5 iPhone cases for the vintage camera aficionados

Make sure to check out our picks for the best iPhone 4 and iPhone 4S cases

There are some professionals photographers out there who may shun the idea of iPhone photography otherwise known as iPhoneography, while others embrace the new technology that makes picture-taking easier than ever. Whoever you are, that doesn’t discount the fact that vintage camera models are beautiful. Just because many have moved onto their iPhone cameras, that doesn’t mean you can’t take the look of a classic film camera with you.

Design Milk editor Jaime Derringer teamed with with online art retailer Society6 to bring you The Design Milk Diary, which features unique sets of iPhone cases sure to impress an artist in your life. Of these cases, several fall under the vintage camera look. Here are the selections Society6 offers, and a little history lesson behind the cameras they feature:

1) “Vintage Camera” by Ewan Arnolda

The name really does say it all. The hard plastic case features old models of cameras that used to have twin lens reflex technology that helped photographers take candid photos thanks to TLR cameras being quiet and inconspicuous since it can be held at chest or waist level.

Price: $35

2) “Flexaret Vintage Camera” by Bomobob

Like the above case, the Flexaret is also a TLR-style camera used primarily between the the 1940s to around 1970, when the Czech-American company stopped manufacturing the cameras. Flexaret cameras were capable of taking medium format photos, also known as 120 mm film that is square in shape, or regular 35 mm film with a special adapter.

Price: $35

3) “Shake it like a Polaroid picture” by Rachel Landry

Polaroid cameras need no introduction. We still miss the fun instant film photos provided back in the day, if only film isn’t so expensive these days. While digital versions of the Polaroid have appeared since, it’s not quite the same as shaking the polaroid picture to quicken the photo development process. Despite this theory, you should be careful. Too much shaking and you can actually end up destroying the photo because the film will separate and break.

Price: $35

4) “Moment Catcher” by Enkel Dika

Back in the day, built-in flash was a huge camera commodity. This iPhone case outlets the blueprint of how cameras were put together, and features the giant external flash that you usually see in old movies or Mad Men episodes when photographers are running about snapping photos.

Price: $35

5) “Pink Pola Love vintage camera” by Bomobob

Clearly made for the girly photographer in you, nothing says sweet innocence like a pink Polaroid camera. Polaroid never really made custom color cameras as much as hackers at home went out and modded the thing to fit their style. 

Price: $35

While all of the above iPhone cases are all hard plastic, most have an iPhone skin version should you choose to stick with something a little less bulky. The skins cost $15 apiece, but are guaranteed to last a lifetime. We hope you’ll enjoy these designs as much as we did, especially if you have a great appreciation for the history of photography.