"The number of companies making 110 film just went from one to three. In this little corner of the world, that's big news."

110 is a tiny format Kodak introduced in the 1970s. Each negative is 13×17mm, honestly about the size of a fingernail. It died out for a while, until Lomography revived it and kept it barely going, and for all practical purposes that one company was it. Now Reflx Lab, known for respooling film, has added two stocks, which takes the count of makers from one to three. The market has literally more than doubled.

The way it started is a little random. Reflx reportedly got 110 as a side branch while making another discontinued format, 127. Co-founder Yongxiang told Kosmo Foto it was "a kind of happy accident." Reflx makes the cartridges itself with a 3D printer, and each one holds 24 exposures.

Fortuna C200: an everyday color negative

TypeColor negative (C-41)
ISO200
BaseRespooled Lucky C200
Format110 · 24 exposures · 3D-printed cartridge
PriceUS$19.99
Fortuna C200 sample: a child standing beside a pink rose bush in front of a brick wall. Natural, everyday greens and pinks.
A brick wall, pink roses and a child in front of them. Fortuna C200 settles into everyday color without exaggeration. Image ⓒ Reflx Lab

Fortuna C200 is China's Lucky C200 color negative respooled into a 110 cartridge. ISO 200, C-41 processing. The color is mild and doesn't pop too hard, which makes it a good fit for everyday snaps. That said, on a 13×17mm negative the size of a fingernail, the grain is coarser than 35mm and the detail goes soft. That's not really a flaw. It's just what the 110 format looks like.

Fortuna C200 sample: a marina lined with yachts and a city skyline behind it. Natural color on a clear day.
A marina and the city skyline. On a clear day the color comes out clean. Image ⓒ Reflx Lab
Fortuna C200 sample: a person on the phone on a road by a park. Green grass, a white T-shirt and the soft look typical of 110.
Someone on the phone by a park. The soft rendering is exactly what makes it feel like 110. Image ⓒ Reflx Lab

100R: a slide the size of a fingernail

TypeColor reversal / slide (E-6)
ISO100
BaseRespooled 16mm Ektachrome
Format110 · 24 exposures · 3D-printed cartridge
PriceUS$24.99
100R sample: a green Tokyo taxi and a parking lot. The saturated, high-contrast color typical of slide film.
A green taxi and a parking lot. The saturated, contrasty color of reversal film survives even on a negative the size of a fingernail. Image ⓒ Reflx Lab

100R is a bit more unusual. It's a color reversal (slide) film made by respooling 16mm Ektachrome motion picture film into 110. Shooting slides on 110 is rare enough in itself. ISO 100, E-6 processing, and true to Ektachrome, it has clear, punchy saturation and solid contrast. It costs a little more than Fortuna, at US$24.99. It's worth checking ahead of time for a lab that handles slide (E-6) processing.

100R sample: two people sitting across from each other indoors under strong red light. The saturated color of reversal film.
An interior washed in red light. The rich color of reversal film carries the mood straight through. Image ⓒ Reflx Lab
100R sample: a mother and child lying side by side on the grass. Punchy greens and clear color.
Two people lying on the grass. The punchy green comes alive the way it should on slide film. Image ⓒ Reflx Lab

Who's it for?

Both come in standard 110 cartridges, so they drop straight into a Pentax Auto 110 or a Lomography 110 camera. One more excuse to pull that tiny camera out of the drawer where it's been sleeping. The coarse grain and soft detail of a fingernail-sized negative are a weakness if you're chasing sharpness. But if you know the fun of snapping away with a small, light camera, that's exactly the appeal.

It's not some groundbreaking new technology. Still, a format that had one option now has a choice, and you can even shoot slides on 110. Isn't that reason enough to take an Auto 110 out with you this summer?