Although not as remember as better selling Japanese rivals the Fujica 35 Auto-M is technological tour de force from the early 60’s offering features not seen on even SLR cameras for over another decade
Minolta made some of the most iconic cameras of the 20th Century including the fantastic Hi-matic series that even made it into space. But is this fixed focal length AF compact from the 80’s (aka as the Freedom 200 in the US) launch ready or space junk.
This slightly rare FSU 35mm camera might look familiar. In fact it is a BelOMO Vilia with metering. But does this make it any better or worse than the original?
This camera arrived in a Poundland Camera Challenge in a joblot for 99p from eBay along with the Pentax Espio AF Zoom. At first glance you’d be forgiven for thinking that this Haking produced number was in the same Zoom AF compact class as the Pentax. But whilst it’s a modern and still made compact zoom, it is weirdly fixed focus !!
Let’s be clear this isn’t camera from the mighty japanese manufacturer Canon. The AZ-100 is one in a long line of sound-a-likes under the Canon Mate moniker. As part of the Poundland Camera Challenge got this with a load of other cameras including a rather excellent Pentax Espio AF Zoom for 99p but was this the runt of the litter or was this fixed focus trashcam better than it sound.
This 110 film rarity has been my been my one successful sale to date in the Poundland camera challenge. This fixed focus rarity already in the Parisien hands of a happy buyer.
This all singing SLR body (sold in the US as the N4004) almost made it into the Poundland Challenge. It turned out to be a bigger steal than most from that and demonstrates you can get incredible cameras for next to nought these days.
This perhaps is the oddest looking purchase of the Poundland Challenge so far. This 1988 zoom AF in RC Limited guise looks like a digital Bridge camera that were popular a few years back. But this all singing and dancing device turn out to be a golden gate or a bridge too far ?
This 35mm compact with fixed focus arrived in my second lot of camera’s for 99p lot. Of the useable camera in that lot, it was arguable is the most advanced with motorwind, DX coding sensor and fill in flash button. But is at technological triumph or let down compared to more simple cameras like the Kodak 35EF
This Camera has been my ‘can’t believe it’s not butter’ moment of the Poundland Challenge. It turned up with a pack of other cameras as s 99p Job lot. Whilst others have made that job lot quite a good deal this was the hidden cracker. But why has this AF zoom compact so impressed me.