Three Cameras from 2024: My favourite experiences this year.

Three Cameras from 2024: My favourite experiences this year.

A couple of years ago, with the encouragement of Stephen Dowling of Kosmo Photo, a group of camera bloggers were asked to write about three cameras they had discovered that particular year and what each one meant to them. That was a really good idea, I thought, I'm always picking up something new and it's interesting to take a quick look back at the fun I've had over the year. So again I present you with the three cameras that I have most enjoyed using during 2024.

The Lomo Smena 8M 

It seems to me that the Lomo Smena 8M is like Marmite, you either love it or hate it. It does have some little foibles, like the lever that cocks the shutter which hits your finger if the camera is held wrong and ruins the exposure, or the difficulty of turning the rewind knob, and it of course it's unusual in not having a fixed take-up spool, but I'm firmly in the 'I love it' camp. I had bought one because it has a really well-regarded lens, the classic Triplet T-43 4/40, which I have seen converted to use with micro four-thirds mirrorless cameras. I thought at the time that if the camera was a dud I could alway take off the lens and use it with a digital camera. In the event, the Smena 8M is fantastic and I'm never going to fiddle with it. After a few rolls, the Smena 8M has rapidly become my favourite 35mm camera. 

The resolution of the lens is fabulous, for such a cheap-looking camera, providing lovely sharp images so long as you get the zone focusing right (which is always my biggest failing). For me it is perfect for experimentation, and when I chose to make my first roll of redscale film, using Harman Phoenix, the Smena 8M was the camera I immediately turned to. And I must say I was delighted with the results. 

The Polaroid Big Shot 

I first became aware of the Big Shot some time in 2022, when the Shitty Camera Challenge was promoting its Autumn challenge, Instant Regret. At the same time I learned of its connection with the artist Andy Warhol, who used a Big Shot extensively in his work. Originally this was a $20 camera launched by Polaroid in 1971, and it was only produced for two years before being withdrawn from sale. The story goes that Andy Warhol bought a bulk load of Big Shots so that he could continue using his beloved camera after its demise.

With a single shutter speed of 1/50s, and a focal distance limited to about 1m, the Big Shot was an unusual beast in that it was designed for one job, taking portraits. The Type 100 pack film that the Big Shot uses was withdrawn by Polaroid in the mid-2000s, and it's Fuji equivalent in 2016, so if you want to take photographs with the Big Shot then you've got to be a little bit creative. I've made some nice plastic mounts for the Big Shot, which takes one piece of Instax Wide film. It's not exactly practical, being limited to one exposure at a time, but I'm thrilled to have brought such a classic camera back to life.

The Olympus Camedia C-100

For a long time I've wanted to get my hands on a glitchy camera, one that's working but the sensor is way past its prime. I found the Camedia C-100 in a camera shop in Porto in their 'Outlet' section. These are cameras that fall short of being in good enough condition to sell at normal retail prices so are offered with the caveat that: 'Outlet products are sold as damaged for parts or decoration without warranty or return'.

The sensor in the C-100 is failing, and I reckon that it's overexposing by around 10 stops. I've invested in a cheap ND2-400 variable ND filter, and on its maximum setting the results are quite 'good'. In really low light there's no need for an ND filter, and on a tripod with colour and infrared filters the results are amazing. The Camedia produced some lovely digital aerochromes, and I even had a little fun with some trichromes and Intentional Camera Movement. 

Honourable Mention: The Panasonic Lumix GF1 (with Panasonic 20mm f1.7 pancake lens)

This is actually a late entry to my favourite cameras of the year as I've only had this combination for a couple of weeks and I've not really used it to its best. A while ago I picked up a Panasonic Lumix GF1 micro four-thirds mirrorless camera. I was actually looking for a used Ricoh GRiii, but this camera was one-tenth of the price and it has a really good reputation, even 15 years after its release. Besides, I thought, it would go nicely with my other Olympus Pen series mirrorless cameras. 

Although it will take any micro four-thirds lens, the one that I really wanted for this camera was the Panasonic 20mm f1.7 pancake lens. The biggest snag was the price. Even in poor condition, the 20mm f1.7 goes for well over €150 and that was just far too much for me. However, I found one on the Kamerastore website for less than half the price. It was in the 'Not Passed' category, since 'the aperture mechanism doesn't work properly', read the description, 'it randomly selects aperture instead [of] the one chosen by [the] user'. 

When the lens arrived I mounted it onto the Panasonic Lumix GF1 and it clicked securely into place. I reckoned a walk around the block would test the lens and so I took several images, on Program mode, Aperture priority mode, and Shutter priority mode ... and I couldn't tell which was which,  the lens behaved perfectly. I even tried a few close up images, and the blurred background at the widest aperture was, frankly, spectacular. Actually, all of the images were spectacular and this camera and lens combination is hard to beat. Now I'm smitten, and the Panasonic GF1 and 20mm f1.7 lens combination will be a permanent arrangement. Hopefully next year I'll get to see more of what it can do.

So these are the cameras I have most enjoyed using during the year. If you are reading this and fancy entering your own three cameras, please go ahead, and if you could add a link to this post, that would be awesome, and I'll try to update the post with each entry as I find them.

Have a good year and see you in 2025.

If you are on Mastodon, you can now follow this blog directly. Just go to Mastodon and follow the 'Snapshot' WordPress account at @keithdevereux.wordpress.com@keithdevereux.wordpress.com. All new posts will be automatically updated to your timeline.

#BigShot, #Smena8M, #Camedia, #Film, #Vintage, #YearInReview, #Instax, #Instant, #ShittyDigital, #Glitchy, #ICM, #Abstract, #Glitch,