I spent a week shooting a roll of film through this cute, little APS film point-and-shoot. It made pictures, which was neat. I held it, and it felt a certain way. I used its sparse features, some of which were interesting. And in the context of a review, such as the one that I’m writing and that you are now reading, I should probably touch upon all of that.

But let’s be real. We’re here for just one reason. The camera looks like an orange.

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A Brief History of APS Film

APS film (an acronym for “Advanced Photo System”) is a dead film format that was first produced in 1996 and discontinued in 2011 when Kodak and FujiFilm, the format’s last two manufacturers, ceased production. It was sold under a number of brand names; Kodak Advantix, FujiFilm Nexia, Agfa Futura, and Konica Centuria.

The core idea behind APS film was an intention to simplify photography for newcomers and amateurs, to create a smaller, easier film format than 35mm film. APS film came from the factories pre-loaded into sealed canisters, which could be more easily dropped into any APS film camera than could 35mm film be loaded into a 35mm camera. All APS cameras would then handle the “complicated” operation of spooling the film through the camera for use, and reloading it into the canister after exposure, and APS film cameras were significantly smaller than comparable 35mm film cameras. In size and ease of use, at least, APS film was a success.

But APS film’s image area was significantly smaller that of 35mm film, offering just 58% of the surface area of a 35mm film. This smaller image area had an unfortunate (if predictable) side effect; compared to images made on 35mm film, APS film’s image quality was poorer. The drop in quality would be especially egregious when APS film images were printed or enlarged.

While sales of APS cameras and film were initially strong, within five years the numbers dropped significantly. Serious photographers never liked APS film because of its inferior image quality, and the format’s target demographic, amateur photographers, rapidly eschewed film en masse in favor of digital cameras.

Today, no one makes APS film, and any rolls we find will be long-expired relics of a forgotten time. Shooting expired film is fraught with peril, as described here, and here, and here. And yet my darling clementine Canon begged to be used, so I loaded a roll and crossed my fingers.

Specifications of the Canon ELPH Shades Sunshine

• Camera Type: APS format point-and-shoot film camera
• Lens: 23mm f/4.8 (3 elements in 3 groups glass Triplet design); 23mm is equivalent to 29mm in 35mm full frame format
• Focus: Automatic focus from 2 ft to infinity (3.3 ft to infinity when flash is OFF)
• Exposure: Automatic
• Flash: Built in flash; modes incl. ON, OFF, Slow Synchro, Red-Eye Reduction
• Additional Features: Drop-in film loading; Automatic film advance and rewind; Three framing modes (Classic, Wide Angle, and Panoramic; Date, Time, and Title printing functions; Magnetic Information Exchange (IX); Self-Timer; Strap

Embracing the Gimmick

The Canon ELPH Shades Sunshine is a gimmicky camera that comes from a line of unapologetically gimmicky cameras. By their very nature, APS was a pandering format. It promised to sufficiently dumb down photography to a point that any dolt could succeed. That’s a gimmick.

The cameras were small, so Canon named them “ELPH.” Not “Elf” with an F, but rather a PH. That’s also a gimmick.

And then someone in a board room asked “What if we made cameras cute?” And a product designer, hours later, munching an orange to fight the flu, doodled an orange with a lens in the middle (possibly). Another gimmick.

The result is a camera that’s as fun to look at as it is to shoot. Actually, it might be more fun to look at.

From the moment I first laid eyes on the Canon ELPH Shades Sunshine, I was ready to drink the juice. Its packaging is reminiscent of a box of orange juice. It’s strap is a friendship bracelet of sunshine. It’s plastic shell is a delightfully textured matte rind which begs to be palmed.

Using the Canon ELPH Shades Sunshine

Like most APS film point-and-shoot cameras, the ELPH Shades Sunshine is tiny, lightweight, and simple to use. True to form, one only needs to point and shoot.

The protruding handgrip fits well in the hands, and the camera balances nicely in one-handed operation. The shutter release button is large and positioned readily so that a half-press focuses and a full-press fires. The viewfinder is clean and bright, though admittedly quite small. The camera’s buttons and levers are easily identifiable, and relatively simple to press (though the top mounted SELECT and SET buttons are tiny, the strap has a little tool attached to it for pressing these).

There’s an ON/OFF slider on the front of the camera which also serves as a lens cover. Slide it to ON, peer through the camera’s viewfinder, and press the button. Easy stuff.

The flash is powerful and bright, giving indoor portraits the early 2000s blown-out, ultra-white aesthetic for which Gen Z is currently experiencing vicarious nostalgia. Turning it off or cycling through the other few various flash modes is a matter of a button press, or two or three.

There’s a top-mounted liquid crystal display which is protected by a nicely convex shield of plastic. This screen shows pertinent information, such as how many exposures we’ve made on the roll of film, battery life, our TITLE mode and DATE information, and more. It’s a neat addition, though somewhat irrelevant, given the nature of APS point-and-shoot cameras. Typically, we just don’t really care about this stuff. We’re just going to literally point and shoot.

Remember? We’re morons.

There is no tripod socket. But that’s not really a problem. APS film users don’t own tripods.

The Canon Elph Shades Sunshine has the ability to print “titles” on the back of a print. By pressing the TITLE button on the back of the camera, we can choose one of six languages and one of five messages in each language; messages like “I Love You,” and “Thank You,” and “Happy Birthday.” How cute, though not of much use for those of us uninterested in printing low-quality APS film images (me).

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Image quality

There are two important things to remember when discussing image quality of APS film cameras.

First, in terms of image quality, APS film was always inferior to 35mm film.

Second, any APS film we find today will invariably be expired, which means that image quality is worse than ever.

Considerations considered, the Canon ELPH Shades Sunshine made decent photos in my week of testing. The expired film was indeed lower in contrast than it would have been when new, and some color shifts did present. However, sharpness and clarity from the little 23mm lens were fairly good when images were made in bright light or with the camera’s built-in flash.

There’s fairly significant ghosting, flaring, and distortion, as well as noticeably vignetting in my sample images.

The Canon ELPH Shades Sunshine is certainly not a good choice for times when image quality is important. But, hey, in times when a camera simply must look like an orange, there’s no better machine.

Final Thoughts

I suppose I could end on a metaphor.

If a camera is a fruit, then the photos are the juice. If that’s true, the ELPH Shades Sunshine is a bit spoiled. While not totally rotten or ready for the compost heap, it’s certainly past the sell-by date.

But I don’t think a camera like this needs to make great images. Or, to be honest, any images at all. It’s a gimmicky camera, a design exercise, a product to tickle the edge of our lips and remind us that, no, not all things have to be serious.

The Canon ELPH Shades Sunshine looks great sitting on a shelf in my office. It’s cheap and cute. I like its gimmick, and sometimes that’s enough.

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And yet the Minolta P’s’s interesting aspect ratio, punchy lens, and overall ethos make it a camera that I highly recommend to any photographer looking for a unique and rewarding challenge.

The Minolta P’s was made in 1991, a time when the automatic-everything point-and-shoot segment was running at full sprint. It was designed to be a consumer point-and-shoot, easy to use, and to shoot exclusively in a panoramic aspect ratio to capture landscapes and group shots. It was offered in a number of vibrant (and collectible) colors. Mine happens to be red.

It’s worth noting that one info-graphic inside the manual suggests that the P’s is the perfect camera to grab a vertical panorama of the Eiffel Tower (2024 Olympics, here I come).

Specifications of the Minolta P’s

• Lens: 24 mm f/4,5 lens, manually operated lens barrier
• Shutter speeds: 1/4 to 1/200 s. when flash is canceled
• Flash: Built-in, range 0.9—2.7 meters (at ISO 100)
• DX code speeds 100 & 400 ISO
• Motor wind and rewind
• Timer with warning light
• Power: CR123 lithium battery
• Weight and Dimensions: 185 grams, 11.6 x 6.2 x 3.4 cm

The Minolta P’s limitations are also the things that make it shine as a user’s camera.

As mentioned before, every frame made with the P’s is in a panoramic aspect ratio. The camera achieves this through a physically smaller film gate that only allows part of the film negative to be exposed. Many other point-and-shoot cameras of its era opt for this as an optional feature (for example, Pentax’s IQ Zoom series contains a number of models which have a Panorama/Normal switch that flips physical blinds at the top and bottom of the film gate). But the P’s leans hard into pano mode. You won’t be making a full frame image with this camera, no matter what, but being limited to this aspect ratio is the fun of it all.

The bright viewfinder is shaped accordingly, with frame lines and horizon guides so you can compose your panoramic scenes.

The flash, too, is limited, in that it can be overridden, but you have to press and hold the cancel it, meaning two hands are needed. This is rather annoying. Even the DX code reading is limited (this is an odd one that I haven’t encountered before). Take a look at how it’s described in the user manual:

“Film-speed setting: Automatically set to ISO 100 for DX-coded films rated slower than ISO 400, or to ISO 400 for DX-coded films rated ISO 400 or faster; ISO 100 set for films without DX-coding”

So, the Minolta P’s seemingly can read the DX code of a range of film, but defaults to exposing them at 100 or 400 only. At first, I was a bit confused and turned off by this. But in a way this can be a solution to another frustration found in most point-and-shoots; the inability to manually set our ISO. Depending on what film we load, this limitation can be somewhat hacked into an advantage – if we choose our film intentionally, it’s possible to overexpose our film of choice.

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User Experience

I’ve spent the last few weeks carrying the Minolta P’s with me everywhere I went, intending to shoot it in all sorts of light. It was this everyday carry approach that really polished my opinion of the P’s, which is that I like this camera. It is so, damn, portable. Weighing almost nothing and being extremely slim, it’s among the most effortless cameras I’ve used.

And then there’s the cinematic aspect ratio.

I have a tendency to think of memories or moments in the form of cinematic scenes from a movie. The Minolta P’s’s aspect ratio quickly became second nature. It’s like plucking memories from my brain and placing them on film. Occasionally trying out a vertical composition worked in some cases, but I likely won’t go out of my way to do it again (unless I go to Paris sometime soon).

The lens is surprisingly good. It’s sharp enough, performed well in most lighting situations. It produced noticeable vignetting, but not obnoxiously so, and at times the vignetting added to the cinematic appeal of my shots. The wide lens does also produce some distortion toward the edges of the frame, though like the vignetting mentioned, it’s not too noticeable or offensive (unless we’re doing one of those vertical orientation shots with a person in frame).

I noticed that I reverted back to the days of my childhood, using a disposable camera. What am I talking about? Well, in more than a couple frames my finger made an appearance. Not a huge problem, and with the first roll out of the way I’m confident I’ll get used to proper hand placement, but readers with larger hands beware.

There are, of course, things that I don’t like about the camera. It’s not perfect, but that’s good. Perfect is boring.

My loudest complaint is that the flash is easily my least favorite part of the camera. It’s automatically ON by default, and though we can cancel it by holding down the flash cancel button, it’s not as fast or easy as it should be. To cancel the flash requires a workflow-freezing hold that lasts just a bit too long. A single press would have been better. But I’m really just upset that I ever have to use two hands with a camera this size.

Due to this first-world inconvenience, I opted to let the flash fly free for the majority of my first roll. Auto flash is something I’m used to with one of my favorite point and shoots the Kodak VR35 K12, which I’ve reviewed previously. But I quickly learned that the Minolta P’s has a deeply unflattering flash. It often seemed much too harsh for my taste.

Final thoughts

My favorite thing about The Minolta P’s is the creative challenge it brings. When I’m shooting a camera with every feature and setting under the sun, ironically that plethora of options can bring about an overwhelming abundance of choice and hamstring the process of simply existing and taking pictures. But the Minolta P’s is not a feature-packed fully-loaded beast of a camera. It’s just the opposite; an ultra-portable box that (literally) captures just a sliver of light. And it doesn’t hurt that it comes in a sleek, plastic, early-90s shell.

Limitations tend to enhance creativity. The boundaries of what we can and cannot control become a catalyst to finding ways to create something we may otherwise might not. The Minolta P’s foundational feature, the 35mm film panorama crop, usually gets the cold shoulder, or a snide comment that “You could just crop in post.” And that’s technically true. But picking up the Minolta P’s is a choice to accept the challenge of less. The challenge of limitations. It’s a choice to expose less of the film negative and not think it’s a waste. A choice to change your perspective figuratively and literally. Picking up the Minolta P’s is a choice to flex your creative muscle.

And More on the Minolta P’s:

• I have a video review, which you can watch here.
• The Instagram of Jeff Greenstein, a Minolta P’s fan who makes beautiful images.
• Here’s the I Dream Of Cameras episode that talks about the Minolta P’s.

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So? Who cares? Has Casual Photophile turned into a personal blog/travel influencer machine? Not quite. I won’t peddle travel hacks or tell the best time of day to see the Mona Lisa (in my opinion, don’t). Nope, I’m here to drag you along for the ride as I reflect on the existential question all photographers ask themselves before a trip – “What camera should I bring?”

One thing you need to know about me before we embark on this adventure is that I’m a self-proclaimed film girlie. My first “serious” venture into photography was a high school darkroom class and while I’m a technical person who works with computers daily, I have never clicked with digital photography (horrible pun not intended). I have no rational justification for it. I just don’t like digital. It’s not as fun as shooting film.

Another thing you need to know about me is: I am but a lowly hobbyist photographer – if it’s not fun, I’m not doing it. Add all of this together and the answer to the original question, which camera should I bring, is obvious. Of course I’m taking a film camera with me on a once-in-a-lifetime trip, right?

Wrong.

I know, it’s crazy and makes absolutely no sense but, I left out some other key info: I’m the cheapest person I know and I’m also a certified X-ray technologist.

If you’re in the film community I’m sure you’ve seen at least one Reddit thread or Instagram story asking “My film was scanned in the airport – is it trashed?” These discussions are riddled with contradicting responses.

“If it’s less than 800 ISO you’re fine.”

“My film was x-rayed 25 times and now those photos are on the cover of Rolling Stone.”

“Why didn’t you just ask for a hand-check?”

I’ve even seen a few responders go as far as suggesting we all haul along powdered chemicals and develop our film at our destination. Insanity.

I’m not going to get into all the caveats regarding film and X-rays. Kodak and others have well-documented the issues seen with the new CT scanners in airports (which are x-ray tubes that spin in circles but deliver a much higher dosage of radiation). As an X-ray tech and the cheapest person I know – all I can tell you is this: I’m not putting a single roll through an X-ray, ever. It’s too expensive. There’s a chance the film will be fine, but there’s also a chance it won’t be. One roll of film can cost as much as $18 nowadays. Not to mention, the photos on the roll itself on a trip like this are priceless memories. I’m not risking it.

I love photography, but again I’m a hobbyist. I just want to take an amazing vacation and document the memories along the way. I don’t want to be anxious in the security line and spend my precious PTO arguing with a foreign agent that my film absolutely must be hand-checked because *mY qUaLiFiCaTiOnS*. I also don’t want to carry around a heavy digital camera worth a thousand, or even hundreds of dollars through cities I’m not familiar with. None of that sounds fun.

So what’s a girl to do? I say, bring on the digicams.

Digicams! They’re small, cheap, and unassuming. Now, I know what you’re thinking – “You trusted once-in-a-lifetime memories to a tiny sensor that’s 10+ years old?”
Yes. Yes, I did. And I don’t regret it.

In the winter, when I was deep in my “I don’t know what camera to bring” crisis, I stumbled across one of KingJvpes videos in which he and a friend walked around town and pitted a Ricoh GR III head-to-head against an old Canon S95. I initially thought all the same things you’re probably thinking – “These kids today. Why not just use your cell phone if you’re going to use a camera with such a crappy, old sensor?” But as I watched, my main takeaway wasn’t that the photos were indistinguishable between the two cameras – they were obviously very easy to tell apart. But I did realize that the old Canon S95 really held up much better than I thought it would and it was only $100.

As I did more research by endlessly scrolling through photo examples on Flickr, I found that the older pre-2010s digicams with their CCD sensors produced photos that had a unique look to them that I really liked. They felt a bit more “vintage” to my eye. I’d heard people in the photography community say that digicams “are the new film” and give a “film look.” I personally don’t think that’s true, but I do feel they provide a certain nostalgic look to photos that younger Millennials and Gen-Z would attribute to their childhood eras. It’s definitely a look that resonates with me more than the super crisp amazing digital sensors that are out there today.

So, off I went down the rabbit hole of DP Review’s camera feature search (kudos to onemonthtwocameras on Youtube for that gem) and filtered for cameras that had all the features I was looking for: RAW capabilities, “larger” 1/1.7 inch, 10-megapixel CCD sensor, and an optical zoom. I came away with two options that I was personally interested in: the Canon S90 and the Panasonic Lumix LX5. I cross-referenced prices on eBay and other used retailers and they were each around $100 at the time so, against my frugal heart, I bought them both and planned to sell whichever one I liked the least.

After testing for a few months before my vacation, I ultimately decided to bring both cameras along. Each camera had different ergonomics and I couldn’t decide which files I favored more. They’re both so small and light, they took up less space and weight in my bag than one of my 35mm SLRs would have anyway. In the event one of them got lost or broken, I’d have a backup. It was an easy decision.

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In Japan, Digicams are the New Film - Guest Post by Johnny Yokoyama

I’d like to introduce a new photography trend. Welcome to the exciting world of “Digicams.” Wait! Don’t roll your eyes just yet!

I had the time of my life. I kept one of the digicams on me at all times during the trip. They easily stashed into my little travel purse. I never felt weighed down by my camera or felt the need to leave it back at the accommodation. I didn’t worry that someone was eyeing me up as a potential target for carrying a bunch of expensive camera gear. I never thought twice about plunking my bag up on the belt to be x-rayed a million times. I was carefree and living my best life. The digicams did exactly what I needed a camera to do for this trip – get out of the way and let me take photos.

Since I carried a camera with me everywhere, I got a lot of great shot opportunities that I might not have had if I’d opted to bring along a bigger camera. The RAW capabilities and manual settings made shooting feel more like actual photography than simply using my cell phone, which for me is not an enjoyable photographic experience. I’m very happy with the decision to use digicams for this trip and I’m confident that the 10-megapixel files will have plenty of detail to print the photos into a memory book.

With that said, I want to reiterate that this trip wasn’t an African safari, Paris fashion week, or a destination wedding that I was being paid to shoot. It wasn’t even a photography-focused leisure trip. I didn’t take the most ground-breaking, iconic photos ever. But what I did do is have an amazing time traveling and get to sneak in some fun, low-stress photography whenever it was convenient.

So, if you’re a frugal-to-a-fault hobbyist photographer with a love of film and all things vintage but don’t want to deal with the hassle of flying with film (or heavier, bulkier cameras) and you’re taking a trip that isn’t photography focused, I encourage you to give digicams a try. They’re great little companions. Lastly, thanks for making it to the end of this long-winded article – why are you still here? Just bring whatever camera you want. Don’t let anyone tell you what to do. Happy shooting!

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Digicams (Digital Point and Shoot) — F Stop Cameras

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That’s the good stuff covered. Here’s the bad.

It’s built to a price, which means that it feels (and is) cheaply made. The entire camera body is ABS plastic, and the lens is acrylic. As a result, using the camera never feels great and the images it makes are similar in quality to those made by a disposable one-time-use camera. This will inevitably disappoint photographers seeking to make traditionally beautiful, high fidelity pictures.

Specifications of the Kodak Ektar H35

• Camera Type: 35mm film, half-frame camera
• Lens: 22mm f/9.5 fixed-focus wide-angle optical grade acrylic lens; 2 elements
• Shutter: Mechanical single speed shutter (1/100s shutter speed)
• Viewfinder: Optical viewfinder
• Flash: Built-in flash, user-selectable modes (On and Off)
• Power Source: 1x AAA battery
• Film Frame Counter: Yes
• Self-timer: No
• Film Rewind: Manual
• Build Material: ABS plastic
• Dimensions and Weight: 4.3 x 2.4 x 1.5 inches (110 x 62 x 39mm); 3.5 oz (100g)

KODAK EKTAR H35 Half Frame Film Camera, 35mm, Reusable, Focus-Free, Lightweight, Easy-to-Use (Black) (Film & AAA Battery are not Included)

Amazon.com : KODAK EKTAR H35 Half Frame Film Camera, 35mm, Reusable, Focus-Free, Lightweight, Easy-to-Use (Black) (Film & AAA Battery are not Included) : Electronics

What is the Kodak Ektar H35

The Kodak Ektar H35 isn’t a Kodak camera. It’s a Kodak branded camera made by Hong Kong-based company RETO Project.

RETO has made a name for themselves in the analogue photography world by offering good quality products at low prices. They resurrected the 3D film camera and the cult classic Vivitar Ultra Wide and Slim point and shoot camera, and then made this new Kodak-branded thing. True to form, the H35 a simple, lightweight, compact, and cheap camera.

It comes in a vintage-looking Kodak package and comes with a nice wrist strap and a soft-touch carrying pouch, both Kodak-branded.

The Ektar H35’s key features are these: it’s a half frame 35mm film camera; it has a wide angle lens (22mm); it has a built-in flash; it has one shutter speed, so we do nothing but point and then shoot with this point-and-shoot camera.

Using the Kodak Ektar H35

To use the Kodak Ektar H35 is simple. We load the film as we would any standard 35mm film camera, advance the film manually with the little thumb wheel, look at our subject through the optical viewfinder, and press the shutter button. If we’re indoors or in low-light conditions, we can rotate the control ring surrounding the lens to activate the flash. Once it has drawn sufficient charge from the AAA battery, a flash-ready light illuminates and we are ready to fire.

When we examine the Ektar H35 on a more granular level, we see where its usability succeeds and fails. Let’s begin with the failures.

Everything feels crunchy and cheap. Advancing the film creates a hollow ratcheting sound, pressing the shutter release button feels spongy and weak, the flash selector ring is plastic on plastic, and feels that way, too. The camera is flimsy and fragile, with a finicky film door latch and a floppy film door. There’s no pressure plate to ensure the film stays flat at the film gate.

The film rewind lever is truly awful – tiny, weak, and destined to break. On my test unit, the screw that holds the rewind lever in place backed itself out and fell on the floor. I’ve spent ten years repairing scientific instruments in a previous job, so fixing the fault was a zero-point-three on the one-to-ten difficulty scale. Had this happened to someone with no mechanical aptitude, however, a fault like this could be enough to end their photography career (or at least end their time with the H35).

The shutter is limited to one speed, a relatively slow 1/100th of a second. In addition, there’s no way to adjust the lens aperture. Therefore it is imperative that we load an appropriate speed film for whatever the conditions may be in which we expect to be shooting. If it’s a bright, sunny day and we’re shooting outside, we should choose a slow film (low ISO). If we’re shooting indoors or at night, a fast film (high ISO).

The stark limitations on the exposure triangle means that no matter how diligent we may be in selecting the right film for the job, it’s inevitable that some shots on our roll will be under-exposed and some will be over-exposed. This camera simply doesn’t allow us any latitude or creative control. It’s just not there.

But there are some nice things as well, and some of the camera’s weaknesses can even be seen as strengths, depending on the user’s perspective.

It’s made of plastic, which I’ve complained about enough already. However, it’s also MADE OF PLASTIC! Which is great, because it keeps the camera light and mobile. We can pop the H35 in a pocket or bag and never notice it until the moment we want to make a photo.

The flash charges quickly and gives enough light to illuminate subjects at ten feet or closer.

There’s one button, which simplifies things.

The lens is interesting, in that it provides a fairly wide angle of view (which makes me think of the time I examined the shifting “standard” focal length, and how it may be widening as a result of the proliferation of smart phone photography). In fairness, images made with the right ISO film and in the right conditions (for example, bright sunshine, well-lit places, etc.) can look traditionally nice, well-exposed, and pretty. For the other times, the lo-fi images that it makes will certainly appeal to an entire generation of photo nerds who are accustomed to perfect digital photography.

It shoots 72 images on a standard roll of film, which cuts down on how many rolls we need to buy and develop. This can be a benefit and a fault – getting 72 shots on a roll is great for the wallet, but it can take a long time to find 72 things worthy of making into a film photo.

But truthfully, beyond the conversations around spec sheet, user experience, and image quality, the most interesting thing about the Kodak Ektar H35 is its price. We can buy the camera and a roll of film and get started on our analogue photography journey for under $60. That’s great! And at $45, I’m not too worried about breaking or misplacing the camera. It becomes a perfect launching place. I can easily imagine someone using and loving the Ektar H35 for six months before graduating to a more serious camera.

Image Quality

Images from the Kodak Ektar H35 are lo-fi (or low quality, depending on your perspective), with heavy vignetting, softness across the frame, extreme softness at the edges of the frame, flares, ghosts, and severely diminished contrast when shooting into sunlight. Essentially, the lens on this camera commits every crime that optical engineers have sought to eradicate from photography for over a hundred years.

For many new or casual users, these optical aberrations and flaws will be irrelevant and may even be desirable. Lomography has made an entire business out of selling lo-fi camera gear. There’s space for this sort of imperfection in this hobby, and the H35 adds to that space.

Interestingly, RETO has just released a new, improved(?) version of this camera called the H35N. This new model adds a built-in user-selectable Star Filter, a socket for using a shutter release cable and Bulb mode (for long exposure shooting), and most importantly, a glass lens. They say that the glass lens has improved image quality. I’ll test this, of course, but given that it has a single element, I can’t imagine that it’s much improved over the acrylic lens in this camera.

Additionally notable, the new camera costs $22 more. So the H35 (original) remains a better choice for those buying their first film camera or for those seeking to try a new film camera at the lowest possible cost.

[Color film sample images in the gallery below were provided by Rebekah Gregg and are published here with permission. More of Rebekah’s photography can be seen on their website and Instagram page.]

This shot by Rebekah aptly demonstrates the limitations of the H35’s lens. The lens’ optical simplicity and generally low resolving power create an image that’s softer and dreamier than would be achieved with a more advanced film or digital camera.

This shot by Rebekah illustrates another form suited to the half-frame camera – Diptychs, two images presented as a single piece of work, often to tell a story or present some observation which could not be easily achieved in one shot.

Kodak Ektar H35 Half Frame Film Camera (Sage)

Buy Kodak Ektar H35 Half Frame Film Camera (Sage) featuring 35mm Half Frame Film Camera, For Color and Black and White Films, Fixed-Focus Wide-Angle Lens, Built-In Flash, Optical Viewfinder, Accepts 1 x AAA Battery. Review Kodak Ektar H35

This shot by Alex McKenna (published here with permission) demonstrates the flaring that’s common with the H35’s plastic lens.

[The interesting “panoramic” image below was made by J. David Tabor, and is published here with permission. Tabor has used four half-frame shots to create a panorama of a foundry. More of their photography can be seen on Instagram.]

Additional Samples Gallery Below by the Author

Final Thoughts

The question one inevitably asks, if one is experienced in the art of freaking out over camera gear, is this: Why should I buy an Ektar H35 for $40 – 45 when I can buy a far better camera for the same amount of money? After all, a Canon Sure Shot from 1999 will come with dozens of modes and features and a much better lens. But then, we’re missing the point. There is a very reasonable answer to the question.

The Kodak Ektar H35 is easy. It has one button. It looks nice. It costs nothing. Importantly, I can walk into a Target and buy one. This ease of adoption is valuable and should not be overlooked. People like things that are easy, and the Ektar H35 is just about the easiest way to get into film photography today.

And for most people, the cheap build quality won’t offend. The lo-fi image quality will be welcomed as a charming quirk of shooting film. The retro aesthetic will be interesting and unique. For people like these, the H35 is a great camera and an important stepping stone within their photographic journey.

Get your own Kodak Ektar H35 from B&H Photo here

Shop for the Kodak Ektar H35 on Amazon

Buy a film camera from our own shop at F Stop Cameras

Kodak Ektar H35 Half Frame Film Camera (Sage)

Buy Kodak Ektar H35 Half Frame Film Camera (Sage) featuring 35mm Half Frame Film Camera, For Color and Black and White Films, Fixed-Focus Wide-Angle Lens, Built-In Flash, Optical Viewfinder, Accepts 1 x AAA Battery. Review Kodak Ektar H35

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But in a press conference in 2010, mayor Menino mumbled his plan to revitalize the area. New transportation infrastructure was added (the Silver Line of the MBTA would provide public transport) and the scenic Boston Harborwalk was extended to run along the north side of the Seaport. 1,000 acres of the waterfront was redeveloped as an “Innovation District,” a regional hub for burgeoning industries such as clean tech, bio-chem, and health care IT.

It worked. In 2014, the area was described as “the hottest, fastest-growing real estate market in the country.” By 2017, the Seaport District boasted 78 restaurants, 8 hotels, and more than 1,100 housing units.

Yesterday, I revisited the Seaport, this time with my wife and kids. The transformation was stunning.

Everything was new. The streets weren’t just clean, but freshly paved with geometrically pleasing block work like I’d not seen since I visited Tokyo. Sleek, glass towers rose into fluffy clouds where abandoned cranes once listed against an overcast sky. The sounds of summer were carried along on a sweet breeze. Young sun worshipers lifted their faces under an azure sky. Live music carried with it the scent of outdoor dining. Families loving life and each other. We even saw (I kid you not) a marriage proposal. Moments after the heartwarming clapping trickled away, a Lamborghini’s motor roared through the canyons of glittering mirrors.

“Holy shit.” I said the swear quietly, so the kids wouldn’t hear. “This place has changed.”

My wife had never visited the Seaport during its squalid era. She asked what I meant. I explained, prefacing with the caveat that I’m kind of an idiot and don’t know much about anything.

“I remember this place being a total dump.” I said. “The last time I was here I watched a cop get mugged by six rats in a trench coat. The air smelled like dead fish and a bucket of nails. Now look at it.” I pointed to the three Lexuses parked alongside a perfectly manicured public garden, upon the lawn of which lounged a few dozen smartly-dressed young people drinking bubbly liquid out of crystal flutes. Everyone was smiling and gorgeous, with taut skin and perfect teeth. “Nothing but yuppie scum!”

She logged her disapproval of my prejudice against yuppie scum with a sideways glance. For the record, I don’t truly dislike anyone, not even yuppie scum. While I freely admit that conspicuously wealthy people irk me, I don’t really mean to pick on them. I just find immense pleasure in the phrase yuppie scum.

We walked on, stopping momentarily at the foot of a residential tower, all glass and Mithril silver like something from Tolkien’s elves. In the windows of the foyer floated framed monitors displaying listings for the apartments within, their amenities and pricing. $1.2 million, $2.6 million, $4.0 million. I gawped at the listing for one particularly luxurious rental unit and its price, a staggering $17,000 per month.

Per month!

After some time, I closed my mouth, blinked, turned to my family, and said the only words that came to mind. “Anyone want ice cream?”

At least my camera looked the part. Or it might have in 2002. Because I was using the Contax TVS Digital, a luxurious, expensive, stylish point-and-shoot digital camera capable of recording images at a stunning resolution of five point two megapixels.

We published an article last year about the growing popularity of Digicams, digital point-and-shoot cameras from the late ’90s and early ’00s. About a year later, The New York Times copied us and published a similar (though worse) article. It’s always nice to see a small publication find their voice.

I reviewed the Contax TVS Digital even before that, way back in 2019, and even then I predicted that we’d see a massive surge in the popularity of early digital point-and-shoots. Hey, maybe I do know something after all?

And so, today’s literary stroll will not be a camera review. I won’t list the specs, nor compare the titanium shelled Contax TVS Digital to its contemporary models. And readers searching for the history of Contax and the details of the Kyocera years will need to look elsewhere. I won’t even allow myself a sentence about the Contax T series‘ proclivity toward sapphire shutter release buttons, though it kills me to hold back.

I won’t mention how thrilled I was to discover that the Contax TVS Digital has an in-camera black-and-white shooting mode, nor how amazing it is at creating surprisingly striking images with deep shadows and well-retained highlights. I won’t compare it to Fujifilm’s film simulation modes. I won’t bring up the frustrations of the camera’s incredibly slow startup, nor its interminable read/write times as it saves and displays shot photos.

No, I won’t talk about the camera. Even though I want to, because I love its sing-song warble when I turn it on, I love the Game Boy quality sound effects that squeal from its insides when it locks focus and the delightfully fake shutter release sound it makes when I press the shutter release button, which – did you know? – is a synthetic sapphire?

I’ll hold back my gushing and simply share the photos, and bring you along as my beautiful wife and my lovely children enjoyed a stroll through Boston’s North End, down toward the waterfront, over the bridge, and into the new, revitalized seaport, where we wove through and amongst the filthy rich and the young and the beautiful, and where we stood in line for half an hour for the privilege of buying Japanese ice cream served in a warm, fish-shaped waffle, and where we held hands along the pristine harbor front walkways, and where we poked into a store that sells cupcakes made exclusively for dogs.

If that’s not gentrification, I don’t know what is.

But I do know that days like yesterday are why I love cameras and photography. I went to a place to see new things. I saw them, and I shot them with a neat camera. I shared the day with my family, made a few decent photos. In a perfect world we should all be so lucky.

[The gallery in this article contains images from the Seaport, as well as shots from Boston’s North End and other places where we spent our day, all made with the Contax TVS Digital in its black-and-white photo mode.]

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Join the 5 megapixel club – get your own Contax TVS Digital here

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While it’s true that the Contax T cameras are wonderful, and the fancy Yashicas and the svelte Olympuses are, too, the prevailing myth is just that – a myth. I’ve written plenty of articles to bust the idea that hose trendy point-and-shoots are the only cameras worth owning. In fact, the opposite is true. There are many other point-and-shoots that I’d rather buy, with apologies to the fourteen-hundred-dollar T3.

Last month I used a Canon point-and-shoot that seldom makes headlines. The Canon Sure Shot Tele is big and old and clunky, at least in outward appearance, but it’s a serious sleeper. A camera that does things that many other point-and-shoots can’t.

It has two prime lenses (one of which includes a fast f/2.8 aperture), a mechanically switched user-controlled flash, multiple exposure capability, a soft-effect filter, and exposure compensation at the press of a button. Most important and impressive of all, it makes excellent, surprising, SLR-quality photos.

Canon Sure Shot Tele Specifications

• Camera Type : Automatic 35mm point-and-shoot film camera
• Focus System : Near-infrared beam triangulation auto-focus system; pre-focus capable
• Lens : Two focal lengths – 40mm f/2.8 (4 elements in 3 groups) and 70mm f/4.9 (7 elements in 6 groups)
• Shutter : Electromagnetic programmed shutter and aperture; EV 6-18 at ISO 100; In 40mm config. f/2.8 at 1/8 sec. – f/22 at 1/500 sec.; In 70mm config. f/4.9 at 1/3 sec. – f/27 at 1/350 sec.; Built-in self-timer, multiple exposures capable
• Viewfinder : Automatically switches to selected focal length; Reverse Galilean VF with projected frame lines; 0.45x magnification at 40mm focal length and 0.72x at 70mm
• Viewfinder Information : Displays the autofocus frame, in-focus LED light, near-distance warning LED light, combined flash-ready and camera-shake warning LED light, parallax correction marks
• Film Speeds : ISO 50 – 1600 with DX code capability
• Flash : Built-in flash, guide number 10.5 (at ISO 100 in meters); Flash On, Flash Auto, and Flash Off modes are user-selectable
• Power Source : One 6 volt 2CR5 lithium photo battery
• Additional Features : Film frame counter on top-mounted LCD screen, motorized film advance and rewind, multiple exposure, self-timer, backlight compensation (+2 EV), built-in user-selectable soft filter, date printing with date-back model
• Weight and Dimensions : 400 grams (14.1 ounces) with battery; 134 x 79 x 62mm (5.25 x 3.11 x 2.44 inches)

The Canon Sure Shot Tele was first released in 1986. Known in Japan as the Canon Autoboy Tele, and in Europe as the Canon Top Twin, it was designed to be an easy-to-use point-and-shoot that also offered advanced user-selectable features and image quality comparable to that found with prime lens-equipped SLRs.

In addition to this generally high design brief, Canon fitted the Sure Shot Tele with a number of unusual, yet useful, gimmicks. It has a built-in soft-focus filter and a multiple exposure mode, which Canon lauded in their print ads of the time. And indeed these features weren’t often found on competitor cameras, especially those in the consumer-oriented point-and-shoot segment.

Their ad also focused on the excellent auto focus and accurate auto exposure, and promised that the Sure Shot Tele would make us “a hot photographer overnight.”

Wow! I can’t wait.

Ergonomics and Use

Holding the camera in the hands we find a top plate with just two buttons – a subtle burgundy shutter release, and a more surreptitious self-timer button (which interestingly acts as a shutter release button as well – just press the self-timer button once and the shutter fires ten seconds later). Next to that we find an LCD display which tells us our battery health and film frame number.

On the back of the camera we find the switch to alternate between the 40mm and 70mm prime lenses. Flicking the switch sideways toggles from one lens to the other. The flash controls are also positioned on the back via a sliding three-way switch for Flash On, Flash Auto, and Flash Off. This mechanical switch gives the added benefit that, when cycling the power off and on again, the camera retains our chosen flash settings. Users who own Sure Shot Tele models equipped with the Date Back will also find their date controls on the back of the camera, positioned in the usual spot, center of the film door.

The front of the camera houses the On/Off switch. This multi-purpose switch also opens and closes the lens cover, and when toggled further, fits the built-in soft filter over the lens. Next to the lens we find the buttons for multiple exposures (we can hold this down and take as many exposures as we like on a single frame) and the exposure compensation button (hold this down and our shot will be exposed with a compensation of +2 EV).

The lens block has a built-in filter thread which allows us to screw in any 40.5mm diameter circular filter. This is especially useful for black-and-white photography. And it should be noted that the camera’s metering cell is positioned within the filter area, so the camera will automatically meter properly when filters are attached.

There is such a thing as a perfectly-sized camera. For me, the Sure Shot Tele comes pretty close. It’s not ultra-compact, nor is it SLR-sized. It sits somewhere in the middle, in the Goldilocks zone where portability merges with usability.

The buttons sit where they should, the grip is large and sure, and the camera feels balanced and natural. It won’t fit into the pocket of your pants, nor will it disappear when not in use. But weighing in at under a pound means that it won’t give us a stiff neck if we leave it hanging by its strap all day.

The viewfinder is large and bright, and the projected frame lines are highly legible in all shooting conditions. The useful focusing patch is clearly indicated, and the LED lights do exactly what they’re supposed to do. I never experienced any problems in messaging with this camera. If the light illuminates green, all is well. If there’s a flashing red lightning bolt, rethink your life.

Auto focus works beautifully, and a half-press of the shutter release button locks focus. This makes it possible to use the focus and recompose method of framing. Simply center the focus spot in the viewfinder upon whatever subject we want in focus, half-press the shutter release button to set focus distance, and recompose for the final shot. Works on my Nikon Z5, works here.

The lithium photo battery is housed in the hand grip. This is attached via two tiny screws, so changing out the battery will require a small screwdriver. While this is slightly less convenient than a flip-open battery door, bear in mind that the trade-off may be a net positive.

Most point-and-shoot film cameras from the era of the Sure Shot Tele possess weak, pathetic battery doors which break in a stiff wind. The Sure Shot Tele’s solution is stronger and more reliable, and per Canon’s manual, the battery should last five years of normal use. (This seems incredible. Look for my update in five years.)

One final positive note to end the battery conversation. The Date Back models, like mine, use power from the same lithium battery that powers the rest of the camera. Many cameras of the time opted to separate the Data Back from the main power supply, these instead running on a separate battery (often a CR2032 watch battery). I like the simplicity of the Sure Shot Tele’s single power source.

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40mm lens mode.

70mm lens mode

The Canon Sure Shot Tele’s Beautiful Prime Lens(es)

What really sets the Canon Sure Shot Tele apart from similar cameras of its era and beyond, is its lens. Or more accurately, its lenses, since it has two. And just as important as quantity, these lenses offer quality. This comes largely from an important design choice. The Sure Shot Tele’s lenses are primes (lenses of a single focal length), not zooms.

This detail should not be overlooked.

Zoom lenses, more common than primes in the point-and-shoot segment, bring compromise. For a zoom lens to be capable of zooming in our out to any focal length within their range, they must be optically complex. This complexity, especially true of the early zooms from the era of the Sure Shot Tele, results in a degradation in image quality. Additionally, zoom lenses often come with smaller maximum apertures.

Prime lenses, on the other hand, are formulated and optimized to provide the best image quality and the fastest aperture at their single specific focal length. This is why we photo nerds tend to love primes.

The Sure Shot Tele’s two prime lenses offer comprise a 40mm standard lens made of four elements in three groups, and when we switch to the 70mm tele lens, an additional lens packet flips mechanically into place within the camera’s body increasing the optical formula to seven elements in six groups.

This transforming prime lens is activated with the simple flick of a finger. We hear the lens clunk into place, the lens assembly extracts out of or retracts into the body, the accompanying viewfinder automatically slots into place, and we are ready to shoot one of our two glorious primes.

And it’s not hyperbole. These primes actually are glorious.

At 40mm, images are sharp and punchy. While we don’t have control over our aperture or shutter speed, the camera does a good job of selecting the appropriate settings for the scene. And we aren’t totally bereft of control. By using the backlight compensation button or by switching the flash off, for example, we’re able to coerce the camera into longer exposures with larger apertures. Stunningly, this point-and-shoot actually produces nice bokeh, something not common in the class.

At 70mm, things are similarly effortless, and the results are similarly beautiful. Sharp, crisp, and lovely. And even at a significantly smaller maximum aperture (f/4.9) close-focusing on subjects still produces lovely out-of-focus backgrounds.

It really can’t be over-emphasized. A point-and-shoot camera which costs less than $70 (average price taken from recently sold eBay listings at time of writing) should not be able to make photos this nice. It puts those cult-favorite point-and-shoots to shame.

[The following gallery of photos were made by Agni Ayushatya and are published with permission.]

[The following gallery of photos were made by the author, James Tocchio.]

Ten Great Point and Shoot Film Cameras From $25 to $99

For every expensive, over-hyped point and shoot camera there are ten or twenty others that are damn near as good at one-tenth the price. Here's a list of a few that we've personally enjoyed.

[Photos in the gallery below provided by Nathaniel Kaufman and published with permission.]

Those Bonus Features

The camera’s bonus features, the soft focus filter and multiple exposure mode, work as they should, though in both cases results will vary from user to user.

The soft focus filter does what it says it does; it renders image with a soft glow. The effect was popular in the 1970s and ’80s, for some reason, and while I don’t necessarily understand it, I can say that the Sure Shot Tele’s filter works well. I recently shot the Canon Snappy Q, which featured a similar built-in “soft corners” filter. That one was pretty terrible, in that its transition from soft to sharp was too stark. The Tele’s filter, in comparison, is subtle and refined.

The multiple exposure mode works great too, as long as we know how to make good multiple exposures. I don’t, necessarily. I know how the technique is supposed to work, but as in many things, I lack true talent. Those photographers who live for multiple exposures, however, will likely have fun. Just hold down the multiple exposure button and fire away.

[I should add that I’ll be holding onto this camera for the summer, and will update this review with additional photos over time. Let’s see how I improve with multiple exposures, eh?]

A bad multiple exposure.

Final Thoughts

I began this article comparing the Canon Sure Shot Tele to legendary point-and-shoot cameras like the Contax T3 and the Yashica T4. That’s stiff competition. And yet, I think the Canon Sure Shot Tele holds its own, and then some.

While not as compact or as luxurious as the many newer, sleeker point-and-shoots, and while it lacks the cachet that comes with being seen on the red carpet, this Sure Shot Tele quietly delivers.

Its two lenses make beautiful photos, the aperture is fast, the ergonomics are solid, it’s the right size, and returning to that earlier comparison, it costs $1,300 less than a Contax T3, $750 less than a Minolta TC-1, and $150 less than an Olympus Mju II. Even at double its average price, I’d still say it’s really good camera.

Get your own Canon Sure Shot Tele on eBay here

Buy one from our shop, F Stop Cameras

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[Some of the links in this article will direct users to our affiliates at B&H Photo, Amazon, and eBay. By purchasing anything using these links, Casual Photophile may receive a small commission at no additional charge to you. This helps Casual Photophile produce the content we produce. Many thanks for your support.]

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