New Lomo’Instant Square Glass cameras: point, shoot, process

Lomo’Instant Square Glass The Blues edition

(Image credit: Lomography)

published 4 February 2025

Instant photography gets a stylish upgrade with the introduction of two new editions in the Lomo’Instant Square Glass camera range, the Pemberley and The Blues. Both based on the ultra-simple Lomo’Instant Square Glass analogue film camera and capable of using both types of commonplace instant film, Instax and Instax Mini, the cameras continue Lomography’s commitment to film in all its many forms.

Lomo&rsquo;Instant Square Glass Pemberley — Lomo’Instant Square Glass Pemberley

The Lomography story began back in 1992, when the Lomographic Society International was founded, initially to celebrate the quirks and joys of the Russian LC-A camera. This consumer point-and-shoot was made by the LOMO Russian Arms and Optical factory (LOMO stands for Leningrad Optical Mechanical Association), based on a copy of a Japanese camera.

Compact and robust, the LC-A became a cult object thanks to its low light ability, the natural vignetting and rich colour balance; chances are, many of the filters that shaped the first years of Instagram were inspired by the Lomographic aesthetic.

Lomo&rsquo;Instant Square Glass Pemberley folded for travel — Lomo’Instant Square Glass Pemberley folded for travel

Since then, Lomography has gone from strength to strength, selling analogue cameras of all shapes and sizes, from multi-lensed experimental models, to 110 and 35mm formats as well as Instax models that use the Fujifilm-developed system that is Polaroid’s only rival

Lomo&rsquo;Instant Square Glass The Blues edition — What's in the box: the Lomo’Instant Square Glass The Blues edition

The new editions of the Lomo’Instant Square Glass pair Lomography’s love for bright, retro colours with a folding camera system that can be folded down into a pocketable form. The Blues, with its denim finish, is joined by the pastel simplicity of the Pemberley. Both have manual flash, a tripod mount, self-timer and automatic exposure, and offer plenty of scope to get creative, with the promise of sharp imagery thanks to the 95mm glass lens.

Lenses and filters on the Lomo&rsquo;Instant Square Glass Pemberley — Lenses and filters on the Lomo’Instant Square Glass Pemberley

Of course, what drives enthusiasts for these lo-fi devices are the authentic grain and grit of analogue film, the happy accidents of exposure and focus and the way colours are dialled up or down in an unpredictable manner. It’s an instantly recognisable aesthetic, celebrated for its spontaneity and uniqueness – the polar opposite of ubiquitous computation-driven, AI-enabled smartphone photography.

Lomo’Instant Square Glass Pemberley, €149/$149, Shop.Lomography.com

Lomo’Instant Square Glass The Blues, €149/$149, Shop.Lomography.com

Lomography.com, @Lomography.com

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Jonathan Bell has written for Wallpaper* magazine since 1999, covering everything from architecture and transport design to books, tech and graphic design. He is now the magazine’s Transport and Technology Editor. Jonathan has written and edited 15 books, including Concept Car Design, 21st Century House, and The New Modern House. He is also the host of Wallpaper’s first podcast.