Difference between revisions of "Toy camera"

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{{glossary}}
 
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<div align="center">[http://www.flickr.com/photos/89864432@N00/136840932/in/pool-camerawiki/ http://static.flickr.com/51/136840932_dc2e8d7524.jpg]</div>
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<div align="center">[http://www.flickr.com/photos/89864432@N00/136840932/in/pool-camerawiki/ http://static.flickr.com/51/136840932_dc2e8d7524.jpg]<br/><small>image by {{image author|Uwe Kulick}}</small> {{with permission}}</div>
 
'''Maker:''' unknown<br/>
 
'''Maker:''' unknown<br/>
 
'''Dates:''' 1980s<br/>
 
'''Dates:''' 1980s<br/>
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| image=http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3208/3132014210_d0799f73d0.jpg
 
| image=http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3208/3132014210_d0799f73d0.jpg
 
| image_align=left
 
| image_align=left
| image_text=so-called toy cameras: the back row shows the most popular ones:<br/>
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| image_text=So-called toy cameras:
[[Lomographic ActionSampler]], [[Holga]], [[Diana]], and [[Lomographic Fisheye Camera]]
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[[Lomographic ActionSampler]], [[Holga]],<br/>[[Diana]], and [[Lomographic Fisheye Camera]]
| image_by=Stefano
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| image_by= I is someone else
 
| image_rights=with permission
 
| image_rights=with permission
 
}}{{brl}}
 
}}{{brl}}
  
A toy camera is an inexpensive camera made almost entirely out of plastic, including the lens. They are usually made in China or the former Soviet Union. The [[Diana]] and [[Holga]] are typically the cameras most associated with the term. The [[Lomography|Lomographic Society]] specializes in cameras that may be considered toys, with "lo-fi" optics or ones giving whimsical effects. (The company began by selling Soviet [[LOMO]] models with questionable optics.) The dreamy effects of using toy cameras has been documented in plenty of photo exhibits, such as the annual "[http://www.sohophoto.com/krappy_kamera_comp.html Krappy Kamera]" show in the SoHo neighborhood of New York. Various publications such as Photography magazine dated Fall of 1977 extolled the virtues of the Diana camera, a toy camera, in its own right as an "art" producing image maker. Several books have also featured the work of toy cameras, such as "The Diana Show, Iowa," and "Angels at the Arno" to name a few.
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A '''toy camera''' is an inexpensive camera made almost entirely out of plastic, including the lens. They are usually made in China, Hong Kong, Southeast Asia, or the former Soviet Union.  
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From an aesthetic point of view, it is the flaws of these camera's inferior optics which may sometimes become a sought-after effect: Corner blur, [[vignetting]], or spherical aberration may all lend images an atmospheric or moody quality which suits a photographer's particular vision.
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The [[Diana]] and [[Holga]] are the cameras most associated with the term today, although neither were created as children's toys originally. The [[Lomography|Lomographic Society]] specializes in cameras that may be considered toys, with "lo-fi" optics or ones giving whimsical effects. (The company began by selling Soviet [[LOMO]] models with questionable optics.)
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The dreamy effects of using toy cameras have been documented in plenty of photo exhibits, such as the annual "[http://www.sohophoto.com/krappy-kamera/ Krappy Kamera]" show in the SoHo neighborhood of New York.  
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<!--If anyone would care to track down the exact titles and dates and footnote these correctly, please go ahead and add them back.
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Various publications such as Photography magazine dated Fall of 1977 extolled the virtues of the Diana camera, a toy camera, in its own right as an "art" producing image maker. Several books have also featured the work of toy cameras, such as "The Diana Show, Iowa," and "Angels at the Arno" to name a few.
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Nowadays we could add most of the older digital viewfinder cameras for [[VGA]]-format images (640x480 [[pixel]]s) as well as most current novelty and cell phone cameras to that category since the quality of colours had been everything else but good. Of course combinations of simplest optical viewfinder, low resolution [[CCD]] chip and cheap optics like they were are more likely to enable something like [[lomography]], not [[photography]]. Some webcams and cell phone cams still offer no more quality than these old-time digital fun cameras.
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Nowadays we could add many early-generation digital cameras to the category, e.g. for [[VGA]]-format images (640x480 [[pixel]]s) as well as many novelty keychain or pen cameras, or even the poorer of today's ubiquitous cell-phone cameras. In each case image pixelation, noise, and color response may be so flawed as to become an interesting, desired effect.
  
 
=== Gallery ===
 
=== Gallery ===
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| image_by=Rick Soloway
 
| image_by=Rick Soloway
 
| image_rights=with permission
 
| image_rights=with permission
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{{Flickr image
 
| image=http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4052/4717213658_787df4e733_m.jpg
 
| image_source=http://www.flickr.com/photos/dustymedusa/4717213658/in/pool-camerawiki
 
| image_align=left
 
| image_text=[[Polaroid]] toy camera
 
| image_by=Dusty Medusa
 
| image_rights=wp
 
 
}}
 
}}
 
{{Flickr_image
 
{{Flickr_image
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|image= http://farm6.static.flickr.com/5047/5364876411_60fa39ae1b_m.jpg
 
|image= http://farm6.static.flickr.com/5047/5364876411_60fa39ae1b_m.jpg
 
|image_align=left
 
|image_align=left
|image_text=  
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|image_text= 110 camera
 
|image_by=Kenneth Dwain Harrelson
 
|image_by=Kenneth Dwain Harrelson
 
|image_rights=with permission
 
|image_rights=with permission
 
}}
 
}}
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{{Flickr_image
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|image_source= http://www.flickr.com/photos/uwe_kulick/2683088998/in/pool-camerawiki
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|image= http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3130/2683088998_52af58c1a5_m.jpg
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|image_align= left
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|image_text= [[Traveller]]
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|image_by= Uwe Kulick
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|image_rights= wp
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}}
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{{brl}}
  
{|class="floatleft plainlinks"
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{{Flickr_image
||{{Flickr_image
 
 
|image_source= http://www.flickr.com/photos/martintaylor/541943882/in/pool-camerawiki
 
|image_source= http://www.flickr.com/photos/martintaylor/541943882/in/pool-camerawiki
 
|image= http://farm2.static.flickr.com/1256/541943882_40aaff7a84_m.jpg
 
|image= http://farm2.static.flickr.com/1256/541943882_40aaff7a84_m.jpg
|image_text= [[Holga]]
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|image_text= [[Holga]] (modified)
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|image_align=left
 
|image_by=Martin Taylor
 
|image_by=Martin Taylor
 
|image_rights=with permission
 
|image_rights=with permission
 
}}
 
}}
||{{Flickr_image
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{{Flickr_image
 
|image_source= http://www.flickr.com/photos/moleskineart/3844941887/in/pool-camerawiki
 
|image_source= http://www.flickr.com/photos/moleskineart/3844941887/in/pool-camerawiki
 
|image= http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3541/3844941887_eb3e4cfcc0_m.jpg]
 
|image= http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3541/3844941887_eb3e4cfcc0_m.jpg]
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|image_align=left
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|image_text=Diana mini and Diana
 
|image_by=Patrick Ng
 
|image_by=Patrick Ng
 
|image_rights=with permission
 
|image_rights=with permission
 
}}
 
}}
| align=center |[http://www.flickr.com/photos/uwe_kulick/5015289742/in/pool-camerawiki http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4089/5015289742_5cdac3e004_m.jpg]
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{{Flickr_image
<br>[[Vastfame action samplers|RObOT3 and Action4]]<br>left:[[Diana Mini]] and [[Diana]]<br>right:[[Traveller]]
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|image_source= http://www.flickr.com/photos/uwe_kulick/5015289742/in/pool-camerawiki  
||[http://www.flickr.com/photos/89864432@N00/2683088998/in/pool-camerawiki http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3130/2683088998_52af58c1a5_m.jpg]
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|image= http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4089/5015289742_5cdac3e004_m.jpg
|}{{br}}
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|image_align= left
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|image_text= [[Vastfame action samplers|RObOT3 and Action4]]
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|image_by= Uwe Kulick
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|image_rights= wp
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}}
  
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{{brl}}
 
== Links ==
 
== Links ==
 
* [http://www.toycamera.com/ ToyCamera.com]
 
* [http://www.toycamera.com/ ToyCamera.com]
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* Photography Review's [http://www.photographyreview.com/toycameracrx.aspx Toy Camera Reviews]
 
* Photography Review's [http://www.photographyreview.com/toycameracrx.aspx Toy Camera Reviews]
 
* [http://www.picturenoise.com/ Picture Gallery using cameras such as Diana, Holga, Actionsampler etc] www.picturenoise.com
 
* [http://www.picturenoise.com/ Picture Gallery using cameras such as Diana, Holga, Actionsampler etc] www.picturenoise.com
{{br}}
 
{{glossary}}
 
  
[[Category: Toy cameras]]
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[[Category: Toy cameras|*]]

Revision as of 19:50, 30 December 2017

Glossary Terms


A toy camera is an inexpensive camera made almost entirely out of plastic, including the lens. They are usually made in China, Hong Kong, Southeast Asia, or the former Soviet Union.

From an aesthetic point of view, it is the flaws of these camera's inferior optics which may sometimes become a sought-after effect: Corner blur, vignetting, or spherical aberration may all lend images an atmospheric or moody quality which suits a photographer's particular vision.

The Diana and Holga are the cameras most associated with the term today, although neither were created as children's toys originally. The Lomographic Society specializes in cameras that may be considered toys, with "lo-fi" optics or ones giving whimsical effects. (The company began by selling Soviet LOMO models with questionable optics.) The dreamy effects of using toy cameras have been documented in plenty of photo exhibits, such as the annual "Krappy Kamera" show in the SoHo neighborhood of New York.


Nowadays we could add many early-generation digital cameras to the category, e.g. for VGA-format images (640x480 pixels) as well as many novelty keychain or pen cameras, or even the poorer of today's ubiquitous cell-phone cameras. In each case image pixelation, noise, and color response may be so flawed as to become an interesting, desired effect.

Gallery



Links