@@lavalampsucculent2996 you are correct, the camera has fixed exposure settings and it's designed for use with 400 or 200 iso film. ektar only comes in 100 so it's incompatible, bar the sunniest of days.
Love the picture quality...getting a strong 1950's/1980's picture vibe. That's a quality you'll never get from digital. Sometimes you don't want to see everything in ultra clear definition.
I often think that's why pictures of people from the 50s-80s seem more attractive. I'm sure they were normal looking, but the film focus blurs out minor imperfections
A year later and I finally have my own H35. I absolutely love half-frame and squeezing a ton of images out of a roll of film. I found mine at a thrift store for $11! win-win....win! I've been itching for one after watching your review last year!
Just got mine in the mail last week and tested it this weekend - thanks for calling out the flash issue! I saw it happen to me a fair amount of times and i thought i was going crazy
I'm glad to see a new film camera come out in the modern age. On the other hand- if you're going to spend $50 on a plastic box camera get a Holga or Diana. At least then you have focus control and aperture settings. You can get a 35mm toy camera that'll make the same images for under $15. This thing is an order of magnitude too expensive.
Nice work Dave! I am laying in bed with covid and this cheered me up seeing this little mention of my channel thank you :) Hopefully will get to try this camera soon!
Oh, Lucy! I hope you have a speedy recovery and get out shooting again soon. This portrait orientation was challenging for me, but you really know how to make portrait work. Get well soon my friend.
Yet another fun lo-fi camera. It's really sharp in that sage green color. The sage will probably be their best seller. Really nice touch in the video showing the photos two-up.
I love this review. This is my first film camera and I wanted to see if it has a good reputation and was accurate to what I’ve experienced so far and it is !
I got mine on the mail a week ago but hadn’t had the time to test it 😂 You got some cool diptychs here, like the curved rail roads! Interesting colour shifts on some of the pics too. Cheers!
I'm a pro photographer so this is of no use to me, but for the price it seems like a bit of fun and hopefully has a market. The only thing I would add is that when I was a kid in the 1970s, I had an original instamatic and it did have a knob to turn that would allow for different weather conditions and brightness by adjusting the aperture. That could still be useful rather than having to use different film speeds for different conditions.
Love the images you made!! These are probably my favorite of yours. I’m not sure why you would not use it more unless they look really different in person. This was just your first roll? But maybe it was the subject matter. I really liked how you paired the images and the compositions. Which goes to show you, it’s not the camera but the eye of the photographer 😉. I really hope to see more images from this camera! Another photographer just posted images as well and he ended up with a lot of camera shake. Did you experience this on images you did not show?
An interesting little camera Dave. It looks fun to shoot with and I'm sure they'll sell a whole lot of these cameras. I've not noticed if they are available in the UK yet.
I'm wondering ... Do you Roll the film After every picture you take like with a normal film or every two picture ? ... Because of the semi format. The question sounds dumb i know (Sorry for the Bad english i m french
How does it work to take a shot on the 2nd half of the frame? Do you shoot twice? Wind it each time? Wind it half way? I just ordered one and know nothing of photography. But I like the comparison element of 2 shots together.
I just loaded the film exactly how you did and everything looked good. However, my frame counter is still at S. How do I fix this or does this impact my photos/film at all?
Hey! I am completely new to film photography and i am thinking about buying this camera as my first film camera, because its affordable for me at the moment and i think its a pretty beginner-friendly camera. I know how to get the film developed and stuff, the only thing i don't quite know how to do is how can i turn the film into digital photos so that i could post them on instaqgram for example? i'd really like to know that before i buy the camera. thanks in advance!
Wherever you get your film developed should offer scans as well. They can scan your negatives into digital files (like jpegs) and put them on physical media (CD, DVD, flash drive, or SD card) or send you a link to a folder containing your files on Dropbox or Google Drive. Once you have your images on your computer, you can send them to your phone (or access the photos directly from your phone if you have a Dropbox/Google Drive link).
It means you have a photo lab develop your film so you can see your pictures. It is more expensive than developing the film yourself, but it is better if you are new to film. There is a mail in lab thedarkroom.com that is very popular. Sometimes local camera stores offer developing also.
Hi! I was wondering if you could make a video of completely disassembling the Kodak half frame camera and reassembling it? My spinning thing clicked and broke one day (the part you wind to take a new picture) and so I disassembled it thinking it was a spring that snapped and could be replaced, it turned out to be a lot more complicated than I expected… and now I don’t know how to fix it or put it back together 😬 oops… If you had an instructional guide that’d be so so so much appreciated!
Hi, love the video! I have a question…. when you trying to consider having the two frames following a certain theme, like you mentioned. How do you know that those frames will be next to each other? I noticed as I started shooting that it went from 1 to 4 on the dial.
Great question - you don’t know for sure. When scanning or cropping, you can choose which groupings of two that you want together. If they are in different frames, there will be a slightly bigger black line between the grouped images, but it will still look ok.
@@theoldcameraguy thanks for your response! Yeah, I guess that makes sense. I also noted what I took a photo of and what number it was on, to see if I can work it out maybe…. :)
when i turned the dial, i was also surprised it went from 1 to 4 (and onwards)! i wasn't sure if i was using it wrong since it's my first half frame camera, and haven't developed my film rolls so i haven't seen them. did yours turn out alright? i was worried i was skipping some shots or something
Hi Dave, I just got mine in the mail and after following all loading directions carefully, i wasn’t sure if it was taking photos. It made me try to find what was wrong and opened the back again. i pressed the small button to enable the rewind and i took out the film. Now, the film advancing wheel won’t turn and i’m really worried i broke it. Any idea what to do? I can’t find videos of people having the same issues.
There’s a gear above the film gate and below the film gate - try turning the bottom one to the left a few times and see if that frees things up. Unfortunately, the plastic parts of this camera are not too sturdy and they can be easy to break.
@@theoldcameraguyjust to be 100%, so, every time I shoot I advance the reel to the next number (1 to 2 for example) until I reach 48 or 72 (depending on the film), correct? I'm very sorry for the newbie question, the last time I used one of these cameras was 20 years ago.
This is a really helpful video!! I just purchased it and it’s my first film camera. Do you know if the Kodak portra film would be good to use with this camera?
@@theoldcameraguy Thank you!! I just set up my camera and took a few test shots because I plan on using it during a trip, but the number isn’t changing. I’m not sure if I turned it too much when I first put the film in. Do you know why it would be stuck on a 1/S and it wouldn’t move when I take pictures and advance the film? Thank you so much.
@@breemarentic4973 it could be a broken counter. If the winder on top turns when you wind the thumbwheel, then it’s loaded correctly. If it doesn’t turn, the it’s probably not loaded correctly
What a cool little camera. Loved the photos inside that ice cream parlour! Do you think this camera it a bit of a kitch item, or can you see yourself using it? I think if I had something like this it would be to do a shoot of really familiar things with massive amounts of light.. I wonder if the fixed f9.5 would be too limiting? A lovely video, I always enjoy seeing your town and the cool things around it!
Hello, I have a question, if I start photographing in the standard position (half a frame) and in the next photograph I photograph with the camera standing up, is there a risk of overlapping the images? Thanks.
I have a question im planning on buying this camera on Amazon next week but when i look at the reviews theres half good and bad reviews, for the bad reviews people say that you have to replace the battery for the flash every 2 days or it just stops working also people say that the Sutter didn't work some people said that you had to put the film inside the camera and thats how it works but idk if its just one person. Also one person said that the wind thing didn't work and the film didn't take any pictures. What do you think about this?
If you have an extra $15, I would get the updated model, the Kodak Ektar H35N - it’s got some better features. The battery life is not bad. You can’t fire the shutter without film in it (unless you manually turn the little gear that trips the shutter inside the camera). Mine was a prototype/early model. The production model out now should be fine.
I'm new here. So this picture is best for portrait. So you'd hold the camera horizontally or vertically? Just trying to understand exactly how the images are captured on the film.
Hello! I am new to film photography. Do you have any suggestions of what color films can I use? Ultramax 400 and Colorplus 200 is out of stock everywhere :(
Hi! Quick question. I’ve loaded the film and tried a couple of shots. However the counter is still at S. Kinda worried that all the past and future shots will fail.
If the winder is not turning when you advance the film, then the film is probably not loaded right. If the winder is turning, then your counter might be broken
hello! i got it few weeks back, and i think that every time I shoot it, the count seems to go up by 1, not a ‚half’, if the counter shows 36 should I just keep going to 72?
It looks to myn old instamatic 33 without a flesh. This was my 1st camera. Oh, what was this camera great to me when I was a young kid. At that time it was a special casette.
hey! I just got mine for my birthday and I was so excited to try out the flah but it's not showing :( the light is completely off. I don't know what to do.
If you have a fresh battery installed correctly and turned the lens counterclockwise and it’s still not working, you may have to contact Reto - sounds like it might be defective.
Hi. I have just recently got one and this is my first time. I have shot several times then I saw the the right most winder button on the bottom was moving, so I spinned it. I did not click the small button on the far left. Did I damage the film or the camera?
I have a H35N which is a fun little camera but it has it's limitations. I want to buy a Olympus Pen half frame camera. I am not interested in the Pen f I just want a fun auto half frame camera to do diptych photography. Which of the many Pen variations would your recommend?
@@theoldcameraguy Thanks. I have an EEs with a broken meter. I bought it years ago and it worked for a few rolls. These are old cameras so I usually look for one that has been serviced and can be returned. Serviced cameras are usually at a premium price but I have found in the long run it is worth it.
That ISO400 film overexposed in the daylight and washed out the colors. ISO200 would have been much better. Also, there seemed to be a linearity issue. When you shot photos of straight lines, they seemed a little curved. If they instead designed it to use one AA or two AAA batteries, the flash would likely have been better. It seems like a great point-and-shoot for taking selective snapshots. Thank you for this review.
I just contacted Kodak about an issue I'm having with this camera (no reply yet) - maybe someone has an idea for me. I load the film correctly, yet the picture counter is stuck on "S". TIA...
Thanks for the video review. A little quick question here, I got this Ektar couple weeks ago, and took a few shots and found out my counter wasn't working, is this will be a problem or anything else do I need to fix to recover the counter problem?
I have not come across that problem - you may want to contact Reto about that. I’ve got some cameras without working frame counters - I just put a piece of masking tape on the back and mark every time I take a picture.
The film count keeps going back to S then 1. I’ve shot the camera 10 times while turning the film advance wheel every shot. Is that normal or is mine defective? Thank you!
As always thanks for another solid video. I ordered the Sage & I’m still waiting for it to ship. I did turn around & order it in sand and that is in transit. I’m heading to Annapolis, MD at the end of the month & I really want to bring it along. Might have to order some lomo 100? 🤔
Great video Dave. I noticed a fair amount of color shift amongst your samples. I think this camera would probably be happier with black & white film. Since it only has a single lens for both frames, I would think a simple close-up filter would work for close ups. I like the sage color myself. When I first heard about this camera in early June, I downloaded an app for my Android phone that shoots have frame and have been experimenting with composing diptychs. It seems like it would be simple to compose your photo by using your cellphone in the portrait position but take the picture with Kodak. Just an idea. Looking forward to more excellent videos.
Thanks David - I would like to shoot black and white in this sometime. I wanted to shoot Kodak so I went with the Ultramax. I don’t shoot much Kodak Tri-X because I get too much curling and cupping on my negs. I don’t get that with XX/5222, so that me a good BW stock to try in this.
I use the Fimo app from Fimo Studios, my phone is android but I believe it's available in both platforms. It has recently switched to a yearly subscription, it has some good features, and getting better.
@@seanintenn4297 Hi Sean. I use the Fimo app from Fimo Studios. It's a pretty nifty app that mimics a wide variety of analog films. I have used it for a couple of years now. They recently switched to a yearly subscription, which made me worry a little about the cost. But the quality and features have increased dramatically over the past few months, making me feel better about the yearly subscription. Many of the films can now be shot in square format as well as 35 mm.
I think it's impossible because once you finish the counter frame, the film will be completely unloaded inside the film casing and very hard to retrieve it. You can do double exposure only if your camera have that option. And getting the film back out from the casing is very risky, you can destroy your photos and create light leaks.
@@johnlukestrummerhalf-frame is basically a full frame format but divided into two pieces per image. So both has the same film length. You developed it in a same full frame format so the price will be the same.
I guess that also means you can never switch between rolls when shooting with an analog camera? Take a roll out & then later pop it back in & continue shooting on it?
IDK.. .I almost prefer the regular "full frame" 35mm cheap reusable cameras like the Reto better because they capture a larger image, and not half a frame. But that's just me. Maybe those who are on a budget might like the half-height frame cameras like the Ektar H35, but personally I would opt for the full frame models instead. That being said, a lot of these are actually cheap enough you can half a bunch of them (either half height or full frame models) and load different films... it's not like a true 35mm camera that might cost you a few hundred or thousand dollars and you can maybe only afford one or two... So there are plsu sides to these little reusable/disposable cameras. I'll probably pick up an H35 to play with, but will be picking up a few more Reto's so I can have different films in each one.
@@theoldcameraguy Yes, I am super excited to see what I get. I have an old Olympus Pen EES, but the meter doesn't work anymore and images are iffy at best., Definitely looking forward to a simple "point and shoot" for half frame :)
Your choice of film stock was not ideal for this sunny day - 400 film at 1/100 f/9 will be several stops over exposed. Still, I guess it goes to show how flexible film can be.
it's completely incredible to me that they don't bundle the "kodak ektar" camera with a roll of kodak ektar
That'd make it too expensive. 😅
That make them being out if stock
The shutter speed is too fast I think : (
Ektar is 100 iso if I'm not wrong
I don't think the words "marketing" and "Kodak" can be used in the same sentence...
@@lavalampsucculent2996 you are correct, the camera has fixed exposure settings and it's designed for use with 400 or 200 iso film. ektar only comes in 100 so it's incompatible, bar the sunniest of days.
Love the picture quality...getting a strong 1950's/1980's picture vibe. That's a quality you'll never get from digital. Sometimes you don't want to see everything in ultra clear definition.
Definitely a retro vibe
I often think that's why pictures of people from the 50s-80s seem more attractive. I'm sure they were normal looking, but the film focus blurs out minor imperfections
If you have a DSLR you can buy for like 10 euros a literal plastic lens. It gives a blurry image and I love it.
A year later and I finally have my own H35. I absolutely love half-frame and squeezing a ton of images out of a roll of film.
I found mine at a thrift store for $11! win-win....win!
I've been itching for one after watching your review last year!
Patience is a virtue - Nice score for 11 bucks!
The name "Ektar" in the olden days meant that it was the top of the line , the best technology that Kodak had.
And now, still true in terms of cameras today.
Just got mine in the mail last week and tested it this weekend - thanks for calling out the flash issue! I saw it happen to me a fair amount of times and i thought i was going crazy
Yeah, it’s not just you haha. I hope you enjoy your new camera!
@@theoldcameraguy do you recommend to wait until august production? newbie on film and half frame cameras
It’s up to you - the flash thing is not really that bad. It didn’t bother me. It is a fun camera.
I'm glad to see a new film camera come out in the modern age.
On the other hand- if you're going to spend $50 on a plastic box camera get a Holga or Diana. At least then you have focus control and aperture settings. You can get a 35mm toy camera that'll make the same images for under $15.
This thing is an order of magnitude too expensive.
Big Holga fan myself
As a complete beginner, could you elaborate on the Holga that has focus control? Are you talking about the 120N?
@@zero3556 Any of the 120/medium format Holgas have a focus ring, including the 120N
Nice work Dave! I am laying in bed with covid and this cheered me up seeing this little mention of my channel thank you :) Hopefully will get to try this camera soon!
Oh, Lucy! I hope you have a speedy recovery and get out shooting again soon. This portrait orientation was challenging for me, but you really know how to make portrait work. Get well soon my friend.
Yet another fun lo-fi camera. It's really sharp in that sage green color. The sage will probably be their best seller.
Really nice touch in the video showing the photos two-up.
Thanks Jim - Yeah, people are really digging that sage!
That’s the color I got, still hasn’t shipped. Suppose to this week or next. I did order the sand color one & it’s in transit.
I bought one recently. Not bad at all, just know it’s basically a disposable camera you can refill.
Just received mine I will use on my road trip in West Africa. Can’t wait to see the outcome
Great - Have a good trip!
I love this review. This is my first film camera and I wanted to see if it has a good reputation and was accurate to what I’ve experienced so far and it is !
Thank You
I got mine on the mail a week ago but hadn’t had the time to test it 😂 You got some cool diptychs here, like the curved rail roads! Interesting colour shifts on some of the pics too. Cheers!
Thanks Bon - it’s a fun camera. I hope you get a chance to shoot yours soon!
this bro talks like 1950s cigarette commercial. I love it!
I'm a pro photographer so this is of no use to me, but for the price it seems like a bit of fun and hopefully has a market. The only thing I would add is that when I was a kid in the 1970s, I had an original instamatic and it did have a knob to turn that would allow for different weather conditions and brightness by adjusting the aperture. That could still be useful rather than having to use different film speeds for different conditions.
There definitely seems to be a market for it - The sage one was out of stock for a bit.
I love the toy camera look and surprised how sharp and dreamy it is! I would buy this as an alternative to the Lomo cameras.
I’m a big fan of toy cameras too!
Love the images and really like the idea of the pairing and those you have chosen... Very interesting.
Thanks Alex - The whole diptych concept really changed my shooting style on this roll.
I’m not sure if you live here, but I live in the same town you took these shots! Small world indeed, great video as well!
Thanks! I’m a little outside Columbus
lovely preview!! Images look great and I can't wait to try this camera out!
Thanks Molly - Hope you get the chance to shoot with it soon!
Thank you for sharing this and teaching us how to use the camera! I got mine a month ago and had a blast with this camera.
It is a fun little camera!
Your video transitions to the film shots was awesome and seamless
Thank You
It reminds me of my first camera that I got for Persian New Year, over 60 years ago when I was just a child. A Kodak Instamatic 50. It looks cool.
Love the images you made!! These are probably my favorite of yours. I’m not sure why you would not use it more unless they look really different in person. This was just your first roll? But maybe it was the subject matter. I really liked how you paired the images and the compositions. Which goes to show you, it’s not the camera but the eye of the photographer 😉. I really hope to see more images from this camera! Another photographer just posted images as well and he ended up with a lot of camera shake. Did you experience this on images you did not show?
Thanks! The images I didn’t show were either overexposed or repetitive. They didn’t really have an issue with camera shake.
An interesting little camera Dave. It looks fun to shoot with and I'm sure they'll sell a whole lot of these cameras. I've not noticed if they are available in the UK yet.
A couple of the colors were already out of stock, but I think they are available again.
I'm wondering ... Do you Roll the film After every picture you take like with a normal film or every two picture ? ... Because of the semi format. The question sounds dumb i know (Sorry for the Bad english i m french
Yes, you wind after every picture, just like a regular full frame camera. Thanks for watching
@@theoldcameraguy thank you very much for your answer and tour tutorial 👍
Thanks for the video! Got mine today and can’t wait to play with it! 😎
Great - Have fun!
How does it work to take a shot on the 2nd half of the frame? Do you shoot twice? Wind it each time? Wind it half way? I just ordered one and know nothing of photography. But I like the comparison element of 2 shots together.
Just shoot and wind after each shot, like normal. It won’t let you take another shot until you wind after each time you press the shutter button.
Thanks!@@theoldcameraguy
@@randym5515 You’re welcome
I still have to pick up one of these! Great pics!
Thanks man. I got better results with my next roll of XX (200 ISO). The 400 speed film was a bit much for a sunny day (live and learn).
Not bad for an affordable little camera. Great Video
Thanks
I just loaded the film exactly how you did and everything looked good. However, my frame counter is still at S. How do I fix this or does this impact my photos/film at all?
Might be a busted frame counter - if it’s that, it won’t affect your pictures.
Hey! I am completely new to film photography and i am thinking about buying this camera as my first film camera, because its affordable for me at the moment and i think its a pretty beginner-friendly camera. I know how to get the film developed and stuff, the only thing i don't quite know how to do is how can i turn the film into digital photos so that i could post them on instaqgram for example? i'd really like to know that before i buy the camera. thanks in advance!
Wherever you get your film developed should offer scans as well. They can scan your negatives into digital files (like jpegs) and put them on physical media (CD, DVD, flash drive, or SD card) or send you a link to a folder containing your files on Dropbox or Google Drive. Once you have your images on your computer, you can send them to your phone (or access the photos directly from your phone if you have a Dropbox/Google Drive link).
@@theoldcameraguy thank you so much!! and thanks for the really nice review you inspired me to get into film photography. appreciate it. :)
@@larakaya7550 You’re welcome - Enjoy the journey!
Looks like fun. Takes me back❤ to
Hi, interesting camera, great to see a new film camera, economical too!!
Yes, I definitely appreciate the economical aspect of it.
I’m a total newbie to cameras; what does it mean to have to take it to a lab and is it pricey?
It means you have a photo lab develop your film so you can see your pictures. It is more expensive than developing the film yourself, but it is better if you are new to film. There is a mail in lab thedarkroom.com that is very popular. Sometimes local camera stores offer developing also.
@@theoldcameraguy tysm!!
Hi! I was wondering if you could make a video of completely disassembling the Kodak half frame camera and reassembling it? My spinning thing clicked and broke one day (the part you wind to take a new picture) and so I disassembled it thinking it was a spring that snapped and could be replaced, it turned out to be a lot more complicated than I expected… and now I don’t know how to fix it or put it back together 😬 oops…
If you had an instructional guide that’d be so so so much appreciated!
Sorry to hear yours broke - I think if I disassembled mine, I would be in the same predicament as you, trying to piece it back together.
Hi, love the video! I have a question…. when you trying to consider having the two frames following a certain theme, like you mentioned. How do you know that those frames will be next to each other? I noticed as I started shooting that it went from 1 to 4 on the dial.
Great question - you don’t know for sure. When scanning or cropping, you can choose which groupings of two that you want together. If they are in different frames, there will be a slightly bigger black line between the grouped images, but it will still look ok.
@@theoldcameraguy thanks for your response! Yeah, I guess that makes sense. I also noted what I took a photo of and what number it was on, to see if I can work it out maybe…. :)
@@alisanorvaisaite9549 Sounds like you took better notes than I did - I just winged it, but I think it turned out pretty good. Enjoy your new camera!
when i turned the dial, i was also surprised it went from 1 to 4 (and onwards)! i wasn't sure if i was using it wrong since it's my first half frame camera, and haven't developed my film rolls so i haven't seen them. did yours turn out alright? i was worried i was skipping some shots or something
Everything was good - you should be fine
Cool results with the triptych way of thinking! :)
Thanks Sina
this camera is interesting, I wonder.. does it have timer button?
No self timer on this one
@@theoldcameraguy thanks for the answers, will buy it anyway hahaa
Hi Dave, I just got mine in the mail and after following all loading directions carefully, i wasn’t sure if it was taking photos. It made me try to find what was wrong and opened the back again. i pressed the small button to enable the rewind and i took out the film. Now, the film advancing wheel won’t turn and i’m really worried i broke it. Any idea what to do? I can’t find videos of people having the same issues.
There’s a gear above the film gate and below the film gate - try turning the bottom one to the left a few times and see if that frees things up. Unfortunately, the plastic parts of this camera are not too sturdy and they can be easy to break.
I'm going on a hiking trip soon, what film would you recommend for the Etkar?
Kodak Ektar if it’s sunny or Kodak Gold 200 if it’s a little cloudy
Question: Do I need to wind the reel after each shot or is it two consecutive shots and then I advance the reel?
Wind after each shot.
@@theoldcameraguyjust to be 100%, so, every time I shoot I advance the reel to the next number (1 to 2 for example) until I reach 48 or 72 (depending on the film), correct?
I'm very sorry for the newbie question, the last time I used one of these cameras was 20 years ago.
@@aldoaparicio5778 Yep, you’ve got it right
i loaded my film and everything but it says S in the counter? any idea what i’m doing wrong?
You may have to push the shutter button and wind it a couple times before the counter changes. If that doesn’t work, the counter could be broken.
Do you have a video of photos taking during night time using this camera pleaseee ?
I do not - Make sure you use flash at night, otherwise your photos will probably be underexposed.
This is a really helpful video!! I just purchased it and it’s my first film camera. Do you know if the Kodak portra film would be good to use with this camera?
Yes Portra 160 if it’s sunny and Portra 400 if it’s overcast.
@@theoldcameraguy Thank you!! I just set up my camera and took a few test shots because I plan on using it during a trip, but the number isn’t changing. I’m not sure if I turned it too much when I first put the film in. Do you know why it would be stuck on a 1/S and it wouldn’t move when I take pictures and advance the film?
Thank you so much.
@@breemarentic4973 it could be a broken counter. If the winder on top turns when you wind the thumbwheel, then it’s loaded correctly. If it doesn’t turn, the it’s probably not loaded correctly
@@theoldcameraguy Okay! It may be a broken counter then. Is it still good to shoot even though you can’t tell what photo you are on?
@@breemarentic4973 It’s fine - You won’t be able to take any more pictures or wind any more when you reach the last shot.
I'd love a sharper sharper glass lens option, and would be willing to pay more for it!
You may want to pick up one of the old Olympus Pen series cameras - I’ve got a Pen EES-2 with nice Zuiko glass.
What a cool little camera. Loved the photos inside that ice cream parlour!
Do you think this camera it a bit of a kitch item, or can you see yourself using it? I think if I had something like this it would be to do a shoot of really familiar things with massive amounts of light.. I wonder if the fixed f9.5 would be too limiting?
A lovely video, I always enjoy seeing your town and the cool things around it!
Thanks Pete - I probably won’t use it a lot, but it’s nice to have another tool in the box.
Hello, I have a question, if I start photographing in the standard position (half a frame) and in the next photograph I photograph with the camera standing up, is there a risk of overlapping the images? Thanks.
Your images will not overlap
@@theoldcameraguy Thanks for helping an analog beginner, I already loaded a Kodak ultramax 400/ 36 pose film.
Beautiful work Dave📷
Thanks Andy
I have a question im planning on buying this camera on Amazon next week but when i look at the reviews theres half good and bad reviews, for the bad reviews people say that you have to replace the battery for the flash every 2 days or it just stops working also people say that the Sutter didn't work some people said that you had to put the film inside the camera and thats how it works but idk if its just one person. Also one person said that the wind thing didn't work and the film didn't take any pictures. What do you think about this?
If you have an extra $15, I would get the updated model, the Kodak Ektar H35N - it’s got some better features. The battery life is not bad. You can’t fire the shutter without film in it (unless you manually turn the little gear that trips the shutter inside the camera). Mine was a prototype/early model. The production model out now should be fine.
@@theoldcameraguy thank you.
The photos have that vintage vibe
They sure do!
Where can I get this developed?
A lot of people use thedarkroom.com
I'm new here. So this picture is best for portrait. So you'd hold the camera horizontally or vertically? Just trying to understand exactly how the images are captured on the film.
If you hold it horizontally, it takes pictures in portrait orientation. If you hold it vertically, it takes landscape photos.
excellent video and presentation sir
can you maybe sort of hack a ND filter on this ?
Hello! I am new to film photography. Do you have any suggestions of what color films can I use? Ultramax 400 and Colorplus 200 is out of stock everywhere :(
Look for Fujifilm 200 - I’ve seen it at my local Meijer and Walmart recently (in Ohio, U.S.)
Portrait configuration. Ideal for smartphone photographers!
Hi! Quick question. I’ve loaded the film and tried a couple of shots. However the counter is still at S. Kinda worried that all the past and future shots will fail.
If the winder is not turning when you advance the film, then the film is probably not loaded right. If the winder is turning, then your counter might be broken
I want an easy to use film camera, would this be a good choice? Thanks so much for your great content!!!
It is easy to use - it is half frame. If you want a regular full frame 35mm camera, you can look at the Kodak M38 or Kodak i60 also.
Thank you so much for your insight!!! Love your content!!!🥳🥰
@jmama6058 Thanks for watching!
hello! i got it few weeks back, and i think that every time I shoot it, the count seems to go up by 1, not a ‚half’, if the counter shows 36 should I just keep going to 72?
Yes
It looks to myn old instamatic 33 without a flesh. This was my 1st camera. Oh, what was this camera great to me when I was a young kid. At that time it was a special casette.
I do like the retro styling
@@theoldcameraguy these camera's where made round about 68/72.
hey! I just got mine for my birthday and I was so excited to try out the flah but it's not showing :( the light is completely off. I don't know what to do.
If you have a fresh battery installed correctly and turned the lens counterclockwise and it’s still not working, you may have to contact Reto - sounds like it might be defective.
Regardless of the camera I like your images.
It reminds me of my Diana Mini, really hard to take good pics and harder to find someone for printing process
By the way I would buy/try this camera
I’ve got a Diana Mini too - fun little camera - I need to do a video review of it still
Hi. I have just recently got one and this is my first time. I have shot several times then I saw the the right most winder button on the bottom was moving, so I spinned it. I did not click the small button on the far left. Did I damage the film or the camera?
I didnt click the small rewind button and haven’t opened the back
You should be OK. The right most winder is supposed to move when you advance to the next frame.
I have a H35N which is a fun little camera but it has it's limitations. I want to buy a Olympus Pen half frame camera. I am not interested in the Pen f I just want a fun auto half frame camera to do diptych photography. Which of the many Pen variations would your recommend?
I have a Pen EES-2 that I really like.
@@theoldcameraguy Thanks. I have an EEs with a broken meter. I bought it years ago and it worked for a few rolls. These are old cameras so I usually look for one that has been serviced and can be returned. Serviced cameras are usually at a premium price but I have found in the long run it is worth it.
That ISO400 film overexposed in the daylight and washed out the colors. ISO200 would have been much better. Also, there seemed to be a linearity issue. When you shot photos of straight lines, they seemed a little curved. If they instead designed it to use one AA or two AAA batteries, the flash would likely have been better. It seems like a great point-and-shoot for taking selective snapshots. Thank you for this review.
Yep - here’s my follow up with 200 speed film ruclips.net/video/PnyJ-sqefog/видео.html
I just contacted Kodak about an issue I'm having with this camera (no reply yet) - maybe someone has an idea for me. I load the film correctly, yet the picture counter is stuck on "S". TIA...
Thanks for the video review. A little quick question here, I got this Ektar couple weeks ago, and took a few shots and found out my counter wasn't working, is this will be a problem or anything else do I need to fix to recover the counter problem?
I have not come across that problem - you may want to contact Reto about that. I’ve got some cameras without working frame counters - I just put a piece of masking tape on the back and mark every time I take a picture.
@@theoldcameraguy I see thanks for the advice, will try contact Reto to address the issue. Thanks again 😊
Still on the fence for this one, but I probably will buy one! Great results!!
Thanks Alex
does not stand the test of time
this man is so handsome
Hi. Just used it last night but having some problem. Already took 4 shots but the counter still on S. Does this mean thos shots were not captured?
That usually means the film wasn’t loaded correctly and the shots weren’t captured.
The film count keeps going back to S then 1. I’ve shot the camera 10 times while turning the film advance wheel every shot. Is that normal or is mine defective? Thank you!
That doesn’t sound normal - probably defective
As always thanks for another solid video. I ordered the Sage & I’m still waiting for it to ship. I did turn around & order it in sand and that is in transit. I’m heading to Annapolis, MD at the end of the month & I really want to bring it along. Might have to order some lomo 100? 🤔
I hope you get at least one of them before your trip. If it’s sunny, Lomo 100 would be an excellent choice.
@@theoldcameraguy well scratch lomo 100 it’s out of stock. I should get the sand within the next week or so. Maybe 200. I do have some Kodak Gold 200.
@@christina_21700 Kodak Gold 200 would work well. Truth be told, I probably should’ve used Gold as well.
are those films still easily flammable? i don’t wanna burn the house down
No, only the very old film that used nitrates were flammable. Nitrates haven’t been used in decades.
Just ordered mine! 🎞
Have fun with it Sean!
@@theoldcameraguy Thanks buddy I’m super excited.🎞
this is professionnal done. ))
Thank You
What kind of film roll do you recommend with this camera?
Kodak Gold 200
Great video Dave. I noticed a fair amount of color shift amongst your samples. I think this camera would probably be happier with black & white film.
Since it only has a single lens for both frames, I would think a simple close-up filter would work for close ups.
I like the sage color myself.
When I first heard about this camera in early June, I downloaded an app for my Android phone that shoots have frame and have been experimenting with composing diptychs.
It seems like it would be simple to compose your photo by using your cellphone in the portrait position but take the picture with Kodak. Just an idea. Looking forward to more excellent videos.
Thanks David - I would like to shoot black and white in this sometime. I wanted to shoot Kodak so I went with the Ultramax. I don’t shoot much Kodak Tri-X because I get too much curling and cupping on my negs. I don’t get that with XX/5222, so that me a good BW stock to try in this.
Whats the app called David? Thx
Hey David - Inquiring minds (including me) want to know what the name of that half frame capable app is. Thanks
I use the Fimo app from Fimo Studios, my phone is android but I believe it's available in both platforms. It has recently switched to a yearly subscription, it has some good features, and getting better.
@@seanintenn4297 Hi Sean. I use the Fimo app from Fimo Studios. It's a pretty nifty app that mimics a wide variety of analog films. I have used it for a couple of years now. They recently switched to a yearly subscription, which made me worry a little about the cost. But the quality and features have increased dramatically over the past few months, making me feel better about the yearly subscription. Many of the films can now be shot in square format as well as 35 mm.
Why not put a better lens and shutter in this camera?
This helped! thank you
You’re welcome!
This is one nice camera ♥♥
Uhm… Can you re-use the film once you unloaded it?
You can do double exposures if you shoot that same roll again
Thank you! ☺️
I think it's impossible because once you finish the counter frame, the film will be completely unloaded inside the film casing and very hard to retrieve it. You can do double exposure only if your camera have that option. And getting the film back out from the casing is very risky, you can destroy your photos and create light leaks.
@@loytunes Thank you. ☺️
Can I use it as full frame if I don’t want to shoot half frame?
This one does not give you that option - it’s half frame only.
@@theoldcameraguy does affect the prints? for example the lab would charge extra for printing from half frame?
@@johnlukestrummerhalf-frame is basically a full frame format but divided into two pieces per image. So both has the same film length. You developed it in a same full frame format so the price will be the same.
Just got mine today !!!!!!
Awesome!
Nice review Dave. It looks pretty light-tight, I didn't notice any leaks in the shots.
Thanks - Yeah, no Zeiss optics, but no leaks either.
Thanks for sharing
Thanks for watching
Does the viewfinder show the picture in vertical position?
Yes - the center vertical portion is clear and the left and right sides of the viewfinder are frosted. It is portrait orientation.
@@theoldcameraguy thank you for the explanation. Great video btw 👍
@@elsaleemenna Thank You
Do you have to wind the film after every shot?
Yes
How do you take a half frame??
Just shoot and wind normally - There is a mask inside the camera that makes it half frame for you.
Can it use any type of film?
Any type of 35mm film, yes
I'd love to load an expired Ektachrome or Provia on this one
I need help, why are my counts still S.1 ? I took a lot of photos already..
That usually means that the film was not loaded correctly and the shots weren’t captured.
@@theoldcameraguy how to fix it? the film rolled already 😭
@@emilliaah You can take it into a completely dark room, open the back and try to load it again
What if you accidently press the release button?
Shutter release on top - just wind to the next shot. Rewind release on the bottom - you can rewind the film, but you’ll lose the rest of the roll.
Ok, thanks! Was thinking about the one at the bottom. Seems like an existing risk, but guess that’s true about a lot of analog cameras then.
I guess that also means you can never switch between rolls when shooting with an analog camera? Take a roll out & then later pop it back in & continue shooting on it?
@gudrunschyman Right, unless you have a dark bag or changing bag to change rolls in complete darkness - even then, it’s not really easy to do.
Then I know what not to do ;)
How can I see the pictures
Have the film developed and scanned. You can view the scans on a computer
@@theoldcameraguy thanks man
Why did I only get 24 pictures out of my film when I was meant to get 48? It just stopped working after 24 :(
Don’t know - it should only quit after 24 shots if you use a 12 exposure roll (which are not common anymore).
What does the S mean in the viewer?
Start
@theoldcameraguy will the camera immediately start taking pictures or do I need to press shutter once in order to proceed with pictures?
@Whiskey04 Press and wind until 1 before taking pictures (it may take a couple times pressing the button and winding to get to 1).
@theoldcameraguy got it. Thanks for the help!
IDK.. .I almost prefer the regular "full frame" 35mm cheap reusable cameras like the Reto better because they capture a larger image, and not half a frame. But that's just me. Maybe those who are on a budget might like the half-height frame cameras like the Ektar H35, but personally I would opt for the full frame models instead. That being said, a lot of these are actually cheap enough you can half a bunch of them (either half height or full frame models) and load different films... it's not like a true 35mm camera that might cost you a few hundred or thousand dollars and you can maybe only afford one or two... So there are plsu sides to these little reusable/disposable cameras. I'll probably pick up an H35 to play with, but will be picking up a few more Reto's so I can have different films in each one.
I got mine yesterday! Still powering through my test roll! 👍
Nice!
@@theoldcameraguy Yes, I am super excited to see what I get. I have an old Olympus Pen EES, but the meter doesn't work anymore and images are iffy at best., Definitely looking forward to a simple "point and shoot" for half frame :)
I love the colour and retro styling of the camera but sadly half frame doesn't really appeal to me.
Is this how UltraMax 400 is supposed to look?
Not really - I overexposed it as seen in this follow up video ruclips.net/video/PnyJ-sqefog/видео.html
I accidentally exposed the first few frames worth of film. Is the rest of my roll safe?
Should be fine
Your choice of film stock was not ideal for this sunny day - 400 film at 1/100 f/9 will be several stops over exposed. Still, I guess it goes to show how flexible film can be.