I did check focus at f16, I didn't mention it as obviously the sharp focus point is harder to measure with the smaller aperture. At f16 infinity is still out of focus. I've reproduced this on film, at f16 and the lens on infinity theres a notion of focus around 5m into the image, but everything else is OOF.
The problem is the lens to film plane is just too long. There won't be much in it, but it's enough for the camera basically not to work. I've had a look and there isn't an easy fix for this, and am reluctant to start bending the scissor mechanism to shorten the lens-film plane distance.
The camera is pretty well constructed, which makes it likely that my camera isn't an isolated case. Looking at images on flickr the most successful images are in the 2-4m range, where it seems to work pretty well.
I've managed on occasion to get some sharpness in images. Its very tricky to get a decent image. The front standard wobbles so you have to really brace it, the viewfinders are hopeless, so the best approach is to brace the camera against your chest and point it in the general direction, I use a level on the flash mount to help.
I've had a bit of criticism for not getting the lomo thing. I shoot with a Holga and like the dreamy images it gives, I understand plastic lenses. The Belair isn't sharp, it isn't dreamy, it just looks like you got it wrong most of the time. The Belair was advertised as giving 'super-sharp' images and the examples that Lomo put on the website are sharp, but mostly flash images in studio - where the front end wobble is less of an issue.
The camera could be brilliant, its so nearly there. However it misses by enough margin for me to start being reluctant to fill it with 120 film (which it consumes at quite a rate).
