It sports a premium, retro design and sturdy build quality.
Its easy to use and you might get creative with long or multiple exposures too.
But theres no selfie mirror, its slightly awkward to handle, and it uses disposable batteries.
(Image credit: Nikita Achanta / Tom’s Guide)
Thanks to the glass lens, the photos come out sharp with plenty of detail.
For the complete breakdown, read my full Lomography Lomo’Instant Wide Glass review.
Naturally, its more expensive than the non-glass version.
The LomoInstant Wide Glass has a retail price of$279 / 249 at Lomography.
Thats $110 more than the price of the first-gen model ($169).
The camera measures 7.3 x 4.6 x 4.6 inches and is the biggest instant camera Ive tested so far.
Weighing 2lbs, its also heavier than the 1.4lbs Instax Wide 400.
And yes, I got a few funny looks from strangers when out and about testing it.
Trust me, I tried shooting single-handedly and nearly dropped it on concrete.
Its made of hard, high-quality plastic and aluminum.
It doesnt look or feel cheap.
I really wish the camera had a selfie mirror.
The surface shows a distorted reflection and cant really be used to take selfies.
This means that you should be able to use the camera for any punch in of shot you want.
As for aperture, the LomoInstant Wide Glass has two options: f/8 and f/22.
By default, its set to f/8.
The optical viewfinder (OVF) is a little tricky to use.
Its small which makes it difficult to look through, especially if you wear prescription glasses like I do.
Lets start with the front of the camera first.
Around the lens, youll find a dial.
Twisting it lets you swap between the four focus zones I mentioned earlier.
Its easy to do and it feels sturdy enough that you wont accidentally change options unintentionally.
Its flat with ridges.
All other controls rest on the back, next to the film door.
These include flash, multiple exposure (MX) and exposure compensation.
Under these, youll find a lever which looks a bit like a speedometer needle.
All of these controls and buttons are straightforward to use and you quickly get accustomed to them.
I also like that there are a few LED lamps on the back, scattered between buttons.
The camera also comes with a wireless remote which doubles as a lens cap.
The lens and wide film result in a capacious field of view, too, providing context to photos.
(Image credit: Nikita Achanta / Tom’s Guide)
The film quality itself is great and it takes just under 90 seconds for prints to develop.
Similarly, I could also easily distinguish between the individual balcony railings in the third shot.
I adore how the photos turned out in the gallery above.
(Image credit: Nikita Achanta / Tom’s Guide)
Ripples in the water have been captured exceptionally well too, showing the sharpness of the lens once again.
Its difficult to distinguish the seagull atop the bin from the background.
The LomoInstant Wide Glass focus zones can be tricky to wrap ones head around too.
(Image credit: Nikita Achanta / Tom’s Guide)
And as I mentioned before, selfies can be difficult to take.
Overall, though, Im stoked with most of the photos Ive taken.
This is similar to Polaroids square film, where you pay approximately $1.12 per print.
(Image credit: Nikita Achanta / Tom’s Guide)
Lomography Lomo’Instant Wide Glass review: Battery life
Four AA batteries power the Lomography LomoInstant Wide Glass.
These are easily procurable but they arent the easiest to recycle.
If environmental impact is a concern, I recommend using rechargeable ones.
(Image credit: Nikita Achanta / Tom’s Guide)
Lomography Lomo’Instant Wide Glass review: Verdict
Ive really enjoyed testing the Lomography LomoInstant Wide Glass.
Its great for landscape photography as wide film captures a lot of the scene.
Its easy to use too, and it lets you get creative with multiple or long exposures.
(Image credit: Nikita Achanta / Tom’s Guide)
But lets face it: this is averylarge camera.
Handling it is a little awkward and it looks silly, to be frank.
It also uses disposable batteries that arent environmentally friendly, and theres no selfie mirror.
(Image credit: Nikita Achanta / Tom’s Guide)
At the end of the day, though, its a fantastic instant camera that stuns with its performance.
(Image credit: Nikita Achanta / Tom’s Guide)
(Image credit: Tom’s Guide)
(Image credit: Tom’s Guide)
(Image credit: Tom’s Guide)
