Amateur Photographer - UK (2020-05-16)

56 16 May 2020I http://www.amateurphotographer.co.ukI subscribe 0330 333 1113

Testbench 110 CAME

Guidepricestoday

PentaxAuto 110 £20-30

PentaxAuto 110 Super

£30-40

Minolta 110 ZoomMarkI

£15-25

Minolta 110 ZoomMarkII

£25-35

Roll eiA110£25-40

Agfamatic 2008 Tele

Pocket£10-15

MinoltaWeathermatic

£10-20

TascoBino/Cam 8000 £35-45

Noveltycameras£10-20

110 one-film pack £ 7.9 0

THETRADITIONALshapefora 110filmcamerais longand
echoingtheshapeof thefilmcartridge.Somemanufacturerss
tothisbasicshape,butproducedcameraswithabove-aver
snapshotspecs.Otherswentin differentdirectionsentirely.He
some of the more interesting non-refl ex 110 cameras.

NON-REFLEX 110 CAMERAS

RolleiA110

Oneof thesmallestandneatestof thewell-specified 110
cameras,theRolleiA110,launchedin 1975.It measures
8x4x2.5cmwhenfolded,extendingto 10cmforshooting.
A tinyflashgunextendsit a further1.5cmwhenfolded
buta flashcubeadds3cm.It’sanall-electroniccamera
thatincorporatesa CdSexposuremetertocontrola
programedshutterspeeded4–1/400secandapertures
of f/2.8–f/16.Focusis adjustedbya sliderunderthelens.
Filmwindandshuttertensioningarecarriedoutbythe
push-pull principle as the camera is opened and closed.

Agfamatic 2008 TelePocket

Whileadoptingthetraditionalshapeof a typical 110 film
camera,the 1976 Agfamaticaddsa fewextratricks.
Primeamongtheseis a choiceof focallengthsfromthe
standard26mmto 43mmtelephotoasa slideris slidon
thetopplate,activatinga changeof viewin theviewfinder.
Dullandbrightpictogramsonanothersliderchange
theapertures.Filmwindandshuttertensioninghappen
as the camera body is push-pulled to open and close it.

MinoltaWeathermatic

Launchedin 1980,thebulkyandruggedyellowcaseof

theWeathermaticmakesit waterproofandcapableof

underwaterusetoa depthof 5 metres.A knobonthe

topadjustsfocusaccordingtofivedistancesymbols;

anotherbesideit adjustsaperturesof f/3.5-f/8according

tothreeweathersymbols;theshutterspeedis fixedat

1/200sec.A leveronthebottomof thecasewindsthe

fi lm, and the camera incorporates a built-in fl ashgun.

Severalmanufacturerscombined

cameraswithbinoculars,occasionallyfor

35mm,butmostlyfor16mm

subminiatureor 110 formats.Thisis one

of thelatter.Launchedin 1980,it

consistsof a pairof 7x20binocularswith

thecameramountedontop.The

binocularsareusedastheviewfinder,

while a Tele-Tasco 100mm f/5.6 lens

thatstopsdowntof/22sitsbetweenthe

binocularlenses.Shutterspeedsare

simplymarked‘1’and‘2’,butareactually

1/125secand1/250sec.Earlierversions

of thesamecamerahavefixedfocal

lengthlenses,butthe 8000 modelcan

beequippedwithinterchangeable70mm

and150mmlensesforslightly wider and

longer angles of view.

THE 110 FILMformat,like 126 beforeit, was
thepopularchoiceformakersof novelty
cameras,disguisedasallkindof objects.
Drinkscanswerefavourites– thecamera
incorporatedintothetinis a simplesnapshot
modelwithshutterspeed,apertureandfocus
allfixed.Thelensandviewfinderpokeoutof
oneside,witha filmwindknobbeneathanda
shutterreleaserecessedfurtheraroundthe
circumference.Othernovelty 110 cameras
were built into items including full-size

cigarettepacketsandtinybooks.In the

sameera,Disneyalsoventured into the 110

noveltycameraarenawith

thelaunchof the

Mickey-Matic.Although

littlemorethana basic

snapshotcamera,it was

moreattractivethan

mostwithMickeyMouse

onthetopplateandtwo

fi nishes in pink or blue.

NOVELTY CAMERAS

Tasco Bino/Cam 8000

Above:Eightnovelty

camerasmadefor 110 sizefilm

Left:Mickey-Matic110 cameras

in pink and blue

ThewaterproofMinolta

Weathermatic

TheAgfamatic 2008 TelePocket

offered a choice of two focal lengths

RolleiA110withits

dedicatedflashgun

andflashcube

attached TheTascoBino/Cam

combineda 110camera

with binoculars