They were spy cameras used by the KGB half a century ago and although the pictures taken by Lomo cameras have defects, it is for that reason that they are sought after by Shanghai shutterbugs, writes Wang Jie.

　　Lomo, the handy spy cameras invented in the 1950s that once helped Russian KGB operatives photograph people secretly, don't work perfectly for amateur or professional photographers because they are too sensitive to red, blue and yellow hues and sometimes the pictures they take have dark edges.

　　Yet it is exactly because of these flaws that the cameras have achieved a kind of ``Lomo chic'' among shutterbugs. Nowadays there are about 20,000 Lomo users in Shanghai and more are likely to join the trend in the future. ``Every Lomo picture is a piece of art -- like an oil painting,'' says Lu Zhonghua, a 30-something white-collar worker who has played with Lomo cameras for two years. ``And, most importantly, you don't need to have grasped any shooting skills -- you just press the button.'' It is all thanks to two students from Vienna that the Lomo camera was saved from being relegated to the shelves of antique shops. In 1991, they traveled to the Czech Republic and found a Lomo camera. Soon they became enamored of the unique pictures that could be taken on it. Curious about its history, they went to Russia but found that the factory that produced Lomo cameras had already closed. However, they managed to make a new order for the factory. ``The Lomo camera can easily recapture every exciting, fleeting moment without the photographer having to think about aperture, focus or composition,'' says Lu. The uncertainty and the slow shutter speed add to Lomo's magnetism: One can never be certain about the final outcome of a Lomo picture. ``I am tired of digital cameras,'' says Wendy Xu, another young Lomo fan. ``They are too faithful in reflecting the subjects. But with Lomo, the world looks completely different.'' In Lomo pictures, the sky may appear a vastness of azure blue while roses blossom in cardinal red. The image may not be completely clear or reveal every detail and this leaves a lot of space in the eye of the viewer for emotion, romance and poetic aura. Recently, Lu has set up a Website (www.loomoo.com) for Lomo fans to share their pictures and thoughts on the Net with others. ``We have a Lomo `wall' that showcases everyone's `masterpieces','' he says. ``Sometimes the images distort reality and harmony, but at the same time we are comforted by these photos.'' According to a survey conducted by the Website, most Lomo fans are people who work under strong pressure in areas like advertising, designing and IT. ``Everyone has certain emotional moments that can't be understood by others,'' Lu explains. ``When such moments accumulate, you have to find a way to capture them. A Lomo camera is one of the best solutions.'' Perhaps Lomo pictures are more like a visual diary, something related to Dadaism or metaphysics. They evoke a simple and private joy combining freedom and spontaneity. In fact, some Lomo fans use their experience with the cameras in their work. Lomo pictures may be used as part of their draft proposals or draft presentations to clients. But some professional photographers claim that Lomo pictures are a waste of time and money. ``This is a retrogressive step in photography,'' says Guo Jinrong from the Shanghai Photographers' Association. ``Such outdated cheap cameras have a fatal limitation. In my eyes, Lomo pictures are poor in quality. It's a humdrum game popular only with a small group.'' Now there are about 10 different types of Lomo cameras available in the local market with prices ranging from 300 yuan (US$36) to 1,000 yuan, a bargain compared with the high prices for digital or high-quality cameras. ``Yet the monthly cost of a Lomo camera is not that cheap,'' Lu says. ``For example, I use around 20 rolls of films per month and some Lomo fans use up to 50 rolls a month.'' ``I have many ways with which to play Lomo,'' says Xu. ``For example, after I press the shutter, I throw the camera in the air. Because of the slow shutter speed, I can unexpectedly capture a series of moving pictures. It's a magic box.'' And it is a ``magic box'' available to extend one's imagination and creativity. ``But I wouldn't like to see the Lomo camera sweeping the city like the digital camera,'' Lu says. ``We want to retain it for this particular group who fully understand the `essence of Lomo' -- the special feeling of capturing that fleeting moment.'' The former Russian KGB agents could never have thought that their spy cameras would be revived to fulfill such a totally different function. ``But I rather doubted that it was once used as a spy camera,'' Lu says with a wry smile. ``You know what? Its shutter sound is too loud. That's why I have always thought that the weapons James Bond used against the KGB are the smartest in the world.''