Nikon L35AF Camera

Product Information

Also (as I never “turn off” my big Nikon either) I oftentimes leave this in the “on”-position as well, put it in my bag, where eventually the shutter button gets pressed a little – which (as it’s in a dark bag) pops up and charges the flash repeatedly – resulting in drained batteries. The camera looked to be in good condition, and these cameras don’t require any foam light seals to be replaced, so I thought I might as well take it out and shoot some film. An in-viewfinder LED light doubles as both a “subject too close” and an “insufficient light” warning.

Nikon AF3 - One roll review - 35mmc Nikon AF3 - One roll review - 35mmc

The camera itself is one of my favourites, as you would have been able to see, and hope mine keeps working. In an way, these cameras brought photography to the masses in the same way the original Kodak and Brownies did in 1888 and 1900. For those of you still interested in shooting film, is there enough about this camera to warrant a look? I mean 5 element… the later versions used a 4 element Tessar design again, which are fine lenses just give a bit different character to the images.A good alternative for the Nikon L35AD2 character lens in a point-and-shoot body with slightly less-prominent but recognizable lens distortions is Olympus Mju I / Olympus LT-1 (same camera in different package options). To clarify, there was a run near the end of production of the original L35AF that had the ISO increased to 1000, but kept the Sonnar lens/filter thread and L35AF name. A point-and-shoot 35mm film camera, it’s made to point and shoot, and automation dominates its core design.

Nikon One Touch L35AF2 35mm Camera Review - Dan Finnen Nikon One Touch L35AF2 35mm Camera Review - Dan Finnen

Between its striking boxy looks, the great results from the reliability of the exposure meter and the look from this lens, this is a camera I can recommend anytime!

Now I’m 65, retired, and use a 50 year old Leica M2 much like my Dad used the L35AF: just go out, and shoot for the joy of taking pics. The glow and the soft “smudges” that you see in the areas with specular highlights at the top of this image is caused by comma distortions.

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I could even argue that it’s a fantastic camera for those who loathe getting wet on the strength of its lens alone. Since the camera uses a central spot in the viewfinder for focus, whatever is in the middle of the frame when the shutter release happens is what will be in focus. All there’s to do is open the door by pushing down the toggle on the back next to the window to the left of the date back, placing your roll into the chamber, and stretching its leader to fit into the “Film Tip” marker on the opposite side. This is an issue you want to be aware of especially for the AF and AF2, the AF3 can be taped down quite easily so isn’t usually such an issue. By sharing my blog posts and social media content, you help me reach a wider audience and inspire more people to explore the analog world.

Later models in each cameras’ production run would resolve this deficiency by bumping the selectable film speed to ISO 1000, a welcome upgrade.