Contents
The Reto Pano is the latest addition to Reto’s growing family of affordable and fun film cameras. With its built-in flash and panorama mode, this little point-and-shoot promises a nostalgic 90s shooting experience at the accessible price of just $35.
A Quick Look at Reto’s Growing Lineup
Panorama of Southbank, the Brisbane River, and Brisbane City from the Goodwill Bridge.
In recent years, Reto has been steadily expanding its range of film cameras, helping to give low-cost options to analog shooters.
This includes:
-
Reto 3D – a three-lens stereo camera for GIF-style 3D images.
-
Kodak Ektar H35 – a compact half-frame 35 mm camera.
-
H35N – an upgraded half-frame with a few refinements.
-
Reto Ultra Wide & Slim – their homage to the cult-classic Vivitar Ultra Wide & Slim, famous for its wide 22 mm lens and dreamy images.
The Reto Pano builds on this playful tradition. Like the Ultra Wide & Slim, it uses a 22 mm lens, but it adds two new features:
-
a built-in flash
-
a panorama mask mode, giving it its “Pano” name.
Looking up in Brisbane City. The Reto Pano has a super wide 22mm lens, keep your fingers clear of the lens or you’ll get one in shot.
Colors, Weight, and Design
The camera comes in five cool finishes: semi-transparent black, semi-transparent white, metallic pink, metallic silver, and mint green.
The Reto Pano comes in 5 diffrent colors, including semi-transparent models.
The Pano is incredibly lightweight—just 127 g or 4.5 oz loaded with film and a single AAA battery. The battery is only needed to power the flash, so you can shoot in bright conditions without one.
You can slip it into a pocket or bag and barely notice it’s there, making it a perfect companion for day trips, festivals, or casual outings.
Build
Let’s be clear: the Reto Pano is not a premium machine. It’s a plastic point-and-shoot through and through, designed for fun rather than precision. But that’s also part of its charm.
Despite the plastic build, the controls are intuitive and functional:
-
The sliding lens cover on the front of the camera also controls the flash.
-
A panorama switch on top of the camera moves you between regular 35 mm frames and panorama images.
-
The Pano has a simple manual advance wheel and rewind crank, and a frame counter beside the shutter button.
The Reto Pano has a fixed shutter speed and aperture. Brisbane, Kodak Gold 200.
Features
The Reto Pano’s feature set is simple, but there are a few highlights worth exploring.
Fixed Settings
-
Shutter speed: 1/100 s.
-
Aperture: f/9.5.
-
Focus: Fixed focus from approximately 1.2 meters or 4 feet to infinity.
Film choice becomes important with set shutter speeds and apertures. See my recommended films below.
Built-in Flash
A single AAA battery powers the flash. Open the lens cover fully to engage flash mode, wait for the red LED to light up, and you’re ready to shoot. This is handy for indoor parties, restaurants, or night shots where ISO 200 film pairs well.
Panorama Mode
Here’s the headline feature: switch to Pano mode, and the camera uses internal blinds to mask the top and bottom of the 35 mm frame, mimicking the classic 90s panorama look.
I love these backlit palm leaves. Reto Pano, Kodak Gold 200.
Unlike some cameras that crop only the film, the Reto Pano also adjusts the viewfinder, so you get the true “poor man’s XPan” experience. That’s a nice touch.
The trade-off? You’re technically “wasting” film by sacrificing part of the negative. When you get your scans back, you’ll see just how much of each image is taken up by the black panorama bars. It’s not a true panoramic camera, but it’s fun.
Easy Film Handling
Loading film is straightforward. Just feed the leader into the take-up spool, close the back, and check that the rewind crank spins when advancing.
Rewinding is manual but simple: press the rewind button, flip up the crank, and wind until tension disappears.
Image Quality and Lens Characteristics
The Reto Pano’s 22 mm wide angle lens is the star of the show, and it comes with plenty of personality. Like the Ultra Wide & Slim, it’s not about clinical sharpness—it’s about charm and character.
Images from the Pano are surprisingly sharp in the middle of the frame.
Lens characteristics include:
-
Vignetting: Darkened corners give images a moody, retro feel.
-
Sun flare: Point it toward the sun for dramatic sun flares.
-
Sharpness: The center is reasonably sharp, but edges fall off into softness.
-
Viewfinder accuracy: Expect to capture a bit more in the final frame than you see through the finder.
The Pano inherits some lens characteristics from the Ultra Wide and Slim – including sun flares.
Recommended Films
Due to these limitations, choosing the right film is important. ISO 400 film (like Kodak Ultramax, Lomography 400, or Ilford HP5) is the safest bet. In bright conditions, you can also shoot ISO 200 film such as Kodak Gold and Kodak Color Plus. For something creative, try Lomochrome Purple for psychedelic color shifts.
Summary
The Reto Pano is not about perfection—it’s about fun. It’s a quirky, lightweight, and inexpensive film camera that invites experimentation and embraces imperfection.
For $35, you’re getting a pocketable camera with a built-in flash, a retro panorama mode, and plenty of lens character. If you want to capture memories with a nostalgic 90s vibe, or if you’re looking for a playful sidekick to your main camera, the Reto Pano is well worth trying. Just don’t expect razor-sharp images or XPan panoramas—lean into the quirks, and you’ll have a blast.
Although I enjoyed using it, when it comes to toy cameras, my heart still belongs to the Ultra Wide & Slim.
Southbank, Brisbane. Reto Pano, Kodak Gold 200.
I Liked
-
Super affordable at just $35
-
Lightweight and portable (127 g)
-
Available in five fun colors
-
Built-in flash powered by a single AAA battery
-
Panorama mode with matching viewfinder crop
-
Lens quirks: vignetting, flare, soft edges add character
-
Simple to load, rewind, and shoot
What Could Be Improved
- Packaging is a little misleading about the pano effect—see my video for more