probably the most alluring thing about the Lubi is the fact that it's a TLR (Twin Lens Reflex) as opposed to the now ordinary SLR, where you see through the viewfinder exactly what the lens see. some people see this as a con of TLRs, as your photo-taking can go awry due to parallax error. i, however, see it as part of the charm. i also love how you need to hold the camera at waist/hip height to see anything through the viewfinder (which you do by looking straight down the top, incase you didn't realise), which is not entirely dissimilar to the Box Brownie; don't get confused though, as the Brownie is not a true TLR, it's what's been dubbed recently as a 'toy' camera.
but i digress, the Lubitel is a TLR in one of it's simplest forms. the only controls you need (and have, for that matter) are the shutter speed, aperture and focussing. the focus is the same as any other camera but because of the twin lenses, it focusses them both at the same time thanks to a simple cog mechanism (which you'd be able to see quite clearly if the bloody photo was in focus!), and because it focusses both you can tell when it's gravy through the viewfinder.
when setting the shutter speed and aperture you can tell how truly cheap this camera is. to set these there are two small silver silver dials around the bottom (photo-taking) lens, and anybody who knows anything about cameras will know which one does what, as it moves a small silver hand displaying which f stop or speed you have chosen. simple enough, in theory, but due to the lack of built-in light meter you're going to need either a good knowledge of exposure or a hand held light meter.
speaking of exposure, the only means of knowing how to adjust exposure for different ISOs lies yet again in knowledge, or if you're truly stuck there's a tiny wheel you can see in the centre on the left hand side of the camera, which spins around with different weather conditions and different ISOs to suit, along with suggestions of the other two exposure elements.
there are two variations that i know of when it comes to the Lomo Lubitel 166B, there's the 166+ and the 166U(niversal). the 166U is an improved model of the 166B and was produced four years after, in 1984, and terminated in 1988. despite being an improved model, many people agree that the 166B is easier to focus than the 166U, and also holds the film better and runs it through smoother. the only advantage i can seem to find that the U has over B, is that it's supplied with a 6x4.5 mask, should you not like or tire of the typical 6x6 square format.
The 166+ on the other hand, is Lomography's recent update of the popular russian classic. because it's lomography, it's incredibly expensive and comes with a vast range of things you don't really need, such as various masks for different formats, and a 35mm conversion kit; the only Lubitel to have such a thing.
it is very easy to use 35mm in a Lubitel without a conversion kit though - simply pop the film canister where the 120 usually goes, and load as usual. winding it on is a little different however, due to the fact that 35mm cameras have the winding set out already. there are some guides online, and i learned the hard way that you have to slowly decrease the amount of clicks (of the film winder knob) or end up with overlapping photographs. the effort of all this is worth it though - once developed, the photograph runs over the ratchet-holes of the film to create a very cool effect.
that's just about all i've got at the moment, so suck on my summary:
- very popular russian TLR camera
- plenty of variations
- good as an introduction to 120 medium format film
- easy to get hold of, and relatively cheap
- absolutely charming; if you can get your hands on one, give it a go and fall in love
pray tell, where did you acquire it? ebay, of course! cost: £20 +P&P
to see a photo of mine taken with a Lomo Lubitel 166B, click here
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