Category: Cameras

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.

I discovered the Pentax Auto 110 on Youtube very early into my days of collecting cameras. I had one Berkley Keyshore 110 camera and one roll of 110 film. I figured this was a camera that I would just enjoy observing from a distance. I purchased it 2 weeks later. I call it my best friend in the review title because I love this camera so much. You do not see anything else like it anymore and I love having the ability to say I own this camera. But yet I have issues with it…

I managed to get the Pentax Auto for around $120 dollars. If you have read my Lomomatic review, you will assume that this is a very high price for a 110 camera. It is expensive but it is awesome and I would personally say almost worth the money for what it brings to the table. As a 110 film SLR, I feel that it gives you such an interesting approach and experience with such a weird film stock.

The lens that I own and have shot photos on include the 18mm, 24mm, 50mm, 20-40mm, and the 70mm. I have a sweet collection of the lens and plan on buying a micro 3/4 camera with an adaptor so I can use them more. The lens are so cool and I can’t believe they aren’t just toys. They are small, yet functional and I have fun with each and every one.

As I sit here typing with all of the parts that I have collected for this camera, I am torn on how to feel. I simply cannot say it is worth the kind of money I have put into it. The photos are awesome and yet inconsistent.

Being an SLR, you almost expect to get what you see with each photo you take. It seems like the case with any of them, but this one just feels so misleading at times. I have taken photos in settings that I would expect to turn out at least decent, and they look terrible. Even vice versa, this camera is so hit or miss and I do not think I will ever grasp how to use it 100% effectively.

One thing I have noticed is significant amounts of flare in photos. Listed below is one example of it. This is definitely user error in most instances, but it occurs with the slightest error or miscalculation in the photos you take.

This camera also has some weird effects on reds from what I have seen. It makes anything close to red almost look like it is painted on top of the photo. I have seen it on every lens and do not quite understand what I am doing to cause this to happen.

And it’s so expensive that I fear breaking it and leaving it unusable after buying these outstanding lens for it. Because it is so outdated, if it breaks I have no where to turn to and will have to find a way to fix it on my own.

And overall, the photos are so cool! The camera is a conversation starter too. For such a small body, it packs a serious punch and has so much optional versatility. I would take this camera with me everywhere, I just fear breaking it too much.

I have put roughly 6 rolls of film in on it. And yet the photos I am choosing are coming from pretty much just 3 of them, because the rest are simply terrible and not even worth showing. Likely coming down to user error, yes. But it can be annoying to get your hopes up after finishing a roll, to only get 4-5 good photos. I am still adjusting and learning it overall and do not have this puzzling camera figured out. I want to understand it and have it conquered, but I just keep falling short.

With full confidence I cannot suggest this camera much outside of keeping it as a collectible. I want to keep shooting on it, but I want to keep it safe at all costs because I care about the investment so much. Whenever I have the time to take photos around town, I pack it up, get it ready to go, then end up leaving it behind because I talk myself out of packing it anywhere. I also do not see myself going through the hassle of taking it to travel anywhere on vacations. I just want to keep it safe in its protective case at all times.

If you want an awesome 110 camera that stands out from the rest, buy this camera. If, like me, you have a low risk tolerance with your cameras, I personally would not make this purchase again.

This past summer, my brother and I were blessed with the opportunity to go overseas, travel around Europe, and sail the Peloponnese in Greece. I was excited and knew that the sights we would get to see were going to be amazing. However, how was I going to expect a camera to hold up while at sea? I knew I was not going to be able to bring just any camera with me, but needed to be water resistant one at the least.

After one quick Youtube video from Grainydays, I knew this was the camera I wanted. The photos looked amazing, and the camera itself looks so cool. With it being an interesting camera with some amazing features, I knew this would be the perfect point and shoot to take overseas with me. I purchased mine used on eBay for roughly $90 in tested and working condition. I had little time to get used to the camera and shot a practice roll roughly a month before I left.

This camera is fun. I loved how simple it was and could just feel what the camera was thinking. It has a very silent and different sounding shutter and when I first shot on it I thought it was broken until I saw the image counter rising up with every fast shutter noise that went off. It is rapid at taking photos when given the right light and I loved how quickly and almost mindlessly I was able to take photos.

I packed it in my backpack for the trip in the same fashion that I packed my Ektar H35, and kept it as safe as I could alongside of a couple other cameras that I knew would hold up for the 16 day journey throughout Europe and the open seas.

After arriving in Zurich, Switzerland and getting into our hostel room, I dropped the camera. I checked it and saw no apparent damage or reason for concern. I managed to shoot many rolls of film during our two day stint and had zero issues with it.

We then travelled to Dubrovnik, Croatia. We stayed for one night near downtown where I still used the camera. I had so much fun doing so, and I knew the photos I was taking were going to be memorable. The next day we packed up and went to a little town near the Dubrovnik airport called Čilipi. While unloading and getting ready to hike to a far away beach, I grabbed for my WP-1. I picked it up, and the back fell off exposing my film. The camera had completely lost the hook holding the back of the camera on. This side of the camera is where it had landed just three days prior. This in turn ruined an almost complete roll of film because the re-rolling system was inoperable as a result of this. The camera was left unusable after that, and we were not even halfway through the trip.

Obviously, a ruined camera did not mean a ruined trip. I thankfully had other cameras with me and still had a working body that allowed me to get out and enjoy the world around me. It just sucked because I was quickly falling in love with this camera. I was so excited to use it again more in the states. I still have it today with duct tape keeping it together because I am so fond of the unique look that this camera has. The colors pop and makes it stick out in a crowd of dull cameras.

The Canon WP-1 is quick and fun. It is a camera I will be buying again as soon as I can. I absolutely loved what this camera was capable in my short tenure with it and am heartbroken that I can’t use it more. The fact that it broke was unfortunately my fault and something I am sad happened.

I highly recommend getting this camera. The photos I managed to get were amazing, and it is a camera I just want to put to work. I will hopefully be getting a replacement soon and will plan on not dropping that one.

I purchased the Lomomatic 110 the second I found out about its existence. I personally love Lomography as a company because of how much fun they make photography appear and especially because they still produce 110 film. As someone who enjoys the 110 experience, I want to support them in every way I can and I felt that purchasing this camera helped to show my support.

I put so many styles of film from Lomography through this camera. I used pretty much every kind of 110 film on their site besides their black and white stocks. I used this camera a lot in Europe. I managed to shoot 4 rolls of film during my 16 day trip.

110 film is odd. With so many unique styles and film stocks from Lomography I never know which direction to take each roll. I don’t fully understand it, I just know that it is finicky and touchy. But I can’t stop using it. I love the weirdness of it and I find myself buying more even when photos turn out poorly. I am still learning how to shoot film, and I can understand where I went wrong on this camera.

This camera is one that I packed along with my WP-1 on my summer trip to Europe. I purchased the metal exterior just to give it that extra style and protection. I loved the weight of the camera and how it feels in my hands. However, I hate the winding mechanism on it. Its clunky and feels like I will break the camera every time I need to wind my film. It took me a couple of rolls to fully get used to it and I still found it off-putting.

I also hated the distancing meter on the side. My hand bumped it frequently and ruined how the camera was focusing multiple times. On the photo below, the meter was bumped incorrectly and altered how the photo could have turned out.

I am not a fantastic photographer. I am not trying to say that this is solely the cameras fault. Photos that got affected honestly might not have turned out the right way regardless, but the meter threw me for a loop and I was constantly questioning myself and my hand placement.

I also had mixed feelings about the flash unit being separate. I did not even bother taking it to Europe out of fear of losing it. Every time I have thought about taking this camera out, I have ended up leaving it aside because I didn’t feel like packing the flash piece along. It’s annoying yet handy and I could not imagine this camera any other way. It is convenient because you are not stuck with it at all times and it helps the camera be lightweight and easier to navigate around.

These issues at the end of the day are not major. You adjust and learn this camera’s personality just like any other camera. I still had fun using the Lomomatic 110 and that is truly all that matters to me. I don’t think I will use it much after this adventure, but I will not stop using it.

I would argue that spending $100 on this camera is just not fully worth the money, especially if you have never used 110 film before. I don’t think it is a bad camera and it is certainly not complicated, but you can save so much money by going with a similar styled 110 camera off of eBay or other marketplaces. I have seen some essentially new 110 cameras with original packages for less than $30 on some marketplaces. Lomography’s price is unfortunately just too high in my opinion.

I don’t hate this camera. I would honestly choose to buy it again if my current one broke. I just have so many other 110 cameras that I find myself picking over this one. I am in a tough position with this one and my feelings will be left mixed on it for a long time.

I got so many cool photos that helped me to store memories of this trip and helped make our journey memorable. I am thankful I chose to take it overseas with me because I think it held up significantly better than any other camera in my arsenal would have. I will keep shooting on this little camera. Hopefully one day I can write a new review that takes all of these negative thoughts back.

The Canon CNx30 is an interesting 35mm film camera. I received mine on eBay for roughly $30. It looked really cool and like a fun camera to help dip my toes into a more traditional build quality to help me move away from my Ektar.

When I first got this out of the box, I could not believe how unique this camera was. It had a viewing lens and while it may be difficult to angle properly and use, gives it a neat flare that I enjoy. On top of that, it also has a rangefinder view which is effective.

Loading film was rather simple too. I had to take a few tries for the film to catch, but once it was in it ran smooth and was easy to understand. I have actually put two rolls of film through this camera. One Kodak 200 roll and one expired roll that was gifted to me. Since my inventory has grown since this purchase, I would not consider it my favorite. But, pulling it back out to write this review makes me want to try taking photos on it again.

Although I typically will not choose to write about this, I could not find any spec information on this camera when I purchased it and I still can’t. It is such an odd but cool camera.

This camera was fun, but I just couldn’t get photos that were at a standard I wanted. With the Kodak Gold roll, I took it out on a slightly dreary day and took a couple photos around my house. I only got a handful of photos that I could be proud of. This is clearly the lighting that I chose to take photos in. At the time I had not been educated on what lighting films worked best in, especially a 200 ISO film.

The expired roll was interesting as well. I cannot remember the name of the film that was used but it was a 200 speed film from what I can recall. I believe that again, the lighting was what killed the photos on this. While I like the look of these photos more than the first roll, I believe that a lot of them would have been really cool had I been educated on what lighting works better with film.

I will absolutely take more photos on this camera. While I will not recommend it highly for someone that may have a large collection, for a beginner it is cheap, simple, and fun. I have no issues with this camera. I think it sits nicely in my collection and if there is ever a time that I am bored and want to shoot some photos on a roll of film that I have not used, I would do so gladly.

The Kodak Ektar is a 35mm half frame camera. It shoots photos that are similar to a disposable camera, however this is reusable and shoots double the amount of photos! Coming in at around $40 is this camera worth buying in 2024?

I have put two rolls of film through my Ektar at the time of writing this. It is easily my favorite point-and-shoot that I currently own. There is so much to appreciate about a camera like this and I love taking photos on it.

I purchased this camera last year before studying abroad in Sweden. I had 0 experience with film at the time and did not know what to expect when I decided to purchase it. I purchased one roll of Kodak Gold 200 film and went on my way. Loading the film was rather simple and only took one try for me to get it right. Everything was quick and stress-free with this camera. It only took me 5 minutes to understand how to operate the camera.

It’s such a durable camera too. I have taken it on flights to Sweden and Florida in a carry on backpack filled to the brim. I have never had an issue with its durability. It may be made of plastic, but I trust the quality of the camera and don’t question it for a second when I pack it around with me. It admittedly feels cheaply made. But I feel like that makes it easier to take on more adventures and truthfully use to its full potential. At a decent cost, breaking it is no stress.

This camera is so simple and takes gorgeous photos. I highly recommend it to anyone looking to get into film photography. I never would have imagined that this camera would help me to fall in love with such a unique hobby. But after getting my first roll developed, I have not looked back. The camera is relatively cheap at $40, and is also a half frame camera which helps your wallet even more. You are getting so much out of your money. I have taken countless amazing photos that may not impress a professional, but I am proud of. I have grown my camera collection so much since this purchase but I still find myself putting new rolls of film in the Kodak Ektar because I know it will produce great photos.

This camera is what got me inspired to dive into the film community. That is what I love the most about the Ektar, it is just simple and fun. I don’t regret buying this camera at all and I will absolutely keep it as a part of my core rotation of cameras going forward.