After shooting my first roll of film on my Kodak Ektar, I knew I was in love with film photography. I did not know about how many more options were out there with film and thought 35mm film was the only choice.
While on vacation in Traverse City up in Michigan, my family stopped at a photography store that was located downtown called The Camera Shop (I got my first roll of film developed here too while working in Traverse City the summer before visiting again! I highly recommend their services!). Exploring the store, I began digging through a used camera box with cameras that were going for $5. I picked up a long and odd looking camera with a film case that was too small for a roll of 35mm film. “What in the world?”, I thought to myself. My mom told me about having a camera just like it and how it uses cartridges that were easier to handle than 35mm film. Looking online I realized that 110mm film was hard to come by, but for $5 why not buy the camera?
What a weird world of photography this camera threw me in. The build is now something I understand is quite typical for a 110 camera and it really doesn’t stand out as being better or below other cameras that shoot 110mm film. I think I am just more fond of this because it helped me learn so much more about photography and gave me more fun options for film that I otherwise might never have known about.
Photos on this camera have such a weird look. It is definitely the expected outcome of a small format film like this, but I have so much fun using this camera that I cherish them a little more. Seeing a camera of this style is so uncommon now and is a conversation starter too.
No, the photos are not high quality. They are unique and I love that. They have a weird pop that just makes you want to take more photos on and experiment with. I do not believe the Berkley Keystone is better than other 110 cameras, but if you find one in working condition, buy it. They seem to be relatively cheap online and it is something that is guaranteed to give you fun photos.
My only issues with it are the awkward range finder, which is also common on these cameras and something you just have to learn by using, and the insanely bright flash which is important because this film does not handle darkness well at all. These issues are not even bad issues. The camera still provides so much bang for your buck.
This is the 110 camera I go for every time I decide to go out and shoot with film. It is easy to hold in your pocket, lightweight, and easy to pull out and snap a fast photo on. I cannot explain why, I just love it even more than some higher grade 110 cameras like the Minolta MKII 110 Zoom (review coming soon) and the Pentax Auto 110.
Buy this camera if you can find it online for cheap, and have fun with it. The camera may not give you photos that are worth putting in a portfolio, but it will do the job and help you fall in love with a weird and funky film stock.
Lomochrome Metropolis 110
