question about 110

[habib_b]

I just wanted your opionions on 110 film, is 110 still used widley?

and what do you all think of 110? I mean do you like/dislike it?

Thanks.

[leeblackman]

They are really fun, but there isn.t alot of choice for film. I don't think there is even one company that has a camera in production. Use to, they would process it in house at the local walgreens, last time I took a roll, they had to mail it off. I think its starting to lean the way of 126 film (which was in the same type of spool but similar in size to 35mm), gone! I don't see any 127 or 620 film out there either.

 

I enjoy 110, mainly for the cameras. One of the first, if not THE first camera I ever shot on was a little minolta 110 autopak camera. I remember taking pictures on a field trip in middle school.

[winfried_buechsenschuetz1]

Concerning 110 film, they are only made by Ferrania as c/n in 200 and/or 400ASA. I have seen Kodak 110 c/n 400ASA cartridges on a stock clearance months ago. Maybe you can still find some Agfa or Kodak cartridges.

 

However, many of the 110 cameras were junk, and the results were everything but satisfactory. There were just two 110 format SLRs made by Pentax and Minolta (not sure about the latter, maybe it was a zoom equipped viewfinder).

 

127 format film is still available, as b/w from Maco and Jessops (probably from identical stock) and color slide from Maco.

 

A german retailer (Foto-Impex) sells 120 film on modified 120 spools which will fit into many (but not all) cameras designed for 620 film. Also, from time to time you will find offers for outdated 620 films on ebay, often cheaper than buying the spools separately. Trash the film and keep the spools, and roll your own 620 film in 5 min in the darkroom.

 

There is a web shop (filmforclassics.com or similar) selling (and processing) many obsolete film formats for $$$.

[steve_levine]

IMHO, 110 was a God awful format that Kodak forced upon the public as a money saving device(for Kodak). No cartridge cameras were ever very sharp. The film flatness, was maintained by each cartridge's plastic pressure plate assembly. Last, the negatives were the size of postage stamps and couldn't be enlarged past 5x7".

[keith_slater]

I have several 110 cameras and use them all the time. You can buy Kodak 110 at Walmart, Fuji at Ritz photo, and Store brand other places. Be aware that most 110 cameras are set up for either 100 or 400 speed film. There is a bar on the side of the cartrige that tells the camera the speed. All new 110 carts however tell the camera that you have 100 speed film. Kodak is 400 and all the other 110 films are 200 speed. This can pose a problem. If you buy Kodak film, you can cut away part of the bar and the camera will meter correctly. The 200 speed film you will have to shoot as is. One camera that has controls that will allow you to adjust for the 200 speed carts is a Minolta 110 Zoom. My favorite 110 camera. Another thing to consider is processing. This is not a problem, Kodak still does it, and most of the mail order film processors also will process 110 film. Just remember however you most likely will not get as good results as you would normally get with 35mm. When you show your friends your 110 shots, they will not understand why they are not as good as your 35mm shots.

[keith_slater]

Winfried,

Actually, there were 3 110 slrs. A tiny pentax with interchangeable lenses, no manual control. A minolta 110 zoom, fixed lens, aperture priority. And a Minolta Mark II with interchangable lenses. I have owned the pentax, and the minolta 110 zoom.

[ted_marcus1]

<i>IMHO, 110 was a God awful format that Kodak forced upon the public as a money saving device(for Kodak). No cartridge cameras were ever very sharp. The film flatness, was maintained by each cartridge's plastic pressure plate assembly. Last, the negatives were the size of postage stamps and couldn't be enlarged past 5x7".</i>

 

<p>Not true. Kodak apparently intended the 110 format as a "system" that could accommodate everything from the snapshooter (who shot grainy Kodacolor II in a $10 camera with a plastic meniscus lens) to the serious photographer (who shot Kodachrome-X in a Pocket Instamatic 60). For a variety of reasons the latter market wasn't receptive to 110, so it was left to the snapshooters who got crummy results from crummy cameras.

 

<p>The Pocket Instamatic 60 (at the top of the original line of 110 cameras) had a very sharp 4-element f/2.8 lens and a coupled rangefinder. With Kodachrome-X (and later Kodachrome 64) it was capable of producing slides that were tack-sharp corner to corner even when projected to 50x50 inches. When carefully scanned at 4000dpi, a sharp Kodachrome slide will make 8x10 prints that are difficult to distinguish from 35mm. Larger prints are infeasible mainly because the small film doesn't allow enough pixels. Having now reached Bifocal age, I can now understand why 110 slides never caught on— the 13x17mm film in a 30x30mm mount is just too small to work with on a light box.

 

<p>The real problem with 110 was the original Kodacolor II negative film. It was grainy even in standard-sized prints, and really couldn't stand up to enlargement greater than 5x7. Nonetheless, millions of people took billions of snapshots with 110 cameras, making the format a great success. The compact autofocus 35mm point-and-shoot camera killed 110 when it arrived in the mid-1980s. Those cameras aren't much larger or heavier than 110 but they produce much better pictures.

 

<p>110 color negative film still exists because enough of the millions of 110 cameras are still in use to make it economically worthwhile. Although the image quality of color negative film has improved dramatically since Kodacolor II came out in 1972, I don't know how much better today's Kodak Gold, Ferrania Solaris, or Fuji 200 really performs. It probably has much finer grain and certainly more vibrant color, especially since the original 110 cameras expose them at EI 64 or 80. But there's still not much point to finding out because any 35mm point-and-shoot will perform better (and is just as pocketable).

[john_shriver]

C-41 films have improved a LOT since Kodacolor-II. The whole T-grain revolution.

 

Perhaps one positive thing about the 110 era is that it was part of what tipped the photo industry towards replacing C-22 with C-41. That 110 was a whopping success at the time was decisive in getting independent photo-finishers to process C-41 film, as all other film sizes remained C-22 for a year or more.

 

Kodacolor-II (the first C-41 film) didn't come out in 35mm and other sizes for nearly a year after it was released in 110 size. Kodacolor-II was a lot better than Kodacolor-X.

 

Can you imagine anyone having the market power now to replace C-41 with a new chemistry? There have been changes, like C-41RA with almost no washing, but it's not a fundamental change.

[david_stanton1]

One quick correction. The Minolta Mark II did not have interchangeable lenses. It is a fine camera, styled like a miniature 35mm SLR with a fixed f3.5 zoom which, in 35mm equalvalent is 50mm to 135mm. The camera is excellent. I have two of them because I liked the first so much. But, you are still left with the problem of the very small negative and limited film supply.

[michael_benveniste]

I have the a Pentax 110 and 5 of the 6 lenses which were made for it. I use it a couple of times a year just for the fun of it. I've gotten some amazed looks from other camera geeks when I do.

 

The Pentax lenses are perfectly reasonable, but given a) program-mode only operation, b) manual focusing with my old eyes, and c) the small image size, I don't even try to enlarge these beyond 5x7."

[a_gettles]

Ahhhh The good ol' glory days. Makes me wanna go fleamarket shopping for a disk camera. Another fine film size.

[alex_kinnan]

I've got a trio of Pentax Auto 110 SLRs, one a "Super", and a pair of Canon 110s (an "ED" and an "ED20"), as well as a Minolta 110 SLR and Autopak 470, and a Rollei A110 of unknown operational status.

 

Until pretty recently, I was kind of in a 110 frenzy, due mostly to how fun it is simply to hold the little Pentaxes! Lately, though, I have been using mostly 35mm or digital as the quality level of cheap processing in my area seems to have dropped considerably over the past couple of years. This is a problem as ONLY the cheap processing is available for 110 'round here: No Kodak PerfectTouch (probably a good thing, due to all the grain); no Fuji Premium.

 

I sort of DO like the format, though; partly, like one person here already said, because of the cameras, and partly out of nostalgia, my first camera having been a Kodak 110 pocket Instamatic of some sort.

 

When the pix are processed and printed alright, the graininess lends a kind of dreamy quality to the images that makes any snapshot look like it might be from 1983. But, as most mass-labs don't really seem to care too much about the format, the film I send off usually comes back accompanied by pretty annoying prints.

 

For what it's worth, I tend to use a mix of Kodak Gold 400, Fuji Superia 200, Konica VX 200, and Ferrania Solaris 200. Most of these are old cartridges that I have gotten via eBay, though the Kodak and Fuji were turning up from time to time in various Wal-Marts, Targets, and Fry's that I have visited. I'm told that the film is probably out of production now, save for possibly Solaris, though my stock of that is all dated 2004 and I have heard that Ferrania is either gone or is going to be soon. I recently acquired a cartridge of Kodak Gold 400 that is dated 2006, but I don't know if that means it is still being made.

 

Regardless, a point that cannot be stressed enough is that pretty much all the available film, 400 or 200 speed, is in cartridges designed for, I believe, 80 or 100 speed film. This means that in a camera that automatically senses the film speed, like the Pentax Auto 110, one must be sure to trim the speed indicator tab off the cartridge of 400 speed carts to avoid massive overexposure. The Minolta offers an EV compensation switch that negates the need for this and even allows accurate use of the 200 speed films.

 

I don't think that the film is used all too widely anymore, except in toy cameras featuring some sort of Barbie graphics. Also, most of the stuff I have bought in the store over the past few years has tended to be priced for clearance. I think Wal-Mart still carries Polaroid branded 200 speed carts, though; plus, the stuff is pretty easy to find on the internet.

 

I think it is still a worthwhile format. Plus, the cameras, especially the little Pentaxes, can be pretty good ice-breakers: Most people have either forgotten about them or have never even heard of them and get all curious when you whip one out in the midst of a garden party or some other similar event. Any other kind of event and all bets are off, at least that's been my experience.

 

Also, for the record, I personally find the Canon 110ED/ED20 (the ED20 is necessary for 400 speed film) to have the best optics and to deliver the best pix. This is allegedly due to its ability to actually hold the film flatter than any of the other cameras. It's also a rangefinder, so that gives it extra points on the fun scale.

 

Sorry for rambling. To sum up: I like it -- If you haven't used it, get a decent camera off of eBay or at a yard sale and give some a whirl before all the film is gone.

[tony_praino1]

I like the 110 format and I have been using it for years and will continue to do so until the film is no longer available. It is easy to use and you can change film in seconds. Most 110 cameras are small and will fit easily in your pocket. Left in the car it is ready for use in a moments notice. It is the perfect camera for taking snapshots without having to lug a lot of equipment. The film is available at most locations that carry fim and or you can get it relativly inexpensive via US mail at both Clark Labs and York Photo. Just go onto their website and register and the will send you post paid envelopes and mailing labels.

 

There are many high quality 110 cameras available on the internet for very reasonable prices from SLR to rangefinders to point and shoot. My main dislike is the lack of film speed available in this format as well as the limited processing centers. Enjoy!

[fernando_mcsoto]

110 is still being made by Fuji in ISO200.

 

http://www.7dayshop.com/catalog/product_info.php?cPath=777_1&products_id=5742

[kelly_flanigan1]

In the USA 110 film is still available at many Walmart and Walgreens stores; Kodak 400. Some Walmarts even still do 1 hour C41 processing too.