You’re more likely to care about your shots if you use film rather than memory cards. But film’s new life in our digital world is all about spontaneity, happy accidents and hard, vibrant evidence that you were there.
The Fujifilm Instax Mini 50S brings instant gratification to the party along with the lost art of waving a print back and forth to air-dry it. When you automatically adjust its shutter speed and colour balance, it does its best in low light – but even if it fails, you get surreal prints to put on the refrigerator door.
Best for: Producing one-of-a-kind prints that capture the moment and giving them to strangers you’ve just met.
$129.99.
Among the last of a dying breed, the Nikon FM10 is one of the few film cameras still on the market. Once a choice for photography students, it’s now for film enthusiasts who know what they’re doing, since it lacks scene modes and previews to prevent mistakes that’ll cost you in film. But nothing is more satisfying than developing your own prints in your closet.
Best for: Photography buffs with a deep passion for picture-taking and dangerous chemicals.
$349.99 with 35-70mm lens, case and strap.
Lomography has just a few rules: take your camera with you, shoot from the hip and don’t worry about the outcome. The Lomo LC-A Russia Day Limited Edition updates the classic that started the movement. It’s wrapped in red Italian goat leather and outfitted with the Minitar lens that produces radiant colours and shadowy vignettes.
Best for: Spontaneous people more interested in shooting moments than technically correct photos.
$389 from Lomography Gallery Store Toronto, 536 Queen West, 647-352-6700, canada.shop.lomography.com.
