[Taken 7 Aug 2010 | Pentax Auto 110 SLR | ISO 400 | 24mm ]
The test roll for my new Pentax Auto 110 was a rousing success!
(The pork buns were delicious, too.)
More test photos after the jump…
Pros: It’s an automatic SLR in a tiny package! Feels surprisingly sturdy for a little plastic camera. A green or yellow light in the viewfinder alerts you as to whether you should be using a tripod or flash in the available light, which is helpful. Split focus screen hearkens back to ye olden days of manual SLRs — and is a refreshing change from the guesstimated range focus I’ve been using in other compact film cameras lately. Surprisingly, the 400-speed 110 film wasn’t as grainy as I’d expected it to be.
Cons: 110 film has been discontinued, and the existing stock is just now starting to go out of date. Processing and prints cost me about $14 at my local photo developer, and that’s not including the cost of the film itself (which is only likely to increase as it gets more scarce). One technical con is the full-automatic nature of the camera: no priority setting for either aperture or shutter speed. Photos can be washed out, depending on the lighting, with no option to “trick” the camera into doing what you want.
I’m definitely going to shell out the money to get the other two lenses for this little guy on eBay, now that I know it works and works well. The photos it produces aren’t anything particularly special — it’s the convenience/size factor that’s the hook. I can definitely see myself using this camera in situations where I’d like to have some slightly grainy photos (110 film only comes in 400 these days) with character, rather than digital pics from my iPhone.