Digital cameras with an old-school look have been rising in trend for a few years now, but some of the latest retro camera launches take inspiration from a film format popular in the 1970s and 1980s: The boxy, compact 110 camera.
The 110 film format was first introduced by Kodak in 1972, but the format became particularly popular in the 1980s and 1990s because of its simplicity. Unlike a roll of 35mm film, 110 film didn’t have to be carefully unfurled into the sprockets of the camera – the full cartridge just popped into the back.
Now, digital lookalikes have started to emerge. The Camp Snap 110D takes the boxy, pocketable look of a 110 film camera and gives it digital guts as a screen-free digital camera. The newly announced Camp Snap 110 is so popular that its first batch of pre-orders sold out quickly.
The Camp Snap 110 isn’t the only rectangular compact camera that’s getting a refresh in 2026. The Yashica Y16 launched in 1959 before Kodak created the 110 format, but the old-school camera took 16mm film that loaded into a custom cartridge. While not a 110 camera, the Yashica Y16 has the boxy look – and the Y16 is also getting a digital version.
It’s not just digital dupes of the 110 format that have gotten new camera launches in 2026. This year, quirky film brand Lomography has released refreshed designs of the Lomomatic 110, bringing a brass cheetah pattern and red dot design to the 110 film camera that originally launched in 2024.
According to data from Google Trends, searches for “110 cameras” reached a ten-year high in 2026, suggesting a renewed interest in the camera format.
While that suggests a surging trend for 110 cameras, that data doesn’t exactly pinpoint why a film format that debuted in 1972 is seeing renewed interest in 2026. But, retro 1980s-inspired photos have been trending on social media –so it only makes sense that cameras inspired by the same decade may be seeing renewed interest.
The 110 camera also fits neatly into the trends for compact cameras and the trend for retro cameras. 110 film cameras were small, pocketable, and simple to use – and the lower cost for 110 film didn’t hurt either.
I can remember popping a pack of 110 film into a camera myself as a kid in the 1990s. The format was small, simple – and is likely behind a good majority of my childhood photos.
You may also like
The simple cartridge makes 110 cameras a good entry into film photography for beginners. Read the Lomography Lomomatic 110 review or browse the best film cameras.
