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Visitor Information: The RPS Gallery and coffee shop will be closed on Saturday 7 December

Analogue Cameras By Shanu Nag For Unsplash
CREDIT: Shanu Nag for Unsplash

New Releases for Alternative Film Photography

This month’s analogue photography roundup brings together news items exploring new releases from lesser-known brands. Alternative film company Dubblefilm launch a new iteration of their disposable-inspired camera, Kosmo Foto introduce a new film stock and a crowd-funded film-scanning device completes its campaign by sending out its first shipments.

New Compact Film Camera from Dubblefilm
‘Alternative’ film photography fans may be pleased to discover that Dubblefilm have introduced a new edition of their reusable ‘disposable’ Show camera. The company, best known for creating a series of alternative film stocks, including their solar flare and ‘jelly’ films, introduced their first retro-inspired compact camera, the Show camera, late last year. The lightweight bubblegum pink Show camera was created to evoke the images and experience of using classic disposable film cameras, but with an environmentally-friendly reusable approach.

Just like the disposable cameras of old, the Show camera is a simple point-and-shoot creation, requiring manual winding of film and the use of a basic flash button. Just in time for summer, Dubblefilm has introduced a new ‘turquoise’ edition. The distinctive colours of the cameras tie in to the company’s ‘art school chic’ aesthetic, including instruction manuals featuring the work of Barcelona-based illustrator Jose A. Roda, and a camera case by vintage-inspired minimalist brand Hightide Japan. The cameras are currently retailing on Dubblefilm’s website for £47.03, which you can view here.

A Cheaper Alternative to Film Scanners
Launched on Kickstarter near the end of 2020, the Valoi 360 is series of film holders to make scanning negatives quicker and cheaper. After a goal of €62,000, the team, in conjunction with Kamerastore and Camera Rescue, far out-performed their goal by receiving pledges of over €100,000 and has since begun shipping the devices.

The team involved in creating the holders argued that purpose-made film scanners are incredibly expensive, while scanning through a flatbed scanner is time-consuming and frustrating, and it was through their own experiences with both of these options that they decided to create the Valoi 360. Film holders for 35mm and 120mm film are available, while the ‘Film Advancer’ allows you to hold the negatives firmly in place without disrupting or touching the negatives, and includes a rotating knob for forwarding the frame. Prices range from €19.90 for the 35mm holder, to €199 for the full kit, and are shipping anywhere in the world. Learn more about the products and the successful campaign here.

A Noir-Inspired Film Roll
Since coming to the film photography retail scene in 2017, Kosmo Foto has reportedly sold over 50,000 rolls of film, and now they’re back with another new roll: the 35mm Agent Shadow Film. The film has been purposefully created to produce cinematic images reminiscent of iconic noir movies. “Agent Shadow is an ISO-400 panchromatic black-and-white 35mm film pushable to ISO 3200 – and beyond. It’s great for shooting at box speed for portraits or street photography, while also perfect for shooting when the light really gets low,” the campaign webpage notes. Pledges range from £10 to £500, with a goal of £37,500. Read more about the film and the fundraising campaign at the Kickstarter page here.

For more analogue photography news, tips and information, visit the RPS’ Analogue microsite, the Analogue Group’s Facebook page or Instagram page.