Automatic cameras have often provided photographers with convenience at the expense of creative shooting capabilities.
The Lomo’Instant Automat, however, is an instant camera that combines automatic settings with a wide variety of creative features. Aperture, shutter speed and flash output adjust automatically to make sure that the user’s shots are perfectly lit — foreground and background — in each and every shooting situation.
Users can take quick and easy snapshots or create surreal works of art with the camera, its makers say. Bulb Mode, for example, lets users shoot long exposures of up to 30 seconds, and is ideal for low-light shooting.
Lomo’Instant Automat ships in December at about $175 for the basic black Playa Jardin or white Bora Bora versions. But Kickstarter backers can get one of those for a pledge starting at $96 for super early birds. For an extra $25, pledgers get three packs of Fujifilm Instax Mini film. Its maker, Lomography, is looking to raise $100,000 by Oct. 5.
There is a potentially large audience for such a camera despite the industry shift to digital cameras. But at least some consumers may be concerned about what happens if Fujifilm stops making the film it uses.