Instant film is the have-your-cake-and-eat-it-too of modern photography — and now that cake is fully automatic. Lomography launched its sixth Kickstarter project for the Instant Automat Camera just less than a week ago, yet the campaign has already reached nearly five times its original goal for the automatic instant camera.
While smaller than their previous two instant cameras, the Automat will automatically adjust the shutter speed, aperture and flash output. The company’s earlier version, the Lomo Instant, had just two shutter speeds: 1/125s and bulb, using apertures between f/8 and f/32 to adjust the exposure. The Automat, on the other hand will automatically choose a shutter speed from 8s to 1/250 — presumably using a built-in meter to measure the light in the scene. The company is calling it “the most advanced automatic instant camera.”
So where do the “advanced” features come in on an automatic camera? The camera includes exposure compensation, multiple exposures and a bulb mode, as well as compatibility with a number of different lenses. Adding a lens to the camera’s built-in one (much like adding a lens to a smartphone camera) expands the camera’s capability with a wide-angle, fish-eye and close-up lenses. While the flash will adjust the intensity on it’s own, a set of colored flash gels allow the user to create different hues in their images as well.
The Lomo Instant Automat uses Fujifilm Instax Mini film, which is smaller than the traditional Polaroid at 108mm by 86mm for each print, including that characteristic white border.
The Automat, as a fully funded Kickstarter campaign, is expected to be shipped out to early backers by the end of the year. The camera, available in four colors, starts at around $130 with the three lenses, excluding the Kickstarter’s early deals.
