☞ This marks the 80th issue of the monthly Analog.Cafe Newsletter, bringing you the latest insights into film photography. Subscribe to receive it via email on the last Tuesday of each month (it's free). Can something truly be considered a fad if it has persisted for over a decade and keeps growing? One hundred and eighty years since the first formula made it possible to fix an image, interest in photochemistry waned, giving way to pixels that are easily transmitted, manipulated, and now even generated. We almost lost everything, but a burgeoning community of enthusiasts deemed this loss unacceptable.
In 2025, there has been a remarkable resurgence of color film launches. Businesses, both small and medium-sized like Lomography, have risen to the challenge of reviving the multi-billion-dollar technological achievements of the 90s and 00s from brands such as Olympus, Nikon, and Fujifilm with their new point-and-shoot options. This month is no different: RETO Project, a brand that gained recognition through its Nishika 3-D remake RETO3D, has introduced a new film camera: the Kodak Snapic A1.
In addition, a solo developer is working on a movie camera designed to utilize standard 35mm film, capturing footage at a higher resolution than Super 8, all without the drawbacks of traditional stock, development, and scanning costs: OKTO35.
And there's even more! This free, ad-free newsletter is made possible by our GOLD members. Members have the option to download and print any article as a high-quality PDF, invert film scans without losing detail or control with film Q, and access guides and experiments, such as “How to Edit Film Scans” and “Pushing Ilford HP5+ to ISO 100,000.” 🎁 Experience GOLD free for 14 days — you might even win free film!
In this newsletter: Kodak Snapic A1. Free film. OKTO35. Download and print all of Analog.Cafe! Is Film Ferrania back yet? Lucky C200. Latest updates on Analog.Cafe. Support this blog and gain premium features with GOLD memberships!
Photo of the Kodak Snapic A1 by Yoshitaka Goto — courtesy of RETO Production Ltd.
The Kodak Snapic A1 is RETO’s latest creation, featuring multiple enhancements over earlier models and promising sharper images — at a lower price point than contemporary point-and-shoot cameras, which often cost $500 and above. The A1 is a zone-focus camera, equipped with an 𝒇9.5 25mm ultra-wide three-element glass lens and just two distance settings, ensuring ease of use. However, you'll need to pay attention to lighting for optimal image quality since it has a fixed shutter speed of 1/100 (with the flash, it can be used indoors — here's how).
To gauge what type of film and lighting this camera works with, you can utilize the Sunny 16 calculator app, setting it to 𝒇8 with 1/125 (you can allow up to 2 stops of overexposure with many modern film negatives). The Kodak Snapic A1 is available for pre-order now, with shipping expected around December 15th.
Full specifications include:
- 𝒇9.5 25mm ultra-wide three-element Kodak Lens MC.
- Automatic film loading, rewinding, and advancement (no more cranking to advance to the next frame).
- Zone focusing with two settings: 0.5m-1.5m-∞ (1'8"-4'11"-∞).
- Fixed shutter speed of 1/100s.
- Built-in flash (GN8) with red-eye reduction.
- Requires 2 AAA batteries (lasting approximately 10 rolls of 24 exposure).
- Dimensions: 118mm × 62mm × 35mm (4⅗” × 2⅖” × 1⅖”), weighing 117g (4.1oz).
- Double-exposure switch for unique photos like the example above ⬆️.
I haven’t had the chance to try this camera yet, but I will be reviewing it soon on Analog.Cafe after putting it through its paces. Stay tuned.
✪ Note: RETO holds a license for the Kodak name from Eastman Kodak Company for some of its cameras, which is why this model is named Kodak Snapic A1!
Free film.
Throughout the summer and fall, I've been giving away film to GOLD members at the end of each month. This is the announcement for the November giveaway. Just one more left, and then I’ll be out!
The winner of the triple-pack hand-wound black-and-white film (produced by Ilford), Cinema Shorts BW 200 and Cinema Shorts BW 3200, is: 🎈Filips. 🎈Congratulations! You've won
The RETO Project has recently launched a new film camera called Kodak Snapic A1. At the same time, an individual team member is developing a movie camera that utilizes standard 35mm film to achieve higher resolution footage than Super 8, while avoiding the costs and limitations associated with traditional stock, development, and scanning. Additionally, you can download all of Analog.Cafe, find out if Film Ferrania has made a comeback, and see a comparison between Lucky C200 and Kodak Gold.