Lomo LC-a With Kodak Ektar 100

Like most film photographers, I struggle to decide which camera and what film to bring on vacations. When reviewing my camera options for my upcoming trip to Nicaragua, I knew it needed to have three things:

1. Low enough value so that I wouldn’t worry about losing it.

2. Be able to easily fit in my pocket.

3. Capable of capturing high-quality images.

And for the film, I knew I wanted something capable of capturing the vivid colours of a tropical country.

I decided to take the Lomo LC-A and picked up a roll of Kodak Ektar 100. While you might be thinking this is like putting premium high-octane gas in a 1990s Toyota Camry. I’ll let you be the judge of that.

In this article: A brief history of the Lomo LC-A. What’s good about the LC-A? The drawbacks of LC-A. LC-A + Ektar. Final thoughts. Support this blog & get premium features with GOLD memberships!

A brief history of the Lomo LC-A.

For those of you who don’t know, the Lomo LC-A is a Russian camera that was “rediscovered” by art students who went on to found the company Lomography (named after the camera).

This was the camera to have back in 2012. It fetched prices well above most point-and-shoots at the time. Since then, it feels like the camera has lost some of its following. Today, it can still be found for around $120 on eBay. While Lomography has since developed a reputation and the lo-fi movement, embracing out-of-focus images, the Lomo LC-A just isn’t quite all of that.

What’s good about the LC-A?

One huge advantage of this camera is its size. I quickly realized it had a lot of potential when I was walking around the busy city streets and could easily pull it out of my pocket and line up the shot. Zone focus works great too, especially when you can leave it set at infinity.

The drawbacks of LC-A.

Alright, well enough hype, this camera isn’t perfect. A controversial drawback is the signature Lomo vignette. While it varies in prevalence throughout a roll, it does appear, especially in photos taken in bright light.

Another issue amongst the high-end crowd is, while the lens produces nice, sharp images, it does get a little soft in the corners.

LC-A + Ektar.

Kodak Ektar 100 was a great pairing for the Lomo LC-A’s 32mm f/2.8 Minitar lens. It’s very contrasty, and I think it’s well-suited for the vivid colours of Ektar 100.

While certainly not the holy grail that is Portra, Ektar has its place. It really has its advantage being a negative film that mimics the fine grain and vivid look of slide film, but with a greater exposure latitude and a lower cost.

Final thoughts.

Well, after getting this roll back, I did not regret bringing the Lomo LC-A on my week trip to Nicaragua. It let me focus on being in the moment and was easy to whip out of the pocket when I saw a scene I wanted to capture. I’d recommend this combo to anyone planning a tropical adventure!