Lomoscanner 2.0 for Android - What Update?! An Exasperated Lomographer's Account

I'm pretty much disappointed with the scans from the Lomoscanner Apps for Android. The Lomoscanner 2.0 may bit a bit of an improvement (an inconsistent one at that) but it's still a let down. However, I don't want the Mobile Phone Film Scanner (the hardware) to be an expensive paper-weight so here's how I made the most out of it. 

  

First down load both Lomoscanner Apps (yup the first one and the second version). Trust me, you need both since each one has a great use and a great flaw.

For scanning sprockets or any regular 35mm frame? Use Lomoscanner 2.0

The Lomoscanner 2.0 app for android, still produces a 'blue cast' on scanned negatives, but this is easily corrected adjusting the temperature. Note, there is still a blue cast after temperature correction but it's heaps better than scans from the Lomoscanner 1.0

scanned using Lomoscanner 1.0

scanned using Lomoscanner 2.0 with temperature correction

 scanned using Lomoscanner 2.0 then inverted with Helmut

*Helmut seems to be much, much better even if they've never had an update.

Unfortunately it doesn't work all the time. I still ended up with some barely usable blue tinged scans but not as blue as the ones from Lomoscanner 1.0

scanned with Lomoscanner 2.0 with color correction

For Scanning sprocket rocket negatives? use Lomoscanner 1.0

Why? Cause, when in the panoroma mode the app can't make the phone's camera focus properly - all scans are blurry.  Such a shame cause the Lomoscanner 2.0  provided a better way of scanning panorama's than Lomoscanner 1.0. I tried scanning panoramas with the Lomoscanner 2.0 in regular mode using the same method below but the scanning field is 'tighter' or 'smaller' in 2.0 and the scans turned out 1.5 frames instead of 2 frames in a single scan.

Remove the round thingy...

Use all of the stacks and add some more (used makeshift stacks)...

Use a tablet as a backlight (I used the LightBox app)

Select film type 'none'

Use Helmut to invert 

For scanning cross-processed slide film?

Don't bother, unless you like 'atomic neon green colors' - even with 'tweaking' contrast, temperature or exposure it comes out really bad. Don't even to try to invert the 'scan' using Helmut - you'll get the same awful results.

And that's how I tried to make the most out of a 'promising product on paper but almost bordering on crappy in real life'. It gets the job done but not a good one.

PS
I'm such a big Lomography fan that I'm sad that the Lomoscanner experience didn't turn out so well.
I hope they come up with  Lomoscanner 3.0 really, really, really soon.
This is the only product that I brought from Lomography that I wasn't happy with.
So yes, I'm still gaga over lomo.

PPS
Let me know if you've had a better experience with the Lomoscanner App for Android.

Lomography Smartphone Film Scanner: Get it or Forget it?

Let me start off by saying, nothing beats a film negative scan by a photo lab. However,  there are times when I resort to DIY at home scans, such as when:

1. the photo lab misses a few frames. I don't know why, but maybe it has something to do with the scanning mask they use.
2. non standard sized negatives from cameras such as Sprocketrocket, DianaF+ 35mm back square w/ sprockets and panorama w/sprockets and Diana mini tipster (get around 50 shots on a reg 36 exp roll).
3. save money
4. save time (with some labs you get the negatives after a few hours but if you want the scans, I'll take a week)
5. more control  (adjust exposure, color levels, contrast etc.)

Initially, I was pining for Lomography's smartphone film scanner since it can scan 'everything' (yup, it can even scan 120mm) but the cost is prohibitive (about $80 if I get it from a local authorized seller), so I ended up buying a non-lomography one and I'm glad I did. Then I fell in love with sprockets, unfortunately my trusty non-branded scanner couldn't handle that.

Let's Play Songkran Without Getting Drenched: Happy Thai New Year!

For the uninitiated, Songkran is the Thai New Year. It's a long holiday, so most the cityfolk take advantage of this time to travel outside Bangkok while tourists on the the other hand join in on the festivities by participating in 'water fights'.

Love or Hate That Pretty Little Camera: Bonzart Lit

Before I start, it takes awhile before a come up with a post about a toy camera. To be more 'objective',  I start typing away only after shooting at least 2-3 rolls for film cameras and a couple of a hundred photos or so, for toidejis.

My expectations for this lo-fi camera was set pretty high, with all the good press that it has online. It was pretty, tiny and took 'artsy' pictures.

Digital Polaroid? Carbon One Mini Digital Camera

Back when I felt that going analog was 'expensive', I kept on searching for digital alternatives for my film cravings. Stumbling upon this little camera online, I thought it was the perfect 'digital polaroid'.

Carbon One Mini
Click the link for more product photos

Unflattering Stolen ID Picture Shot: My Beef with Posting Bad NinjaShots of Complete Strangers

I like street photography. It encourages you to find inspiration in everything. Street photography is an example of "if life gives you lemons, make lemonade".  You don't have to travel far or exert too much effort to find a subject to take pictures of. You make the most out of everything, right there and then. No contrived poses, no moving props. As hassle-free as that sounds, like most forms of photography, it involves aesthetics. Done right, it's amazing - finding beauty in even the snarkiest of places. Done wrong, it's an invasion of privacy. 

From GAS to Cheap Film Hoarder: Believing in Film

last part of my text-y post...

I had really no intentions of blogging. I had a disdain for all forms of social media, from Facebook (especially Facebook) to Pinterest. But what was I going to to with all my photos? How will I share my travel adventures? At that time, I also needed an outlet - something healthier that didn't involve consuming calories. For a couple of weeks I had 2 digital toy cameras as my travel buddies.  I also had a bunch of "bleh" travel photos which could be "nice" if I used filters. I loved the 'lomo effect' but wasn't officially a 'lomographer' yet. I just wanted a place where I could dump my photos so "LomographicFeel" on tumblr came to be.

Early GAS (Gear Acquisition Syndrome): How I Started to Believe in Film

Text-y post first of 2 parts...

I was intrigued with Lomography since 2011 and was drawn to the "kawaii-ness" of those toy cameras. I loved the whole "shooting from the hip thing", probably because I was a bit irritated by the cockiness of DSLR totting acquaintances. (I have nothing against DSLRs and people who love DSLRs in general - having a DSLR doesn't mean you are a skilled photographer, it just means you have the moolah to buy it). I love how discreet shooting with film cameras can be. I love that it makes me feel unique in a sea of point of shoots and smart phones.  I loved everything about it - until I did the math. 

A Little Bit of Everything BKK: Asiatique The Riverfront

Assuming you have a very short lay over, you'd probably want to go to a place that will let you experience a little bit of everything a city has to offer. Asiatique, The Riverfront is just that. To sum it up it's  Thai Food x Chao Phraya River x Night Market x City Scape (via ferris wheel) x Entertainment = Shutter Bug Heaven. (picture here, picture there, picture everywhere!)

for more photos checkout my tumblr photo dump!

Aside from indulging your inner photog you can...

Get a meal at Baan Khanitha - Good thai food with a very nice ambiance. It's by the river and is over looking the river. (pricey but worth it). 

Tip: Go alfresco but if you can’t stand the heat, eat indoors (aircon) and get a table on the second floor. 

The place gets pretty crowded, it’s best to come early (6pm-ish). Better yet call to reserve a table. http://www.baan-khanitha.com/venues.php?branch=asiatique There are other restos you can dine in but if you want good food and ambiance, you can’t go wrong with Baan Khanitha.


Shop till you drop. Best things to buy here are souvenirs although there are tons of other stuff such as clothes, bags, shoes, houseware/decor, home accesories etc (you get the picture). 

There’s word that vendors of the closed Suan Lum Night Bazaar have relocated here. If you have been Suan Lum before - think chic/hipper suan lum by the river. 

Ride the Asiatique Sky - the highest ferris wheel in Bangkok. 

Watch a cabaret show at Calypso (warehouse 4). (That's not me)

Asiatique is open from 6pm till midnight. It is accessible by BTS till SaphanTaksin station, then take Asiatique’s service boat. 

Funtastic Plastic: Thoughts on "Lens Flair"

Finally finished one of the many photography books, I've "collected". Here's the first of one of the many reviews I'll be doing. Actually, I don't like calling them reviews - I associate the word "review" with "judging/ appraising/ assessing". It's more like, sharing with a friend, telling a story to a buddy - just a little chitchat.

Backstory: I was looking for a reasonably price book on lomography which didn't involve 1)having it shipped, 2)"emptying" my wallet and 3)hard-selling more gear. I wanted something that was noob friendly and one that would inspire my inner shutter bug. I scanned the table of contents and flipped through the pages, paid about 15 USD,  brought it home, placed it on the table with a pile of other books and forgot about it. Occasionally, I would browse through it and I finally finished it today. (Yeah, I have ADHD tendencies hehe)

Lens Flair Creative Photo Projects for Toy, Pinhole, Polaroid and Analog Cameras
by Adam Bronkhorst

Geek-mode on: California Science Center

I post more regularly on tumblr, twitter and instagram. Mostly because, I photo dump. I just post photos and let the pics tell the story. After all, a picture paints a thousand words haha! (I know - cliche). I'm going to start linking photo sets posted on tumblr, here on blogger. So that my blogger account would get more activity. Starting of with my California Science Center photoset.

Anyhoo... I'm a geek by heart. So, it comes naturally to me that when I travel I usually try to find if the place I'm visiting has a science museum. I just love science museums. It brings out the kid in me. When I was in LA, I just had to check out the California Science Center. (more photos on my tumblr photo dump!)

If You Want It Done Right, Do It Yourself : Film Negative Scanning

Back story...

The first time I used a diana mini, the photos I got were half exposed, half unexposed on a full frame. To make it worse, the lab I sent my photos to had a hard time scanning the negatives cause of it's "weird" format. When I got home to check the negatives, the scanner missed some of my favorite shots or only scanned a part of the shot I liked.

1 half frame good, 1 half frame bad

#LomoProblems

Been on a hiatus due to the holidays. Still posted regularly on instagram, tumblr and twitter.

These past few weeks were great! Spent time with loved ones which means I had lots of happy photo opportunities. Due to my growing camera collection, I was faced with a dilema, which I never thought would happen to me - ever! I had to decide which cameras to bring with me on these occasions.

Lost in Siriraj: Medical Museum Adventure!

The truth is, I was looking for an inexpensive way to spend a day in Thailand. I read somewhere that the entrance to Siriraj Medical Museum was only 40 baht! That's a steal! To think that going to Madam Tussauds or going to the Grand Palace will set you back a couple hundred baht. The thing is, on the day that I decided to visit the museum, I noticed that the entrance fee listed on their website is 200baht! Oh well, gone is the cheap thrill. I still went though, and I got lost, but I found it anyway. Finding the museum is a fun adventure. It would be easier to look for the hospital first, then ask them where the museum is. I can't speak or understand Thai but I kept saying "museum". The friendly guards pointed to this structure...  

I already had a feeling that this wasn't the museum I was looking for, but I still proceeded. Then I was pleasantly distracted by this... It was really amazing! (no wonder it's "amazing thailand")

Modern Art x Retail Space: Siam Center

Before Siam Center was renovated and relaunched as "The Ideapolis", it was already a "Legend". This mall, sandwiched in between Siam Discovery and Siam Paragon was where the young, hip, stylish and trendsetting Bangkokian would shop. When I came to Bangkok a few years ago, it was hard for me to believe that this was the "it-crowd's" shopping haven. Yes, it had famous foreign brand name stores which weren't found in Paragon or Central Words but it's interiors were bleh.

On its "rebirth" in early 2013, it really was - wait for it... legendary! It easily became my new favorite mall. If a modern art museum and a mall would have a child, this would be it. It's a feast for the eyes but also a feast for the senses. Everything is artsy fartsy, in a good way. From the entrance... 

Take a Break from Shopping: Bangkok Art and Culture Center

I'm a mall rat! That's why I love Bangkok! There is an abundance of malls here. The best thing is that malls are just a few minutes from each other. Either a couple of steps away or one or two train stations away. The thing is, if you want a dose of art and culture you have to go near the river where museums, palaces and temples abound. 

A quick fix would be to go to Siam Center - the ideapolis and just ogle at all the art installations on the floor, on ceiling, on wall (you get my drift). But if you really want to be rid of all the "trappings" of consumerism and get some exercise (more on that later) just walk over to the BACC or the Bangkok Art and Culture Center. 

Coming from BTS National Stadium, it's hard to miss this landmark. Walk past the entrance leading to MBK and you will see this...

City Hopping at Terminal 21: San Francisco and Los Angeles

Time to walk off all those calories from eating at the food court. Take a picture with this metal guy pulling at something...

City Hopping at Terminal 21: Food Tripping at Pier 21

(Previous Post City Hopping at Terminal 21: Rome and Tokyo)

Out of all the floors in Terminal 21, 5F has got to be the floor where I have spent most of my time in. It houses "Pier 21", the food court. As I have mentioned on a previous post, I think this food court best or one of the best in Bangkok. 

Try to get a table near the big glass wall/window. That area has a nice view of the buildings along Asok.

City Hopping at Terminal 21: Rome and Tokyo

(Previous post: City Hopping at Terminal 21: Caribbean and TaoKaeNoi Land)

When in Rome do as the Romans do and in this "little Rome" they take pictures with this lady. I think it's supposed to be Aphrodite. I'm not sure though. She's the fountain's center piece. 

City Hopping at Terminal 21: TaoKaeNoi Land and the Carribean

I'll be honest. I used to go to Terminal 21 only to food trip. I think they have one of the best food courts in Bangkok, in terms of choice, taste and price. Based on my food court "expeditions" the prices at Pier 21 (that's how they call their food court) is the same as prices of the food stalls on the streets. When I got into digital toy cameras, I started to realize that Terminal 21 is a photo-enthusiast's quick fix for a photo walk.

This mall has 9 floors and has a different city as a motiff per floor, except for the 4th and 5th floor which both has San Francisco for its theme. It isn't surprising that Terminal 21 looks like an airport. It has one really long escalator that skips other floors and takes you directly to one of the upper floors.