Heading back to the sepia age
Despite the age of multiple megapixels, amateur snappers really want sepia-toned reminders of a bygone era. Photographers are abandoning high-powered digital cameras and mobiles for a simpler alternative — cheap film cameras whose big selling point seems to be that they often go wrong.
"Digital pictures seem a bit dry. People are getting tired of sterile results, they want more grain and salt in their pictures," says Adam Scott, who runs Lomograph in the UK.
Lomograph makes low-cost cameras including the Fisheye, Diana and the spinner, which can capture 360-degree panoramas using a low-tech wind-up mechanism. "People love retro effects and looks," adds Scott. "It's about creating a snapshot of your life — it reminds people of the pictures they saw when they were young."
The firm recently opened a shop on Carnaby Street, and more than a million people worldwide have signed up to the firm's website. Workshops and photography trips are also run.
However, the market isn't exclusively low-tech. Hipstamatic, an iPhone app, lets you choose from dozens of old cameras and lenses, turning an iPhone into a modern retro camera. It has
sold hundreds of thousands of copies and become a must-have iPhone app, with thousands using it to send retro snaps. Scott, however, seems unimpressed. "Hipstamatic pictures don't have the same personality, they're simply preprogrammed effects," he says. "In fact, we get a lot of people coming in who want to see what the real cameras can do."
Retro rules
With a resolutely retro look, the new Roberts Expression digital radio boasts an ash surround, hiding a surprisingly hi-tech interior. There's a 100-hour rechargeable battery, and a line-in socket so that you can play an iPod. The perfect
kitchen radio for retro fans. £99, roberts.com
Ink is the word
Electronic ink has traditionally only been seen in ebooks until now. Phosphors's incredibly stylish watch uses it for a paper-like display that is very easy to read, yet uses
a tiny amount of power. £110, unusualwatches.com
