Overview | |
---|---|
Type | Compact, point and shoot |
Released | 1984 |
Lens | |
Lens | Fixed, Minitar 1 32mm f/2.8 |
Sensor/medium | |
Film format | 35mm (135) |
Film size | 36mm x 24mm |
Film speed | 25-400 |
Film advance | Manual |
Film rewind | Manual |
Focusing | |
Focus modes | Manual, zone focus (0.8m, 1.5m, 3m, ) |
Exposure/metering | |
Exposure modes | Programmed auto, manual with fixed shutter speed |
Exposure metering | Cadmium Sulphide (CdS light meter |
Flash | |
Flash | Hot shoe only |
Flash synchronization | 1/60s; rear sync. only |
Shutter | |
Shutter | Electronically controlled |
Shutter speed range | 2m to 1/500s |
General | |
Battery | Three S76 |
Dimensions | 107 x 68 x 43.5 mm |
Weight | 250g |
The LOMO LC-A (Lomo Kompakt Automat) is a fixed lens, 35 mm film, leaf shutter, zone focus, compact camera introduced in 1984. Its design is based on the Cosina CX-2, with the difference being that it lacks a swiveling front and self-timer. [1] It was built in Soviet-era Leningrad by Leningrad Optics and Mechanics Association (LOMO). [2]
Production of the camera ceased in 1994. [3] In the mid-1990s, a group of enthusiasts from Vienna persuaded LOMO to restart production, [2] which continued until 2005, and they formed the Lomographic Society International, distributing these cameras around the world.
The LOMO LC-A's replacement, the LC-A+, was introduced in 2006 and production moved to China. [4] The LC-A+ featured the original LC-A Minitar-1 glass lens manufactured by LOMO in Russia. [5] This changed in 2007 and lenses on subsequent models have been made in China. [3] Some LC-As were sold badged as Zenith, [6] this label was only a sticker underneath the lens. Zenit (Zenith in some countries) is a trademark of KMZ (Krasnogorsk Mechanical Works).
Austrian company Lomography now offer three versions of the LC-A, the LC-A+ and LC-Wide in 35 mm format and the LC-A 120 in medium format. [7]
The only automatic function offered by the LC-A is exposure. Film loading, winding, rewinding, and focus adjustments are accomplished manually. Aperture can also be set manually, the shutter speed being fixed at 1⁄60 s (this ability was removed from the LC-A+). [3]
Exposure is completely automatic when the camera is set to "A"; the shutter speeds range from 2 minutes to 1⁄500 s. The aperture range is f/2.8 to f/16. The automatic exposure system compensates for changes in light levels after the shutter is opened by increasing or decreasing the shutter speed. This, in conjunction with the rear-curtain flash-sync, results in interesting effects with flash photography in low ambient light levels. [3]
The lens is focused by selecting one of four zones (0.8 m, 1.5 m, 3 m or ∞). Older versions of the camera feature viewfinder icons showing the currently selected focus zone, a feature omitted from later models.
A battery checking feature uses a LED inside the viewfinder; if there is sufficient power this illuminates whenever the shutter release button is lightly depressed. Another viewfinder LED illuminates whenever the camera's chosen shutter speed is below 1⁄30 s.
The size and shape is very close to that of the Cosina CX-2, the main difference being that the lens bezel is fixed (unlike the rotating one of the CX-2). Power is supplied by three 1.5v silver oxide cells (S76, LR44).
A single-lens reflex camera (SLR) is a camera that typically uses a mirror and prism system that permits the photographer to view through the lens and see exactly what will be captured. With twin lens reflex and rangefinder cameras, the viewed image could be significantly different from the final image. When the shutter button is pressed on most SLRs, the mirror flips out of the light path, allowing light to pass through to the light receptor and the image to be captured.
A camera is an optical instrument that captures images. Most cameras can capture 2D images, while some more advanced models can capture 3D images. At a basic level, most cameras consist of a sealed box, with a small hole that allows light to pass through and capture an image on a light-sensitive surface. Cameras have various mechanisms to control how light falls onto the light-sensitive surface, including lenses that focus the light and a shutter that determines the amount of time the photosensitive surface is exposed to the light.
A twin-lens reflex camera (TLR) is a type of camera with two objective lenses of the same focal length. One of the lenses is the photographic objective or "taking lens", while the other is used for the viewfinder system, which is usually viewed from above at waist level.
Minox is a manufacturer of cameras, known especially for its subminiature camera.
The Holga is a medium format 120 film camera, made in Hong Kong, known for its low-fidelity aesthetic.
Zorki is the name of a series of 35mm rangefinder cameras manufactured in the Soviet Union between 1948 and 1978.
Cosina Co., Ltd. is a manufacturer of high-end optical glass, optical precision equipment, cameras, video and electronic related equipment, based in Nakano, Nagano Prefecture, Japan.
A toy camera is a simple, inexpensive film camera.
The Canon EF is a manual focus 35mm single-lens reflex camera produced by Canon between 1973 and 1978. It was compatible with Canon's FD-mount lenses. The EF was built as an electro-mechanical version of Canon's top-of-the line wholly mechanical Canon F-1. The shutter is mechanical at all speeds starting at 1 second and faster, but from 2 seconds and beyond the shutter is all electric, allowing for AE shutter speeds as long as 30 seconds. The EF shares the F-1's rugged construction and tough metal body. Unlike the F-1, the EF does not support any motor drive for film transport. Neither does it provide any interchangeable viewfinder.
The Olympus OM System was a line of 35mm single-lens reflex cameras, lenses and accessories sold by Olympus between 1972 and 2002. The system was introduced by Olympus in 1972. The range was designed by Yoshihisa Maitani, chief designer for Olympus, and his staff; OM stands for Olympus Maitani.
Nikkormat was a brand of cameras produced by the Japanese optics company Nippon Kogaku K. K., as a consumer version of the professional Nikon brand. Nikkormat cameras, produced from 1965 until 1978, were simpler and more affordable than Nikon-branded cameras, but accepted the same lenses as the Nikon F series cameras.
The Kiev 35A is a semi-automatic 35 mm camera made by the Soviet Kiev-Arsenal factory. A copy of the Minox 35 camera and similar to Minox 35EL; it is small and lightweight. It is sometimes compared to the LOMO LC-A camera.
The Konica Hexar RF is a 35 mm rangefinder camera which was sold by Konica. It was introduced to the market on 13 October 1999. and subsequently discontinued some time before the end of 2003. The camera used the "Bayonet Konica KM-mount", a copy of the Leica M-mount, thus sharing interchangeable lenses with those designed for Leica cameras and others compatible with them. The Hexar RF has a combined rangefinder/viewfinder modeled on that of Leica cameras, a similar body shape and size - and so is similar to Leica M-mount cameras in many aspects of operation.
The Konica Hexar is a 35 mm fixed-lens, fixed focal length autofocus camera which was produced through the 1990s. It was introduced to the market in 1993. While styled like a rangefinder camera, and intended for a similar style of photography, in specification it is more like a larger "point and shoot" camera.
The Bessa family of cameras was manufactured in Japan by Cosina as a revival of the Voigtländer brand name.
Leica R4, R5, R6, R7 were 35 mm SLR cameras manufactured by Leica between 1980 and 1997 and belonged to the manual focusing R-System, which was offered from 1965 to 2009.
The Konica FP-1, introduced in 1981 and discontinued in 1983, was a 35mm SLR camera with TTL metering and a large range of exchangeable optics.
Zuiko is a brand of optical lenses made by Olympus Corporation that was used up to and into the Four Thirds system era. The name Zuiko (瑞光) means 'Light of the Gods', using a character from the Mizuho Optic Research Laboratory (瑞穂光学研究所), where the lens was developed, and a character from Takachiho Corporation (高千穂製作所), which would eventually become the Olympus Corporation.
The Lomography Lomo'Instant Square Glass is an Instax analog camera made by Lomography. It uses Instax Square and Mini instant film. When introduced in January 2018, it was "the first analog camera to shoot square Instax film."
The Fujifilm Instax Wide 300 is an analog instant camera from Fujifilm that uses Instax Wide instant film. It has a moderately wide-angle lens with some manually selectable fixed focus zones and a fixed aperture.