The Lomography Spinner 360 – I like it and I don’t like it

I currently have an ultra-wide film panoramic film camera, my Krasnogorsk FT-2 35mm Soviet camera that I’ve colloquially nicknamed “Raskolnikov.” It’s a hit-and-miss camera; sometimes the photos are incredible, sometimes they’re just meh. I want more than meh.

With that in mind, there are three options for the type of super-ultra-wide camera I desire. There’s the Kodak Panoram camera, which can shoot ultrawide images on 120 film (with a little interior camera modification). However … these cameras are over 125 years old, they’re not always light-tight, and finding a unit in quality working condition can cost over $1,500 if I’m lucky.

My next option would be a Globuscope. Globuscope cameras were first manufactured in the early 1980’s, and could capture a 360-degree image on a strip of film. You loaded the film in a wand-shaped enclosure, you held the wand over your head, pressed a button, and the camera spun around and captured a 360-degree panorama. This would be perfect. It’s also extremely rare; they were hand-made and not mass-produced; and even finding one in beat-up condition will cost at least $2,000.

So I’m going with the third option. This is a Lomography Spinner 360, a camera that purports to take full panoramic 360-degree photos on a single strip of film – similar to the Globuscope – but at a price that doesn’t give my wallet a hernia.

If I read the directions correctly, you load the 35mm film into the camera chassis, and you pull that little ring. Just like one of those old “The Farmer Says” toys from childhood. You let go of the ring, and the camera quickly spins in a full circle.

As long as I get photos out of this unit, instead of the camera telling me that the cow goes moo, I’ll be fine with it.

I purchased two rolls of Kodak 400 print film and loaded one into the chassis. A quick test shot in Troy, near the area where the former Uncle Sam parking garage existed.

Then I decided to try my luck at the racetrack.

I took the Lomography Spinner 360, along with a tripod and some film, up to Saratoga and hoped for the best.

I shot a few frames here and there, until I felt resistance in the camera. Okay. That roll’s done. Now let’s put a second roll in the unit and try my luck –

Wait, how do I wind the exposed film back into the cartridge?

Seems I have to remove the big heavy O-ring from the camera base, and then hand-crank the film back into the cartridge. Oh, and I have to switch the lens aperture to “R” (for rewind), or I’ll have exposed the film twice – once from the initial shot and once from the rewind. That would be a complicated way of ruining my exposed test shots.

Finally pried the film out of the camera, and loaded a second cartridge into the chassis.

Then off to the races I went. Parked my gear up at the front of the stretch, against the fence. If I did this correctly, I should get reactions from both left and right … as well as the horses galloping by.

Took shots of the first race and the third race (both were on the outer dirt track), and went home.

A few things I noticed when using this camera. It captures what you DON’T want it to capture.

And when I say “what you DON’T want to capture,” I mean … well, take a look at this shot.

You see that bright spot at the bottom of the film strip?

Yeah, that’s my bald head. Ugh.

And I can only squat down so far, in that I have to keep my hand on the camera’s pull / release ring – and that ring only has a limited cord length.

Here’s another shot, this one at the Saratoga thoroughbred track.

Damn, Chuck. A little Rogaine wouldn’t kill you.

Also, this camera CLAIMS to provide a 360-degree panorama exposure.

Yeah, if I’m lucky, I’m getting more of a 270-degree or 295-degree panorama. Not a perfect circle.

I’ll just have to work with it.

Now let’s see how the photos from the races themselves turned out. Here’s the first race.

I set the camera on the tripod, and lined up my exposure at the front of the racetrack. First race will be on the outer track, which should give me some nice action.

Ugh. The horses are too far away, and my soon-to-require-Noxzema balding head is right in the frame. Not feeling the love here.

Okay. Checked the program. Have to wait for the third race for the next scheduled outer track capture. That’s fine, I can work with that. But this heat … yeah, I need a beverage. Some cold water to take the 90-degree sunshine off my body.

Here’s the shot from the third race. I’m squatting down as far low as I can get without accidentally twerking.

And this came out.

All right, let’s see if I can do something with this. A crop to remove the sprocket holes (the Lomography Spinner 360 allows you to shoot with exposed sprocket holes, but I’m really not digging the look in this instance). Another judicious crop to re-align the horizon, which seems to tilt slightly northeast. And as much of a crop as possible to de-Chuck-ify the shot.

And after much fiddling and niddling and diddling with this …

Here’s what came out.

It’s okay … I guess … I mean, I pulled SOMETHING out of this camera.

And by “pulled something out of this camera,” I mean I pulled it out as it was kicking and screaming.

So … positives for the Lomography Spinner 360. It’s cheap, it does what it’s supposed to do, it has a decent build quality to it.

Negatives for the Lomography Spinner 360 – Loading it, rewinding it, unloading it are all chores. And you don’t always get a complete full circle panorama from the exposures. And you NEED a tripod to guarantee a straight-line exposure. AND YOU HAVE TO SQUAT DOWN OR YOUR BALD HEAD WILL SHOW UP IN EVERY FRAME.

Will I use this camera again? Maybe.

Will I use this camera often? I dunno.

Maybe until an affordable Kodak Panoram drops into my lap.

Or if someone blesses me with a working Globuscope.