I sort of bought the Pentax IQ Zoom 140M on a whim one day. I’d been using the Vivitar IC101 for years as my go-to 35 mm panorama camera whenever I traveled, but I was curious what other panorama film cameras were out there. While I love the grainy, low-fi quality of the Vivitar IC101, I was really looking for a camera with a bit of a sharper lens. I came across the Pentax IQ Zoom 140M while browsing KEH Camera and it was only $20 so I went for it! I’ve been using it for years now and it never disappoints. It has so much more to offer than just the panorama feature. I’ve noticed this camera has started to go up in price quite a bit too, so I’d snag one soon if I were you! There are many different versions of this camera, but they all essentially do the same thing. Pretty much any IQ Zoom will get you about the same results. They have different zoom lens lengths available, so it really depends on your preference. I purchased the IQ Zoom 140M which has a 38-140mm zoom lens. I wanted to share 5 reasons why I love this camera. It’s become a necessity when I travel and it packs quite a punch into such a tiny camera!

5 Reasons Why I Love the Pentax IQ Zoom 140M

The Lens is Surprisingly Sharp!
The Pentax IQ Zoom 140M is a pretty standard point and shoot camera. It really doesn’t look particularly cool or impressive, but I’m always pleasantly surprised by how sharp this lens is. Especially if you’re using an ISO 100 film or similar, you can get some incredible images! I took this camera to Japan with me and I’m obsessed with how the images turned out. It’s perfect for snapping some quick street photography and the lens is wide enough that you can get entire buildings and landscapes.

2. You Can Easily Switch Between the Panorama Mode and the Standard 35 mm Frame Size

This is the best part of this camera and ultimately, why it has become one of my favorite travel cameras. With the Vivitar IC101, I could only take panorama photos. It made me feel very limited when using the camera and it didn’t really have any use other than that. With the Pentax IQ Zoom, you can switch mid-roll between the panorama frame size and the standard 35 mm frame size, as many times as you want! This is a game-changer. Most of the time, I just want to use the standard frame size. But when I’m traveling and I find myself at the top of a mountain or bell tower looking out onto a beautiful view, I always want that option to take a panorama photo. Sometimes, I like the leave the black border around the photos, so I included two different presentation versions below for you. :)

3. It has a Flash!

This is another necessity for me when it comes to travel cameras. You just never know what lighting situation you’re going to find yourself in when you’re traveling and I always feel more secure when I have the option of using a flash. Especially if I’m out at dinner and I just want to snap a few candid photos with my friends or family, the flash makes all the difference.

4. It’s Super Tiny and Weighs Nothing!

Again, this is another important feature that I look for in a travel camera. Traveling is exhausting. The last thing I want to do is lug around 20 pounds of cameras. The Pentax IQ Zoom is small and lightweight and can always find a home in my camera bag. I usually end up squeezing it in a tiny spot amongst my other cameras. It takes up no space at all. And at the end of a long day, when I drop off all of my big, heavy cameras in the hotel room and want to have a night out, this is the one camera I’ll bring back out with me. It can fit in my purse, it’s inconspicuous and it’s cute!

5. It has a Ridiculous Zoom Lens!

The 38-140mm lens is definitely a surprising feature of this camera. When you first look at the camera, you’d really have no idea it was even there! When I’m traveling, I usually prefer to shoot wide shots, so I don’t use the zoom lens often. But if you’re someone who likes to zoom in on your iPhone to get tighter shots of animals, people or landscapes, then this will definitely come in handy for you!

I hope this review gives you a better idea of what this incredible little camera is capable of. It has tones of other features, like a self-timer, red-eye reduction and bulb exposure mode. There’s really nothing that it doesn’t do! In my opinion, this is the perfect, affordable point and shoot 35 mm film camera. If you’re on the hunt for one, you should try out these sites:

PENTAX IQ ZOOM 140M:

Amazon

eBay

KEH Camera

If you’re interested in reading about my personal favorite 35 mm color films to use with this camera, check out my blog post here!

I’ve included sample photos below, but you can also check out my full YouTube video about the Pentax IQ Zoom 140M here!

If you found this post helpful or if you’d like to see more of my work, I’d love it if you considered signing up for my Patreon! For as little as $1 a month, you’ll get early access to all of my YouTube videos, plus tons of photos that I don’t post anywhere else. Depending on which tier you choose, you could also receive seasonal prints and/or discounts! I always use all of the proceeds towards film & processing. Find out more here!

Thanks so much for stopping by! Feel free to leave any questions or comments below. :)

<3 Myles Katherine

My TOP 5 favorite 35 mm Color Films

At this point, I’ve tried out a LOT of different brands of 35 mm film. While it’s fun to experiment and try out different ones, there are definitely a few that I tend to re-order over and over again. Mainly because of price-point, but also because of quality and sharpness. I have a LOT of cheap, somewhat “crappy” 35 mm film cameras so I like to use film that is super sharp and has a lower film speed. It takes some adjusting to figure out the perfect film for every camera, but there are my top 5 favorite 35 mm films that tend to work well with cheap 35 mm cameras, as well as more expensive ones.

Kodak Portra 160

While this tends to be the priciest of the bunch, it is the most worth-the-money film out there. It has BEAUTIFUL, ACCURATE skin tones, sharp detail and beautiful coloring overall. I don’t buy this film as often as I’d like to, simply because of the price. But when I do use it, I’m always reminded of what an incredible film this is, especially for portraits and landscapes.

2. KODAK gold 200

This is a very specific kind of film - meaning, if you’re looking for that classic, LA/Hollywood golden sunshine film vibe, this is what you want. I don’t always like using this film because it does have such a golden/warm tone to it, and I personally tend to like cooler tones overall in my images. However, if I’m going to Hawaii or Italy or somewhere known for it’s stunning sunsets and golden hues, I ALWAYS grab a few rolls of Kodak Gold 200. The price for this film tends to vary depending on demand, so if you ever see it at a discounted price, GET IT.

3. Lomography color 100 or 400 film

This tends to be my go-to color 35 mm film. It’s affordable (especially if you buy in bulk), it’s bright and saturated and it’s sharp. Depending on where I’m traveling, I’ll go for either the 100 speed or the 400 speed film. If it’s going to be cloudy, overcast or a dark environment overall, I’d opt for the 400. If you’re going to a sunny location like the beach, then definitely go for the 100 speed to get that extra sharpness in the detail of your photos. Sometimes it can be difficult working with the colors of this film in post-processing, just because it is so saturated. But if you like bright color, this is the one to go for.

4. KODAK PRO IMAGE 100

Another affordable option - Kodak Pro Image 100 film has a natural overall color to it, without that golden tone you get from Kodak Gold 200. Just know that using 100 speed films with cheap 35 mm cameras only really works if you’re in a fairly bright environment. If it’s overcast or dark, your shutter speed may be too slow to capture super sharp images, and your photos may be too dark overall. Stick to the outdoors in a sunny location and you’ll be good! This is a good basic option to go for - it’s affordable with normal color tones and easy to work with. It’s not necessarily the sharpest 100 speed film I’ve ever worked with, but it’s still fairly sharp overall.

5. Fujifilm fujicolor 200

This film isn’t anything super exciting, but it has a classic, film vibe to it with greenish undertones in the shadows - reminiscent of disposable cameras and photos from my childhood. I do love the nostalgic mood to it, but if you’re taking photos in a very green landscape, sometimes the images just turn out too green. Green can be a difficult color to adjust in post-processing but if that’s the look you’re going for, then go for it! Again, not the sharpest film overall but it does have a different, unique vibe to it.