The JACKED Instamatic - Lomography Lomomatic 110 Film Camera Review

In this video, I review Lomography's Lomomatic 110 film camera.
I've shot LOADS of rolls through this thing as well as a bunch of DIY 16mm reloaded film to give you a thorough review on the Lomomatic from someone who shoots 110 films often.
This camera reminds me of a mashup between a Rollei A110 and Kodak's Pocket Instamatic cameras. But with all the creative control you have it's like a 110 camera on steroids.
Chapters:
0:00 - Example Images and Introduction
1:13 - What is the Lomomatic?
1:35 - Multiple Exposures on a 110
2:24 - Light Painting on 110
2:55 - Image Quality
3:57 - Camera Design and Build Quality
5:37 - Parallax of the Viewfinder and Lens
6:09 - Metering
6:40 - Reloading DIY 110 film with the Lomomatic
8:00 - Full Lens Projection Image Examples
8:40 - Problems and Issues with the Lomomatic
10:37 - What would make the Lomomatic better?
11:44 - More Example Images
12:10 - Final Thoughts
13:26 - 110 Film Soup
-
Ways to support the channel if you choose to:
* 1. Sharing the video (IT’S FREE!)
* 2. Affiliate Links (Amazon)
110 Stuff:
Lomography Color Tiger 110 Film (3 Pack) - amzn.to/38Pqfkg
Lomography Color Tiger 110 Film (1 Pack) - amzn.to/2IMJobI
Lomography Orca Black and White 110 Film (1 Pack) - amzn.to/39VDocW
Lomography Lobster Redscale 110 Film (1 Pack) - amzn.to/3y3bSLf
Lomography Digitaliza 110 Scanning Mask: amzn.to/4a1qI2g
35mm Stuff:
Kodak F9 Point and Shoot 35mm Film Camera - amzn.to/3z6GvMy
Iford Sprite 35mm Point and Shoot Film Camera - amzn.to/32JQcV6
Fuji Superia Color Film (35mm, 3 Rolls) - amzn.to/3z22qUO
Tmax 400 Black and White Film (35mm, 2 Rolls) - amzn.to/3p2JClJ
Polaroid Stuff:
Polaroid One Step Plus Camera - amzn.to/3CyutLL
Polaroid i-Type Color Film (16 Photos) - amzn.to/30Qljxx
Polaroid 600 Color Film (16 Photos) - amzn.to/3FA1Qjf
Polaroid 600 Black and White Film (8 Photos) - amzn.to/3nD8kYt
-
SUBSCRIBE!!! Every few days I'll be releasing videos on different film cameras and other stuff.
-
FIMF Links:
Website- www.filmismorefun.com
Facebook- / filmismorefun
Instagram- / filmismorefun
-
Music: KZbin Creator Studio CC Audio
-
Tags:
tomography, lomomatic, 110film, 16mmfilm ,fuji, film, kodak, multipleexposure, doubleexposure, tmax, kodak, ilford, delta, filmismorefun, develop, selfdevelop, photography, analog, lightroom, adobe, darkroom, olympus, nikon, pentax, minolta, canon, 35mm, 120, portra, superia, fujifilm, diy, lomo, lens,

[@theoldcameraguy]

Love the multiple exposures!

[@filmismorefun]

Thanks!

[@GasStationSushi.]

Easily the best video on this camera

[@filmismorefun]

Hey thanks I appreciate that.

[@ThomasEisl.Photography]

Very true!

[@anthonys_expired_film]

Great review of pros and cons, Chris! Yes I agree a tele lens and tripod socket would be great enhancements to the next version of this camera. I love the control over ISO and multiple exposures. Love the ratchet film advance. Looks like a spy cam from the 1960s Bond films. 🕵️‍♂️. They really pushed the envelope on 110 film to get the best image quality. Wish we had that in the 70s - all those fuzzy prints I have from the Instamatic cameras! Great job 👏!

[@filmismorefun]

Thanks, I'm happy to hear you enjoyed the video! Yeah the ISO control and multiple exposure options are the main reasons to shoot this thing in my opinion.

[@ThomasEisl.Photography]

Outstanding video!

[@filmismorefun]

Thanks!

[@SweetLouPhotography]

Dude same here with that focus lever lol. Rad shots as per usual though!!

[@filmismorefun]

Thanks man! I just tell ppl the out of focus shots were intentional and I'm super avant garde.

[@Ces1um]

i really wish it had a faster shutter speed available. 1/250 can be restricting on bright days. 1/500 would have made this perfect!

[@filmismorefun]

I agree that would have been a bit more helpful on super sunny days.

[@ejb2828]

Benefits of your review it helped with a New York Times crossword clue!

[@filmismorefun]

Really? What was the question?

[@Exxcalibur186]

Congrats, you're the first review I've seen to mention the reloaded film capability! I guess Lomography would rather one not do this, but then again it's relegated to 110 hobbyists so maybe they're not sweating it. 😄 Can confirm the advance issue was fixed, but also I think the "full press" of the shutter is still necessary for the film to advance (especially important for reloads). Shutter is definitely the weakest part of the camera. The LED is interesting. I've since learned that if the camera is left open for a while it will actually turn off to save battery, and you have to close and open it to turn it on again. This is fine for regular 110 film, but with reloads it unfortunately causes a lost frame. My main wants for a revised version are to beef up the shutter feedback and add some info in the viewfinder (parallax correction marks at the very least). I you like the advance action of this camera, check out the Agfa 110 line, they use the same push-pull mechanism.

[@filmismorefun]

That's good to hear the advance issue was fixed. I agree the shutter is a bit mushy. I'll also second the need for some info on the viewfinder. Ideally it would be the current focus position. The loose framing from parallax didn't bother me much. For what it is though, I've been pretty happy with it quirks and all 🙂 I haven't shot any Afga 110's but I'll keep an eye out on eBay. The Rollei advances like that as well.

[@autisticlife]

With my Lomomatic I use the shutter button by firat gently pressing it to make the exposure and minimise camera shake. The press the sutter button again to engage the winding mechanism, it is often at this point that I see I forgot to set the focus correctly.

[@filmismorefun]

That's the technique I also ended up adopting. Otherwise I was ratcheting the right side downward when pressing. Glad I'm not there only one forgetting the focus haha.

[@autisticlife]

@@filmismorefun I have had a rummage though some olf photographic equipment. In the 80's I bought a Wotan SC18 flash. This is a slave flash that is designed to clamp on to a 110 camera or a camera bracket. This flash has a thread on the bottom for tripod mounting. I have clamped it to my Lomomatic and can mount the Lomomatic on a tripod.

[@filmismorefun]

@@autisticlife ingenuity!

[@artistjoh]

I love the grainy look of 110 images when getting experimental such as bulb exposures and double exposures. There is definitely a 110 look that is very distinctive. Something I did not understand in your video is the "factory pre-flashing of film." I always assumed the 110 image shape was due to the mask of the cartridge opening. Do you mean that they use light to overexpose the border areas before loading the 110 film into cartridges and that the 110 cartridge opening is always wider than that allowing more of a 3:2 ratio? And presumably the vertical would be bigger as well making the image area larger than MFT, and closer to APS-C. That makes loading your own 16mm film very enticing. I would love to try Delta 400 black and white in the camera. And it would be nice to try Ektachrome since it appears Lomography has probably discontinued Peacock. I have the Minolta Zoom 110 SLR II, and I read somewhere that that camera also works with cut down films without the "correct" perforations due to the way the shutter cocking mechanism works. Do you know where to get empty cartridges, because it seems frustratingly limited to be just reloading used cartridges as they must wear out or get damaged from opening them (although I suppose the supply of them would increase over time from buying fresh packaged film?) And how do you deal with the backing paper issue? If reusing paper, I wonder if it is possible to cut down paper from say, a Kodak 120 film? I hate the random light leak spots that Lomography builds into their 110 films. Presumably through deliberate perforation of the backing paper. We never used to have that problem with 110 film back in the 1970's and 80's, so it has to be deliberate action by Lomography. The camera is small enough that it should be possible to use a clamp to jury-rig a way of attaching the camera to a tripod. The boxy shape should make it easy to tape gel filters across the front of the lens. as it would benefit from an orange filter for black and white skies. And it would be nice to try a light orange or amber warming filter with '92 film to mute the blue effect a little. I liked the look of that '92 film on 110. It is the first time I have seen examples of it in 110 format, and it looks like Metropolis in that they look better in the grainy smaller format than on larger formats. Metropolis on 110 looks really good, while its color shifts are a bit much for my liking on 135 and 120. The blue of '92 is a bit much for me on 135, but here it looked great. Your video inspires me to get one of these Lomomatic cameras.

[@filmismorefun]

Hi there. Yes, the lens projection is different (larger) than the 3:2 flashed portion of 110 film. Different cameras will have a slightly different projection. I break open old expired 110 cartridges to reuse. I add electrical tape over the number opening because I don't use backing paper when reloading. Also, that's a good idea about clamping it down to make due for the tripod socket. If you do end up getting one I hope you enjoy it 🙂

[@artistjoh]

@@filmismorefun I didn't think of using no backing paper but just taping over the film counter window. Clearly it works, so thank you. Have you done a video about reloading film, and processing 110 at home? It would interest many 110 users to see that, and to learn from your experience. Especially considering how expensive lab processing of 110 has become. It is the main limiting factor in 110 adoption.

[@filmismorefun]

@@artistjoh Yes, I have created a how-to video going through my reloading process: kzbin.info/www/bejne/bGTPdIJ9r56ijJY I hope it is helpful!

[@artistjoh]

@@filmismorefun Your "how to" video is brilliant. Thank you. It opens up the possibility of spooling and shooting 12exp, 24exp, and 36exp rolls. Do you find the Lomography cartridges easier or harder to open than Kodak?

[@filmismorefun]

@artistjoh Hey thanks! I'm glad you enjoyed it. I haven't opened any lomography cartridges yet, but the Kodak and Fuji ones were a bit difficult and prone to cracking as opposed to the generic no-name films and off-brand cartridges.

[@knoptop]

good stuff! do you think you'll be buying one to keep?

[@filmismorefun]

Definitely. At first I was all in on getting the futuristic chrome version, but the more I think about it, I might go for the plastic orange version so I don't worry about beating up the finish.

[@knoptop]

@@filmismorefun I always felt like the best experience of the 110 film were the prints. Grainy and real

[@filmismorefun]

@knoptop For sure! I kinda feel that way about any format though, just having a print made is a more satisfying way to experience an image.

[@anthonys_expired_film]

Film in the coffee cup?!! Noooooooo! 😢 😂

[@filmismorefun]

Mmm mmm good soup 🍲