New to the 110 format? Cutting film, loading cartridges, developing yourself, and scanning

You scored a Pentax Auto 110 or a Rollei A110 at the flea market? Congratulations! These cameras are tiny masterpieces of craftsmanship. But often at home, reality sets in: New film is rare, the selection limited (mostly just Lomo), and development at large labs takes ages or gets refused.

The good news: You can master the entire 110 system at home – from making your own film to scanning. At Ausgeknipst, we have developed the tools to keep this format alive. Here is the checklist of what you really need to become independent.

1. The Raw Material: Cutting Film

Since fresh 110 film is hardly available (and we all want to shoot Kodak Gold or Vision3), you have to cut it yourself. The 110 format uses a 16mm wide film strip.

For this, you need a film cutter (slitter). Our tool takes normal 35mm (small format) or 120 film and precisely cuts out 16mm strips. This is the first step to independence.

2. The Packaging: Refillable Cassettes

The cut film must be light-tight inside the camera. Cracking open old cassettes is tedious and they often break in the process. That’s why we designed refillable 110 cassettes. You simply load your cut film in the dark (changing bag), close the lid, and you’re ready to go.

Go straight to the empty cassettes in the shop.

3. The Development: The Right Spool

When the film is full, it needs developing. Standard spools in Paterson or Jobo tanks cannot hold the tiny format. We have designed special 110 development spools that fit your existing tanks. This way, you develop the small film just as easily as any large film.

Get the right spool for your system here.

4. The Digitizing: Scanning

The negative is tiny, so flatness during scanning is extremely important. We use our copy stand for precise reproductions with a digital camera or smartphone.

Note: We are still working on a dedicated film holder for flatbed scanners in the workshop – release is planned for early 2026.

Pro Tip: Planning on Minox too?

If you’re thinking about getting into the Minox system (spy cameras) as well: Don’t buy two cutters. We have a combo cutter that cuts a 16mm strip (for 110) AND a 9.2mm strip (for Minox) from one 35mm strip at the same time. It doesn’t get more efficient than that.

 

To the complete 110 accessories in the shop

 

Have fun tinkering, cutting, developing, and scanning!
Your Vladi