Tag: 1976

Minolta 110 zoom Mk1 SLR

The world’s first SLR 110 format film camera. A strange creation that has its issues, from 1976-79. Can it be resurrected and put back to use?

What the listing stated:

The Untested MK1 1970s Minolta 110 Zoom SLR is a vintage film camera that comes with a case and strap, making it easy to transport and store. This compact camera from Minolta features manual focus and is designed for 110 film in a 13x17mm format. The black-coloured body gives it a classic and timeless look, perfect for film photography enthusiasts looking to experiment with older technology.

With its retro charm and unique capabilities, this Minolta 110 Zoom SLR offers a glimpse into the photographic world of the 1970s. Untested

EBay

Yes you did read right, this is a 110 format camera with SLR. Now, I have had this camera sitting amongst my backlog for a few months now, it was purchased towards the end of 2025. I believe I paid the sum of £14:00GBP for it, and considering current prices on the sales sites it’s quite the bargain I think.

Minolta 110 zoom Mk1

The reason I’m looking at this one is because I have been approached by someone to repair their one, now before I look at their issue (a stuck mirror) that seems to be a standard issue with this model, I want to look at my own one that I believe may well have the same issue. It’s best to learn how to deal with the issue on your own unit, before being let loose on someone else’s.

However, saying that, the listing was a little vague with only the standard “Untested” EBay catch all quote meaning it could be anything between a total wreck, to working perfectly.

Here’s some information regarding this camera:

The Minolta 110 Zoom SLR is a 110 format single-lens reflex (SLR) camera produced by Minolta of Japan between 1976 and 1979. It was the first SLR in 110 format. It has an unusual, flattened shape. Other 110 SLRs were shaped like SLRs in larger formats, but the 110 Zoom SLR took the flat format of the typical 110 pocket camera and added a larger lens and prism hump to it. 1979’s replacement, the Minolta 110 Zoom SLR Mark II, has a more conventional shape.

The 110 Zoom SLR provides aperture priority autoexposure; fully manual exposure is not available.  Light metering is with a CdS meter mounted on the front of the camera. An exposure compensation dial allows the photographer to compensate for unusual lighting situations; it also allows the use of film speeds other than the ISO 100 and 400 auto-selected by the cartridge tab, by applying the appropriate compensation factor.

The lens is a fixed 25–50 mm f/4.5-16 manual focus zoom with macro focusing down to 11 in (280 mm). This gives a field of view range approximately equivalent to a 50–100 mm zoom lens on a 35 mmformat camera. There is a built-in, pop out lens shade. The filter thread diameter is 40.5 mm. Minolta sold UV, yellow and 1B filters.

Available shutter speeds are 1/1000 second through 10 seconds, with a 1/150 second X-sync speed and support for bulb exposure. There is no built-in flash, but a hot shoe on the top allows an external flash to be attached. A tripod socket is provided.

Wikipedia

Let’s get the assessment out of the way.

Assessment:

The camera has arrived. And the most annoying thing about it, is that it appears to be working just fine. I have been through every possible combination of settings available, hoping to get the mirror to stick up (as is common with these cameras) but to no avail. Everything appears to be working just fine. Damn that’s annoying as the “untested” EBay get out clause used so often by questionable sellers, has on this occasion gone in my favour. If you refer to the opening paragraphs, you will see I wanted to work on this one to diagnose an issue that a potential customer has asked me about. I may well just send him this working one in exchange for his knackered one, how’s that for service!

Anyway, here is what I received, in a black Minolta case, it has been well looked after and is just a bit dirty and in need of a clean.

All in a good, just dirty/dusty condition

Lovers of lomography really rate these cameras, the 110 film cartridge is quite an expensive outlay these days and from what I can see with film costing about £9:00GBP for a roll and then about £18:00GBP for developing and scans only, you are looking at quite an outlay of almost £30:00GBP for the results. I don’t think I will be attempting this unless I come across a less expensive option, as I’m sure there will be one out there….somewhere.

So, with not much more to tell, let’s move on to getting it repaired….or should that be cleaned?

Repair:

Closer inspection of the lens when I’m cleaning shows me that there is a small area on the outer optic of the lens that has a solitary spore of fungus. It’s nothing too much, however a quick clean of the exterior of the optic, confirms the issue is inside. I’ve now got to dismantle the lens barrel to get to it.

Exterior of barrel dismantled
Fungus under the lens in the 11pm area

The fungus is on the rear, not the front of the outer optic.

Viewed from outer
Viewed inner
Light dust off
The fungus spore magnified

The bad news is that on close inspection and using a soft plastic pick, a tiny indentation at the point of the fungus can be felt, this shows that the fungus has eaten into the optic coating and no amount of cleaning will ever eradicate it. Two options here are a new optic, or to get the optic ground down, both totally beyond the value of the camera and to be honest totally unnecessary. The good news is that there is no fungus on the inner optics, and luckily this needs no cleaning or attention.

Inner optics clean and clear

To be totally honest, the negatives in these cameras are so small, and the outer lens magnification is probably sufficient enough to make this aberration appear as nothing more than a slight blur, if it even shows up at all! I’ll give it a good clean to prevent any further growth, and just put it back together again. There is a good possibility that a film will never be run through this camera again, even so I would like it to look as good as possible, and operate as it should, if there is even the remotest chance of a film being used in it, sometime in the distant future.

Result:

The camera has been reassembled and is looking quite nice. It’s a really weird camera. So weird that someone has offered to take it off my hands, as they believe it’s quite a novel item, so as soon as I’ve posted this report it will be winging its way to its new owner.

It’s probably best that I pass this on to someone who will either use it, or at least make a use of it should it become a display item.

Minolta 110 zoom

A nice little camera, but to be honest it’s more than likely more of a display piece rather than a working camera. It is fully operational though and has been nice to work on. I’m pleased someone else will eventually benefit from it.

Thanks for passing by, always appreciated.

Well, that was most enjoyable!

An enjoyable stroll with a 48 year old camera

The wife told me this morning that she was going out shopping with her sister. Nothing sinister in that, in fact it means two things really. One, I’m going to be a bit lighter in pocket and two, I’m going to have to occupy myself for a while. I have work later this afternoon, so with a couple of hours spare what better time to get out for a walk and to take a 48 year old camera with you that needs testing. This one to be precise: Canon AE1 35mm SLR

I dashed down to take a film out of the fridge, left it sitting for an hour and loaded the camera up, stage one achieved and everything as expected.

Today’s walking companion
Film successfully loaded

Now the film I have been given is one of 8 rolls I have been gifted that are all out of date. This one is a mere 20 years out of date expiring in 2005. This roll of film is older than 21.8% of the Uk population according to the office of national statistics 2024. It’s that old.

Today’s film is a Kodak Gold 200ASA film. There is a general rule of thumb out there that for every ten years the film is out of date you should over expose the film by one stop. So on this film, as it is a further 10 years past that, and if I follow that recommendation then I have to over expose this film by 2 stops. This means in theory that this 200ASA film should be exposed at 50ASA that equates to two stops of overexposure.

I’m not going to do that, I’m going to experiment here. I don’t know how this film has been stored over the years, I don’t even know that it will work at all, it could be fogged or just so deteriorated that it just doesn’t work.

It’s a 36 exposure film so here’s the plan. Exposures 1-12 at std setting of 200ASA. Exposures 13-24 at 100ASA setting and finally the last 12 exposures at 50ASA. Here I cover all bases and should hopefully get a reference roll for the other seven that I have in cold storage at present.

Needless to say I’m not going to be too fussy with what I photograph, scenery, shades, over and under exposure and bright colours, everything that can be used as a reference to check saturation, contrast, grain and film deterioration.

Let’s go.

Off we go

So as stated, I’ve exposed and over exposed equally throughout the roll, so this should cover all bases.

12 exposures of each

Right from the start I have thoroughly enjoyed this little exercise, I spoke to two elder gents who were quite excited at what I was doing and shared their own experiences with traditional film with me, it was lovely, i was even offered an old camera but i politely declined as the wife wouldn’t have been happy with that. I walked 3 miles, I went through some of the less salubrious areas, but these areas had some of the best subject matter.

3 joyous miles of walking

When you are using an old camera, you seem to scan the area more intensely, you see stuff you haven’t seen or noticed before, it’s amazing what you pass and ignore. I think you are less selective with phones and digital media, with film, you are limited so have to be picky.

I bloody loved it. I’d forgot just how good it is to get out there and use good old fashioned equipment.

And that camera behaved just beautifully, everything worked as it should, it is as good as it has ever been, I’m so pleased with how it has behaved so far. See the results here: 20yr old Kodak Gold

I guess the proof is in the pudding as they say. Time to get it processed and to check the results. Needless to say I will feed that back on this blog as soon as it becomes available.

Don’t give up on the past, there is a lot of good tunes played on an old fiddle.

Thanks for passing by, always appreciated.

1976

Is there an age or year of your life you would re-live?

For some reason 1976 always features in my memories. It was the year of the heatwave, summer was just how you’d expect it and the six week school holiday was utter bliss.

Things were different back then when you went out and played in parks, woodland and farmers fields, making your own entertainment and just having such fun. Now they are all sprawling estates.

No distractions such as mobile phones etc, you went through seasons of football, marbles, cricket, conkers, making catapults, you name it and we did it.

We had national strikes and power cuts but as a youngster that was still a couple of years away from being a teenager, none of that really mattered.

I sure miss those days of innocence, fun and enjoyment with your mates. Truly superb times.

Then we grow up.

I do believe the younger generation of today have missed out on those hazy days gone by. But then again I guess it’s our generation that changed that.

I have always found it easier to be a child rather than an adult. My wife would whole heartedly agree.

Stay happy. Don’t grow up.