Son of Lomo? The (in)famous Lomo LC-A has many undiscovered siblings, cousins & distant relatives. If you are reading this, you are probably already familiar with the Lomo "thing." If you're not, do a search for Lomography and you'll get a better idea. Essentially, it is about being spontaneous, unpredictable and surprising. The first part is something many photographers understand. Easy to use cameras are great for those spontaneous "grab shots." The last two are generally NOT what photographers want. Part of the surprise and lack of predictable results from the Lomo LC-A are due to the inaccurate meter and the inability to compensate for backlit scenes, etc. But another part of the equation is the fact that, for the past 30 years, millions of snap shooters have never been exposed to basic concepts of photography. This includes the relationship of film sensitivity, shutter speed, aperture and ambient light. It's like people who have only driven cars with automatic transmissions. They simply have had no need or desire to understand first, second and third gears. Add to that autofocus, which removes the need to understand depth of focus, and you have decision free photography. Andy Warhol was said to love this kind of shooting. He used a Minox 35mm and seldom paid attention to the settings. Each photo was a "happening." Some happened to be good, others....well, no so good. But at times, some people desire a bit more control. That means understanding ALL of the stuff about the relationship of film sensitivity, shutter speed, aperture and ambient light. If you want control, you need to know it, period. Happily, there are places on the net that go to great pains to describe this. Or try to find an old film box and see if there is still that little slip of paper inside that tells you how to set the camera. Sometimes it is printed on the inside of the box. But many times, it is simple omitted. For those who want more control, but still want the funk and fad of the Lomo, consider the Smena. Made in the same factory, the Smena uses no batteries, and offers a set of lens openings and shutter speeds. The lens is similar to the LC-A, perhaps a bit sharper. There are several models, with the boxier ones being the latest 80's and even 90's models. Earlier models look more angular and a bit like some of the Kodak "Pony" cameras of the 50's. As the cameras are mostly plastic, they are very light. The operation is straightforward...assuming you know how to set a camera!  Perhaps the only thing that catches evened seasoned users is that you must cock the shutter before taking each shot. It is possible to forget this and then not be sure if you advanced the film.  On the positive side, there is a tripod socket and the cameras generally accept cable releases. Properly set, the images from the Smena compare favorably with many more expensive cameras. With shutter speeds from 1/15th second to 1/250th, film up to ISO can be used in normal shooting conditions. The camera also has the "B" or bulb setting, which keeps the shutter open as long as the release is pressed down. This is one area where digital imaging has not been able to compete. It is possible, for example, to make an exposure of a few minutes, allowing the light to accumulate on the film.  Night shots of cityscapes, star tracks and other low light images can be made this way. And since there is no battery to run down, it works well. It is also possible to fire multiple flashes with the shutter locked open, or to "paint" and area with a flashlight. Smenas are priced far lower than Lomo LC-As. Asking prices hover under $20, but some are trending higher. There are so many of them in the former USSR that they are being offered on eBay in groups of ten or more! Like all things Russian, fit and finish vary. You may find yourself gently smoothing the film transport area to remove negative scratches. Some lenses focus stiffly, others are far too loose. But the shutters tend to hold up well and the optics are far better than one would expect. Will there be a Smena fad with prices skyrocketing? A lot of Russians with Smenas hope so!