respectively) in their sets instead of the quirky screw-on "lenses" that are barely useable ...

Oh, and coating the inner lens surfaces would help (see the usual cross-and-side-light flare in the second image above - ugly colour cast in the first is probably a reflection of my attempt to shield the lens from side light ...).

M.
 
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