Pop Star Dua Lipa Launches Reusable 35mm Underwater Film Camera

Sep 04, 2024

Jeremy Gray

A transparent camera with the words "radical optimism" printed vertically on the left side. Through the camera body, an underwater scene shows the legs and torso of a swimmer in a green and blue water background. The camera lens is positioned in the center.

International pop star Dua Lipa has been a film photography enthusiast for years and has launched a new 35mm underwater film camera to celebrate the tour for her latest album, Radical Optimism.

Update 9/5: The Lomography Aqua reusable underwater film camera is in stock. An earlier version of this article linked to a specific SKU that is sold out.

The aptly named Radical Optimism Camera is a $40 fixed-focus reusable 35mm camera, complete with Radical Optimism album graphics, inside a waterproof shell.

A transparent waterproof camera with a wrist strap labeled "radical optimism." The camera has a focus-free 28mm lens and an underwater image with a swimmer's arm visible through the lens display.

The merch store listing is light on details, but a product photo of the box offers some insights. The camera sports a 28mm f/9 “Picture Taking Lens” with fixed focus. The camera promises an “easy film loading system” and includes a manual film advance system that is operable through the detachable waterproof shell. The camera comes with a wrist strap but doesn’t ship with film.

A product box for a waterproof 35mm camera featuring a submerged person’s hands in water. The box has a blue and red design with white text that reads "dua lipa" and "WATERPROOF 35mm CAMERA Up to 3 meters.

For Dua Lipa fans hoping to take the point-and-shoot camera on deep dives — for some reason — they will want to slow their roll as it’s only waterproof down to three meters (9.8 feet). This is a far cry from the gorgeous $7,495 Sub13 underwater housing for the equally eye-catching $5,995 Leica M6 film camera, which can dive to over 95 meters (313 feet) according to independent testing.

The Dua Lipa Radical Optimism camera is more akin to something like the Lomography Analogue Aqua released in 2020. That’s also a reusable, simple-use point-and-shoot 35mm camera with a plastic underwater housing, albeit one rated for dives up to 10 meters (33 feet) below the surface. The $43.90 camera comes preloaded with Lomography Color Negative ISO 400 film.

A compact black camera enclosed in a transparent, hard plastic, waterproof case with purple buttons and knob. The case features a large lens cover and is designed for underwater photography.

As Kosmo Foto writes in its coverage, musicians are no strangers to somewhat unusual merchandise. Stephen Dowling recalls his days as a music journalist in the 1990s and 2000s, collecting unusual promotional items like keyring kaleidoscopes and spinning tops. However, glam metal rockers and supreme merchandisers KISS probably take the cake with their KISS Kasket, a KISS-branded coffin.

Compared to that, a Dua Lipa-branded underwater film camera seems downright normal, especially at a time when analog photography and point-and-shoot cameras are very popular.

The Dua Lipa Radical Optimism camera is available now for $40 and accepts standard 35mm film (sold separately). Given its f/9 lens, a faster film is probably the best choice for those wanting to use the camera underwater.

Image credits: Dua Lipa