Building the Superheadz Last Camera

Superheadz Last Camera

I bought mine from Tokyu Hands at Osaka. I wasn't really expecting I'd find one there. I was lazily browsing their small Lomography section and when I turned over this old-looking box set (the plastic cover was already yellowish! haha), it happened to be a Last Camera kit! And it was their last stock! 

Unboxing the Kit:

Nami Island on Film, Winter Edition

Came with my friends (a.k.a. the Awkward Korea Group) to visit my favorite country for the third time last January 2013. Hindi naman masyado obvious na mahal na mahal ko ang Korea? :P It was an amazing experience to witness Winter in this lovely place. So happy that my photos were able to capture how dreamy Nami Island was. :)

Camera: Superheadz Super Fat Lens

Film: Kodak Ektachrome E100GX

My lovely travel mates: AKG!

Nami Island on Film, Autumn Edition

Shots from our October 2012 trip to Korea. Finally fulfilled my dream to witness Autumn at Nami Island. :)

Camera: Diana Mini, Half-Shot Mode

Film: Kodak Ektachrome E100GX

My favorite shot :)

Current Love: Diana Mini En Rose

My Pink Baby!

I really wanted to start expanding my camera collection and start handling the "big boys" of Lomography. But I was loyal to the 35mm format so I thought it would be a while before I can get my hands on a "Level 2" camera.

And then I discovered the Diana Mini. As soon as I found out that it used 35mm films and had the square shot/half-shot options I went CRAZY.

This camera was a bit of a splurge. Really the first time I invested on a hobby. I was suppose to buy online but I couldn't find anyone who had stocks. So I bought mine at Team Manila. The package contains the Diana Mini, Diana F+ Flash (cheaper if no flash but absolutely worth it to have one), Camera Strap, Color Gels for Color-splashing, Diana Plug-to-hotshoe adapter, and the Diana Mini Book.

The first time I used my Diana Mini, I was honestly disappointed and started regretting my choice to buy it. I took 24 shots since I tried the square format but only 12 came out. I still don't know what caused the other 12 to get destroyed. Maybe I was using the wrong settings and the photos got overexposed. There were some really great and surreal shots but I wasn't satisfied.

Film: Fuji Sensia 200 (Color Slide, Cross-Processed)

Colorsplash and Multiple Exposure :)

Despite the weird angle, LIGHT LEAKS!

I love this :)

Hi Friends!

I was losing hope (drama! haha). But really, I was starting to think that this was going to be a waste.

And then I read a blog post about a guy's first experience with his Diana Mini. He said that he too had a disappointing first roll because he was still figuring out how the camera behaves. But when he tried using it in a "Don't Think, Just Shoot" moment at party, he saw its beauty. He said that you just need to give it a chance. So I brought it with me at our summer outing and literally shot away!

Film: Fuji Superia X-tra 400 (Color Negative)

Hi crazy friends!

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What came out is now my current favorite roll. It was so crazy and fun and I loved every single one of the photos.

So what did I get from this experience? Lomography is still a trial and error hobby and that you just have to be patient will all your "testing". Kaya nga experimental photography eh haha. And don't worry too much about how you take your shot and wanting to get the perfect angle. Sometimes I get the best photos when I don't think about how it will look like when it gets developed.

I recently used my Diana Mini last October for our Korea trip and I'm just wait for my schedule to free up so that I can have my rolls developed. Really can't wait! :)

To end, YES, the Diana Mini is still worth it. Just be prepared for its mood swings. Lomography was right to name it after a girl hahahaha :P

Second Love: Superheadz Super Fat Lens

Ordered from SNAPNOOK.COM

Full name: Superheadz Super Fat Lens Ultra Wide Angle Camera

Not only is it cute, affordable and easy to use, it's perfect for beginners like me. With the right film, you can produce breathtaking photos with this simple but powerful camera. It has a wide angle lens so my shots always seem to have this stretched out and "malalim" feel and almost always produces vignetting.  

I've used this camera twice and with different films. You can see below the difference in the photos it can give. 

Film: Kodak Elite Chrome 400 (Color Slide) 

Rialto Sign in Grainy Awesomeness

Film: Fuji Superia Xtra 400 (Color Negative)

We love Korea! 

And can I just share, the photo above really shows how much Lomography can surprise you. This was a random move and I didn't really expect a good shot but it came out super well. :)

Only downside I've experienced with it is that it's very susceptible to light leaks and overexposure. I sometimes get really bright "light spots" which tends to cover a small part of the photo. There's also always 2 to 3 shots that get overexposed. 

Can someone please explain why these happen? :(

Right now I have Lucky B&W SHD 100 installed in it. Will probably have it developed on Monday. Can't wait to see how this camera fares with B&W film. 

First Love: Vivitar IC 100

A fellow lomographer from the internet calls it the "Poor Man's LC-A". It's one of the most basic toy cameras you can get your hands on. Plastic kung plastic haha. Just point and click, no other fancy settings. It uses 35mm film and so far I've only used color negatives with it. It also has a hot shoe so it's good for indoor photography but I never had the chance to try it. 

My Favorite Shot from my First Ever Roll

Trivia: To get the shot above, I had to lie on the grass and shoot it from an upward angle. It was worth it. :) The result was unbelievably random and unexpected. This was the shot that got me hooked. This shot will always remind my why I love Lomography. 

Picture is taken at the La Mesa Eco Park in Fairview.

At Las Casas Filipinas de Acuzar

This camera also gives awesome vignetting and using the shoot-from-the-hip technique and upward shooting will produce great results.

Sadly (blame it really on my lack of creativity and my scrimping on quality films) my love for this camera gradually waned as I used it. There was always something missing in the photos and I was never satisfied. This ultimately resulted in me buying my second camera. 

My Vivitar was pretty banged up after my Bicol trip last year and is now just sitting on my shelf, all rusty and creaky. But it will always have a special place in my heart.