110 cameras

[argusmaniac]

I thought I would share some pics from my Argus Palmatic - a typical, relatively crappy 110 camera.  Still, a lot of fun...


this above image was oversaturated  and hue changed in PS.

[argusmaniac]

here is another one - no post-processing
incoming

[Glenn Thoreson]

I have several 110 craptastic cameras. Some of them actually take excellent photos. One of the best is a Kodak number that has built in meter, rangefinder focus and a nice little Ektar lens. Wonderful little camera and quite expensive when new. Now rather uncommon. No batteries are available for them. I made my own once, just to test it. A real pain. Unfortunately, it now just sits there. Staring at me. Always staring--------------------

[ImageMaker]

Glenn, if you won't mind altering the camera a little, it would surely be possible to wire an external 3x button cell holder to replace the K cell that camera used originally.  Use the same cells you'd put into an ersatz K, but they'd be easier to change.  Put the holder on the end of the camera, it'd be barely noticeable.  Then you could use it a bit while you can still get 110 film...

[nelsonfoto]

I think about going sub-mini now and again...

[ImageMaker]

Craig, if you can stand it, get a Kiev 30 kit from Russia.  Shouldn't set you back any more than about $35 plus shipping, possibly less.  They have good lenses with adjustable focus, manual shutter and aperture, PC socket (M synch), and come with an adapter to hold the Kiev film in a 35 mm neg carrier for enlargement.  You can buy Minolta 16 cassettes to fit them (though Kiev cassettes won't work in a Minolta -- smaller core to accept longer film), though the cassettes are upwards of $20 each now; it's still pretty easy to find the Kievs in original box with two cassettes, which is enough (each cassette holds 25 frames, same image size as 110: 13x17 mm).  You can use single-perf 16 mm movie film, or build a slitter in a couple hours that will convert a 120 roll into four rolls for the Kiev or 8 of Minolta length and make a developing tank in an afternoon that will develop the film in two ounces of soup.

And you'll *never* need to be without a camera, since the camera, in its leatherette case, will fit in a shirt pocket.

[connealy]

Those argman photos are pretty nice; gives me some encouragement to move ahead with using a recent acquisition, a Minolta 110 Zoom SLR.  Film and batteries are still available, though I may not be able to get 1-hr. processing.  Some dedicated submin people are also slitting 35mm film and reloading the 110 cartridges.

[nelsonfoto]

Don, I have a Minolta-16 Model P, need a cassette for it. You got one handy?

[ImageMaker]

Craig, I have a grand total of four cassettes and three coffin cases for three working cameras, and that's just about enough.  If you're looking for one, you might try subscribing to the Submini-L list on Yahoo and asking there -- a lot of the submini shooters have gone digital (sound familiar?) and might be willing to part with accessories at a semi-reasonable price.  It's been a while since I've asked, because I don't need more than I have; with care, they last a long time (they can break at the takeup end of the bridge, where cassettes made after about 1975 are scored, but if they do they can be repaired with a little care).

Do watch out for counterfeit cassettes -- a fellow named Al Doyle has (for several years) been selling cast resin replica cassetes (which he insists are genuine), molded from genuine Minolta, but with molding flash, oversize some places and under others, and so-so opacity (i.e. prone to fogging film right through the plastic); they're enough off on some dimensions that they've been reported to damage cameras.  Honestly, for what you'd pay for one or two cassettes to fit that P you can buy an entire Kiev kit including one or two cassettes and get a smaller and more versatile camera with a larger negative.

But if you'd rather just feed the P, you can do a search on eBay for "minolta 16 cassette" and set up an alert to get en e-mail whenever one or more pop up.  You might want to broaden that search to include "minolta 16 film" since many of the cassettes I've seen there in the last year or so were actually complete, NOS in box films (film long expired, but cassette and coffin case in collector condition).  Of the ones I have, one spent 20+ years in one of my cameras, two came from eBay, and the fourth came to me in a non-functioning camera (for which I paid about then then-going rate for the cassette, so didn't care if the camera worked).

[P C Headland]

I think about going sub-mini now and again...

If you're interested, don't want to slit film, and want one of the smallest  cameras around, I have a Minox EC that I'm thinking of selling.  Complete in box with new pressure plate/switch, battery adapter (for button cells) and two or three rolls of film.  Works well, but since I now think 35mm looks way too small.....

Paul

[nelsonfoto]

Thanks, Paul. I'm standing for now, waiting for Hell to freeze once more, to see normalcy return to life in this grief-stricken, paranoid, delusional nation of mine.

[ImageMaker]

You don't *have* to slit film to feed a 16 mm -- the Minolta and Kiev 16 mm cameras don't care about perforation, and even the last models with larger frame (and the Kievs) can use single-perf 16 mm movie film (older ones with the 10x14 mm frame can use double-perf without seeing perfs in the image).  A 100 foot roll (about 50 loads) of Plus-X Reversal 16 mm movie film will set you back about $25 plus shipping, if you can find any place that will sell you a single roll -- Kodak used to sell it direct in that kind of quantity, but I haven't checked with them, so don't know if they still do.  Plus-X Reversal can be rated at 125 for still usage and never mind what Kodak gives for motion picture application; they also sell Double-X Negative and Tri-X Reversal, which can be rated at EI 200 and 400 respectively.  You really very selcom need or want any faster film than those in submini.  You'll get a lot more emulsion choices by slitting from either 35 mm (wasteful) or 120 (almost too efficient -- the rolls will be a few inches shorter than standard, so you have to load carefully and watch the counter), but it's not required.

I've been shooting microfilm in mine -- Kodak ImageLink HQ, which I rate at EI 50 (that's at least a one stop push, many rate it at EI 12 but I use a more efficient developer than Technidol) and Agfa Copex Rapid, which I shoot at EI 80 (commonly rated at EI 32 to 40).  Extremely fine grain, but the low speed can be restrictive for a camera that is hard to tripod and has no cable release socket.  These are relatively hard to find in single rolls; dealers typically want to sell a case, which is 20 rolls of 100 feet, or a big roll, as much as 2000 feet on a single spool.

[connealy]

If you are a fan of the original Star Wars you will recognize this camera as the model for Han Solo's ship, or maybe it was the other way around.  In any case, it does look like a design cooked up by some sci-fi enthusiast in about 1975.



I won't say a lot about the camera as just about everything worthwhile has been said already by  D. Scott Young on his Minolta 110 Zoom SLR page.  It would have been a good idea for me to read his intro to  110 cameras as well before I tried using the camera.  If I interpret him correctly, currently available 110 cartridges are all keyed to shooting in 100-speed cameras.  Locally, I can get Kodak 400 at Walmart and at the Walgreen's Drugstore, 200-speed Walgreen's brand film is available.  In comparing the cartridges, I could see (after the fact) that both have exactly the same notch to set the film speed.  So, it appears that I need to cut away about half the little ridge at the end of the cartridge to set it to 400.  Since the Minolta has +2 and -2 exposure compensation settings it is possible to shoot film in the range from 100 to 1600 with the cartridge notched for 400.
    Further complicating the effective use of the camera is the issue of processing.  While Walgreen's sells it own brand, it doesn't offer in-store processing.  Walmart will process the Kodak they sell in a couple hours, but the results are a terrible thing to look upon.  Only a few of the 24 exposures I made and had processed at Walmart were marginally useable.  Given the grain and awful processing, it is pretty hard for me to evaluate the camera's performance at this point.  I think accomplishing that would really depend on reloading the casettes with good, fine-grained film and doing the processing at home.

[argusmaniac]

Mike -- the 110 zoom is a pretty good camera.  I have smade some decent shots with it, and you can find them on my 110 pages:
http://www-personal.umich.edu/~mfobrien/110/index.html

[connealy]

Those are very nice.  I obviously owe the camera a couple more rolls of film with properly calibrated ASA and better processing.