What is the condition like of this used item?

The condition of this item has been described as:

EXCELLENT

• Obvious signs of use
• Full working order
• Some marks and slight scratches
• No dust or fungus
• Odour free
• Film cameras - Light meter checked and operational
• Film cameras - Light traps checked and passed test
• Film cameras - Wind on mechanisms tested and operational
• Film cameras - Shutter speeds fully operational
• Film cameras - New batteries fitted

• Pentax-110 18mm F2.8 Wide-angle lens, 6 elements in 6 groups,
• Pentax-110 24mm F2.8 Standard lens of 6 elements in 5 groups,
• Pentax-110 50mm F2.8 Telephoto lens of 5 elements in 5 groups,

In 1979, Pentax inexplicably launched the Auto 110 - the most competent 110 format camera ever, and one of the few that looked like a real SLR. It arrived after the the original version of the Minolta Auto 110 Zoom, but unlike these Minolta cameras, the Pentax is a true camera system with interchangeable lenses and a full range of accessories.

The camera has a bright viewfinder with a split image focusing screen and TTL light metering. The automatic program exposure system is quite sophisticated, working from a fast 1/750 sec. at f/13.5 to 1 sec. at f/2.8, with automatic film speed setting from 100 to 400ASA, programmed by the cassette. A wide choice of close-up lenses, filters, rubber lens-shades, an ever-ready case and more, complements the system. The camera was made available in black, brown and a transparent working demo version.

The Pentax Auto 110 features fully automatic exposure, with no user-settable exposure compensation or adjustments. Metering is TTL (through-the-lens) and center-weighted. Unlike 35 mm SLRs, the system's lenses do not have a built-in iris to control the aperture.

Instead, an iris is mounted inside the camera body, and functions as both an aperture control and a shutter. This mechanism is capable of programmed exposures between 1/750 s at f/13.5; and 1 s at f/2.8. To ensure that light travelling past the diaphragm blades could not get through to the film over time, the camera's mirror system also functions as a light-tight seal when in the viewing and focusing position. Since the iris is part of the camera, all of the system's lenses had to be constructed with an f/2.8 aperture.

The lens' designs, based upon the film dimensions, result in the 24 mm lens being the 'normal' focal length (i.e. equivalent angle of view to a 50 mm lens on a 135 format camera), while lenses of wider angles or longer focal lengths were larger.

The camera detects the film speed by the presence or absence of a ridge on the cartridge, as specified in the Kodak 110 film standard. Since there is no official specification of what the film speeds should actually be—they were just "low" and "high"—film and camera manufacturers had to decide for themselves the meaning. Pentax chose ISO 80 and 320 as their settings, but commercially available films at ISO 100 and 400 are close enough to work in practice.

A film with an ISO 200 speed would result in either under- or over-exposure. The exposure latitude of color print films is about 2 f/stops (meaning that a photographer could expose either 2 f/stops under or 2 f/stops over the exposure set by the camera).

If you would prefer a more detailed description, please feel free to call us and we’ll chat through it with you over the phone. Don’t forget to call the correct location though!

Your Peace of Mind when buying a used item from us.

6 Month Guarantee on all items over £50

When you buy a used item from us over £50 in value it will be covered by our 6-month guarantee. In the unlikely event of the product developing a manufacturers fault within this period, just pop it back to us and if we can’t repair it for you, we’ll issue you a full refund providing it’s not covered in sand or ice cream.

Rest assured that all of our items have been lovingly checked and cleaned. In some cases, we even send them for service before sale.