Lomo Lubitel 166
I think there comes a point in our photographic Journey that we all have the inclination at least once to try medium format film, but then finding a camera that's not going to break the bank or one that's so cheap and flimsy that the results are underwhelming but something which is still reasonable and allows more control when making images and my suggestion is the Lomo Lubitel 166.
From the late 1940s all the way to the '90s it was estimated that Lomo produced around 4 million of these little TLRs from the early Komsomolets to the 166 U and later reproduced by Lomography the 166 Plus. For those unfamiliar the design can be quite strange having two lenses on the front of the camera but it's with these two lenses the camera gets thisTLR name, or twin lens reflex.
But why two lenses? I suppose it could be due to keeping the camera more compact not having a mirror mechanism like in SLRs. The top lens is called the viewing lens and is what you look through when composing on the ground glass, and the bottom lens is called the taking lens and is how the film is actually exposed. Because these cameras were so mass-produced there's an abundance of them available second-hand, with minor differences between the older models, with the lomography reproduction offering the most features overall. However regardless of what version of the 166 you choose they all have the same 75 mm f4.5 glass triplet lens design.
It’s estimated that Lomo produced around 4 million of these little TLRs
The construction of the lens is pretty simple in comparison to modern day lens design and of course isn't going to render the sharpest of images, but even so, the images that it can capture are going to be good enough for someone just stepping into medium format for the first time.
The operation of the camera is also really simple and is pretty much all controlled from the taking lens. The aperture lever which stops down to f22 with shutter speeds ranging from 1/250th all the way to a 1/15th of a second and of course bulb. However those with keen eyes will also notice a couple more, with one being for cocking the shutter and the other releasing it.
Focusing again is the same across all models with the lenses being linked together like a couple of gears, so it doesn't really matter which one you turn as they'll just turn the other. Though one thing to note is that the Lomography version allows for close focus of 0.8 metres while unfortunately the older ones only to 1.4 metres.
The one downside with the viewfinder is that it's not overly bright, it does include a split prism which again I think is only on the 166 Plus but it's still hard to see unless using the pop-up magnifier. The 166 Plus also uses a flat ground glass while the older models use a curved one and unfortunately with the older ones it can be difficult to see if you're not directly viewing it from the centre.
Due to the simplicity of the camera there isn't any kind of complex film advanced lever that we all might be accustomed to seeing from medium format cameras and 35 mm cameras, instead all we're greeted with is a rotary knob and a small red window on the rear to see the frame number from the film backing paper. This can get a little annoying sometimes as it does break the flow a bit if you're making portraits of people and then constantly having to look at the back to advance to the next frame.
Because the lens and film advance aren't coupled in any way, you have to be a bit more conscious about advancing the film, otherwise you can accidentally expose the same frame multiple times. One unique thing that separates the 166 Plus is that the camera actually accepts 35mm film via an adapter. For me though this is more of a quirk as I'm unlikely to use this, however what I do like about this is that the camera includes a rewind knob, but the reason why I like it is that I've sometimes accidentally advanced too far past the frame number and the rewind allows me then to roll the film back so I don't accidentally have overlapping frames. Another inclusion is the hot shoe while the older models only include a cold shoe mount.
The 166 Plus can actually accept 35mm film via an adapter.
I bought the camera back in 2013 and used it exclusively for all of my medium format work, even though I upgraded not too long afterwards, using the Lubitel for these past few weeks has made me realise again what I got it to begin with, and that's its size and image quality.
It can become easy to just compare it to cameras like the Pentaxs, Mamiyas or even the Yashika TLRs, and of course the lenses of those cameras are going to be much better, but you also have to take into account that those cameras are also going to be much more expensive. Considering that you can easily pick up the earlier Lubitels on the used market for about £60 - £70, I don't think it would be quite fair to make those comparisons.
Even though these do sound cheap we have to remember that these cameras produce 6x6 CM negatives, and even on a simple lens that the Lubitel has, it can capture enough information to make highly detailed images even on an Epson flatbed scanner when converting them.
I've had the 166 plus version for a decade now and I class myself a bit lucky as the prices back then were pretty low, however if I was going to buy one today I'd definitely look at getting either the 166B or the Universal instead. As when you start spending the same amount of money that Lomography is asking for a brand new one, that's when you might as well start looking at other brands. As I'm not particularly interested in the additional features it just feels like you're spending a premium for it being newer and possibly more reliable. Thankfully it doesn't look like there's going to be a shortage of Lubitels anytime soon and if you're looking to give medium format a go maybe this little soviet-era camera is the one for you.
