Lomo MC-A in review: The best new analog camera in 20 years?
Lomo MC-A: Finally a "real" camera again?
Let's be honest: Since the big collapse of the analog industry in the 2000s, there has been little reason to celebrate when it comes to new hardware. Most of the time, we got plastic toys or extremely expensive niche products. But now Lomography presents the Lomo MC-A, something that makes us in the workshop sit up and take notice.
Is this the long-awaited successor to the legendary compact cameras like the Contax T1, Olympus Mju, or Yashica T5 from the 90s? We took a close look at the technology and the first reports from the community.
Technology instead of toy: What's inside?
The most important thing first: The MC-A is not a plastic toy (compared to the admittedly much cheaper Kodak Snapic A1). Lomo uses a metal body here, which you immediately notice by the weight (a hefty 332g). It finally feels like a tool again, not a disposable camera.
The optics: Minitar-II
If I miss something special from the good old days of analog technology, it’s the excellent optics. Electronics are much easier and cheaper to reproduce today. Good lenses, on the other hand, are still hard to manufacture and therefore rather rare in current cameras. All the more pleasing is that the MC-A comes with a 32mm f/2.8 Minitar-II glass lens (5 elements in 5 groups). The focal length is an exciting sweet spot between the classic 28mm wide-angle and the 35mm reportage lenses. Perfect for street and "always with you." The big advantage of the MC-A compared to the Snapic is the lens’s brightness. With a maximum aperture of f/2.8, you can still expose well even in moderate light and with a classic ISO 200 film.
The autofocus: LiDAR technology
Here it gets exciting. Lomo does not rely on outdated infrared technology but on a modern LiDAR autofocus system. It works extremely reliably even in low light. And for the old-school fans: you can still manually estimate focus by zone focus, but the motor does the work.
Close-up view of the focus control
Image quality: Character with edges and corners
How does it perform in practice? The reports are clear: If you’re looking for clinical sharpness, this is not the camera for you (and maybe you should shoot digital). The MC-A delivers character.
- At f/2.8 (wide open): Here it shows its "Lomo roots." The center is okay, but it gets soft towards the edges (which some people like), with a distinct vignetting. Users describe a "glow," almost like with a ProMist filter. You either love it or hate it.
- From f/5.6: Sharpness increases significantly, and the vignette disappears. This is the working range for "serious" photos.
Example of the image look in daylight. Source: Lomo Instagram
Sharpness performance in close range. Source: Lomo Instagram
Light and shadow (literally)
The exposure metering works solidly but tends (like many cameras of this type) to slight overexposure in high contrast. A small downside is the program auto mode (P mode). It tends to open up very quickly to f/2.8 to keep shutter speeds short.
Our tip: Use aperture priority mode (Av). Set the camera to f/8 if there is enough light, and you’ll get crisp results.
Manual control is the key to sharp images.
An important detail about power supply (Ausgeknipst tip!)
Lomo delivers the camera with a rechargeable CR2 battery that has a direct USB-C connection. We think this is technically very well done and very contemporary. No more searching for exotic chargers!
Therefore, our clear recommendation as engineers: Always have a second battery with you. Nothing is more frustrating than missing the perfect light because the battery is currently on the cable.
We have added exactly this matching battery to our range for you:
To the matching replacement battery for Lomo MC-A
Conclusion: Buy or not?
Honestly? Yes. If you have the budget of just under 500 euros, this is probably the best new analog camera that has come onto the market since the 2000s.
It exactly fills the gap between cheap "reusable" point-and-shoots and the completely overpriced, maintenance-prone legends like the Contax T2. You get a point-and-shoot with a warranty, modern features (LiDAR!), and – if you want – full manual control.
If you can live with the slight edge softness at wide open (or see it as a stylistic device), you get a tool here that’s really fun.
Have you already tested the MC-A? Write us your experiences!
Sources and further links:
Buy camera at Lomography
Image sources: Lomography Instagram