The folks over at The RETO Project have released their second camera, the RETO Ultra Wide & Slim 35mm film camera. As the name implies it comes with an ultra-wide lens 22mm f/11, at 28mm deep, it’s about as slim as the Ricoh GR1 / R1 series and best of all, at around the same cost as 2x 35mm rolls of Kodak Portra 800, it’s CHEAP.

Let’s get started with some photos from RETO’s online listing for the RETO UWS:

For those of you reading this who’ve been shooting film for longer than a couple of years, you’ll no doubt be drawing some immediate and very understandable comparisons between RETO Ultra Wide & Slim and the classic Vivitar Ultra Wide & Slim. In fact, as the photo below from Peggy Marsh’s excellent Camera Go Camera review of the Vivitar UWS only the branding of the two cameras appears to be different (the aperture’s “f” designation is also in a different case (see the photo below from Peggy’s site) 😉

Read Peggy Marsh’s excellent Camera Go Camera review of the Vivitar UWS

The camera is available for preorder now and according to the website, will be shipping from Feb 2022. Given REOT’s base of operation, the proximity of that timeframe to Chinese New Year this year, and stretched postal systems, I’m going peg March 2022 as a more likely date for buyers to receive theirs but — and I want to stress this clearly — they could be shipping in 2023 and will still have gotten my support.

The camera is available in five colours, Charcoal, as seen above, Cream, “Murky Blue”, “Pastel Pink” and “Muddy Yellow”. Photos below from RETO’s online listing for the RETO UWS:

Regarding features, there are no extra bells and whistles: this is a pure Plastic Fantastic camera and if my old Vivitar Ultra Wide & Slims, Eximus, Superheadz and Rainbow V clones are anything to go by, a complete flare monster when pointed directly at the sun. Even writing that sentence is bringing back memories of shooting slide and redscale film on mine in Hawaii almost a decade ago.

I digress. RETO’s main specs follow:

Camera nameRETO Ultra Wide & Slim
Camera type35mm focs-free camera
ManufacturerThe Reto Project
Manufacture dates2022 – ?
Format135 format film (full frame)
Lens mountN/A
LensFixed 22mm f/ – 2-element optical-grade acrylic lens
ViewfinderPlastic – ~95% (assumed)
ShutterMechanical, 1/125s. Automatically cocked on film wind-on.
AccessoriesBYOS – Bring Your Own Strap
BYOC – Bring Your Own Case
MeteringN/A
FlashN/A
PowerN/A
Weight68.8g (without film)
Dimensions
(appx)
100(W) x 59(H) x 28(D) mm

Note: Reto recommend the use of ISO 100 or 200 films under bright sunlight and ISO 400 or above film for sunny or cloudy days — of course, you can always push your film in development if you’d prefer.

That’s really it! The camera is available for pre-order right now, should be shipped in a couple of months, is CHEAP and with any luck, will match that magic formula that gave the original Vivitar Ultra Wide & Slim so much cachet.

In short, if you shot and loved the original, you’ll probably feel the same about the RETO. If you haven’t shot the original, or if the truly astronomical secondhand market prices have made you second guess purchasing one, this should get you most of, if not all the way there.

I for one have already put my money where my mouth is.

~ EM

Ps. Thanks to @aislinn-chuahiock for the tip. If you’d like to submit your own, please drop me a line via DM on social media or by using this website’s contact page.

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9 responses to “The return of a classic: A new sub-US$30 Vivitar Ultra-Wide Slim 35mm film camera clone from The RETO Project”

  1. The Vivitar Ultra Wide and Slim was just crap in term of fabrication, but its lens gives amazing pictures and it is a joy to use it. I own preciously two copies, they are the apple of my eyes. I think that when one of them will be faulty and unusable, I’ll try to dismantle the lens and mount it on a l39 camera. The UWS is rare on Ebay and overpriced, so it is really a good news that a vendor offers a copy.

    By the way, I recommand to use black and white pushed film, like HP5+ with rodinal at 1600 iso. The strong grain adds a touch of drama and you can take pictures in most of situations.

    https://www.flickr.com/photos/gvdmoort/50209768546/in/album-72157706128501894/

  2. That photo of mine has a removable washer around the lens which enhances the vignette. I also tried the superheadz version, but the vivitar worked better. I would love one of these, but…I have the vivitar so it would be superfluous. Glad it is coming back though, in case mine breaks. I can then get a cheap replacement.

  3. Alas, shipping to the U. S. is $25. I will probably wait for them to turn up on Ebay.

    1. Analogue Wonderland in the UK are soon to start selling these via their store there, and I’d be surprised if someone in North America didn’t do the same.

      RETO’s other camera is currently being sold at FPP, Freestyle and B&H to name a few. I’m sure you’ll be able to get your hands on one soon.

  4. This is super cool! I wonder if they were able to obtain the original injection molds.

    This is a cheap plastic camera that deserves its cult status because it’s pretty unique with that super wide lens and the crazy plastic lens flare. I found mine in a thrift store for $5 but have always been worried about breaking it since it does feel like very flimsy plastic. I lent it to my friend to review on Casual Photophile:
    https://casualphotophile.com/2017/03/04/vivitar-ultra-wide-and-slim-camera-review-the-widest-toy-camera-around/

  5. Cleverly avoiding the dopey “reusable” designation, it will be wonderful if this great little camera achieves sufficient market to represent a nail in the coffin of disposable cameras. Many of us have decades-old plastic cameras that are still going strong and it makes perfect sense to create a new offering to the genre.
    Also – I like the colors!

  6. A 2-element “optical-grade” acrylic lens from the mainland China. I’ll pass.

  7. These things are so much fun. It’s no wonder they keep coming back.

 

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