The Poundland Camera Challenge

I’ve decided to set myself a wee challenge this year and buy a camera a month for the price of a Roll of film or less from my favourite discount film supplier (hence the Poundland  challenge). Although the first camera to arrive is the Halina Speedy 33 shown below I’ve actually been able to get one of the last Olympus film compacts for 99p as well and just missed out on a Classic Mamiya 4b rangefinder from the 60’s (knocked out by £1.20 with 4 seconds to go)

Attack of the clones II

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Halina Autoflash 35 Review : Farewell my Flimsy Friend

This weekend my Halina Autoflash 35 gave up the ghost. I’ve only shot a roll or 2 through it but have a sense of how this rather flimsy zone focus with compact flash worked.

Halina Autoflash 35
Halina Autoflash 35 Compact 35mm Camera from Haking

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Agfa Isoly III Review : 4×4 classic

The Isoly series is probably best known for the humble Isoly I, the camera that launched a 1000 Diana clones. But the series also feature a range of other models including the top of the range Isoly III which makes for a rather good 120 P&S

Agfa Isoly III - 120 film camera
Agfa Isoly III – 120 film camera from the 1960’s

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Halina Panorama Review : No Frills Plastic-O-Rama

Plastic Trash cam or sheer Genius ?
Both are descriptions I’ve heard about the Halina Panorama  also better known in the US as the Ansco Pix Panorama . But where does the truth lie with this no frills Shooter.

Halina Panorama
Halina Panorama a fixed focus 35mm simple camera

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Halina Super 35X Review : Superstar or Hasbeen ?

The 35X is perhaps the model that most folk remember when the word Halina is muttered. That Leica look-a-like is perhaps the best known of Haking’s creations but the Super 35X  refines the mechanics and gave rise to a more unique style.

Halina Super 35X
Halina Super 35X

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Barclaycard Visa Camera Review – I shouldn’t like this but….

The Barclaycard Visa Camera was a freebie camera that has the infamous optical color lens moniker. A true plastic trashcam which is now worryingly brittle. But there is something endearing about this lump of plastic toy camera,

Barclaycard Visa Camera
Barclaycard Visa Camera with 50mm Optical Color Lens

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BelOMO Vilia Review : Black in the USSR

The Vilia is yet another fully manual shooter from the later years of the soviet union from MMZ-BelOMO in Belarus. Unlike its obvious soviet rivals the camera styling is more akin to Japanese compacts of the era. But how does it measure up compared to its rivals like the Smena Symbol  ?

BelOMO Vilia Camera
BelOMO Vilia. 35mm Viewfinder Camera from FSU

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