Nikon L35AF Camera

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Some other compact film cameras may produce marginally better photos, but for us, a point and shoot pretty much exists for the times that a bigger, more manual camera seems like a burden. This also allows you to mount a lens hood and cap, if you’re that meticulous about things. Focusing / Viewfinder After the lens and metering the next feature this camera is known for is its suer cool analog dials on the top plate. The 4 analog dials display focus distance, aperture, exposure compensation, and number of pictures taken. All settings remain visible much like digits on an analog watch, and when a setting is set or changed the dial turns and points to indicate the current setting. Combined with a small light that illuminates the display, the whole interface is reminiscent of the face of an old car stereo. The analog dial setting feature is not only unique but feels as practical as a digital or rotary display.

When you use a fully automatic point and shoot camera, absolutely everything is done for you. There’s nothing interesting or unique about the process. Its no different than using a modern digital point and shoot camera, with the exception being you cannot preview your shots after taking them, and you’re still limited to the number of exposures in the film. Take a look at the cross-sectional view. Please allow me to continue with a bit of technical explanation. Nikon L35AD2 flash in action with Kodak Gold. This frame was cropped and colour-corrected in post to get rid of some distracting elements. But really great cameras have a distinctive look and feel that’s true to the scene, but also somehow enhances it. Leica is famous for this (Google “Leica look”), and it’s why I use their cameras almost exclusively for my digital work (and pay accordingly for them).The name ‘One Touch’ is no joke. There are almost zero controls. It’s intended for somebody to point the camera at their subject, press the shutter button, and be done with it. The One Touch really is as simple to use as a basic vintage Polaroid camera. I was worried about this at first, as I’m a complete control freak (like most photographers out there), but it turns out the camera does a good job on its own.

You see, when i heard that processing would stop this coming December, i started to think about the song and wanted to have a piece of history. Now yes this may sound strange (or iddiotic) but i want to go around the city (people around NY and the tri-state area just call NY City "The City" despite many other city's near where we live) and also i am also going to Conney island in a couple weeks and gonna see the circus too, and wanna take pictures. I thought this would be great to take pictures at these outing and use a Nikon. I'm a poor college student right now so i cant buy anything expensive, and the only Nikon's that some of my friends have are the big old SLRs that i wouldn't want to lug around with me.. What would people suggest?

Exposure: Fully automatic, range EV 6 (f/2.8 at 1/8 sec.) to EV 17 (f/17.5 at 1/430 sec.) with ASA/ISO 100 film And it’s the combination of these last two features, its lens and its ability to dive, that places the L35AW into the upper echelons of classic cameras. There’s no other camera like it, in fact. Competing models from Canon and Minolta and Pentax don’t really compete in a meaningful way. The equivalent machines ( the Canon Sure Shot WP-1 or AS-6, and the Minolta Weathermatic 35, and the Pentax 90-WR, respectively), either aren’t truly submersible or feature less-worthy lenses, bulkier bodies, or clumsy controls. And let’s not talk about the Hanimex Amphibean or the cumbersome plastic shells made to encapsulate non-waterproof SLRs. The L35AF was Nikon's first compact camera with autofocus. It was released in 1983, a few years after Nikon's competitors had opened up the point and shoot market. It was therefore also the first in the L series. It was an immediate hit thanks to its robust design and excellent specifications. It has subsequently become a cult classic among collectors. The lens is the star of the Nikon One Touch show. With a max aperture of f2.8 and a focal length of 35mm (not to be confused with the fact that the camera is using 35mm film), this thing is no slouch when it comes to sharpness and low-light ability. It’s not quite SLR lens level, but overall I was very pleased with the results I got with it.

Reviewing a broken camera

The story which I heard from a senior colleague describes his personality a little. One day, Mr. Wakamiya said at length, "I like the dinner without using any knives and forks," while his colleagues were eating and drinking cheerfully and boisterously in a tavern with Mr. Wakamiya. Hearing the story, I had thought a celebrity would refer to a person like Mr. Wakamiya.

If all this seems too tiring, uninterested photographers can simply point and shoot, the way Nikon intended, and enjoy outstanding results. For these shooters, the L35AF’s systemic automation allows for a concise and focused style of photography. Composition takes precedence over everything, which could lead to stronger photos and a greater ability to stay in the moment. Street photographers know the importance of awareness, both spacial and cerebral, so the camera may work perfectly in this discipline of photography. When there’s nothing coming between the photographer and the subject, beautiful things can happen. ASA goes up to 1000, too. This is a rarity for a point-and-shoot, and allows you to push a 400 speed film 1.5 stops or shoot with higher speed films like Portra 800. When looking close though I see that the L35AF has sort of a “biting” sharpness that’s typical for Nikon glass – I was very impressed with both the Yashica T3 & T4 as well but they’re different.

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It seems, on paper, that we could expect to be let down by the L35AF. When one tries it, however, this expectation will go unfulfilled. What was most notable in the 1980s about the L35AF’s lens remains its most notable feature today; outstanding sharpness. How Nikon coaxed such sharpness out of this lens is a question, the answer to which I’ll happily stay oblivious. I’m no engineer; I don’t know, and I don’t care. All that matters is that this little machine creates some of the finest detail and sharpest images of any point-and-shoot I’ve ever used. A long time ago I dreamed of owning a Yashica T4 or maybe even a Contax T2. This is a shared camera dream, one that has become more like a fantasy in recent years due to the ever-increasing popularity and price of these aspirational point-and-shoot film cameras. We’re consistently blown away by the quality of photos that can be taken with this small, cheap point and shoot film camera. People love the MJU II. It’s a great camera, too, but I find its photos a bit flat and boring. They’re passable, but the camera doesn’t read any of its own style into them at all. I’m an editorial photographer, so I’m not looking for a Lomography camera or something like that — my photos always have to be totally accurate.

While cameras like the Nikon 35Ti sport the Nikkor badge with pride, the L35AF does not. It’s long been the way of things at Nikon that their Nikkor lenses could be considered of a higher quality than lenses marked “Nikon”, so one could be forgiven for thinking this point-and-shoot houses an inferior lens. Given this preface, it’s surprising to discover that most photo geeks consider the L35AFs lens to be one of the best in the world of point-and-shoots. But does it deserve this enjoyable reputation? And then there’s the battery door. This is the camera’s Achilles heal. It was apparently designed by a drunk engineer as an afterthought, likely as part of a contest for who could choose components with the lowest possible build quality and durability. This may be a pro or a con for you – we find the weight gives the camera a sturdier feeling without being cumbersome in any way.For us, this camera is the perfect blend of durability, image quality, and affordability. Do we wish that we had a Contax T3? Sure, why not! But more importantly, do we think that a T3 would get used as much as an L35AF? Not a chance. Here, let's examine the imaging characteristics of this lens based on the design values and sample photos. I mentioned earlier that this was the third fully automatic point and shoot camera I owned. One of those other two cameras, the Canon AF35M from 1979 was one of it’s direct competitors. To be completely fair though, the AF35M pictured to the left is 8 years older than the Nikon. A more fair comparison would be between either a later variant of the Canon and the original Nikon L35AF from 1983. Since I don’t have those two exact models to compare, I’ll just say that despite their age gap, the two cameras still share a lot in common. If there was one complaint I saw with these images, is that some of them seem to have harsh contrast. I think that’s more of an issue with the film, than the camera however.