FIRST ROLL - NO.2

My quest to obtaining the Rollei™ A110 miniature camera spawned from an encounter nearly a year prior at a flea market in the middle of no where. There I was, walking down the path of broken asphalt in a vacant lot where many people congregate to sell their old unwanted goods. It’s pretty much a camera-chaser and vintage resellers paradise. I was ending my rounds as the sun was fully expelled into the over exposed sky. The temperature was maxing out at over a hundred degrees and I was ready to wave my flag and retreat for cover. Already with a tote bag full of treasures, I was making my way to the exit when I suddenly spotted what appeared to be a cool looking tiny camera. I picked it up and instantly recognized the logo, Rollei™. Unfamiliar with this particular camera or its value or if it was even possible to use; I was under the impression that the film format had become obsolete. Intrigued by the small metal design and orange accents, I asked the seller how much he wanted for it out of pure curiosity. He looked at the camera, looked at me, looked at my rings, looked at the camera, looked at my clothes, looked back at the camera and blurted out the exasperated figure of $35. I looked at him, looked at the camera, looked at the sweat beads that were about to trickle down from my wrist as if they were begging to get out of the sun. Defeated, I put the camera back down on the table and told the gentleman thank you as I walked away. Usually I would’ve put up a fight and haggled my way to the predetermined $5 figure that I already had set in my mind but in this particular encounter I just didn’t have the energy. Usually I’m okay with taking the “L” and would simply keep it moving when not acquiring something of interest but this experience was different. It haunted me and I kept thinking about it. For some reason this was the “one that got away”, especially when I would check on them from time to time on eBay and see the prices continue to rise. Nevertheless, as most camera hunters know, the first encounter is never the last.

I finally locked in a package deal for the A110 and E110 from a seller in Germany and then watched Youtube videos over the three day span that it would take for the cameras to arrive. I wanted to be in full preparation for what to expect when I ran the first roll of film through the cleverly designed metal body and miniature Tessar™ lens. Surprisingly, no video nor any online article could really prepare me for the feeling that I got when I unboxed the camera, advanced the frame and clicked the shutter. I was completely sold and the camera didn’t even have film in it yet. Just the motion and sound of advancing the frame was soothing enough for me to keep it forever but this post isn’t about a cool looking paper-weight or fidget spinner. We’re here to talk about the experience and how the camera performed. 

The first thing that I noticed when shooting with the A110 was just how much fun it was. I was never even sure if my shot was in focus due to the scale focusing slider but I didn’t even care. I was having a blast and whenever someone would see me pull it out of my pocket and snap a photo, there was always an immediate response of “what is that?” The camera itself sparks interest, not only from the pedestrians standing by or the people walking through your frame but also from the person behind the lens. The size and the usability of this miniature moment capturer really makes you want to keep using it. To me, that’s a huge factor when it comes to a compelling camera that I would want to keep in the arsenal. Granted, you’ll probably never be able to blow up huge prints due to the limited film size but I don’t think that’s what this should be used for. This is one of those cameras that you want to have around on your “off days”, to keep in your pocket when you’re in a creative rut because this charming little guy will make you forget about what you were stuck on and allow you to simply enjoy the process of creating. 

Now, when talking about the photo output, I was truly shocked when I got the scans back from my friends over at @darkroomfilmlab. I honestly thought I would maybe have one or two usable frames for this post but as you can see from above, when this camera hits, it really HITS. The images embody the exact mid to late 70’s era that this camera spawns from and takes you back to a dimension in time when film was king. The Tessar™ lens (when focused correctly) is astonishing to me. The fact that the tiny glass lens can produce images of this caliber is beyond my comprehension. And the tones, the color tones are so good it’s hard to believe that they came from this miniature little shooter. But now it’s time for the pros and cons so you can decide if this something worth getting for yourself.

PROS:

• Compact
• Advanced industrial design elements
• Built with quality materials

• Sharp Tessar® lens
• Metal Body
• The film advancing motion never gets old
• Captures vibey vintage style photos

• Really fun to shoot and it’s hard not to blow through a roll
• Looks cool
• Sparks interest

CONS:

• Scale focusing takes some getting used to

• Batteries are special order (eBay, Amazon)
• Theres no flash unless you use flash cubes and an attachment
• The only fresh batch film you can buy is from Lomography™ (separate post coming soon)

• Can’t be used as a daily shooter due to the film size
• Pretty expensive on the current market ($100-$300+ depending on condition and if manufactured in Germany or Singapore)
• From my understanding, a lot of labs won’t/can’t process 110 film
• Good luck finding someone who can repair it

All in all I have a true love affair with this camera, so much so that I currently own three of them simply because they make me happy. If you want a fun little pocket shooter that inspires you, not only by its design but also by its capacity to create solid looking small format images, then the Rollei™ A110 is surely for you. 

-Danny