Analogue Buys: Christmas Gifts

Happy New Year, people! I got myself four new cameras to celebrate this new year... four cameras and something like 50 rolls of film. Yes, I'm totally addicted.


FUJICA MA-1
I've been tracking this 1982 toy camera by Fuji on ebay for quite a long time. It was €49 [ + shipping], a price you shouldn't be willing to pay for a cheap piece of plastic dating 8 years prior to your birth, but well, "'tis the season to  be jolly  spend money", so mom bought it for me.
Believe it or not, this camera looks even more red in person. Also, it visually reminds me of some other cameras I own. The lens reminds me of the Holga 135 BC, its plastic body looks like a Diana, the shutter button is like the one of the Olympus XA, its color makes me think of my Russia Day and my red Konica Pop, and it feels as sturdy as the cheapest disposable. I like the feeling I get when I hold it in my hands, it's like holding all those cameras at the same time. That's silly, I know.
By the way, the camera you see in the picture is exactly the same one I bought: isn't it lovely? ;-)

POPEYE CAMERA
I've always wanted a wide cam that fits in any bag to carry around at all times. When I started writing commissioned translations for Lomography Italia I decided I'd save up to buy the über-expensive LC-Wide. When I finally reached the necessary amount of piggies, it went out of stock, so I bought the Russia Day instead, which costed me the same money and looks cute and all, but it ain't a super-wide camera. I saved up again and again, but decided I'd rather build a collection of toys and film rolls instead of spending so much on a single item. That's how I got to buy a Fisheye, a Diana Mini, a Pop9, an ActionSampler, a Holga 120 CFN, and an embarassing amount of film [35mm, 120, instant].
I currently have about 60 piggy points and commissioned translations are becoming fewer and fewer, so I doubt I'll get the LC-Wide any time soon, that's why I'm more than happy with my brand new Popeye Camera! Also, look how funny its packaging is! It's like a spinach tin! And this camera is so tiny that it will most likely live in my bag. Or in my pocket too.
This camera is quite hard to come by, and the Four Corner Edition comes hand-numbered [mine is /150, but it basically is like any other Wide&Slim clone [22mm, f/11]... it just looks prettier!


JUICE BOX CAMERA
If you didn't know about this camera yet, I'm sure you'll need one as soon as you read this post. This is the cutest, funniest, lightest, loveliest, sweetest camera ever known to mankind. Full stop.
I usually don't like elephants [and apes, I guess that's because of all that Dumbo and the Jungle Book stuff when we were young], but this time I just couldn't resist the light plum color and the sweet face of the little elephant. And the best thing about its design could be the camera back [I'll show you some pics of the camera itself as soon as I get to finish my first roll with it].
The fake straw on top works as a "shutter button": its speed is said to be 1/100, but mine seems to work on a B-setting, as it doesn't shut 'till I release the shutter button. We'll figure this out, I guess.
This tiny baby's lens is quite wide too [28mm], and I just can't wait to take it to some crowded place to take lots of candid shots of unaware strangers ['till they notice and beat me up].

SPLIT-CAM
If I ever get to write down my complete collection of film cameras, you'd most likely think I have some kind of a fondness for multi-lens/weird format cameras. I do actually like them, but I rarely have the carefree attitude you need to play with those. That is to say that I doubt I'll ever enjoy my Split-Cam that much, but as it, as far as I know, out of production, I thought I'd better have to grab one before they're all gone. I guess this is the sort of camera which is too weird, the kind you get bored with easily. Also, this camera is an ugly duckling. It is most likely the worst-built camera ever, and it is quite big too. It looks clumsy, but not in a cool way [like a Holga, for example]. It just looks cumbersome. Okay, now you know I'm that shallow, too bad. Will this camera ever grow on me? I don't think so, but let's just wait and see :-)

*Click through the pictures to see their original source*
*See my pictures on Flickr & in my LomoHome*
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Sidsel T.

Some say he’s half man half fish, others say he’s more of a seventy/thirty split. Either way he’s a fishy bastard.

12 comments:

  1. Oh a split cam is awesome, I'd love one of those and 50 films is amazing, you're going to have a fun year!

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  2. I have a wide lens (but not the one you want) and the juicebox camera (although a different design to yours) but I'm still ridiculously jealous of your collection! I've had no money for months but I soon will have, so no doubt it'll be spend straight away on all the cameras I want!

    I also really need to stock up on film, although I doubt I'll buy 50!

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  3. @ Rihanne: I guess it's all about the looks, I'll get used to its clumsiness sooner or later, and then I'll end up loving it, I guess!

    @ Hannah: I've bought most of the 50 rolls using my piggy points, earned after translating Lomography's microsites and stuff night&day for a looong time, otherwise I doubt I'd be able to buy so many rolls myself too! I've been kinda broke lately, but I've also been good last year... and Santa noticed! :-)

    Can't wait to see your new cameras!

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  4. I was feeling inspired after seeing this post, so went and bought 10 films off ebay, all expired ones :) and I can get good new Kodak film from the pound shop so I'll stock up on them next time I'm in town!

    I'm not sure how much I trust ebay for buying cameras though, unless they're brand new, and I'd still rather be able to pick it up and hold it in a shop. And if it's a vintage camera there's a great antique dealers near me that has a huge selection so I'd get them from there. Have you ever bought cameras from ebay?

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  5. Yay for the10 rolls!

    I feel the same about buying cameras on ebay, but I actually only buy cameras on ebay, and all of them are vintage/used cameras. I'd love to hold the camera in my hands and check it, but we don't have many flea markets/antique shops round here, I mean, we have tons, but cameras are hard to come by and are usually very old and very expensive.

    I guess it just depends on the seller, when you buy from ebay. I've had some negative experiences and made some great deals, it's always a bit risky, you never know what you get 'till you phisically get it at your doorstep. I wouldn't buy anything too expensive off ebay anyway, also because parcels tend to get lost as soon as they meet the Italian Posts!

    When I see a camera I really want on ebay, I usually check the seller's feedback [I read all negative and neutral comments] and how many photographic items they have for sale. I think it's always better to buy from people who mostly sell cameras/films. The prices may be a bit higher, but at least they [should] know what they're talking about. Also, these people might be amateur photographer/camera collectors, so they're cameras should be in good condition.

    Sorry about the long reply, I'm a bit long-winded, I know ;-)

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  6. No it was good, very useful advice! I might consider buying off ebay in the future, but yeah it is all about shopping around. I only know of the one place near me that sells film cameras, although they do have a large selection, but even they don't know if they all work so it's probably the same level of risk! I took my dad with me last time I bought from there because there were two of the same model and I figured he was more likely to know which would work better! The camera is perfect so he'll definitely be coming with me next time as well!

    As you probably noticed from my post on 27 Kodak Moments I bought 10 regular Kodak films as well, although I wish I'd bought more now! I'll have to go in again sometime :)

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  7. Yeah, dads know best! Too bad I can't send my dad to Ukraina or some place like that to check out some original soviet cameras I'd love to add to my collection! That really would be perfect!
    In my opinion, as long as you can find good cameras near home and ask your dad to check them out for you, I think you should save ebay for the rare/extremely cheap stuff only... also because of all the shipping&handling costs, custom duties and such. Once again, too bad we don't have a place that sells vintage cameras in town :(

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  9. I discovered a camera shop in another town near where I live today, but they were charging at least three times as much as cameras I've seen in the antiques dealers. They're all guaranteed for six months though so I guess that's a good thing, but they were still all over £100 which seems a bit much :S



    The other thing I really want to do is go to Korea or Hong Kong or somewhere, because all the fun toy cameras I see and want are usually from there! They get all the best gadgets! Haha

    (P.S. sorry for leaving this same comment from the Kodak Moments account, probably didn't make sense but I was temporarily signed on in that one at the time and forgot about it!)

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  10. No problem, I have two gmail accounts and often send the same message twice!

    Sure the warranty is a plus, but £100 seems a bit too much to me too!

    About the Korea/HK-thing, that's so true! I believe South Korea to be some kind of a kawaii wonderland, they have the cutest things, not only cameras, also all those pretty stationery items... I so want to go there too!

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  11. Ciao, sono felice di vedere che la fotocamera che ti ho venduto su ebay (History-Camera) è in buone mani!.
    Dai un'occhiata al mio blog:
    http://fotoriflessiva.blogspot.com
    Sono scuro che troverai dei post interessanti sulle fotocamere vintage.

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    Replies
    1. Ciao, avevo capito dalle foto e dalle descrizioni che il blog e il negozio dovevano essere della stessa persona, ho pure salvato l'indirizzo nei preferiti, chissà perché non ti seguo ancora, rimedio subito! Complimenti, hai una collezione veramente fantastica, e il tuo blog è una miniera di informazioni utilissime. Avevo già comprato una Konica Pop dal tuo negozio ebay tempo fa, adesso aspetto solo che ci sia una bella giornata per provare la Fujica!

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