Pocket Instamatic

Buy 'em by the bagful. Pocket Instamatics are the coolest shoot-from-the-hip Lomographic junk store cameras. Now you can reload them with regular 35mm film.

All you need is a film slitter to slice the film down to 110 size. Easy, cheap, and quick to make. See my Instamatic Film Slitter Instructable.

110 film is hard to get except from The Frugal Photographer. This is a great source for other hard to find film as well.

Most photo lab chains can develop, but not print, 110 film for under $2 USD a roll.

Or for developing and prints, you can use York Photo for about $4 USD a roll.

Submini cameras need to be very steady. You will get sharper photos if you prop the camera against a wall, tree, or car, or use a pocket tripod if the camera has tripod socket.

Step 1 Unload the 110 cartridge

So you are starting with an exposed roll of 110 film.

Place the 110 cartridge on a table in subdued light.

The winding gear on the cartridge should be up, and the label side should be away from you.

Use an X-acto knife or utility knife to carefully and shallowly cut along the semi-circular edges of the 110 cartridge.

You can now pull the cartridge gently apart.

Comments

[arkangel1975]

be careful with film splitters, i cut the hell out of my hand a few years cutting 8x10 down to 6x9 film.   They can be nasty.   Get yourself a pair of IR goggles that would help... (like the crappy MW2 ones).

P

[SCKStef]

In the most of cases you need some spockets / holes in the film to arm the shutter...

S.

[lemonie]

I don't see sprockets in the film - are they not really necessary? I can imagine that they're really only there for consistant spacing, but I don't know. L (used to have one of these - crappy images, but compact)

[mas9779]

thank you. my mom gave me her old instamatic and i was worried i would never find film for it.