Jeroen
Well-known
Today I received an e-mail from the official Lomography-mailinglist, stating the following. A long piece, but I thought I'd share, especially the last part:
For immediate release
PRODUCTION OF THE LOMO LC-A HAS ENDED. LIMITED STOCK IS REMAINING.
Dear Lomographers from one end of the Earth to the other, We have BAD news, GOOD News and the BEST news. (and a little bit of OLD news)
The Bad News: Lomo LC-A Production has stopped
Listen closely and take a seat. Here is the bad news first. The original and one-and-only Lomo LC-A camera has been taken out of production. Some of the most beautiful items ever created (the original VW bug, Constellation, Tupolev, Concorde and Illushin airplanes, Polaroid SX-70's, Olivetti typewriters, Lambretta scooters, Commodore 64 computers, Wacker Innsbruck, etc.) have disappeared despite the enormous love and respect that they command. According to the LC-A's Russian factory (LOMO PLC), the LC-A has proven too expensive to continue given their existing structure. As they no longer produce any cameras outside of the LC-A, they lost key manufacturing synergies. Engineers and craftsmen experienced in 35mm cameras are a dying breed. Wages and energy costs have skyrocketed. Our beloved LC-A consists of 450 individual parts, and is extremely labor-intensive to construct. The days of its precise assembly by hand have come to an end and its production is no longer cost-effective within their new structure.
The Good News: There is still time
Now for the good news. As the LC-A is first in our heart and soul, we have been fighting these developments for quite some time. Although we could not ensure its future production, we still have a few hundred units for each Lomographic market (USA, Asia, Europe, Africa, & Australia).
Beginning on May 1st, 2005, our last remaining Lomo LC-A units will be sold worldwide through our best partner shops, Lomography.com, and our Asian partner websites. This final stock was produced under the burden of a huge cost increase. We had no choice but to accept, and we regrettably must raise our corresponding retail pricing. Beginning on May 1st, the Standard Lomo LC-A package will cost 260 USD/Eur. The Deluxe Package will increase to 325 USD/Eur.
The next 10 days are your last chance to order an LC-A at the old pricing. All orders must be received by 11:59PM (Vienna Time) on April 30th to qualify.
The Best News: A bright future ahead
And finally...the BEST news. Russia would not be Russia if there wasn't a blazing hot summer after a deep-frozen winter. A task force of Russian, Chinese, and Austrian brains are feverishly working on a new and vastly improved Lomographic camera. Cross your fingers and believe: if this baby is born, it will be the ultimate LOMO snapshot machine - complete with plenty of innovative and exciting new features. The precision and soul of Russian optics, the efficiency of Chinese production, and the Lomographic fever of Austrian ideas & design will forge the camera of your dreams and the Lomo-fied answer to your prayers. Take this to heart - the new Lomo will be the greatest compact camera ever conceived.
Do you have a fond wish, technical suggestion, or burning desire for the new LOMO? Speak now and fill out our online poll . Tell us the greatest, craziest, and most urgent features that you would like to see on the new LC-A. We can't guarantee that every idea will be used, but we can guarantee that every idea will be eagerly read and kept close to our beating hearts. The best 3 ideas will receive a shining prize of 50 Piggypoints. The next 7 runners-up will receive 25 Piggypoints each. That's a total of 10 tasty prizes - so grease up your thinking caps and send us the most earth-shattering ideas that you have. Deadline for entry is Thursday, April 28th.
(The Old News was a link to online Lomo-history). Any thoughts or wishes? How about a re-release of the original XA...?
For immediate release
PRODUCTION OF THE LOMO LC-A HAS ENDED. LIMITED STOCK IS REMAINING.
Dear Lomographers from one end of the Earth to the other, We have BAD news, GOOD News and the BEST news. (and a little bit of OLD news)
The Bad News: Lomo LC-A Production has stopped
Listen closely and take a seat. Here is the bad news first. The original and one-and-only Lomo LC-A camera has been taken out of production. Some of the most beautiful items ever created (the original VW bug, Constellation, Tupolev, Concorde and Illushin airplanes, Polaroid SX-70's, Olivetti typewriters, Lambretta scooters, Commodore 64 computers, Wacker Innsbruck, etc.) have disappeared despite the enormous love and respect that they command. According to the LC-A's Russian factory (LOMO PLC), the LC-A has proven too expensive to continue given their existing structure. As they no longer produce any cameras outside of the LC-A, they lost key manufacturing synergies. Engineers and craftsmen experienced in 35mm cameras are a dying breed. Wages and energy costs have skyrocketed. Our beloved LC-A consists of 450 individual parts, and is extremely labor-intensive to construct. The days of its precise assembly by hand have come to an end and its production is no longer cost-effective within their new structure.
The Good News: There is still time
Now for the good news. As the LC-A is first in our heart and soul, we have been fighting these developments for quite some time. Although we could not ensure its future production, we still have a few hundred units for each Lomographic market (USA, Asia, Europe, Africa, & Australia).
Beginning on May 1st, 2005, our last remaining Lomo LC-A units will be sold worldwide through our best partner shops, Lomography.com, and our Asian partner websites. This final stock was produced under the burden of a huge cost increase. We had no choice but to accept, and we regrettably must raise our corresponding retail pricing. Beginning on May 1st, the Standard Lomo LC-A package will cost 260 USD/Eur. The Deluxe Package will increase to 325 USD/Eur.
The next 10 days are your last chance to order an LC-A at the old pricing. All orders must be received by 11:59PM (Vienna Time) on April 30th to qualify.
The Best News: A bright future ahead
And finally...the BEST news. Russia would not be Russia if there wasn't a blazing hot summer after a deep-frozen winter. A task force of Russian, Chinese, and Austrian brains are feverishly working on a new and vastly improved Lomographic camera. Cross your fingers and believe: if this baby is born, it will be the ultimate LOMO snapshot machine - complete with plenty of innovative and exciting new features. The precision and soul of Russian optics, the efficiency of Chinese production, and the Lomographic fever of Austrian ideas & design will forge the camera of your dreams and the Lomo-fied answer to your prayers. Take this to heart - the new Lomo will be the greatest compact camera ever conceived.
Do you have a fond wish, technical suggestion, or burning desire for the new LOMO? Speak now and fill out our online poll . Tell us the greatest, craziest, and most urgent features that you would like to see on the new LC-A. We can't guarantee that every idea will be used, but we can guarantee that every idea will be eagerly read and kept close to our beating hearts. The best 3 ideas will receive a shining prize of 50 Piggypoints. The next 7 runners-up will receive 25 Piggypoints each. That's a total of 10 tasty prizes - so grease up your thinking caps and send us the most earth-shattering ideas that you have. Deadline for entry is Thursday, April 28th.
(The Old News was a link to online Lomo-history). Any thoughts or wishes? How about a re-release of the original XA...?
thmk
Well-known
Wow... I should stop using my LC-A. Maybe it will be worth half a million some day 
The camera is not bad and it has "something" despite all the hype. I took some nice pictures with it. But I doubt it is worth the 260 Euro (at least for me).
Something like the XA is indeed a fine idea. Small, silent and a rangefinder. Nevertheless I assume the future will again be a kind of simple and overprized P&S camera.
Cheers
Thomas-Michael
The camera is not bad and it has "something" despite all the hype. I took some nice pictures with it. But I doubt it is worth the 260 Euro (at least for me).Something like the XA is indeed a fine idea. Small, silent and a rangefinder. Nevertheless I assume the future will again be a kind of simple and overprized P&S camera.
Cheers
Thomas-Michael
R
Roman
Guest
I have always been ashamed a bit that those rip-off artists are from my hometown...
Roman
Roman
felipe
Established
Jeroen said:
Wow!Is this the part where they make some jokes to lighten things up?
Sounds like someone figured out you can buy a new lc-a without all the stylish crap for 1/4 the EU price in russia (you could two years ago)
Then they figured they couldn't get away with charging a premium of 140 Euros for the trendy accesories anymore and decided it's time to earn some real money with it simply by umm - how about doubling the price?
:bang: Now that paragraph is absolutely awesome. WHAT A BUNCH OF BRAINLESS MONKEYS.Jeroen said:
bahahahaha 325 Euros!
I paid 15 Euros for two of those (both made in 198x) and I was using it as a "serious" camera until this whole trend plowed it's way right through to dumb peoples' wallets. Sold one of them for 80 Euros on ebay in 2002, and had the other one sitting in the closet for years because I was too embarrased to use it after all their campaigning for the "lomo-lifestyle".
Jeroen,
your note reached me just in time as I was prepping my remaining lc-a for auction
I actually recovered it with fake red snake skin leather from aki-asahi ($7) which makes it even more trendy and flashy and wild and stuff (mind the sarcasm!) and might just push the price into oblivion.But now I'm definetly waiting 'till the crapshooters are sold out, should take care of financing my trip to spain I guess
Thanks again!
cheers,
Phil
jan normandale
Film is the other way
Hmmm I don't know but there are a lot of "good" crappy cameras out there to play with that don't cost 260 Euros or 325 Euros. I can take a pass on that 'deal' in a heartbeat. They must be wearing Lomo glasses. Three months ago I was at their site considering a camera and it wasn't $300 US at the bottom end of the price range. Not much resemblance to reality there. I think they are going to be disappointed. I also suspect that there will be many more "released' than a few hundred. Why am I cynical? Because they are.
I don't want to be known as one of the people that bought a "crappy camera" for almost $300 USD because I was a few months too late.
Jan
I don't want to be known as one of the people that bought a "crappy camera" for almost $300 USD because I was a few months too late.
Jan
DougK
This space left blank
Reminds me of those TV ads where they always say "... but you must act NOW!!!! Operators are standing by!!!!" Fabulous... they can stand by for someone else. If I want crappy photos I can take them with any camera I have, no special equipment required .
.
ikophot
Member
Ha,ha 325 E for a Lomo, I bought the orignal camera which the Lomo is based on the Cosina CX1 with flash and motor for 5 E at a fleamarket.The mechanical quality is 100x better than the Lomo. So I guess I can spend the 320E I saved on trendy stuff
Antonio Shalder
RF-Brasil
ikophot said:Ha,ha 325 E for a Lomo, I bought the orignal camera which the Lomo is based on the Cosina CX1 with flash and motor for 5 E at a fleamarket.The mechanical quality is 100x better than the Lomo. So I guess I can spend the 320E I saved on trendy stuff
I agree. This camera sucks.
phototone
Well-known
the camera is worth $35 USD TOPS.
einolu
Well-known
My soviet brothers are rolling in their graves!
jan normandale
Film is the other way
einolu said:
I think their parents are rolling in their graves for what their children are doing to their family names.
Jan
einolu
Well-known
the people behind lomo are pretty young, their parents are probably alive ;-) but now we are really getting sidetracked,