The 110 "Pocket Instamatic" film format

110 film collection The 110 "Pocket Instamatic" format was introduced in 1972, and has by all measure been a very successful format. Every major film manufacturer except Ilford made 110 films. Every major camera manufacturer except Nikon made 110 cameras.

Kodak led the way with a relatively full range of films — black and white (Verichrome Pan), color slides (Ektachrome), and color prints (Kodacolor).

Today, only Kodak continues distributing 110 film, and Kodak continues to support their Cameo 110 cameras, although it is questionable how many are being sold. There are tens of thousands of excellent 110 cameras in private hands, but none are currently being manufactured.

It is entirely possible to make superb photographs with 110 film. There is a widespread misconception that the cartridge causes poor film flatness, but this allegation is unsupported by the facts. The flatness of 110 film is perfectly adequate. A modern 110 film used in a sophisticated camera like the Canon 110, the Kodak 60, or the Minolta and Pentax 110 SLRs, can provide images of exceptional quality.

Ferrania is an Italian manufacturer unfamiliar to most North Americans, because its "Solaris" brand films are not widely distributed outside Europe. The company is one of Europe's oldest film manufacturers, dating from 1915, and it achieved an early reputation for excellence making motion picture film. The company was acquired by 3M in 1964, who spun it off as their Imation division, with plants in Italy and Oklahoma. 3M's film operations were acquired by Schroder Ventures (now the merchant bank Permira) in 1999 and then spun off as the separate company that is operating today, once again under the original name.

Today Ferrania is owned by GRUPPO MESSINA, Ignazio Messina & Co. S.p.A., a shipping-based conglomerate headquartered in Genoa. On July 18, 2008, the company announced to its unions that film production would cease in December, 2008.

During the 3M years, the films they made were considered inferior relative to Kodak and Fuji, and were often seen in "house brand" packaging. "Scotch" and "Dynacolor" brand films will be remembered by older readers, but not with fondness.

After the Schroder acquisition in 1999, Ferrania returned to its research and development roots with renewed vigor. The Solaris FG films that soon followed were significantly better than any of the 3M branded films that preceded them.

The Solaris FG-Plus films made beginning in about 2006 achieved the high level of quality associated with comparable Fuji and Kodak films. Most of the house brand 110 films found in Europe and North America are now Solaris FG or FG-Plus and are in every sense excellent films.

Kodak's Kodacolor 400 110 film is also excellent, but it is an ISO 400 film packaged in a cartridge that triggers ISO 100 exposure when it's used in sophisticated 110 cameras. This results in gross overexposure, which creates distorted colors and coarse grain. When it's used in a typical thrift shop orphan, most of which expect an ISO 200 film, the variance in exposure is acceptable, and given the wildly variable actual shutter speeds of most cheap cameras, the results have a 50/50 chance of being quite good.

Ferrania's 110 is an ISO 200 film that exposes correctly in low-end and high-end cameras alike. A few high-end auto-exposure cameras expose it at ISO 100, but the film has adequate latitude and the resulting negatives are easily printable.

A small supply of Fujicolor Superia 110 remains available (as of late 2009), but it is dwindling fast. Manufacturing ceased some time in 2004 and existing stocks are approaching their nominal "process-before" date. Agfa and Konica 110 films are sometimes found, and are well worth acquiring and storing in a refrigerator or freezer. The Konica films are especially good — Konica's failure to achieve widespread acclaim for the quality of their films is puzzling.

110 cartridges from all manufacturers are sealed in moisture-proof laminated foil wrappers, and can safely be frozen for many years, perhaps even for decades. The day will come when 110 film is no longer available, and aficionados would do well to stock up now.