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 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 and Ferrania continue making
110 film, and Kodak continues to support their Cameo 110
cameras, although it is
questionable how many are ever actually sold. There are tens of thousands of excellent 110 cameras in private hands,
but the only 110 cameras currently manufactured in quantity are small novelty keychain
cameras.
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 Permira) in 1999 and then spun off as the separate company that is operating
today, once again under the original name.
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 since 2006 have
achieved the high level of quality associated with comparable Fuji and Kodak
films. House brand 110 films found in Europe and North America are now all
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 early 2008), 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.
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