110/16mm Camera Image Quality

[Donald Qualls]

Thanks for mentioning that. I had forgotten about them. Those might be easier to find, but having just the flash SHOE adapter allows you to select the flash -- even one with auto-exposure.

There are good points on either side. Most auto exposure flashes, in my experience, depend on setting the camera's aperture correctly for the film speed (there might be more sophisticated flashes, of course). If you don't have that level of manual control (most 110 cameras don't) a flash with similar power to a Flashcube (AG-1B) or Magicube will give the manufacturer-specified exposure distances.

 

[Donald Qualls]

So if you take the contacts designed for flash bulbs or flashcubes for an electronic X-type flash, the light from the flash would be over when the shutter opens. The resulting picture is black, I tried it.

Actually, by the 1970s, most cameras had X sync even with a built-in bulb flash. This is mostly because they locked the shutter to 30 ms or slower when a flash (bulb/cube/etc) was mounted, so the shutter was open long enough for the bulb to give more than 3/4 of its light before the shutter closed.

 

[Cholentpot]

You're welcome! I was surprised how well they work. Of note - prepare to be blinded when you take a pic. A lot of that light gets back to you! The cube will be hot after you take a pic. And prepare for people to be stunned that something like this exists!

The temporary blindness is the best part.

 

[Sirius Glass]

Several years ago an APUGger stated that as a teenager he attempted to open a flash cube with a screw driver resulting in burnt hands and a big after image that lasted a long time. DO NOT TRY THIS AT HOME!

 

[Bronson Dugnutt]

Tried a newly split, reloaded 110 cartridge in the Canon 110ED 20 earlier. The film was loaded with the perfs on the opposite side of the feeler mechanism to check for un-perfed film compatibility, bridge notched, and modified to enable metering at 400. One extra advance between exposures is way too much; a single advance is probably just about right. If you load the film the other way around you'll likely need 1 or more extra advances due to the feeler mechanism disengaging the take-up.

Canon 110ED 20
Double-X @ 400; TMax Dev 1+9 11'

 

[xkaes]

There are lots of 110 -- and other small format -- cameras that allow limited exposure control, such as simply a SUNSHINE/CLOUDY/FLASH switch. As you mention, this usually just changes the shutter speed to 1/30 or so. But several have some exposure control with the aperture -- and lots of 110 have hot shoes. If you can find one with both, you are all set:

www.subclub.org/shop/110.htm

 

[gone]

The quality of 110 can be very good if you have the right film. Many years ago I had a $1.99 plastic key chain 110 camera. It was just big enough to put the film in. I found some B&W film, took the pics, and brought them to a San Francisco Market Street Camera/T-shirt/Luggage store for development and prints.

These sort of stores had Going Out of Business and Sale signs all over the windows. They were very fond of going out of business, and did that year, after year, after year. It seemed to be a good business model for them.

I came back the next day and paid $6 for the negs and small prints. They were stunning! Everyone said "These photos came from THAT camera?"

 

[Huss]

I actually get a kick out of using the flash cubes! It completes the whole experience including them being tiny.

 

[ciniframe]

I have one of those Minolta BC flash guns for the 16II that uses AG-1 bulbs. All came together in a whole pile of Minolta 16 stuff off of ebay 20 years ago. Never tried it although I have a couple of dozen bulbs. There is no 15V battery in it (although they may still be available) but a capacitor sitting that long might not be able to be brought back to life.
edit; Finally remembered the name of the flash, it is a Duofit S and had a hot shoe and PC connection.

 

[xkaes]

Those 15v (504?) batteries are still available, and the capacitor is probably not a problem. I think it is soldered in place on the Duofit-S -- unlike many (most?) of the flash-bulb units of that era. In any event, the Duofit-S has a cold shoe connection and built-in PC cord.

Minolta's Flash Units

 

[ciniframe]

My Duofit S must be a later model. The built in cord can be used as a regular PC or, it can be folded inside the housing and plugged into a internal PC connection so that the hot shoe contacts are live. My sample definitely has hot shoe connections. This doesn’t surprise me, back in the day production runs could be several years with changes within that period not necessarily resulting in a renamed product.

Edit; Good grief! I have discovered yet another Minolta AG-1 bulb flash in my box of 16mm stuff. Whereas the Duofit S is a cream white this one is dark gray plastic with a lighter gray cover. The reflector folds to the front and it says ‘Baby BC-III‘. It has a cold shoe and the PC cord has a tiny red test button on the end housing a grain of wheat bulb. The 15v battery and 300mfd cap just slip into contacts.

 

[xkaes]

I was wrong. The Duofit S has a built-in PC cable AND a hot shoe connection. I guess that's why they call it the "DUOFIT" DUH!!!!!!

Thanks for correcting me.

 

[Cholentpot]

Update from the Rollei A110.

You can reload standard 16mm single perf film, however the perf has to be opposite of feeler and the function of not going to next frame unless you take photo is null. So each time you open you use a frame. I'm going to load up some TriX tonight and see what I can get out of the machine.

 

[xkaes]

Rollei made the switch from 16mm cameras to 110 cameras shortly after Kodak introduced the 110 series. Rollei started out by making top-quality 110 cameras, just like the quality of their 16mm cameras. When these failed to sell well (they were very expensive), they made the switch to lower quality 110 cameras.
Fortunately, the Rollei A110 & E110 cameras can use single-perf, double-perf, or unperforated film in reloaded into 110 cassettes with these caveats:

• With UNPERFORATED film, advance the film based on the numbers on the paper-backing. The camera does not use the perforations to cock the shutter.
• With DOUBLE PERFORATED film, advance the film based on the numbers on the paper-backing -- BUT cover the lens and release the shutter as needed to advance the film. The perforations will appear on the edge of the image.
• With SINGLE PERFORATED film, there are two options:
  
  #1 -- Place the perforations on the TOP of the 110 cassette (away from the side with the film advance gear) and advance the film based on the numbers on the paper-backing as with unperforated film (above). The perforations will appear on the edge of the image.
  
  #2 -- To avoid having the perforations appear in the image, place the perforations on the BOTTOM of the 110 cassette (the side with the film advance gear) and treat the film as DOUBLE PERFORATED (above).

With the later Pocketline 110 cameras -- 100, 200, and 300 -- the 110 perforations are needed to cock the shutter, but these cameras can be used with perforated film if the perforations are placed on the shutter cocking side -- and if the film is advanced as with double perforated film.

 

[Cholentpot]

Rollei made the switch from 16mm cameras to 110 cameras shortly after Kodak introduced the 110 series. Rollei started out by making top-quality 110 cameras, just like the quality of their 16mm cameras. When these failed to sell well (they were very expensive), they made the switch to lower quality 110 cameras.
Fortunately, the Rollei A110 & E110 cameras can use single-perf, double-perf, or unperforated film in reloaded into 110 cassettes with these caveats:

• With UNPERFORATED film, advance the film based on the numbers on the paper-backing. The camera does not use the perforations to cock the shutter.
• With DOUBLE PERFORATED film, advance the film based on the numbers on the paper-backing -- BUT cover the lens and release the shutter as needed to advance the film. The perforations will appear on the edge of the image.
• With SINGLE PERFORATED film, there are two options:
  
  #1 -- Place the perforations on the TOP of the 110 cassette (away from the side with the film advance gear) and advance the film based on the numbers on the paper-backing as with unperforated film (above). The perforations will appear on the edge of the image.
  
  #2 -- To avoid having the perforations appear in the image, place the perforations on the BOTTOM of the 110 cassette (the side with the film advance gear) and treat the film as DOUBLE PERFORATED (above).

With the later Pocketline 110 cameras -- 100, 200, and 300 -- the 110 perforations are needed to cock the shutter, but these cameras can be used with perforated film if the perforations are placed on the shutter cocking side -- and if the film is advanced as with double perforated film.

Film won't advance if the perfs are on the bottom of the cassette. At least in my case

 

[MattKing]

Today I was going through and editing some of my Dad's Kodachrome (+ 1 Ektachrome) slides in pocket mounts.
These are, I believe, all or almost all from 1983, and I expect came from his Pocket Instamatic 60.
Unfortunately, the Kodak Pocket Carousel projector that I was also using gave up the ghost part way through. I guess it had sat in storage a bit too long between uses. Remarkably, the bulb still works fine.
The coin you see there is a Canadian 10 cent coin which is almost exactly the same as the US variety.

 

[MattKing]

They looked great projected about 3' x 4'.

 

[Donald Qualls]

Several years ago an APUGger stated that as a teenager he attempted to open a flash cube with a screw driver resulting in burnt hands and a big after image that lasted a long time. DO NOT TRY THIS AT HOME!

That was probably a Magicube. I took one of those apart around 1974, successfully (without triggering the springs inside that strike the ignitor pin) and fired the bulbs by wrapping them into paper cones, bulb at the point, and throwing them.

The electric cubes (original and High Power) had electrically fired bulbs, and though it's possible for them to fire from static, it isn't likely (they need something like 30 mA for several milliseconds to ignite).

 

[Huss]

Today I was going through and editing some of my Dad's Kodachrome (+ 1 Ektachrome) slides in pocket mounts.
These are, I believe, all or almost all from 1983, and I expect came from his Pocket Instamatic 60.
Unfortunately, the Kodak Pocket Carousel projector that I was also using gave up the ghost part way through. I guess it had sat in storage a bit too long between uses. Remarkably, the bulb still works fine.
The coin you see there is a Canadian 10 cent coin which is almost exactly the same as the US variety.
View attachment 309163

So cool!

 

[Bronson Dugnutt]

Today I was going through and editing some of my Dad's Kodachrome (+ 1 Ektachrome) slides in pocket mounts.

Slick 13x17 mounts... a window for the frame numbers and everything. I don't think I've ever seen one of those before.

The lack of available slide mounts, or even protector sleeves, for submini formats is unfortunate. I've sliced 10x14 & 13x17 card stock masks for use in my enlarger's 35mm negative carrier but nothing that sturdy. Seems like it would be easy to do with the right adjustable punch / die cutter.

Edit: Also, just a few boxes of M3 bulbs at the antique mall. I might pick them up someday if I ever feel the need to augment my mothballed J66 land camera.

 

[MattKing]

The 13x17 slide mounts are great. They are plastic, and at least one set in that 120 slide tray had the month and year of development embossed directly into those mounts. Sadly, of the at least 5 rolls that had slides in the tray, that one roll is the only one with the dates so indicated.
Kodak also sold adapters that you could insert those mounts into, resulting in a 2"x2" mount combination that worked with standard 35mm/126/828 projectors.
You could also get your slides mounted instead directly into 2"x2" cardboard mounts.
The Pocket Carousel projector is a wonderful little jewel. It looks like a Carousel projector resized down by at least 50%. The "temporary" cardboard case that it still resides in is wonderfully robust, and nicely customized with room for a boxed tray, cords, and a remote. That case is about half the size of the equivalent for a full size Carousel projectors, and the 120 slide Pocket Carousel trays in box are about 1/3 the size of regular size Carousel trays in box.
The f/2.8, 2.5" Ektapro projection lens I have is also tiny. My sense is that that lens is designed for moderately large rooms - most likely targeted toward sales reps.
As I understand it, Kodak also offered a 35mm - 110 slide duping service, that was targeted toward sales reps. That allowed them to take their slide based sales presentations on the road with them in a much, much smaller package than the regular size presentation package.

 

[Bronson Dugnutt]

I've got a miniscule Minolta 16 projector that takes 2" mounts IIRC. Internet says it has a f2.5 40mm (1.5") lens, so probably more suitable for tighter spaces. It seemed to perform well the couple of times I fired it up to burn the stink off of it. Direct viewing of projected slides is one application, but being an enlarger on steroids means it is useful for 'telecine'-style stills digitization or even optical / alt process printing if you're bold.

Playing with StereoPhoto Maker and 10x14mm hyperstereo pairs from the Minolta 16ii. SPM is one of the best pieces of niche free software I've ever encountered. Lots of customizable presets for things like printing stereo cards or a 'universal' image as below.


Anaglyph on top and L-R-L for standard or cross-eye viewing.

Not exactly a breathtaking landscape, but at least there's parking.

 

[Huss]

Rollei A110

 

[Huss]

Rollei A110

 

[Sirius Glass]

Rollei A110

Is the green algae on the walls or is that a film or scanning artifact?