Who Wants To Test The Lomo LC-A 120 ???????????

Pioneer said:
Basically, It appears that you will likely be quite satisfied by putting the focus lever at infinity and then leaving it there.
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Really good info. Looking back at my blurry pics, they were all the ones that I had used settings that were not infinity. I find this very disappointing as I made the effort to focus, going by the fact that the camera has a focus lever, but all that did was screw up the pics.
We don't know if this specimen is defective, or if they all do that. If it is the former, than paying $420 and not knowing is,well, lame. If it is the latter, then it should not have a focus lever (and no harm in that I guess - my Widelux does not have one either).

Looking forward to your other pics Pioneer.
 
Huss said:
Really good info. Looking back at my blurry pics, they were all the ones that I had used settings that were not infinity. I find this very disappointing as I made the effort to focus, going by the fact that the camera has a focus lever, but all that did was screw up the pics.
We don't know if this specimen is defective, or if they all do that. If it is the former, than paying $420 and not knowing is,well, lame. If it is the latter, then it should not have a focus lever (and no harm in that I guess - my Widelux does not have one either).

Looking forward to your other pics Pioneer.
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Interesting tests Pioneer. I wonder if it is too late to return that camera as defective.

Mine seems to focus okay, but I'm still not wild about the camera. Never posted pics from my last roll. These are Lomo 800 film shot at proper ISO.

img193.jpg by David O, on Flickr

img194.jpg by David O, on Flickr

img195.jpg by David O, on Flickr

img200.jpg by David O, on Flickr

Looking forward to seeing your pics Pioneer.
 
Huss said:
So David, the focus lever works on yours? Your photos look good. (what is that boy eating?!)
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Looks like a turkey leg to me.

I do suspect that there are some problems with this camera. However, the focus adjustment does work and is moving the lens back and forth. In this case the image is obviously back focused but we need to remember that, unless you are measuring your distances as I was for the test, you may not notice.

What I think was most obvious was the clarity of the results when the lens was set at infinity.

I repacked the camera today in anticipation of returning it to Stephen but I may unpack it just to take another roll using only the infinity setting.

Anyway, the other film should be back from the lab early next week and I will get that posted. I also did some testing of the results of using the ISO setting as a means of exposure compensation. It does work and I will get some of those pictures posted tomorrow.
 
Pioneer said:
I do suspect that there are some problems with this camera. However, the focus adjustment does work and is moving the lens back and forth. In this case the image is obviously back focused but we need to remember that, unless you are measuring your distances as I was for the test, you may not notice.
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This is pretty much the conclusion that I came to.
As far as I could tell, the problem isn't that the focus lever is not doing anything, but rather that it is doing to much.

This was from my first roll through the camera. The focus lever was set to 2.5 meters, but the plane of focus is about 1-1.5 meters from the camera.

Lomo%252520Focus%252520.jpg


11-4-15%252520Lomo%252520LC-A%252520120%252520Portra%252520400-002NCScrop.jpg
 
Huss said:
So David, the focus lever works on yours? Your photos look good. (what is that boy eating?!)
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The focus seems to work okay. I didn't do any testing to confirm that but I definitely took pics that were closer than infinity focus.

And, yes, that is a turkey leg.
 
As it turns out the head bartender has offered to send another camera to test so we can establish if this one is defective.

Now I'll have to break out the champagne and actually use some real film for this test.

Actually, I do have a number of film options available to me. Are there any suggestions?

And by the way, thank you very much Stephen.
 
A Few More Test Photos

A Few More Test Photos

I have received the 2nd Lomo LCA-120 from Stephen and I will be conducting a repeat of the focus test done with the first. I had hoped to finish that before Christmas but I don't think that will happen at this point.

I do have to say, at this point I am actually relatively impressed with the results.
 
A Few Conclusions

A Few Conclusions

Based on the results I think I can make a couple conclusions.

1. The lens vignettes heavily but this can actually be used to your advantage.

2. Composition is as important with this camera as it is with any of the others.

3. Though I initially was concerned about the shutter, that turned out to really be a non-issue. It is stiff but you get used to it.

4. The film transport is a bugger. I averaged 10 shots per roll of 120 film. The worst offender was the Fuji color film. The best was the Arista EDU Ultra 400 with it's thick, old fashioned backing paper.

5. For color film, the exposure system seems pretty well set up as it is. For black and white I found the results more to my taste if I underexposed my film.

6. Though it probably seems pretty obvious, results are far better in lower light if you use a tripod. What may be a bit surprising is that lower light includes overcast conditions outdoors.

The camera is actually pretty nice. It seems well built yet simple enough to use on a regular basis. I am sure that the fact that it uses 120 film helps the lens return decent results. It uses inexpensive, easy to find, batteries. The fact that the lens can be covered (which also shuts down the exposure system) is definitely a plus since the lens is well protected when not in use. Whether or not it is actually worth the price being charged is not a question I want to answer.
 
Good work. Thanks for posting these. Makes me want to run some more rolls through mine. Interested in how the second one works out.
 
I bought one recently and have just finished a roll of HP5+. One question. I tried the MX switch, and I noticed that the frame advance counter also advance with the MX switch activated. Is this normal? My first thought is that it would stay put for MX, but then its only 12 shots.

I also have an Agfa Isolette III. 😀
 
Based on my memory I believe the only result from using the switch is that the double exposure lock is disabled. You can double expose the frame by pressing the shutter button a 2nd time without advancing the film. Since the shutter is electronic you don't have to cock it again manually. However, you can still advance the film and, as a result, the film counter advances. By turning the MX switch off you will be unable to fire the shutter a second time without advancing the film and disarming the double exposure lock.
 
Pioneer said:
Based on my memory I believe the only result from using the switch is that the double exposure lock is disabled. You can double expose the frame by pressing the shutter button a 2nd time without advancing the film. Since the shutter is electronic you don't have to cock it again manually. However, you can still advance the film and, as a result, the film counter advances. By turning the MX switch off you will be unable to fire the shutter a second time without advancing the film and disarming the double exposure lock.
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Ha. I think I was confused. I only did the MX thing one time during the whole roll. Perhaps it was after taking the double exposure that I advanced the film, hence the counter moving. :bang: Anyways, I will attempt a few more double exposure and really pay close attention this time 😱 . Thanks for the prompt reply.

p/s - my first shot with the camera, I forgot to focus, thinking that Lomo cameras automagically does everything. 😛
 
I don't have the 35mm LC-A, but I have seen a video of someone modding their russian LC-A to enable double exposure. Basically cutting a groove on the bottom plate in order to access a spring thingy to recock the shutter without advancing the film. (The LC-A+ has the MX lever at the bottom.)

So even though the LC-A shutter is electronics, it is actually electro-mechanical. There are springs and stuff, the electronics part is the timing of electromagnets(?) to open/close of the shutter instead of having the clockwork escarpment (?).

I think the MX toggle on the LC-A120 is different than the LC-A+. On the LC-A120, it only allows the shutter button to be activated (as many times). Shutter cocking on LC-A120 is by pressing the shutter button, simultaneously tensioning the bed springs (cocking shutter), and then at end of travel, releasing the shutter. On the LC-A+, cocking the shutter I guess is by ratcheting the film advance knob or the sliding the MX lever at the bottom.
 
dHZiaKJ.jpg


One of the pics on my first roll. My double exposure experiment was a disaster. :bang: Also with this wide angle lens, I have to be really close to the subject.
 
Nice shots dwojr! I now really wish I knew about the focus issues with the unit I used when I had it. There were some shots I would have liked...
 
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