135compact.com       110 cartridge ultra compact cameras       Fujica Pocket 350 Wide


The Fujica Pocket 350 Wide was a low to mid-range camera for Kodak 110 pocket film
*(see below) with a special feature, it has a wide angle lens. The company made quite a range of pocket cameras, including SLR models. There is little information about when Fuji started the 110 cameras, Submin says they were early, Subclub says they were late.

* 110 film was introduced by Kodak in 1972. The film sits in a cartridge, like Kodak's earlier 126 film, but is much smaller. A frame is 13mm × 17mm, has one perforation per image to control film advance and 24 frames per cartridge (12 were also available). The film is protected by a backing paper like 120 film. The frame number is visible through a window at the back of the cartridge. The basic film is ordinary 16mm film which was already on the market, so it could be processed in existing machines. The small picture size made very small, pocketable cameras possible.

Kodak introduced with its 110 film a line of Kodak Pocket Instamatic cameras which were followed by cameras from other manufacturers. Most cameras were cheap point-and-shoot, but very sophisticated models were also made. Small digital cameras made 110 film obsolete. Bit by bit manufacturers
stopped making 110 format film (Fujifilm in 2009), but in 2012 (and 2019) Lomography made a large batch of 110 film, followed by other firms.


The Fujica Pocket 350 Wide has a fixed focus wide angle lens, a built-in close-up lens, single speed and a choice of 3 apertures.
Its main features are:

20mm F5.6 lens, 4 elements in 3 groups, 3 apertures, min. focus 1m, 0.4 with close-up lens
Single shutter speed, 1/125
Size 126x52x28,  Weight 130 gr.
100 ISO only, parallax indication marks, close-up lens with pre-focussed rangefinder


jpg/110_fujica_350_wide_IMG_5140.JPG
Camera and strap. Big and bright viewfinder with bright framelines, only parallax indication, but a pre-focussed rangefinder for close-ups.

jpg/110_fujica_350_wide_IMG_5143.JPG
Camera front.

jpg/110_fujica_350_wide_IMG_5142.JPG
Seen from above.
Aperture slider with weather symbols, accepts intermediate settings. Cable release socket next to the shutter button. Slider for close-up lens.

jpg/110_fujica_350_wide_IMG_5145.JPG
Back view.
Film advance under the viewer. The window will show the film type and the frame number, when a cartrigde is inserted.

jpg/110_fujica_350_wide_IMG_5144.JPG
Seen from below. Tripod socket.

jpg/110_fujica_350_wide_IMG_5148.JPG
Camera film compartment open.

jpg/110_fujica_350_wide_IMG_5149.JPG
The camera has a standard hot shoe.

jpg/110_fujica_350_wide_IMG_5151.JPG
Camera and instructions, English version and multilingual.

jpg/110_fujica_350_wide_IMG_5160.JPG
The camera came with its original pouch which decayed beyond usability.

jpg/110_fujica_350_wide_IMG_5161.JPG
This is just to show you how it looked like.

The camera is very easy to use, nothing to silde open. It has no manual settings except aperture via weather symbols. You only  have to frame, which is easy via the bright finder. After taking a picture, you have to advance film and cock shutter via the wheel under the finder. Putting a film is easy as well, you drop the film into the compartment, advance to the first frame and that's it. The close-up lens has a pre-focussed rangefinder for 40cm, you have to move back and forth to meet the correct distance.

It's a low to mid-range point and shoot camera with the advantage of a wide angle lens. There are only few 110 cameras which feature wide angles.

back