Most camera buffs would not think of pairing the brands Leica and Lomography in any logical mating of photography loftiness, but typical is not what the Lomo LC-A Minitar-1 Art Lens is about. Borrowing glass from the iconic Lomo LC-A, the new performance lens mates legendary Lomography optics with either digital or film Leica M-mount rangefinders.
The new LC-A Minitar-1 is a wide and fast affair of 32mm f/2.8, which makes it an almost ideal fit for street photographer gurus. The lens uses the same zone focusing system as the LC-A, which equates to fast focusing for capturing the impromptu wonders on the world’s streets. The new lens is also a departure from the LC-A, in that it offers rangefinder coupling and aperture control too.
For those unfamiliar, the LC-A, or Lomo Kompakt Automat, is a wonderful camera made by formerly state-run Russian company LOMO (Leningrad Optical Mechanical Association). As for Lomography, the company was launched when the founders secured rights to distribute the LC-A outside of Russia. Even though the current product line is built in China, the specs and performance are identical. Based on the Cosina CX-2, the LC-A is famous for its simple automatic exposure system and for its unique 32mm lens characteristics. Fans of the system declare the camera a the only choice for ruling Instagram these days.
According to the latest news, the LC-A Minitar-1 is the 3rd in Lomography’s Art Lens series, after the New Russar+ wide-angle lens for M-mount, and the New Petzval portrait lens for Nikon and Canon SLRs. The LC-A Minitar-1 is purely a niche superstar like the aforementioned cousins, but being priced light years below its Leica M contemporary, the camera is a natural choice for down to Earth humanoids too. You can pre-order the Minitar-1 LC-A for shipment in July for €349 euro.