Fact: we all want a more serious camera that shoots with Instax film. And Lomography is giving most of us what we’ve wanted. Being announced today is the new Lomography Lomo’Instant Wide Glass camera. It’s designed for those of us who want simple controls but also yearn for sharper images. It follows in the same tradition that the original Lomo’Instant Magellan did. Considering what Lomo is capable of doing, I’m sure we can expect super-sharp photos from the new glass lens. And while you don’t get a full manual control mode, the company claims to offer full aperture and shutter control in separate modes.
Lomography Lomo’Instant Wide Glass Key Features
- 90 mm multi-coated glass lens (35 mm equiv.)
- 0.3 m closest focusing distance
- Fully programmatic shutter and aperture mode
- PC-sync flash connection for external flashes and strobes
- Additional manual fixed f/22 aperture stop for greater depth of field
- Manual exposure compensation and flash controls
- Multiple and long exposure modes
- Splitzer, Remote Control Lens Cap, built-in flash and colored gel filters included
- $279 price point
Sample Images
Worth Getting?
For $279, the Lomo’Instant Wide Glass is far more affordable than lots of the others that we’ve deemed to be excellent. In 2023, we rounded up the best Instant Film cameras for Professional Photographers. The Mint InstantKon was the only one that shot Instax Wide film. But we’re also aware that this camera has quality control issues, especially around the glass optics. Lomography tend to be more careful about that stuff as they’re a larger company. But at the same time, they’re Lomography — and everything the company does has its quirks.
We say all of this without having held or used the camera yet. But we also know that many photographers crave the ability to have full manual control if they’re shooting studio or more actual creative work. If you’re simply just capturing the world in front of you the way so many other photographers do, then aperture priority is truly the way to go.
Most photographers I know these days pretty much exclusively shoot in aperture priority. With just how good camera metering has become, it’s a logical way to capture what’s in front of you and stay in the moment.
For many photographers, I think that the Lomo’Instant Wide Glass will be their entry into the world of serious Instax photography. There’s a lot that cameras like this can do. Plus, it has a glass lens for sharper image quality.
At the same time, I liked the charm and softness that plastic lenses have given us for years because they negate the need for retouching. If you think Instax Wide isn’t a sharp film, you’d be wrong. In fact, Instax in general is insanely sharp and it highly capable of making images where you can see someone’s pores.
In 2015, we reviewed the Lomo’Instant Wide. We liked it back then, but I believe that with more controls over the image quality, photographers will be able to make photos that match more of their creative vision. That, perhaps more than anything else, is the most beautiful thing about this new camera.