Lomography has announced the Simple Use Reloadable Film Camera Half Frame, an extension of its existing Simple Use line into the half-frame format.

Where the standard Simple Use exposes the full 24×36mm frame with each shot, the Half Frame version uses a 17×24mm image area oriented vertically, effectively doubling the number of exposures available from a single roll. A standard 36-exposure roll yields 72 half-frame images; the preloaded roll included with the camera provides 40 exposures. The tradeoff is a smaller negative, which produces lower resolution and more visible grain compared to a full-frame 35mm exposure on the same film stock — a consequence that is particularly apparent at large print sizes or in high-magnification scans.

The body has been redesigned to suit the half-frame format’s vertical orientation. The result is a taller, squarer profile than the standard Simple Use, with a protruding central viewfinder, an oversized top-mounted winding dial, and an elongated shutter release button. The lens is a fixed-focus 21mm unit at f/9, covering a focus range from 0.6 meters to infinity. The shutter speed is fixed at 1/120s. A built-in Xenon flash is included, with a recharge time of approximately 15 seconds between flashes. Interchangeable colored gel filters for the flash are also included.

Here are some sample pictures, courtesy of Lomography: