Lomography just announced the latest addition to its funky camera family: the Sprocket Rocket.  This retro-looking analogue camera boasts a panoramic lens, forward and backward winding for multiple-exposures, and exposed sprocket holes. Sprocket hole photography exposes the image on the entire length of the film rather than only exposing the area between the sprockets. This effect, which is adored by many Lomographers, adds a unique quality to the photos that only a film camera like this can achieve. As I mentioned, the Sprocket Rocket has a panoramic lens allowing you to capture the entire field of view so you get wide photos with a nice vignetting effect that’s common to many “toy cameras”.

The great thing about this camera is that it takes standard 35mm film and doesn’t require any sort of hacks or mods to expose the sprocket holes. The downside is that since it exposes the sprocket holes and shots panoramic shots you can’t get the film developed at your local drugstore. But if you find a developer that will just process the film (and not cut or print it) you can easily scan the film at home yourself. Or you can take it to specialty developer but that adds up quickly.

For those of you that aren’t familiar with Lomography it’s basically a “movement” in analogue film photography that embraces experimentation, spontaneity and “happy accidents”. Some would go so far as call Lomography a “lifestyle”. Read The 10 Golden Rules of Lomography to better understand what it’s all about.