It was a piece of art. Glass lenses (not plastic), with aspheric shape to reduce picture deformation. Metal part made with high precision. No plastic element in mechanism. Shutter and iris together with simple linear automatic. Synchro with flash by hot foot. Built in cover (activated by slider at bottom). One of my favorite camera in 80'. Funny fact: 1. There was additional housing to use camera underwater. But it was rare, only few thousand was produced. Housing was called CRAB. 2. Manual instruction contains even information about substances used for production - 0.12g of Gold, 2 g of tin, 0.4g of lead, etct. It was in 80' when nobody even dream about REACHs. 3. There are two contacts at bottom of camera. They are use to synchronize camera with additional electric winder. Winder was powerized by two AAA bateries and allow continuous shooting 2.5 picture per second. Only few hundreds of winder was produced... extremely rare units. 4. There were "proto of selfie stick" dedicated to this apparat. Stick had constant length - about 70 cm. And contains pneumatic shutter trigger. Yep - 40 yrs before selfie stick with Bluetooth controller. 5. In 1987 in polish company ELWA created electronic flash lamp dedicated to this camera. It was named XELA18LA1. Lamp has synchro via hot foot, and was similar size as Lomo. Lamp need 4 AA battery or accumulators.
Wowww, thanks so much for your comment! We learnt a lot, I can see that you love this camera. It is indeed a great little camera and with your fun facts I like it now even more. Cheers!
I was disappointed to find out the shutter mechanism and the iris mechanism were one unit controlled by electronics because I was working on adapting the lens to my Sony. Now I'm working on designing a simple two leaf iris that should give interesting diamond shaped bokeh or out of focus light rendering.
Ey! Thanks for the comment! We sure will make more reviews - you can also check out the other one we have already up, the Texas Leica! But with no doubt, many of these will be featured in the future. Any in particular you are interested in? Cheers!
Ey Ola! thanks for the comment! Happy this reviewed help you and hope you get to enjoy a lot your new LC-A, you'll see that it can do amazing things. We would love to see what you do with it, if you have instagram catch us @crunchyfingerschannel. Cheers! 🤗
My lomo was in a drawer. For now I haven't bought the batteries yet, but I notice that when I shoot, despite hearing the classic noise, the shutter blades don't open. Without batteries should the shutter still open?
Ohhhh great!! I really love this little camera - the lens performs so good and the metering is surprisingly good! I hope you get a good copy, because you know.. old USRR quality control was all over the place 🤞🏻🤞🏻 tell us how you do with it when you shoot some film!!
@@CrunchyFingers So, since you asked Eva, I got the camera and she is in PERFECT working condition .. she even came with a Mikona flash gun ...all for 10 euros.. an 87' model. I'm very happy :)
I love the Lomo LCA! When I bought mine originally it didn't work but fortunately I was able to get it fixed and Its a great camera to shoot with. I actually did a video on it too.
It has been one of my favorites for many years, now with so many cameras I really can’t choose. But I am always surprised at how good this camera meters, and the slight crazy vignettes! I’ll check out your lca video for sure, thanks for commenting!
it really depends on the speed (ASA) of the film you are using and the available light! If you select the aperture manually (e.g. 2.8), the shutter speed will be fixed at 1/60th of a second, which is quite slow. If you are shooting on somewhat bright light your photo will be definitely overexposed, even if you use an ASA100 film. I would recommend auto in this case!
Haha Russians do have a long track record at copying cameras... and although I have not a single complain about this one it would be nice to try the original!
Dear Ma’am, I recently bought a Lomo LC-A from Ukraine through eBay. In this camera, the ASA or ISO range is supposed to be 25, 50, 100, 200, 400. But in this camera, it is marked as 16, 250, 130, 65, 32. Please help me to understand what is what. Please help me with it. Awaiting your reply Navaneeth
Hi Navaneeth!! Don’t worry, some copies of this camera have the film sensitivity written in GOST instead of ISO, which means that it reads “16/32/65/130/250” instead of the ISO/ASA “25/64/100/200/400”. But they are more or less equivalent, so if you are using a 100 iso film you will use your 65 setting and so on. Hope you have fun with your new camera! Cheers.
Yeah this tends a lot to happen with old Russian cameras, a bit of a gamble. You can get a gem or you can get a turd 😅 maybe you come across another good one someday!
@@CrunchyFingers I was crazy about photography some years ago and trying out different gears (inexpensive). Nowadays, I won't even buying their lenses if someone recommending them to me.
It was a piece of art. Glass lenses (not plastic), with aspheric shape to reduce picture deformation. Metal part made with high precision. No plastic element in mechanism.
Shutter and iris together with simple linear automatic. Synchro with flash by hot foot.
Built in cover (activated by slider at bottom).
One of my favorite camera in 80'.
Funny fact:
1. There was additional housing to use camera underwater. But it was rare, only few thousand was produced. Housing was called CRAB.
2. Manual instruction contains even information about substances used for production - 0.12g of Gold, 2 g of tin, 0.4g of lead, etct. It was in 80' when nobody even dream about REACHs.
3. There are two contacts at bottom of camera. They are use to synchronize camera with additional electric winder. Winder was powerized by two AAA bateries and allow continuous shooting 2.5 picture per second. Only few hundreds of winder was produced... extremely rare units.
4. There were "proto of selfie stick" dedicated to this apparat. Stick had constant length - about 70 cm. And contains pneumatic shutter trigger. Yep - 40 yrs before selfie stick with Bluetooth controller.
5. In 1987 in polish company ELWA created electronic flash lamp dedicated to this camera. It was named XELA18LA1. Lamp has synchro via hot foot, and was similar size as Lomo. Lamp need 4 AA battery or accumulators.
Wowww, thanks so much for your comment! We learnt a lot, I can see that you love this camera.
It is indeed a great little camera and with your fun facts I like it now even more. Cheers!
I was disappointed to find out the shutter mechanism and the iris mechanism were one unit controlled by electronics because I was working on adapting the lens to my Sony. Now I'm working on designing a simple two leaf iris that should give interesting diamond shaped bokeh or out of focus light rendering.
Just got mine in and I found this video pretty helpful. Thanks!
Thank you! Hope you enjoy your little camera! ☺️
Nice vid Eva!!
Thanks so much David! Keep posted for our photographic adventures 🤗🤗
I hope you make more of these! I make camers reviews as well and would love to try this camera!
Ey! Thanks for the comment! We sure will make more reviews - you can also check out the other one we have already up, the Texas Leica! But with no doubt, many of these will be featured in the future. Any in particular you are interested in? Cheers!
Awesome review, picking an LC-A + on monday. This video has shown me the ins and out, thanks.
Ey Ola! thanks for the comment! Happy this reviewed help you and hope you get to enjoy a lot your new LC-A, you'll see that it can do amazing things. We would love to see what you do with it, if you have instagram catch us @crunchyfingerschannel. Cheers! 🤗
My lomo was in a drawer. For now I haven't bought the batteries yet, but I notice that when I shoot, despite hearing the classic noise, the shutter blades don't open. Without batteries should the shutter still open?
Нет. Без батареек затвор не работает
Privet from Russia, tovarish Crunchy! Glad to see that this sweet candy of soviet industry take fun to you.
Privet Roman, spasibo for passing by and commenting! ☺️ I love this Russian one, although we also have a zorki 4 and a lubitel 166 📷
I just got one for 10 euros and will be getting it on Monday. Can't wait!
Ohhhh great!! I really love this little camera - the lens performs so good and the metering is surprisingly good! I hope you get a good copy, because you know.. old USRR quality control was all over the place 🤞🏻🤞🏻 tell us how you do with it when you shoot some film!!
@@CrunchyFingers I certainly will. Thank you! Let's hope it's a good copy, like you said 🤞🏻
@@CrunchyFingers So, since you asked Eva, I got the camera and she is in PERFECT working condition .. she even came with a Mikona flash gun ...all for 10 euros.. an 87' model. I'm very happy :)
Lovely!!! My copy is from 1989, little bit younger! ☺️ hope you have fun with it and get nice images 🤩🤩
I’ve never heard of cross processing but I love the effect! 😍 which film did you use for that? I have a lomo lca and would love to try it!
I love the Lomo LCA! When I bought mine originally it didn't work but fortunately I was able to get it fixed and Its a great camera to shoot with. I actually did a video on it too.
It has been one of my favorites for many years, now with so many cameras I really can’t choose. But I am always surprised at how good this camera meters, and the slight crazy vignettes! I’ll check out your lca video for sure, thanks for commenting!
@@CrunchyFingers of course. Thanks for the great videos.
shooting portraits with 0,8 and f/2.8 without flash should be fine or you recommand Auto?
it really depends on the speed (ASA) of the film you are using and the available light! If you select the aperture manually (e.g. 2.8), the shutter speed will be fixed at 1/60th of a second, which is quite slow. If you are shooting on somewhat bright light your photo will be definitely overexposed, even if you use an ASA100 film. I would recommend auto in this case!
If you like the Lomo, you should look the camera it is a copy of, the Cosina CX-2.
Haha Russians do have a long track record at copying cameras... and although I have not a single complain about this one it would be nice to try the original!
Dear Ma’am,
I recently bought a Lomo LC-A from Ukraine through eBay. In this camera, the ASA or ISO range is supposed to be 25, 50, 100, 200, 400.
But in this camera, it is marked as 16, 250, 130, 65, 32. Please help me to understand what is what. Please help me with it.
Awaiting your reply
Navaneeth
Hi Navaneeth!! Don’t worry, some copies of this camera have the film sensitivity written in GOST instead of ISO, which means that it reads “16/32/65/130/250” instead of the ISO/ASA “25/64/100/200/400”. But they are more or less equivalent, so if you are using a 100 iso film you will use your 65 setting and so on. Hope you have fun with your new camera! Cheers.
@@CrunchyFingers Thank you so much, Ma’am 😍. I was waiting to load the film after your reply 🤗🤗
I had one before but I will never buy another one.
The quality control was not good.
Yeah this tends a lot to happen with old Russian cameras, a bit of a gamble. You can get a gem or you can get a turd 😅 maybe you come across another good one someday!
@@CrunchyFingers I was crazy about photography some years ago and trying out different gears (inexpensive). Nowadays, I won't even buying their lenses if someone recommending them to me.
No Milan, you dont need another camera... :)
Boycott all and every product manufactured in Russia. Hurray for the heroes of Ukraine!!