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Hi everyone
I’ve recently started reloading Pocket Film cassettes.
Specifically, with UN 54 16mm film.
So I can use them in my Pentax Auto 110.
And I’m thrilled by the quality this overlaid, slightly greyed film delivers when used with this camera.
However, depending on the developer, the differences are significant.
With Rodinal, you can already see a granularity in the image when enlarging prints from 13 x 18 cm.
With Wehner developer, however, I see at most the resolution limits of the 30 mm lenses becoming apparent.
But no grain.
Foma’s LQN also works very well with this film.
As for the Pentax, I had to sand down the perforation sensor (the pin) to be able to use the 16mm film the way I wanted.
In doing so, however, I lost the transport lock, which occasionally leaves me with a blank spot on the film.
I like to use the camera for street photography.
Since the camera looks more like a toy than a serious SLR.
That’s why it’s easy to take authentic photos.
This is also helped by the enormous depth of field the lens delivers at a multifocal setting.
Are there others here in the forum who work with 16mm film and/or pocket film, among other things?
Regards
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Wolf_XL
...I also shoot with Minox, Pocket or 16mm from time to time. For Pocket and 16mm, I also prefer to use Orwo UN54 (in D-76) – though I make sure it’s fresh stock... You can get it fresh off the reel at Kinotechnik Wittner... By the way, Lomo also fills its Orca with UN54...
highscore
Yes, thanks Wolf.
For pointing out that it’s still available fresh. I didn’t know that!
And it doesn’t actually turn out that grey.
It’s just not suitable for reversal processing now.
The options that came to mind were:
- Slitten
- 16 mm Foma
- The Bay
The 122m roll I’m using now will probably be enough for about 200 exposures.
And as I’ve already written, the results are very good.
But what I mainly like about this way of taking photos is that
with the Pentax, I can’t adjust anything except the distance!
It is, after all, a fully automatic camera.
All that matters is the situation or the subject.
Wolf_XL
...but with all these pocket cameras, it’s important not to forget that they were actually only ever intended for colour film. To achieve good colour saturation, the cameras usually had their exposure set at almost one stop higher than the recommended exposure. Fortunately, the Minolta Autozooms have exposure compensation of up to ±2 stops. With the Pentax models, you need to fiddle around a bit – if you want to get the most out of them. Or you could use expired film – then the speed is just right again... ;-)
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Well
As I said before.
No adjustment options!
And if the slightly older UN54 perhaps comes out a bit more ‘pushed’ than ‘pulled’.
In that case, only a developer that increases speed whilst acting as a compensator can help me achieve a better result.
The Wehner seems to me to be ideally suited for this.
However, the LON also seems to me to suit the character of the UN54 well.
I’ve never worked with D76 before.
I’ll compensate for the residue, if necessary, in the positive process using manual split-grade.
In any case, I’m very pleased with my prints from yesterday.
The only thing is that the slightly magenta-dominant exposure times will mean I’ll have to adjust the negative development time a little.
So, on the whole, I’m adapting my process to the camera and my equipment!
Regards
Highscore
Gast
It’s great to realise that other people enjoy using pocket film cameras too. I have a Pentax Auto 110 Super myself, bought in 2016 with three lenses, a lens hood, filters, a flash and a film winder.
I didn’t realise until now that pocket cameras always overexpose by at least one stop, but that suits me down to the ground as I only use expired film. The good thing is that the Super also has a backlight setting, so you can add an extra stop to expired film, which is actually always better.
Unfortunately, I suspect there’s something wrong with my Pentax. I shot about 15 rolls of film in 2016 and 2017. Recently, I sent five of them (Kodak Kodacolor II, Kodacolor Gold and Kodacolor 200), all expired sometime in the 80s, to Pixelnet for developing. After a short wait, they came back developed, with a disappointment: 3 of the 5 films show not the slightest trace of an image on the negatives. You can make out the exposed numbers, but there are no images on them. One film is fully exposed; I had it printed at Flash Foto München, and the results are flawless. Very granular, of course, and with colour shifts etc., but hardly any fog on them.
One film produced three flawless negatives, which I also had printed. Six negatives show an indefinable jumble of colours and shapes; they were clearly exposed, but no subject is recognisable. The remaining 19 of the 24 negatives are blank, just like with the other three films.
Do you have any idea what might be causing this? The camera shutter seems to work perfectly when I watch it; could it be that it sometimes simply does nothing? Although I’ve always heard it quite loudly...
Are there any other explanations or theories for this problem?
I’d be very grateful for a reply!
Regards, BayernFilm
?
Wolf_XL
...maybe check the battery or swap it for a new one...
Gast
I did that before using it for the first time; I put two new batteries in. The LEDs are working perfectly too...
