Following my recent complete failure of using up a 1980’s 126 film, I thought I’d try a 110! This time from the depths of my film cupboard I found a Truprint XG 200 film. It was so old that the small white panel on the box that should show the expiry date was so faded it had disappeared! A quick search online suggested that this styling of packaging dates from mid 80’s.
I also happened to have a 50p 110 Kodak Ektra 200 camera that appeared to be working, so everything aligned and I popped the film in.
I did a short lunchtime photo walk around Dorchester and used up the roll quite quickly. I do feel that with the current shortage of colour film, and the state of the world, drowning in plastic, that we who dabble in such things, almost have a duty to use up these films in the manner for which they were manufactured. I could have popped a fresh colour film in my XA2 and got better results, I know that, but I’m happy that the old Kodak 110 Ektra 200 got one more outing, and that the Truprint film that went out-of-date 40 years ago, finally got used up and processed.
What really amazes me is that not only did I get images, but credible colour images from this age of film. While I’ve owned it, it’s just been in a cupboard and I doubt very much it was stored in a fridge before that. Quite a miracle of chemistry and manufacture when you think about it!
S.H.O.U.T. 
Surprisingly good results from such old film!!! If you feel like dabbling more in 110, Lomography has a few current emulsions in 110!!!
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Hi, yes I was surprised for the age. I’ve just had the film kicking around for years, I’m on a “use it up” phase at the moment – I doubt I’ll buy more, but it’s always nice to have the option! Cheers Andy
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Wow! Impressive results from such an old colour film. I used to have the same camera and won the photography prize in my secondary school with images from it!!
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Hi! Thank you – I was surprised too considering the age. My photo’s won’t win any prizes but well done to you! Just goes to show it’s the photographer and not the camera! 🙂 – Cheers
Andy
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Wow! Surprisingly good results for such an old film and 110 formats.
I had the same camera and won the photography prize at my secondary school many years ago.
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Amazing. These are perfectly fine when viewed on a tablet. Expandes, you see the limitations of the 110 format. The Ektra camera working is another surprise. Nice work.
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Thank you! I quite agree, I guess in the day, the negs were designed to be printed to 5×4 inches, and very rarely bigger than that! Not that I feel like trying it (neither does Kodak I doubt) but I wonder what results would come from some Ektar 100 cut down to 110 and shot in a Pentax SLR 110? Thanks again – best regards Andy
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Try:
https://www.facebook.com/groups/534867203774686/search/?q=Ektar
for some examples.
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Hello – tried this link but there seems to be “nothing in that group!” – Cheers Andy
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That would be an interesting experiment. But would Ektar 100 work in a Pentax 110? Could you set the EI to be 100 manually in any of the 110 cameras? The Pentax 110 had fine little lenses. I have read how they can be used on µ4/3 cameras, but how to handle the lack of an aperture control?
The main issue with experiments based on small cameras (Minox, 16mm, 110) is if you want better resolution or tonality, just use a larger film format. I’m sometimes amused when 35mm photographers spend a fortune on a super-resolution lens when they could have just used a 120 camera. Anyway, please post results if you can try Ektar 100 in your 110.
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Hello, My understanding is that “better” 110 cameras had a very basic DX system. Something like, no notch meant slow, as in 80/100 asa ish. Notch present meant high speed 200/400 ish. So if one were to try it, that would need to be confirmed and the appropriate cassette used. I have to say that I find this sort of experiment fun to try, but agree totally – why not just use 35mm or even half frame! Same with the lenses, most decent lenses have a higher resolving power than the film.. Of course this leads me back to my thoughts on 8×10 and contact printing !! All best wishes – Andy
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Film photogs not using the 110 format may be missing something interesting. There’re active FaceBook pages on the subject of 110 and subminiature photography generally. A range of commercial film cartridges is available from all the usual sources. Reloading 110 is a breeze, as are most other aspects of the format. Cameras range from the simplest bare-bones to quite sophisticated with a full system of dedicated, high-quality lenses — even a motor drive! No giant 4′ x 5′ prints, though – stick to bulky large format cameras for those. Developing is easy, too. There a several great information sources on finding, loading, shooting, and developing subminiature/110 films. Here are three more sites: SubClub.org; Main@submini-L.groups.io; and Subminiature.com. Come look us over and join the fun! Terry – wd4aon@arrl.net
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