Brought to you by the same Lomographic Society folks who introduced the free world to the famed Lomo Kompakt Automat camera, the CyberSampler shares the original Lomo's wacky, creative image--as evidenced in the glossy, photo-filled booklet that comes with the camera and is a work of art in itself. The CyberSampler is also a study in styling with its off-white, milk-colored case. It doesn't have a flash and sports only a flip-up square to frame your photos. "Shoot from the hip," is the driving philosophy behind the Lomographic Society. Everything with this camera is manual, including film loading, winding, and rewinding, and there are no settings to fiddle with.

Make no mistake, as the booklet blithely states, "the [CyberSampler] is not a finely tuned piece of apparatus made only of the finest in handcrafted modern materials. It's made of plastic." In short, this means you shouldn't expect sharp, detailed pictures. However, you can expect truly unique, fun, and often striking sequences of photos. The CyberSampler uses any 35mm film but needs plenty of light (outdoor photos turn out the best), so if you want to use it indoors, we recommend using a high-speed film (ISO 400 or higher).

The CyberSampler is a blast to use, and it makes a great gift. While it has plenty of limitations, its distinctive way of seeing the world is fun and offbeat. Pros: Captures action with four photos on one frame Easy to use Colorful, unique styling Uses normal 35mm film (two rolls included) Cons: Cheaply constructed plastic camera Needs lots of light Relatively low-quality, blurry pictures