Quad Cam

I've known about four (and more) lensed cameras for years, but until very recently, I was under the impression that all four shutters went off at the same time making a Warhol-esque image. As soon as I found out how they actually worked, they seemed a lot cooler. Unfortunately, the only one I knew of for sale was Lomography's ActionSampler, and $30 for something I'm not going to use that often is ridiculous.

So imagine my surprise when I spotted this crappy thing in a local store. It works like the ActionSampler, but it's a whole lot shittier and cost me only $7. And it comes in green AND blue. Hell yes!

The store owner asked if I was sure I wanted to buy it. She had opened one up a while ago and wasn't even sure the back would stay on very well. I assured her that I like crappy cameras, half the time I'm happy that anything comes out on my film at all... and that the back would be fine once I put some electrical tape on it.

So how's it work? At first I was worried that it didn't. Upon depressing the shutter button for the first time, I was intending to hear "click click click click" like it said on the package. Instead, I got a second of loud buzzing that freaked me out. Watching the lenses the second time confirmed that yes, that's the sound it makes when it's working properly. I'd hate to hear what it sounds like if it ever breaks.

Winding the film is easy enough, its just a little plastic wheel on the back like most inexpensive 35mms. When you're done with the roll, you turn the little crank on the top until the film is all back in the cassette. How the film actually looks when developed is something I'm going to have to wait and find out.

The Quad Cam is made by Accoutrements. If you simply *must* have one of your own but don't know of anywhere that sells their products, you can get one from Stupid.com or Archie McPhee for $12.95. Enjoy making your tiny animations!