For the last 2 or 3 years I have been reading about the Pentax Auto 110. A real SLR but tiny. Something about miniature cameras really fascinates me. Reading all the reviews of how good the viewfinder is, and seeing some quite excellent images taken with one on Flickr finally convinced me that I really had to get one.
After a little while looking in eBay, I found a very nice little example with the standard 24mm f2.8 lens for a reasonable price – £33. I was considering buying a complete set with wide and telephoto lenses, but this seemed a sensible first step into 110 photography. To go with it I got 2 rolls each of mono and colour film from Lomography.
Initial impressions were excellent. I had forgotten how easily 110 cartridges are loaded (open camera, insert cartridge, close camera, wind a couple of strokes). The viewfinder really is bright and clear with a very usable split focussing circle. The 24mm lens (handily, 110 is almost identical to micro four-thirds in crop factor so that equates to 48mm) focuses down to 40cm. And it weighs next to nothing!
So I took the wee beastie out in the garden, and for a few strolls in the lanes around my house, loaded with the Lomo Orca 100 mono film, and afterwards sent the film off to the Silverpan lab in Bristol for dev/ scanning to TIFF files. It may not be the quickest service but it’s really good to to deal with and very good value for 110 processing. NB I usually scan negs myself, but without a 110 mask the results would almost certainly be rubbish.
Here are a few examples. All have had fairly standard treatment in Lightroom (shadows/highlights/sharpening). I’m quite impressed by how sharp the lens is, and the Orca film isn’t bad either, at least in good light, as you would expect with ASA 100. Some other frames showed a pattern of white dots which Silverpan reckoned are causes by light leaking through the Lomography film backing paper. To stop that, they recommend sticking tape over the frame counter window. We’ll see what effect that has for the next roll, which will be colour, using Lomo Tiger 200.
My other content on 35mmc can be found here
Share this post:
Comments
Martin on 5 frames with a Pentax Auto 110 – by Martin Connolly
Comment posted: 06/08/2019
I have the same trouble with ORCA 100 - those spots, will try taping the window over as suggested, thanks for the hint.
Kind regards,
Martin in Austria
Harry on 5 frames with a Pentax Auto 110 – by Martin Connolly
Comment posted: 06/08/2019
This review has made me think again about actually shooting with my Auto 110 Super - I've got some expired 110 cartridges and have been looking for an excuse to give Silverpan Lab a try!
Terry B on 5 frames with a Pentax Auto 110 – by Martin Connolly
Comment posted: 06/08/2019
The lenses are incredibly sharp wide open at f2.8. I have a cheap P110 to Sony Nex adapter and which I use on my Nex 5N. Even with the APS-C sensor there is virtually little fall-off in coverage or vignetting. So using these lenses on micro 4/3rds would be perfect. The main problem is that the aperture setting is in-body, so no way to stop down the lenses when adapted for digital use. I'm going to see if I can work out a simple Waterhouse stop arrangement behind the lens. But on the 110 itself, you can safely get the other lenses in the knowledge that they all perform equally well.
And, yes, the reflex viewfinder will surprise all those who look through it.
Kurt Ingham on 5 frames with a Pentax Auto 110 – by Martin Connolly
Comment posted: 06/08/2019
Comment posted: 06/08/2019
Will on 5 frames with a Pentax Auto 110 – by Martin Connolly
Comment posted: 06/08/2019
Comment posted: 06/08/2019
Pentax Auto 110 – Martin's attempts at photography on 5 frames with a Pentax Auto 110 – by Martin Connolly
Comment posted: 06/08/2019
Pentax Auto 110 - Photographs by Martin Connolly on 5 frames with a Pentax Auto 110 – by Martin Connolly
Comment posted: 27/02/2020