Lomography Sprocket Rocket 2.0 Review
Panoramic 35mm film images.
Mask lets you choose whether or not to expose film sprockets.
Multiple exposure support.
Battery-free operation.
Teal and red color options.
Some labs may not be able to scan sprocket holes.
Not for everyone.
The Lomography Sprocket Rocket 2.0 is an inexpensive panoramic film camera, with the unique (and fun) option of exposing the entirety of your film, including the sprockets. But you may have to go the DIY route to digitize your shots.
Lomography offers a big catalog of arty film cameras, and while its Sprocket Rocket 2.0 ($74.90) doesn't vary from the original in any significant way, it remains a very fun creative tool, with appeal to photographers who are underwhelmed by modern digital perfection. The Sprocket Rocket captures images in a widescreen ratio, and offers a mask so you can choose whether or not to expose the entirety of the emulsion. If you're looking to add some analog spice to break through digital doldrums, it's worth a look.
More Colorful, Still Wide
The first Sprocket Rocket—still available at the same price—is sold only in black. With the 2.0 edition you have your choice of red or teal versions. Aside from color, there are no advantages gained by opting for the newer version of the camera, so this review applies to both 1.0 and 2.0 variants.
Personally, I'd eschew basic black and get the teal edition, which we received for review. I dig its aesthetics—if you're shooting with a unique camera, you might as well go all the way and get it in a unique color.
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The camera itself is all plastic. It measures 3.0 by 6.0 by 3.3 inches (HWD) and weighs about 8.2 ounces before you add a roll of film. The lens is a 30mm f/10.8, which can also be set to shoot at f/16, and the mechanical shutter is fixed at 1/100-second. Images are captured at a wide 3:1 ratio, so expect to get about 18 shots per roll of film instead of the standard 36.
There is a hot shoe to add a flash, which you'll need for most indoor lighting, even if you're a fan of high-speed film. An optical viewfinder is built in—it's a fine guide for general framing, but isn't as precise as one that gives you a view through the lens.
Controls are as basic as they get. The lens has a ring to set focus, as well as levers to adjust the f-stop, fire the shutter, and change between the standard 1/100-second shutter and a Bulb setting for longer exposures. When the camera is set to Bulb, the shutter remains open for as long as you hold down the lever.
On the top plate you'll find knobs to advance and rewind the film. There are no hard stops, so you can feel free to get creative with multiple exposures, partial frame advances, and the like, if that's your thing. For normal operation, you'll know you've properly advanced the film and are ready to make another image when you see a white dot in the cutout window, located adjacent to the winding knob.
Loading a Roll
To load film—the chemical version of a memory card—just snap the back off the camera and proceed as you would with any other 35mm camera. Be careful with the door when using the camera, though. It's held on by two metal clips and, if you're rough and tumble with your gear, I recommend some gaffer tape to make sure it doesn't open up by accident. I fumbled a bit when rewinding a roll and the door opened wide enough to fog a couple of frames.
You'll also need to decide whether or not to expose the entirety of the film, including the sprockets, or to mask them from light. Lomography includes a small plastic clip with the camera. When installed it prevents the sprockets from being exposed. I shot a roll of film with the clip installed and didn't realize it until I had left it in until I got my negatives back—it's why the LomoChrome Purple images in this story don't show the sprockets in the same way the standard color negative shots do.
Film choice is up to you, of course. I found, for outdoor, daylight use, a 400-speed color negative stock offered enough versatility. But if you're photographing in very bright light, consider ASA 200 or 100 film.
Getting It Processed and Scanned
It's harder to get film processed at retail these days. A decade ago, you could walk into a big box store, spend a few dollars for C41 processing, and walk out with finished negatives within an hour. But fewer retail outlets offer lab services, and getting digital shots with the film sprockets preserved is, at best, an additional service for which you'll pay a premium.
If you have a local lab, and are thinking about the Sprocket Rocket, you should definitely check to see if they're able to digitize the negatives properly, and find out how much it will cost.
To scan yourself, you'll want to use a flatbed scanner with transparency support. I used an old Epson 4490 and VueScan software, along with a medium format glass holder from BetterScanning, but you don't really need the glass; you can also use the film holder that's included with your scanner, assuming it doesn't cover the sprockets.
A medium format film scanner, like the Plustek OpticFilm 120 or the long-unavailable Nikon Super CoolScan 9000 ED, will also do the trick. But unless you already own one, there's not much sense in buying a $2,000 scanner to digitize images from an inexpensive camera. If you don't already have a way to scan your own negatives, the Epson V550 is a good budget-friendly choice.
Once you've got images digitized, you'll be able to get prints made (complete with sprockets), share images on social media, and the like. You may be accused of mimicking Instagram's film border filters, but really, Instagram is copying the idea from photography's chemical roots.
Low-Fi Images With Standout Appeal
Like any plastic-lens, toy camera, the Lomography Sprocket Rocket 2.0 will never compete with modern digital equipment when it comes to image quality. But it's not supposed to. This is a camera you pick up for the experience, as you can pretty easily copy its look by adding some filters, applying a widescreen crop, and working some Photoshop magic with digital images.
But if you want to embrace the retro, analog process, the Sprocket Rocket 2.0 is one of many appealing cameras offered by Lomography. There's some effort involved in scanning your shots, so you should also have a bit of DIY spirit. The Sprocket Rocket's photos are decidedly different from what you'll get from other cameras. That's enough to make them stand out, whether it be in a noisy social media feed or on the stark walls of a gallery.
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