alternatives to the Lomo LCA?

[polaroidimpulse]

hey,do you guys know of any cameras that are similar in style and design to the Lomo LCA? such as the Olympus XA2 or the Vivatar Ultra Wide and Slim? Any help is much appreciated. =]

[ANDREW!]

There's a Cosina camera that's nearly identical (CX-1 or 2?), but they're rare and probably more expensive than Lomos. Are you looking for a cheaper alternative?

[polaroidimpulse]

thanks. =] and yeah, cheaper alternatives would be nice.

[ANDREW!]

Probably XA2 or XA3 are they cheapest and easiest to find. I find that they don't really have the "Lomo" look though. No substitute!

[poindexter]

A little finicky, but they have a similar exposure system. They'll do up to a 30 second exposure. Fast lens, nice traditional feel.

[gvelasco]

The CX-1 or CX-2 (or CX-3 if you can find one) can give you similar results, but not exactly. The CX-1 has a focal length similar to the LC-A, but it's slower. The CX-2 is as fast as the LC-A, but it's a longer focal length. Both the CX-1 and the CX-2 have a "better" lens than the LC-A, so they don't exhibit as much vignetting as the LC-A. None of the Cosinas have second curtain sync for the flash. None of the Cosinas have a multi-exposure switch as in the LC-A+. The CX-1 and CX-2 don't have threads for a cable release.

The Olympus XA2 (or XA3 if you can find one) is an excellent camera that can be used in the same way because it's compact, has a wide, fast lens that can be protected. Unfortunately it uses a dedicated flash, so you can't use the ColorSplash flash. It doesn't do multi-exposures. It doesn't have second curtain sync. The lens is very good, so you can't expect much vignetting.

The Vivitar Ultra Wide and Slim can give you some very lomo-like results in bright daylight, but it doesn't have a flash or a hot shoe.

The Konika Pop (not Pop 10, EFP, etc. - just Pop) is a cool little camera that is most usually found in bright red, but is available in green, black, and I think blue. It has a built-in flash that pops up and a relatively wide angle lens that tends to vignette in bright light or when the flash isn't quite strong enough. The pictures tend to be contrasty and the camera is small and light.

Another interesting LC-A alternative is the Elikon35c. Interestingly, it looks a lot like a Konika Pop. It's a Russian camera with a Russian lens similar in specs to the LC-A, but it's actually harder to find than an original LC-A. It doesn't have a long exposure setting or double exposures, but you can get some very lomo-like results.

I'm waiting for delivery of a Holga 135, not the 135BC or P, just the 135. It has double exposure capability, a B setting for the flash, zone focusing, cable release socket, and tends to vignette because of the plastic lens. The one big difference is that it has a longer lens than the LC-A because they use exactly the same lens that they use on the 120 Holga which on a 35mm ends up being close to medium length. I'm also waiting on a Lomographic Tunnelvision lens which will convert it from 45mm to about 25mm which might give results similar to the LC-A, but it won't be as convenient a rig.