Photojournalism SnapPak, Initial reactions

Patricia Truchsess

"This Pak came right on time. As I was on my way to London, to a very special concert of Nick Cave & the Bad Seeds, I was excited about shooting with this pak! I like the clear appearance of the images with this combo! The frameless Blanko BL4 film desaturates a bit, but not as much as Blanko C14. The Lowy lens is just what I've been waiting for: rich in contrast and neutral colours (a bit like Jane) and no vignette or overexposure in the middle of the picture. I find his combo is really great for photojournalism because it mirrors reality in a clear, sharp and brilliant way."

Lens:  Lowy  • Film:  Blanko Bl4  • Using: Oggl

Kirk Hayes

"I was pretty excited about this pack and my expectations were high. I was hoping for a film and lens with true colours, natural contrast and no vignette. My feelings are mixed though. I really do like the lens, as it lacks a vignette, is sharp, slightly punchy and has very true colours. The film is not my favourite though. I like the lack of borders, but the colours are too cool and desaturated to my liking, and would not suit my needs for documentation. Classic's results are better than Oggl's in my opinion (the same can be said for all film and lens combos). Images using Hipstamatic Classic seem richer, crisper and more true to the look and feel of film."

Lens:  Lowy  • Film:  Blanko Bl4  • Flash: off

Thérèse Cherton

"I tested the new Blanko BL4 film with the Mabel lens. As far as my picture - a bunch of poppies - goes, I like the fact that everything in the foreground is very detailed while the background seems less prominent. However, for outdoor pictures, this combo lacks some depth. The sky seems flat and the clouds are almost non-existent... and I can tell you, in Belgium, there are clouds, and lots of them! The addition of a flash, such as Jolly Rainbo 2X, helps a lot, giving the picture a lot more depth. "

Lens:  Mabel  • Film:  Blanko Bl4  • Using: Oggl

Bill Munder

"The new Photojournalism SnapPak is certain to become one of my favourites. I like that the Lowy lens works well with the Blanko BL4 film, and the fact that so many other films work with this lens. Pistil and Blanko Noir for color and any of the BlacKeys for black and white, for instance. I also like that many different lenses work with Blanko BL4, such as John S or Tinto 1884. Looking at some of my photos in Oggl, I discovered many different combinations with these 2 new additions to Hipstamatic."

Lens:  Lowy  • Film:  Blanko Bl4  • Flash: off

Dror Blumberg

"If you need someone to lighten up your party you should call Ben Lowy. I divide my lenses into two categories: clear/light lenses and dark lenses. Lowy belongs to the bright lens group: lenses that give you clarity, lenses that illuminate your frame. At first, I took shots with colour films but I didn't like the result, it's got a blueish tone, like the Wonder lens. I prefer much darker and stronger tones in my films, so I moved on to the black and white films and there, the Lowy lens is pure magic! I tried it with every single black and white film there is and I really love the lens. But I really like the film combined with John S lens. I plan on testing it further with the rest of the lenses. I played with the Salvador lens, as I always do, and really like the result. I mainly used the lens in sunlight, but didn't have much time to test it in more obscure conditions or artificial light. Hey, it's only day one... we have plenty of time to play with this wonderful pack. Thank you Hipstamatic, and thank you Ben Lowy!"

Lens:  John S  • Film:  Blanko Bl4  • Flash: off

Ger Van Den Elzen

"The new Photojournalism SnapPak offers full freedom of choice. Take the Lowy Lens and combine it with any film you want. This results in an image that brings you the finest details. A sharpness that's Amazing! For me, personally, the combination of this Lowy Lens, combined with all the black and white films makes this a 'must have' SnapPak. Take your own favourite lens, combine it with the new Blanko BL4 Film and see how your images turn out just perfect. What I like most about the Blanko BL4 Film is the powerful contrast. Of course, one day is not enough to discover all the possibilities of this great new SnapPak."

Lens:  John S  • Film:  Blanko Bl4  • Using: Oggl

Marian Rubin

"It's beautiful for clean, crisp detailed images. It produces excellent sharpness with little interference from extraneous effects. It has nice contrast with no grain and exposure seems to be right on. It's ideal for street photography, architecture and still life, probably for portraiture as well.
I still am completely enamored with the Lowy lens paired with the C-type Plate film but I'm sure this lens will be very versatile with many other films."

Lens:  Lowy  • Film:  C-Type Plate  • Flash: off

More info on the Photojournalism SnapPak here.

This post is also available in: French

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