The Pentax Auto 110 is a unique camera in the history of photography. Introduced in 1978 by Pentax of Japan, it is known for being one of the smallest interchangeable lens SLR (Single Lens Reflex) cameras ever made. The Pentax Auto 110 uses 110 film cartridges, a cartridge-based film format created by Kodak. The 110 film has a frame size of 13x17mm, making it significantly smaller than 35mm film. As with most SLR cameras, the Pentax Auto 110 featured an interchangeable lens system. Pentax released a range of small lenses for the camera, including an 18mm f/2.8 wide-angle, a 24mm f/2.8 standard lens, and a 50mm f/2.8 telephoto lens. The camera has a focal plane shutter with speeds ranging from 1/750 to 1 second. The through-the-lens meter is center-weighted average. The only shooting mode on the Auto 110 is aperture-priority. It has automatic exposure allowing you to only set the desired aperture and the camera adjusting the shutter speed accordingly. The camera requires two LR44 or SR44 batteries to power the light meter, and the attached electronic flash requires two AAA batteries.
I bought this Auto 110 back in 2021 from a seller on Facebook Marketplace. It came with a 24mm f/2.8 lens, 50mm f/2.8, and the AF130P electronic flash. My first reaction to this camera was that of someone looking at a puppy, “Awe, look how cute!” Even though 110 film was discontinued around 2009, there are a few companies that still sell fresh 110, like Lomography. I bought one of the last batches of black and white Fukkatsu 110 film from the Film Photography Project Store.
My intent this year was to shoot a roll of 110 for the first time on 110 Day, January 10th. I set out in downtown Salt Lake City on January 10th in the late afternoon and quickly found myself in the middle of a blizzard. I was able to take a few photos, but the snow and wind were too much. I decided my time would be better spent navigating the storm on my commute home. I finished the roll on the following Saturday, January 13th.
Overall, it was a good experience using the Pentax Auto 110. I had a hard time framing shots with the 50mm lens and ended up using the 24mm for all my images. Using the flash indoors really surprised me. The shots came out nicely exposed. Most of the images contain a lot of grain, but I expected it to be worse. It seems like 110 film is getting harder to find, but there’s always the option to slit other film stocks and reuse 110 cartridges. I did send the film out to be developed. The cost to have it developed with standard scans was $18 from TheDarkroom.com. It’s not the most economical film to use unless you develop and scan it yourself. Will I ever use the Pentax Auto 110 again? Possibly. I love to see the complete Auto 110 kits on eBay in padded cases with all the lenses and accessories. I think I’d like to add a complete kit to my collection someday.
Camera: Pentax Auto 110 (1978)
Film: Fukkatsu 110 ISO 100
Process: TheDarkRoom.com
Utah Film Photography 