[see the cover story here]

The Lomo Compact Automat (B7,500, can be found at Fotoguffy) hailing from Russia has now reached cult-status worldwide and has nearly become synonymous with the analog movement. The dirty little secret is that half of it has nothing to do with the camera. Lomo users cross-process their film, which is what gives the photos wild colors and blown-out highlights. To do this, just shoot slide film and ask your lab to “cross-process” it. If your local lab is clueless, go to the pros at IQ Lab.

Tested at Benjakitti Park with cross-processed Fuji Provia 100F 35mm film (B250/roll).

Not unlike the Lomo, the Holga 120GN produces images with dark corners and crazy exposures. Unlike the Lomo though, the Holga uses medium format film, just like the pros! The Holga 120CFN (B3,400, available at Room Interior) comes with a plastic lens and funky colored filters. For more classy and classic medium format cams, crawl through Pirom Plaza (Mahachai Rd., across from Merry King and next to Grande Ville Hotel) where twin-lens Yashica medium formats starts at B4,000.

Tested at Benjasiri Park with cross-processed Fuji Astia 100F medium-format film (B150).

The Lomo Fisheye is just another wagon on the seemingly endless freight train of photographic toys that Lomo has churned out in the tracks of the Lomo Compact Automat. Just to name a few, the Pop 9 (B2,900) takes 3x3 shots at the same time on the same frame.

Tested at Lumpiini Park on cross-processed Fuji Provia 100F 35mm film (B250/roll).

The ActionSampler (B1,700) takes four vertical shots at timed intervals, again on the same frame.

Tested at Santichaiprakarn with push-processed Fuji Provia 100F 35mm film (B250/roll).

The Horizon (B15,000) takes a panoramic shot spread over two frames.

Tested at Suan Luang Rama 9 with Fuji Provia 100F 35mm film (B250/roll). These cameras are all available at Room Interior.

The exquisite prints peel-apart instant film cameras produce are only half the fun. The negative, a gooey black strip of paper you peel the picture from and is meant to be thrown away, can be pressed onto a paper with good absorbing qualities for a soft eerie print with faded colors. The fun starts at B3,500 with a Polaroid EE100 to which you can add a B2,000 Polaroid Creative Photography Kit (both can be found at Fotoguffy)

Tested at Chatuchak Park with Fuji NP 100C film (B420/10 shot pack).

Trips to the lab not your idea of fun? The Fuji Instax 200 (B2,090 at Fuji dealers around town) produces big Instax prints that you can manipulate for that extra arty feel. While it’s still “fresh,” draw on your Instax with a capped pen or any blunt object to get anything from dark lines to crushed muddled colors.

Tested at Santipab Park on Fuji Instax film (B380/10 shot cartridge).