My DIY Twin Lens Reflex Camera

zord189(74)

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My Film Journey

"the man in the mirror", a shot taken during a photography trip

I saw this adorable twin lens reflex camera online for only RM25, that's around 5USD. Having thought of getting into Lomography before, this could be my best chance to maybe try out a film or two and not spend a huge amount starting off with a new cam. But I ended up spending more on the 35mm films. These film cameras have grown out its days because of the digital age, but there are still a few like myself who love that old grainy film look that can be only captured from a film camera. If there's a subtle exposure of light leaks, even better.

The best thing about a film camera is that you never know what you've taken until you wash them out. That's the whole excitement of it. I mean, you never know what you've captured. There is a rule for Lomography, "Don't think, just shoot". After all, it's all about having fun. So break the rules and just shoot. No need for the itty-bitty compositing ur framing. But I personally OCD-ed on getting a proper composition.

The Twin Lens Reflex DIY set

Penang Trip

After finishing the assembly of the camera, I needed to test it out to see how well a DIY film camera produces it's image. This calls for a ROAD TRIP!!! My friends and I went to Penang, Malaysia for a two days one night photography trip. And here is what I managed to get with my very own Twin Lens Reflex Camera.

Photo outcome

So what do you think of the outcome? It is pretty blurry but it was expected as it's just a really cheap budget film camera, and it was a diy. So, I didn't expect much from it.A few months later, I decided to invest in a better film camera cause I wasn't satisfied with the previous one. Meet the 'La Sardina', Lee Edition.