Any cheap 110 cameras with sharp lenses? Other than Pentax Auto 110?

[ciniframe]

Hi All,
A 100 ft roll of ORWO UN54+ 1R perf, ISO 100 BW film sells for about $50. It is a very good film with full tonal range. That's four times as much film for about twice as much cost - about 60 cents a roll for Minolta 16mm cameras.. I really like it; it reminds me of the old Verichrome Pan, and is just as good as Plus-X #7231.
Regards/73
Terry

Yeah, I know it’s expensive relative to Eastman 7222 or ORWO but thought it might interest someone not sure they wanted the 60+ rolls that 100ft produces. I am still still working on my last 100 ft. Roll of Double X and have an unopened roll of TX that has a remjet backing so there will be an extra step in processing that one.

 

[ic-racer]

I posted this in a Minox thread, but, from what I recall, the manufacturer of this splitter makes a 16mm version. I did not get the 16mm version, because I have 200ft of single perf negative film, but if I ordered it again, I'd get the slitter that makes one Minox strip and one 16mm strip. This one makes two Minox strips from a single 35mm width.

 

[WD4AON]

I posted this in a Minox thread, but, from what I recall, the manufacturer of this splitter makes a 16mm version. I did not get the 16mm version, because I have 200ft of single perf negative film, but if I ordered it again, I'd get the slitter that makes one Minox strip and one 16mm strip. This one makes two Minox strips from a single 35mm width.

View attachment 259782

First, with that many Minox cartridges, you must be REALLY wealthy.
And do you recall where you got the slitter? Was it a Jimmy Li model?
Terry

 

[WD4AON]

Yeah, I know it’s expensive relative to Eastman 7222 or ORWO but thought it might interest someone not sure they wanted the 60+ rolls that 100ft produces. I am still still working on my last 100 ft. Roll of Double X and have an unopened roll of TX that has a remjet backing so there will be an extra step in processing that one.

Ciniframe,
We should set up a film exchange, where someone with, say 200 feet of 7222 can split it with another fan in 50 or 100 foot lengths.

BTW,
I have a few 66 meter rolls of Eastman Reference Archive Media (emulsion #3433) to share for free, just for the cost of shipping (USA only) , about $5 to $6. It has been kept cool since I got it; expired in 2011 and have no idea how it was kept before I got it. I've gotten useable exposures from it.
Terry

 

[Cholentpot]

Ciniframe,
We should set up a film exchange, where someone with, say 200 feet of 7222 can split it with another fan in 50 or 100 foot lengths.

BTW,
I have a few 66 meter rolls of Eastman Reference Archive Media (emulsion #3433) to share for free, just for the cost of shipping (USA only) , about $5 to $6. It has been kept cool since I got it; expired in 2011 and have no idea how it was kept before I got it. I've gotten useable exposures from it.
Terry

What speed do you rate it at? I'd love to try some. Always down for new weird emulsions.

 

[WD4AON]

What speed do you rate it at? I'd love to try some. Always down for new weird emulsions.

Cholentpot,
Go to:
https://submini-l.groups.io/g/main/topic/77872636#20783
at Submini-L.groups.io. I left a photo and some experimental processing info there.
Terry

 

[ic-racer]

First, with that many Minox cartridges, you must be REALLY wealthy.
And do you recall where you got the slitter? Was it a Jimmy Li model?
Terry

Yes, Jimmy Li model splitter. Got it this year so he still has the parts to make them.

 

[ProgramPlus]

Got my Minolta 16 Ps today. Looks to be functional. No battery, no meter. Two shutter speeds 1/100 and 1/30th for flash. It came with a loaded film cartridge. The tape on it says color print film, iso 80. Whatever exposures are left I’ll prob over expose by 1-2 stops.

 

[Donald Qualls]

My Pocket Instamatic 60 came in yesterday's mail -- everything mechanical seems to function; I'll need to supply 3-4 volts to find out more. I'm going to enjoy having a good RF in a submini camera. Film is already on the way, I just need to find a power source. Maybe I can make a CR-2 fit in the compartment and put a side contact on it...

 

[ciniframe]

Got my Minolta 16 Ps today. Looks to be functional. No battery, no meter. Two shutter speeds 1/100 and 1/30th for flash. It came with a loaded film cartridge. The tape on it says color print film, iso 80. Whatever exposures are left I’ll prob over expose by 1-2 stops.

On your 16Ps the focus is fixed to 5m or about 16 ft. so that normally aperture is the way to control focus, that is, through depth of field.
The optimal aperture is f8, although by the math f11 or f16 gives you a deeper focus zone, diffraction will probably negate any gains in DoF by stopping down past f8.
They are not real plentiful but, if you can, keep on the look out for the set of two close up lenses that clip on in front of the lens. They are the better solution if you need to move prime focus closer than 16 feet.
Minolta never made a negative diopter lens to move focus past 5m but if you know a friendly optician he could order you a single unmounted 50mm -.2 diopter (that’s minus point two, not minus two) that would bring the lens focus out to infinity.
Mounting it would be a problem but you could just hold it in front of the lens.

 

[Cholentpot]

My Pocket Instamatic 60 came in yesterday's mail -- everything mechanical seems to function; I'll need to supply 3-4 volts to find out more. I'm going to enjoy having a good RF in a submini camera. Film is already on the way, I just need to find a power source. Maybe I can make a CR-2 fit in the compartment and put a side contact on it...

I made a battery stack out of button batteries and some silver foil to get the contacts all connected. I also sharpied in the rangefinder patch and built an ND filter for the sensor eye out of a piece of exposed film. It now shoots at about ISO 25.

Instamatic 60 and Microfilm with the ND filter installed.

 

[Donald Qualls]

@Cholentpot I've got some microfilm around (a few feet left of Copex Rapid, and some Imagelink HQ, IIRC), but I'm more inclined to buy 16mm cine film and block off the feeler window in the cartridge. I can get Plus X Negative in 50' rolls from multiple sources, and I think there's Vision3 in some flavor or another in 16mm as well. Worst case, I've got a 127 cutter (makes 127 from 120) and the leftover strip is enough for a 24 exposure 110 roll.

 

[Craig75]

I made a battery stack out of button batteries and some silver foil to get the contacts all connected. I also sharpied in the rangefinder patch and built an ND filter for the sensor eye out of a piece of exposed film. It now shoots at about ISO 25.

Instamatic 60 and Microfilm with the ND filter installed.

Thats come out really nice for microfilm. I could only get 3 or 4 stops out of it before it blocked up. How did you develop it?

Those scratch marks look familiar though. Id end up with the same long horizontal scratches every time.

 

[Cholentpot]

@Cholentpot I've got some microfilm around (a few feet left of Copex Rapid, and some Imagelink HQ, IIRC), but I'm more inclined to buy 16mm cine film and block off the feeler window in the cartridge. I can get Plus X Negative in 50' rolls from multiple sources, and I think there's Vision3 in some flavor or another in 16mm as well. Worst case, I've got a 127 cutter (makes 127 from 120) and the leftover strip is enough for a 24 exposure 110 roll.

This was Imagelink HQ. Developed in Rodinal 1:200 for two hours. I'd love to get hold of some Plus-X. It's my favorite film in 35mm, I only have a few rolls left in my freezer. As for the feeler, I don't think it needs to be blocked off. Camera doesn't care. The Pentax Auto 110 cares though...How would you go about blocking off the feeler?

 

[Cholentpot]

Thats come out really nice for microfilm. I could only get 3 or 4 stops out of it before it blocked up. How did you develop it?

Those scratch marks look familiar though. Id end up with the same long horizontal scratches every time.

I've accepted the scratches. Nothing I can do about them.

ISO 25, Rodinal stand 1:175 or 1:200 for two hours.

 

[Donald Qualls]

As for the feeler, I don't think it needs to be blocked off. Camera doesn't care. The Pentax Auto 110 cares though...How would you go about blocking off the feeler?

If you're going to load the single perf 16mm film with the perfs at the bottom (so they don't get into the image) you need to block the feeler so you don't have to advance four times and cover the lens and fire the shutter for each. I'll probably glue a small piece of plastic into the hole at the same time I block the frame number window. Loading without backing paper will let the cartridge hold a longer roll.

 

[Cholentpot]

If you're going to load the single perf 16mm film with the perfs at the bottom (so they don't get into the image) you need to block the feeler so you don't have to advance four times and cover the lens and fire the shutter for each. I'll probably glue a small piece of plastic into the hole at the same time I block the frame number window. Loading without backing paper will let the cartridge hold a longer roll.

How do you keep track of shots? I mean I know how I would, and I would be very bad at it. I don't mind having the perfs in the image.

 

[Donald Qualls]

How do you keep track of shots in a 35mm with a broken counter? Or a Minolta 16 after the counter stops at 20 (but you loaded enough film for 30)? either don't worry about it, or load a long enough roll you'll give up and pull it out before it ends.

 

[ProgramPlus]

Cholenpot, how do you like the 1:200 Rodinal development? Any noticeable difference from 1:100 (for an hour which is what I’ve been doing) and what is your agitation schedule? Do people ascribe the minimum 5ml developer “rule?” I mix my 1:100 solution and use enough to cover the film so the actual amt of developer ends up being way less than 5 ml for 35 mm and way, way less for 110 (which to me makes sense since there is way less than 1/2 the amount of film vs an actual 35 mm roll).

Thanks

 

[ProgramPlus]

Thanks for the advice Ciniframe. I think I’ll just make sure I’m taking pics of things 6-8 feet away or more to minimize DOF issues. It’s not a horribly versatile camera. Iso only goes to 200. If I run across the add on lenses I might get them but I have them for my 16ii so I can just use that camera instead if needed.

The film that came in it is iso 80. Considering it’s likely 30 years old I hope overexposing 2 stops will be good enough. I’ll set the iso on the camera to 25 and try to set the camera based on the little sun, cloud icons on the aperture wheel and maybe bracket the exposure a bit.

 

[ciniframe]

Thanks for the advice Ciniframe. I think I’ll just make sure I’m taking pics of things 6-8 feet away or more to minimize DOF issues. It’s not a horribly versatile camera. Iso only goes to 200. If I run across the add on lenses I might get them but I have them for my 16ii so I can just use that camera instead if needed.

The film that came in it is iso 80. Considering it’s likely 30 years old I hope overexposing 2 stops will be good enough. I’ll set the iso on the camera to 25 and try to set the camera based on the little sun, cloud icons on the aperture wheel and maybe bracket the exposure a bit.

Yeah, I hear you. I came across my 16Ps as a package, it already had the close up lenses with it. In fact the main reason I bought it was for the film cartridge in the camera. Don’t worry about the meter dial only going to 200, any film speed you can meter can be used. The main exposure limitation is the 1/100 top shutter speed, theoretically, if exposing Kodak Double-X at 200 in bright noonday sunlight you are limited to exposing that film one stop over. But matters not, highlights will wind up a bit dense but the shadows should still come out great. I agree on the old color film, a couple of extra stops won’t hurt at all.

 

[Cholentpot]

How do you keep track of shots in a 35mm with a broken counter? Or a Minolta 16 after the counter stops at 20 (but you loaded enough film for 30)? either don't worry about it, or load a long enough roll you'll give up and pull it out before it ends.

I hear ya, I just keep shooting on my Kiev until I think I used up all the film. After all, it's cheap enough and I'm not shooting life affirming stuff on 110.

Cholenpot, how do you like the 1:200 Rodinal development? Any noticeable difference from 1:100 (for an hour which is what I’ve been doing) and what is your agitation schedule? Do people ascribe the minimum 5ml developer “rule?” I mix my 1:100 solution and use enough to cover the film so the actual amt of developer ends up being way less than 5 ml for 35 mm and way, way less for 110 (which to me makes sense since there is way less than 1/2 the amount of film vs an actual 35 mm roll).

Thanks

So far I've found 1:175 to be about the same as 1:200. 1:100 things were too dense for me. I agitate the first minute and that's all. I also do a presoak. As for the rule, I don't bother. I mix what I need. So far it's worked.

 

[ic-racer]

Amazing image with that Kodak 60 and Microfilm! It compares favorably to this 8x10 print from 35mm with a Zeiss Makro-Planar.

 

[Donald Qualls]

Yep, Copex Rapid may be my favorite film ever for 16mm cameras. It's got resolution enough to make a 35mm negative look like an 8x10 (or a large frame 16mm look like a 4x5), decent speed (effectively EI 64-80 in the Caffenol variant I've used in the past), and fully panchromatic.

 

[Cholentpot]

Amazing image with that Kodak 60 and Microfilm! It compares favorably to this 8x10 print from 35mm with a Zeiss Makro-Planar.
View attachment 259899

Thanks!

I've been surprised by the Instamatic 60. The Image Link HQ stuff though, it's prone to scratching. Nothing I can really do about it. It also shoots best on bright cloudy days. That limits my days I use it to a handful. It works quite well with flash cubes but again, those are limited supply. Focusing was tough until I blotted the rangefinder patch and now it works far better. I'll be taking out again next summer for more fun. I carry a 35mm or 120 and a small 110 or 16mm as a secondary. I try to shoot out the whole roll in one day.

Pentax Auto 110, HP5+