Lomography LC-Wide - 35mm Film Camera

I've got a love/hate relationship with my "LC" cameras - I already owned an original early 90s and the medium format LC-120. When they're good, they're a joy, but both can be unpredictable and annoying. Even so, I've wanted to try an LC-Wide for a long while. This little review is based on my first impressions having shot and developed one roll.
The wide lens is unique in a compact camera, at least as far as I know. It is really wide! I really enjoy wide-angle lenses and that's what attracted me to this camera in the first place, but this is a wide angle fully loaded with the characteristic lomo aesthetic. Old-school purists will hate it.
The LC-Wide has a couple of fun tricks up it's sleeve. First, it comes with plastic inserts that enable it to be used as a half-frame camera and also a square format (which I can't imagine using). However, if you put the camera in half-frame mode without using the insert, what you get is frames that merge together in potentially interesting ways. Used this way, full and half frame can be mixed on the same roll. And of course, the LC-Wide has a switch to enable multiple exposures. I've made a start exploring these things, and I hope the attached images give some clues about the possibilities.
This is a proper point & shoot camera. The viewfinder bears only a passing resemblance to what will be captured on film so any efforts to carefully frame a subject are likely to be in vain. But this is not a camera for carefully considered images. With its (admittedly quirky) auto-exposure and only two focus zones to think about, this is a quick-fire grab-and-go let's-see-what-we-get shooter that will produce images you couldn't get any other way.
Downsides? Well, the lomo aesthetic won't win prizes with the camera club. And it does seem expensive, though that's hard to judge when there really isn't anything to compare it to. I suppose the closest comparison might be the Reto Wide & Slim, but they really aren't in the same class.
The Lomo LC-Wide feels robust and well-made, at least as well as my original LC-A, now thirty years old. I'm looking forward to some years of point & shoot wide angle fun .

(The attached images were captured on expired Kodak High Definition 200 film, developed at home)

This is an interesting new version of an old Russian camera.
The lens is wide, REALLY WIDE. Due to this so much more is in focus.
The half frame ability is a nice edition. My favourite thing about it is the auto exposure. Many point and shoot cameras can achieve this level of both quality and signature look for a lot less money. But only if you have the correct film for the lighting on that day. You need not to worry so much with this camera, as it's shutter speed will adjust to accommodate your bad film choice. In addition to this you can drag your exposures, intentionally, by choosing a low iso film/ setting.

The change from 4 zones to two makes focussing a much easier task.
Now for the rather large elephant in the room. THE PRICE. There's no getting away from the rather colossal price. The cost of this little wonder plus 10 films + developing would bag you any number of reasonable cameras. I haven't a need for such cameras, as I already own them. If this was a mass produced, selling well item. I doubt would be worth more than £100. It's the unfortunate cost of admission. But it does work well and does all it claims. This is in contrast to Many other cameras that promise much and deliver little. Unlike the latest digital offerings, it won't Loose it's ability to bring joy to your life, 3 years down the line. Nor will it loose 80% of its value. It's a Joy to use. I wouldn't suggest it as a first, second of third camera. It for those who already have them.
One positive, is your buying a new camera. It will work as it should for some years before you need to replace the light seals. Factor in the cost of a service on anything second hand and you are already getting close to the cost of this new camera.