Lomography has added a half-frame model to its Simple Use range, and the pitch is right there in the tagline: simple use, not single use. Where a disposable camera goes in the bin once the roll is done, this Lomography camera comes preloaded and ready to shoot but is designed to be reloaded again and again with any standard 35mm film — and the body is made from recycled materials. For a format enjoying a genuine resurgence, it’s a smart, low-waste way in.
The half-frame twist is the clever part. Each exposure is half the size of a standard 35mm frame (17mm × 24mm), so you get roughly double the shots from a roll: around 40 photos on the preloaded film, and up to 72 frames once you reload with a standard 35mm cassette. Beyond the economy, the tall 17 × 24mm frame lends itself to social-friendly vertical shots or paired diptych compositions, giving the camera a creative character that belies its simplicity.
It ships in two editions — preloaded with either LomoChrome Classicolor ISO 200 colour film or Lady Grey Black and White ISO 400 — and the colour version throws in three coloured gel flash filters for tinting the built-in flash. After that, what you load next is up to you. This is squarely aimed at both first-timers and seasoned film shooters after some low-stakes fun, and it lands neatly alongside the wider half-frame revival sparked by cameras like the Pentax 17.
A word on expectations: this is a deliberately simple camera, with a fixed 21mm lens, a single 1/120s shutter, a fixed f/9 aperture and zone focusing from 0.6m to infinity. It is a toy-camera experience rather than a precision instrument — but that unpredictability is exactly the appeal, and the reloadable, recycled approach makes it a far more responsible choice than a disposable. We think it’s a genuinely charming, sustainable entry point to analogue shooting.
Lomography Simple Use Reloadable Half Frame: Specifications
Film: 35mm. Film format: half-frame (17mm × 24mm). Lens focal length: 21mm. Shutter speed: 1/120s. Aperture: f/9. Focusing: 0.6m to infinity (zone focus). Flash: built-in (one press to charge, 15-second recharge). Battery: 1 × AAA 1.5V (included). Frames: approximately 40 on the preloaded roll, up to 72 when reloaded with standard 35mm film. Editions: preloaded with LomoChrome Classicolor ISO 200 or Lady Grey Black and White ISO 400; colour version includes three coloured gel flash filters. Body made from recycled materials. Preloaded film available from Lomography.
Lomography Simple Use Reloadable Half Frame: Price and availability
The camera is available through Lomography’s online shop and its retail partners. UK pricing was not stated in the press materials we’ve seen; we will update this story once it is confirmed.
