Hi I'm Gordon from camera labs and this Is my review of the Lama Matic 110 a new Pocket size camera that takes 110 film Cartridges yes 110 film The often Forgotten format invented by Kodak in 1972 popular during the following decade Then mostly abandoned by the late 80s For the more established and better Quality 35mm but 110 actually had a lot Going for it easier to load possible to Swap mid Roll by only sacrificing one Frame and no need to rewind when you Done sure the negatives were roughly 1 Qu the size of 35 mil but that meant Smaller cameras and besides who doesn't Love a bit of grain right I know I did Back in the late '70s my very first Camera was a hanimex very much like this One which took 110 film this is the Format that launched my passion for Photography so when lomography announced Their new lomama Matic 110 I took it for A nostalgic walk down memory lane Lomography fans will know the company's Become the sole savior of the 110 format Over the past decade exclusively Producing a variety of films for new and Old 110 cameras not to mention creating New cameras of their own you're looking At about $8 or P for a 24 exposure roll Of their most affordable 110 color Negative film but they also sell black And white and color options with various Tints the LMA Matic 110 is their latest
110 camera launched in March 20124 and Costing around 100 to $150 or pound Depending on the finish and whether it Includ clud the detachable flash Accessory it's pitched as an advanced Model with a Glass Lens two aperture Settings the chance to take multiple or Bul exposures and supporting again that Removable flash accessory it may be a New camera but unapologetically retro Styled kind of like a vintage Kodak Instatic lomography sent me the Light Beige version with orange highlights to Live out my 1970s fantasy measuring 112 By 35x 44 mil for the main body is more Square shaped for from the end than the Typically deeper original 110 cameras Kind of like how you remember Mars Bars Being before they shrunk or before you Grew up weighing 113 G with battery but No film it'll easily slip into a pocket The camera is powered by a single CR2 Battery which fits into a compartment on The right side but beyond this there's No apparent controls Beyond an unlabeled Black lever nor any obvious means to Access the film compartment or compose a Shot but fear not grip the right hand Side and you can pull the body open with A satisfying ratchet sound to reveal Everything you need from the front the Lens becomes visible and from the rear You can now peer through the optical Viewfinder to compose your shot
Meanwhile labeling alongside the black Lever at the end lets you manually set The focusing distance to 0.8 1.5 3 m or Infinity a panel on the top unveils the Rectangular shutter release button along With two tiny buttons to adjust the film Sensitivity between 100 and 400 ISO or Set the bulb mode for exposures up to 30 Seconds while you keep the shutter Button held down on the opposite side of The camera underneath is a switch for Night or day which basically sets the Lens aperture to f2.8 or f5.6 Respectively below this is an MX switch Which allows you to make multiple Exposures by recocking the shutter Mechanism as many times as you like Without winding the film on speaking of The film extending the camera also Reveals a switch to open the main Compartment to load the film simply Insert the cartridge with no need to Pull out a strip as you would with 35 Mil it really is very easy meanwhile to Wi the film on just push the camera Closed and pull it open again repeating Until frame one is indicated in the Window on the back you're then ready to Shoot by pushing the Silver release Button on the top to advance the film to The next frame just push the camera Closed I found the mechanism didn't Always grab the sprocket on the film so You may need to repeat that open and
Close motion a couple more times until The film is gripped properly and Advances to the next frame indicating The number in the window on the back and Don't worry once it has advanced you can Open and close the camera as many times As you like you're not going to advance The film and waste any pictures the Glass lens is described as a minitar 23 Mil and when comparing the field of view To a 35 mil or full-frame camera I found It delivered roughly 50 mm or standard Coverage unlike some vintage 110 cameras Though there's no lever to switch it to A different focal length beyond the bulb Option there should to speed is fully Automatic based on the aperture and the Iso settings and of course the available Light in theory the night and day switch Could give you some control over the Depth of field while deliberately Setting the iso value too high or too Low could act as simple exposure Compensation but really I'd consider the Lomama Matic 110 a mostly automatic Experience lomography also supplies some Bundles with a flash accessory that Screws into the end of the main body This in turn is powered by the camera's Battery un let you set it to off fill or Always on there's also a small slot into Which you can slide colored filters for Different colored flash effects to see What it could do I ran a few of
Lomography own color tiger 200 ISO Cartridges through it on the streets of Brighton under a variety of lighting Conditions I had my films processed by My local lab color stream who charged £12 for developing and a set of postcard Size prints they can also do digital Scans if you like I chose a map finish For that vintage 1970s look note that The common 6×4 in print is a little bit Wider than a frame of 110 film so Choosing it at your lab will result in Cropping a bit from the top and bottom Of your pictures so if your lab can do It ask for a slightly squarer shape like Say 6×4 1/2 in or extra bonus points to Labs like color stream for exactly Matching the 110 shape by dialing in a Custom 6X 4.4 in size it's always worth Asking them now 110 is a small format so It's happiest under bright sunny Conditions with with the sun facing the Subject and the focus set correctly the Lama Matic 110 could certainly capture Well exposed images with crisp details And just enough of that visible grain For an attractive vintage look these are Definitely more detailed than the 110 Photos that I remember from my childhood I found the basic Optical viewfinder did A fair job at matching the coverage that I ended up capturing at least for more Distant subjects as you get closer to Your subject you may experience some
Parallax errors where your framing will Become less accurate so bear that in Mind also remember if you're printing 6×4 in you will be cropping the top and Bottom from your photos so compose Accordingly or again just ask your lab For a shape that better match his 110 Film I found it's fairly easy to fool The metering though with even mly Backlit scenes often becoming Underexposed in my test shots unless You're actually after a silhouette I'd Consider setting the iso to a lower Value than the film to force the camera Into an overexposure so if you're using 200 ISO film setting the camera camera To 100 should effectively double the Brightness if that's what you desire You'll also need to be careful to set The appropriate focusing distance on the Lens and appreciate that the minimum Distance of 0.8 M may still be a bit too Far for certain subjects now it's been a While since I've personally tried Multiple exposures with film so I ended Up with Overexposed results since you're Adding more light with each exposure a For dimmer subjects or deliberately Underexposing them by say increasing the Camera's ISO setting I also tried a bit Of light painting with my phone's torch By using the bulb mode in a darkened Room your mileage may vary it's also Important to remember the limitations of
110 especially at lower sensitivities of 200 I so as the conditions get dimmer The camera will happily set a slower Shutter speed for the correct exposure But these can quickly become too slow to Handhold without any camera shake the Flash can also be a bit severe at close Range so again consider using it with a Higher ISO value to underexpose or slide In one of those colored filters or Simply take the shot from a bit further Away overall the LMA Matic 110 is Certainly a fun experience for anyone Who wants to try out film photography And is happy to trade the quality of 35 Mm for an easier loading and unloading Experience it'll also deliver a heavy Dose of nostalgia to anyone who like me Shot the format in the 70s and 80s the Ultimate quality is obviously going to Be held back by the fairly small format But once you understand the limitations You can achieve some nice looking Vintage styled IM is under the right Conditions and that Glass Lens really Can deliver sharper results than budget 110 cameras but there's no getting away From the camera's price which turns it From a casual fun purchase into Something less frivolous this is a Camera for someone who's more invested In getting the best out of 110 which Puts it in a slightly uncomfortable Position if you're just after some
Affordable 110 fund you could grab a Basic vintage model from the 1970s for Around a tener on eBay or from many Thrift shops or if you'd like a new Camera lomography own Diana baby can be Had for around £35 conversely if you want something More sophisticated with more control There's a bunch of higher end vintage 110 cameras you could bid on or look for In a garage sale which can still work Out cheaper as the sole producer of 110 Film though lomography wins either way They don't mind if you're shooting on True vintage or a modern camera Personally I love that companies like Lomography are keeping these different Film formats alive breathing new life Into vintage cameras or offering options To those who'd prefer a new model so Even if the Lama Matic 110 isn't exactly The right camera for you there will be An alternative film camera out there With your name on it and that's it for This review I hope you enjoyed it do let Me know in the comments about your Memories of 110 film New or Old and Whether you'd like me to review more Analog cameras in the future thanks for Watching and I'll see you next time Bye-bye
