Lomography’s newest 35mm camera crams twice as many photos in a single roll of film. The Lomography Half-Frame Lomourette is a quaint but affordable half-frame 35mm compact camera with a fixed lens and a large flash.
The Lomourette body takes some obvious inspiration from the brand’s popular Diana F+ camera, including using the same flash. But where the Diana F+ shoots 120mm film with a switch to shoot 12 full images or 16 smaller images, the Lomourette splits every frame of the 35mm film for 72 images per 36-exposure roll.
Lomography is the latest brand to launch a half-frame - following on the heels of the Pentax 17, Kodak Ektar H35, and the Alfie Tych+. The Lomourette isn't Lomography's first half frame, however, and is an update of the Diana Mini, which allowed photographers to choose from half-frame or square.
While brands like Pentax say the half-frame format is about both reducing costs and using an aspect ratio closer to a smartphone screen, for Lomography, the half-frame format is also designed for creative expression. The Lomourette encourages photographers to use the split diptych, or side-by-side images to explore contradictions or craft mirrored images.
The Lomourette uses a fixed 24mm lens with either f/8.0 or f/11 available. Similarly, photographers have just two options for shutter speed with 1/60 or Bulb mode. The lens is manually zone focused using four different distance settings.
In keeping with Lomography’s focus on creative experimentation, the Lomourette allows for unlimited multiple exposures per image. Photographers can shoot a single shot, or experiment with double or triple exposures before manually advancing the film.
The camera, which takes one AA battery, also ships with colored gel filters. As a 35mm camera, the Lomourette takes any 35mm type film, including Lomography’s wide range of options designed for unusual colors and creative effects.
While the specs don’t include full measurements, Lomography calls the camera “a petite, whimsical confidante.” I’ve experimented with a Lomography tiny camera in the past, and the toy-like-feel and expectation of imperfect images brought with it a feeling of play and creative freedom.
The Lomourette joins a growing number of newly launched half-frame cameras. With a list price of about $69 / £75 / AU$ 106, the new camera sits on the more affordable end with cameras like the Kodak Ektar H35 rather than the Pentax 17 which offers a few more controls but doesn’t quite offer full manual exposure modes. While half-frame has been around since the Sixties, the format seems to be seeing a resurgence as a way to mix the growing interest with the rising costs of analog photography.
The camera launches in three different color options. The Picnic edition is a minty green with a white top plate while the classic is a black camera with a blue top plate. Both list for $69 / £65 / AU$ 106. A Water Lilies edition wraps the camera with a Monet Water Lilies-themed artwork and sits at a slightly higher list price at $79 / £75 / AU$ 121.
Order the Lomography Half-Frame from B&H for $69-$79
Classic Edition | Picnic Edition | Water Lilies Edition
Or shop directly from Lomography internationally
Hungry for more half-frame? Browse the best film cameras, read up on the history of half-frame or find the best 35mm film to fit inside the new camera.
