The Pentax 110 system is a truly unique range of cameras produced by Asahi Pentax between 1979 and 1985, to make use of the then popular 110 cartridge film.
The camera is often hailed as the worlds smallest SLR camera, and this is often a source of debate due to some russian 16mm cameras.
It is true to say though that the Pentax 110 is the worlds smallest "System" camera, been capable of supporting interchangeable lenses, flash guns and even motor winds!
The original Pentax Auto 110 was the first of the cameras released and was a fully functioning SLR camera with TTL (Through The Lens metering), interchangeable lenses, dedicated flash connection and a motor wind port.
The camera had a simple stop / go orange or green light in the viewfinder to show when a photo could or could not be safely taken. The body also featured a unique shutter / aperture system which was built in just behind the lens mount, so all the lenses could be miniaturised as they did not require apertures to be fitted.
The original camera also featured a double stroke wind lever so it had to be cycled twice to advance the film and cock the shutter, if a winder was fitted the system advanced and cocked wholly off the winder.
When the camera system was original introduced there where 3 lenses available for the system, these where:-
Standard 24mm f2.8
Wide Angle 18mm f2.8
Telephoto 50mm f2.8
These lenses where supported with additional extras to the range such as the Winder and the AF130P, a dedicated automatic flash for the camera.
The AF130p (the larger of the 2 flashes) was often considered to large for the camera so Pentax also introduced the AF100P, this flash was not as powerful and less popular, it was never sold as standard with the camera and is therefore much scarcer.
Towards the end of 1982, Pentax introduced the Auto 110 Super, this was a modernised version of the Auto 110, and whilst working the same had 3 new features which where:-
A self timer, the red light on the top of the prism flashed to count down to exposure.
An exposure compensation button to give greater control over exposure in tricky conditions.
A shutter lock ring was added to lock the shutter and select between normal and self timer release.
As well as the new camera, Pentax went on to release 3 new lenses to the range, these where:-
Telephoto 70mm f2.8
Zoom 20-40mm f2.8
Panfocus 18mm f2.8
The final lens made, and the rarest was the 18mm Panfocus lens. this lens was an odd lens for the system and was widely believed to have been produced in a last ditch attempt to attract more users to the system.
The lens was focus free and was produced so that everything in the photo from 1.75m (5 feet or so) to infinity was rendered in focus. This lens is very rare partly due to its very limited production run, but also because it took the control away from the user and left the camera as nothing more than a very expensive point and shot camera.
Despite the oddities and peculiarities of the system, the Pentax 110 was indeed a fully supported SLR system, Pentax produce matched lens hoods, filters and cases for the system and there was even a 1.7x Teleconverter produced by Soligor to greater increase the range of lenses available.
This camera is even now a talking point due to its size and unique nature, but what is most important to consider is that it is a fully functional camera, and when used well can produce results indistinguishable from full size 35mm SLR systems. A truly unique moment in camera development, and something which will quite probably never have an equivalent.