This ended up being my first truly vintage pound or less camera. This scale focus number was launched in 1959 as an update to the Mark I launched a couple of years earlier (the mark III was in by the end of 1959 !!). But how does Ilford’s challenger to Kodak’s retina/retinette measure up ?
The Canon’s Sure Shot AF-7s (aka Sure shot Owl PF or Prima AF-9S) was launched at the turn of the century. It is essentially like a restyled version of the 1997 Sure Shot AF-7/Sure Shot Owl and carried on the characteristic large viewfinder (hence sold under the Owl name in the US). Mines arrived with a case and batteries (thankfully not corroded)
This wacky fixed focus number arrived early on into the Poundland challenge. This quirky 2 lens camera was also sold as Cronus 35DL and Kin Son 35 DL and is closely related to the Miranda TL-200 and its clones. Sadly mines arrive with some batteries in – possible the most corroded batteries I’ve ever had. But could I get it working and was it worth the effort ?
This late Olympus camera was actually the first bought as part of the Poundland challenge but the Halina Speedy 33 arrived first. This was one of the last film cameras made by Olympus, a company with an excellent history of making P&S such as the Trip 35 and the XA2. But how does this late autofocus, zoom compact measure up ?
I’ve heard folk rave about modern film cameras before. There are some serious devotees to the cult of Lomography and all that LSI makes for example. But Sunpet’s tiny wide angled camera originally sold as the Vivitar Ultra Wide and Slim (VUWS) and today is sold as the Superheadz Wide and Slim or the Eximus has developed a similar cachet. But does it live up to it’s tag as “The Poor man’s Lomo”
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.
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
The XA1 is often rated as the runt of the XA series litter by XA officandos. But this little overlooked number can still deliver despite it’s limitations and can surprise.
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.