Saturday, February 06, 2010

camera fun

Just over a week ago, I bought a Pentax Auto 110 camera in a charity shop for £10. It is a 110 film camera (110 film is, alas! no longer made) and came with a polythene bag full of lenses and bits. From my endless research over the week, I've discovered that I now own a real classic camera...


Pentax Auto 110 - 1


I also got all the lenses except one really rare one. It took me a few days to clean everything up and I also ordered an adapter from Taiwan which allows the lenses to be used on my lovely G1 camera:


Camera Geek, Picture Eek!

On the G1 - 70mm lens and Soligor 1.7x f8 Telelconverter; Middle, front to back - 24mm, 18mm, 50mm; On the Pentax Auto 110 - 20-40mm Zoom


The only lens I am missing is the rare Pan Focus 18mm, a fixed-focus lens which turns the camera into a "point and shoot" unit. This seems a bit odd when you consider that this is a 110 camera and is an SLR and almost all 110 cameras were "point and shoot".

I took the cameras out today (and dropped the Auto 110, damaging the motor winder) and tried them out. There is a series of test shots with the G1 here.

I've also been shooting film, which will be interesting when it comes back from processing. It's very odd to have to consider whether a shot is worth taking or not. Eventually, the film will be irreplaceable, though the photography lecturer at work has assured me that it will be possible to refill a 110 cartridge with cut-down bulk film. The most surprising thing about this is that when I was at university, I was such a film obsessive and the idea of PanF, Rodinol, Selenium Toning and Gallerie Matt is actually quite exciting again! In a way - a bit like my work with iron and steel - I need things to be difficult in order to be inspired.

Shots from the G1 with the Auto 110 lenses:


Geese

Graphical House

Green's Hairdressers

Street Portrait 46