RETO Ultra Wide & Slim

AlexMogens · Oct 25, 2023

dourbalistar said:
As a primary camera, I agree that the RETO's limitations can be frustrating. The Nikkormat FTn is a solid improvement over the RETO, which by comparison is slim on features (all puns intended). Your daughter's moving on up! 😁

RETO Ultra Wide & Slim, Kentmere Pan 400, developed in LegacyPro L110 at 1:31 for 5.5 minutes.

2023.04.10 Roll #328-07941-positive.jpg by dourbalistar, on Flickr

It’s definitely capable for what it is. That’s a nice photo.

JeffS7444 · Oct 25, 2023

My UWS arrived today. Did a minor CLA to address a squeaky rewind crank that I felt needed too strong a tug to raise. Loaded it with Lomo 800 CN film and got out just in time to catch the last of the evening's direct sunlight. Wow is this camera ever lightweight, even by plastic camera standards.

dourbalistar · Oct 26, 2023

AlexMogens said:
It’s definitely capable for what it is. That’s a nice photo.

Thank you! My first Nikon SLR was a Nikomat FTn, hope your daughter's enjoying it more than the RETO.

JeffS7444 said:
My UWS arrived today. Did a minor CLA to address a squeaky rewind crank that I felt needed too strong a tug to raise. Loaded it with Lomo 800 CN film and got out just in time to catch the last of the evening's direct sunlight. Wow is this camera ever lightweight, even by plastic camera standards.

What do you expect for $17 including shipping? That roll of Lomo 800 probably cost more than the camera itself! 😝 All joking aside, hope you get some good results. Would love to see how this camera performs with Lomo 800.

Pál_K · Oct 27, 2023

AlexMogens said:
Sadly ours didn't last the summer. Good while it lasted though.

It's such a simple camera, like a Kodak Brownie from the 1950's. I would expect it to last decades. Is it that poorly made?

AlexMogens · Oct 27, 2023

Pál_K said:
It's such a simple camera, like a Kodak Brownie from the 1950's. I would expect it to last decades. Is it that poorly made?

Brownies are much better constructed. The rewind mechanism on the Reto is pretty flimsy, that's where my kid's one failed.

zane0777 · Oct 27, 2023

It's best to avoid 36 exposure rolls as it puts additional strain on the rewind mechanism. Even 24 exposure rolls had me worried but never had one fail. 12 would be even better, hard as they are to find these days.

I would love to see the UW&S lens put in a m4/3 (or other mirrorless) mount. All plastic, $25 or $30 - I bet they would sell.

JeffS7444 · Oct 31, 2023

I polished the rewind crank plastic surfaces which rub against one another, with a graphite pencil - the graphite reduced friction nicely. Didn't notice anything alarming when shooting or rewinding a 36-exposure roll of film, but I used a light touch throughout. Hope to share some scanned images in coming days. Until then, it's on to the Ilford Sprite II, which I purchased at the same time as UWS.

dourbalistar · Nov 1, 2023

zane0777 said:
I would love to see the UW&S lens put in a m4/3 (or other mirrorless) mount. All plastic, $25 or $30 - I bet they would sell.

@zane0777, the next closest thing I've seen is the Gizmon Wtulens:

GIZMON Wtulens - GIZMON

Super-wide-angle lenses of “Utsurundesu”(Global name:QuickSnap) "Wtulens" is a lens for mirrorless interchangeable lens cameras using a pair of "Utsurundesu" lenses. Enjoy photographing with 17mm wide lens! (35mm equivalent focal length) With "Wtulens" you are able to take emotional, lo-fi...

gizmon.com

They repurpose two lenses from disposable Quicksnap cameras and arrange them symmetrically in what looks like a plastic 3D printed lens barrel. The result is a 17mm f/16 lens, available in a variety of different mounts including m4/3. But I digress...

RETO Ultra Wide & Slim, Kentmere Pan 400, developed in LegacyPro L110 at 1:31 for 5.5 minutes.

2023.04.10 Roll #328-07934-positive.jpg by dourbalistar, on Flickr

zane0777 · Nov 2, 2023

dourbalistar said:
@zane0777, the next closest thing I've seen is the Gizmon Wtulens:

GIZMON Wtulens - GIZMON

Super-wide-angle lenses of “Utsurundesu”(Global name:QuickSnap) "Wtulens" is a lens for mirrorless interchangeable lens cameras using a pair of "Utsurundesu" lenses. Enjoy photographing with 17mm wide lens! (35mm equivalent focal length) With "Wtulens" you are able to take emotional, lo-fi...

gizmon.com

They repurpose two lenses from disposable Quicksnap cameras and arrange them symmetrically in what looks like a plastic 3D printed lens barrel. The result is a 17mm f/16 lens, available in a variety of different mounts including m4/3. But I digress...

That's interesting, thank you. I don't shoot film any more, but I liked the UW&S so much I bought the first-generation Pentax 15mm lens for APS-C. Once in a while it's fun to see the world through really wide eyes.

JeffS7444 · Nov 7, 2023

dourbalistar said:
Would love to see how this camera performs with Lomo 800.

It performs like this:

dourbalistar · Nov 9, 2023

JeffS7444 said:
It performs like this:
View attachment 4828854

That looks great, thanks for sharing @JeffS7444! The dappled, reflected light on the right side of the building is nice.

RETO Ultra Wide & Slim, Kentmere Pan 400, developed in LegacyPro L110 at 1:31 for 5.5 minutes.

2023.04.10 Roll #328-07943-positive.jpg by dourbalistar, on Flickr

JeffS7444 · Nov 10, 2023

dourbalistar said:
That looks great, thanks for sharing @JeffS7444! The dappled, reflected light on the right side of the building is nice.

Thanks! Simply lucky timing.