Useful websites [Digg.com This!]

Pentax 110 Auto - http://www.pentax110.co.uk/

110 and 126 Film Page - http://www.110film.co.uk/

Boiling film [Digg.com This!]

I read on the internet boiling film causes interesting effects because it ages the film. So I thought I'd give it a go. I took some in-date 2008 Fuji 110 film and placed it in a pre-heated cup of boiled water for 5 minutes. Please see pics of process here:

http://www.flickr.com/photos/paulmdx/sets/1794569/

The film came out dry and seemed fine. The canister was slightly warm, but it soon returned to room temperature.

I subsequently shot the film in normal bright daylight conditions and had it developed through Wildings (OEM Colorama) in the UK. The results seem pretty interesting - the pics do look like they're dated and seem to have lost some of their yellow tones. Overall I'm very pleased with the affect. See final shots here:

http://www.flickr.com/photos/paulmdx/sets/72057594052060613/

I have already heated up some more film and will be posting pics of that soon too. Please email me or comment here with your experiments and suggestions.

BonusPrint Experience [Digg.com This!]

I was quite pleased when I found out that BonusPrint still processed 110 film. How wrong I was. Despite nothing on their site specifying such, I was informed, rather nonchalantly on the telephone (after waiting almost weeks already) that 110 is only processed in batches, and my film would be processed in "two to three weeks". This is NOT the kind of experience I was expecting!

Dates so far:

5 Jan 06 - Sent film in BonusPrint envelope, paying extra 'hurry up' fee
11 Jan 06 - BonusPrint acknowledge receipt of film
23 Jan 06 - BonusPrint acknowledge despatch of prints
[Update]
25 Jan 06 - WOW, they finally arrived!

In that time frame I've shot more film and had one set back!

Rest assured when I want something done in anything other than a drearily slow manner, I will NOT be going to BonusPrint.

Getting 110 Film [Digg.com This!]

Here's some places I've been able to get film in the UK:

Boots: Kodak ISO 400, expiry Oct/2006

Note this has the tab of lower ISO (100/200) film, meaning the camera will 'sense' it incorrectly and over-expose. (Labs should be able to compensate I've read.)

This is pretty near expiry (10 months away) suggesting Boots have a limited stock and may not be providing it much longer.

Film Club USA (via Ebay.com): Fujicolor Superia ISO 200, out-dated, but kept cold

Keeping film in low temperatures is supposed to prolong film life. As a result Film Club guarantee the film they sell that is out-dated. They stock 110 as above, and lots of other stuff.

http://stores.ebay.com/THE-FILM-CLUB

Ebay in general, UK: Fujicolor Superia ISO 200 and Ferrania Solaris ISO 200, both well in date (2007, 2008)

There's a couple of regular sellers on Ebay.co.uk selling what looks like newly produced 110 film. I heard somewhere it's still being produced in Italy. Not sure how true this is, but I can confirm the film is date stamped ok with what I got.

7DayShop.com: Fujicolor Superia ISO 200

I've not used this company, but they have what they describe as 'Plenty' of stock of the above. Also pretty cheap.

http://www.7dayshop.com/catalog/product_info.php?cPath=777_1&products_id=5742

Welcome [Digg.com This!]

I've just bought myself a Pentax 110 Auto film camera.

Please find my experience, research and tid-bits of advice here as I start to use the camera!