RETO Pano Reusable 35mm Film Camera Review
With a See-Through Plastic Shell
13 min read by Dmitri, with image(s) by Betty.Published on . Updated on .
RETO Pano is a new, affordable, reusable compact camera with an ultra-wide 22mm lens and an optional panoramic mask.
Having put several rolls of film through the see-through plastic model, I am genuinely impressed with the value it delivers. In this review, I’m sharing all that is good, a few issues, and shooting guides for better photos with RETO Pano.
In this review: Camera specifications. Ergonomics and build quality. The built-in panoramic mask with the cinematic 2.35:1 aspect ratio. The 22mm ultra-wide lens. How to use flash with RETO Pano. Which films work best with RETO Pano? How much does RETO Pano cost and where to find one. More hi-res sample photos. Support this blog & get premium features with GOLD memberships!
Camera specifications.
RETO Pano takes the common 35mm film and exposes it in either full-frame mode (35mm × 24mm) or panoramic mode (35mm × 14.9mm).
Film transport is a manual winder wheel at the bottom of the camera with an unlockable rewinder crank on the opposite side.
There’s also a retractable lens cover on the front of the camera (that locks the shutter button when closed) and a panoramic mode switch on the top.
RETO Pano uses a simple single-speed 1/100s shutter with a single-aperture 22mm 𝒇9.5 2-element optical-grade acrylic lens. To help in dim-light exposures, an onboard flash (GN ~11) can be turned on; the flash is powered by a single AAA battery.
The camera weighs 93g/3⅓oz and measures 110mm × 62mm × 32mm (or 4.33” × 2.44” × 1.26”). It’s made mostly from ABS plastic.
Ergonomics and build quality.
From what I can tell, RETO makes good cameras. They are cheap and made of plastic, which has its downsides, but when it comes to design and finishing, their cameras are among the best in class.
The copy I got is very fun to look at: most of its mechanical and all of its electrical components, including a flash PCB, are visible through the translucent plastic shell. I like the contrast of the orange shutter and power slider. The camera is very light and pocketable in virtually all attire that can fit a phone. All the components are fitting tightly together, and the camera feels good in hand. It appears worth more than $35.
There are a few issues with RETO Pano, however.
One is the tightness in the film advance wheel operation. This is not uncommon on cameras of this design — just know that with certain films, you may need to push extra hard to get to the next frame.
A bigger issue is how close the lens is to the edge that is designed to be gripped when taking photos. This is also not uncommon, but for Pano, it’s more than a slight discomfort for people with large hands; it’s a higher risk of getting fingers in the photos. The lens is very wide, and the viewfinder won’t warn you if a digit obscures the view. I’ve learned to keep that in mind with my second roll, but some images still got obstructed. Holding the camera with two hands can help.
My last complaint is with the foldable film rewinder crank. It’s a plastic piece you’ll find on cameras like this, but, for some reason, it felt a little tight and flimsy to me when I spooled my films back into the canister (after reaching the last frame).
Like any piece of photographic gear, RETO Pano has a few issues, yet it’s a lot of fun and it can take good photos.
The viewfinder is large and comfortable, even with the mask engaged. I haven’t had any trouble framing with it, even with the glasses on.
The shutter button feels good, and I love the translucent lens cover that swings out of the way when the yellow tab is slid to the “O” position for “Open” (or “On?”). A lens cover is very useful for plastic lenses, which are more prone to scratches and damage than glass.
But of course, it’s the lens that makes a camera.
The built-in panoramic mask with the cinematic 2.35:1 aspect ratio.
There are several ways to create panoramic images with film and digital cameras, the most common being cropping. Quite literally, it stands for cutting/letterboxing the top and bottom parts of an image to change its aspect ratio.
Blocking parts of an image is not an ideal method, as the resulting image has a lower overall resolution than the uncropped frame. This is the only way panoramic images can be achieved on digital cameras; however, some film cameras, like the famous Hasselblad XPan, can expose a longer portion of a film strip and thus increase the overall resolution for panoramic shots.
Unfortunately, XPan can cost $10,000, due to the complexities associated with the high-quality execution of such a design, whereas RETO Pano is just $35.
So why would anyone want to block portions of their film to make panoramic images, knowing that the cropped portions can not be restored?
I used the panoramic mask almost exclusively on my first roll because I like to compose my images in-camera. Picking portions of the scene that will end up on film in panoramic mode is a lot more fun than trying to do that after the fact. Many photographers find framing photos with such restrictions creatively rewarding, despite the “wasted” film space (and so do I).
Cropped panoramas can also be a little faster to scan if you select a smaller area for your device to digitize. My only complaint about the masking in the Pano is the slight unevennes and the gaps that create small slits to the side of the frames. This is inconsequential to the final image (since the letterboxed parts usually get cropped out), but it would make me feel good if everything lined up perfectly.
The 22mm ultra-wide lens.
RETO’s half-frame camera features a glass and an aspherical resin element to make its tiny frames look surprisingly sharp for the size and price. RETO Pano is cheaper, it does not have a glass or an aspherical element and yet the photos can still look sharp, particularly in the middle of the frame.
Making a lens this wide and cheaply is a tricky task. Even a glass lens with step autofocus on the Minolta Riva Panorama can appear soft in the corners and, at times, in the center as well. RETO’s design uses cheaper components, with no focus of any kind, to produce comparable, sometimes better images.
I haven’t run any specific tests to determine sharpness, but from what I’ve observed, this camera can make good photos that I wouldn’t mind printing large or displaying on this blog in 4K resolution. This cannot be said for most plastic reusable or toy cameras in this price range.
How did they do it? I’m not sure. Although I’ve noticed a curved pressure plate design that wraps the film around the lens slightly. This is fairly rare to see on film cameras, as most correct the spherical lens aberrations with more glass. However, some vintage cameras, like Agfa Clack and, famously, swing-panoramic cameras, i.e., the WideLux and the Horizon Perfekt.
RETO Pano’s only aperture is 𝒇9.5, which can help make the images sharper, but it can’t shoot in changing light. Thankfully, an onboard flash makes this camera usable in virtually all conditions — as long as you keep the right distance and load the right film.
How to use flash with RETO Pano.
RETO Pano will work without batteries just fine, but if you want to use flash, you’ll need to insert a single AAA battery. I recommend the rechargeable kind as it’s cheaper and easier on the environment.
To activate the flash, slide the orange tab under the lens all the way towards the ⚡️ icon. In my case, the flash took about a minute to charge, but the capacitor (which you can also see through the translucent shell) can hold the current for a few hours; thus, if you’ve used the flash once, it will charge faster the next time you need it.
RETO Pano is not a point-and-shoot camera. It has a fixed aperture and a single flash power setting; thus, you’ll need to choose your film and your distances carefully to make it work:
RETO Pano’s flash Guide Number is 11. Given the camera’s aperture, this means that:
☀️ With ISO 25 film, the optimal distance for flash is .7m or 2ft.
☀️ With ISO 50 film, the optimal distance for flash is 1m or 3ft.
☀️ With ISO 100 film, the optimal distance for flash is 1.3m or 4ft.
⛅️ With ISO 200 film, the optimal distance for flash is 2m or 6ft.
⛅️ With ISO 400 film, the optimal distance for flash is 2.75m or 9ft.
🌃 With ISO 800 film, the optimal distance for flash is 4m or 13ft.
🌃 With ISO 1600 film, the optimal distance for flash is 5.5m or 18ft.
You will need to keep the same distance as described until you change your film; for most film, it may be acceptable to get a little closer, but no further. Also, note that if it’s dark, anything that’s further behind will turn out very dark or black.
Learn about visually estimating distances.
Learn about how to use flash with film cameras.
Which films work best with RETO Pano?
If you follow the above flash guide, shoot in full sun and use films with ISO ratings lower than 200, your photos should come out properly exposed (neither too dark nor too bright). Here are some of my recommendations for full sun/flash photography with RETO Pano:
☀️ CineStill 50D.
☀️ Kodak Gold 200.
✪ Note: I’m recommending film types that most labs will develop, but you can also try black-and-white films with the same ISO ratings if your lab can take them or if you develop at home.
If you’re expecting to shoot an entire roll in slightly-dim conditions (like heavy overcast days but in full daylight), use ISO 400-800 films:
⛅️ Fujifilm 400.
⛅️ Lomography Lomochrome Purple.
⛅️ Ilford XP2 Super (this special black-and-white film can be developed by most labs).
⛅️ CineStill 400D.
⛅️ Kodak Portra 400.
For night photography with flash and light shade (like in a light forest on a sunny day), try these films:
🌃 Lomography Color Negative 800.
To preview ideal film ISO for your camera settings and light conditions, check out the Sunny 16 Calculator app. Simply plug in 𝒇11 for aperture and 1/125 for shutter speed.
To learn more about exposure, check out “A Beginner’s Guide to Shooting Manual Film Cameras” and “Master the Sunny 16 Rule!”
If you’re new to film photography, “A Beginner’s Guide to Film Photography” is a must-read!
How much does RETO Pano cost and where to find one.
These cameras sell for $35 brand-new and are available globally across various photography stores and on Amazon. The link below should take you to the right place:
❤ By the way: Please consider making your RETO Pano film camera purchase using this link so that this website may get a small percentage of that sale — at no extra charge for you — thanks!
More hi-res sample photos.
I had a roll of expired New Classic EZ 400 black-and-white film, which I thought would look good with this camera, but I wanted to shoot outdoors in full sun, so I decided to pull it two stops to EI 100. Here are the rest of the selected results I got on that film with RETO Pano:
