This little plastic corker was one of the best selling classic soviet Cameras of all time. But why does a plasticky unmetered camera with 1950’s mechanics still deserve a loyal following. The answer is its simplicity and its killer lens. Continue reading Smena 8m Review : Good clean plastic Fun
The Yashica ME1 is often overlooked due to Yashica’s heritage of classic rangefinders but this little plastic P&S is suprisingly enjoyable abet with some quirks. Continue reading Yashica ME1 Review : The Boys from Brazil (and Japan)
This 50’s rarity is arguable one of the first metered 35mm point and shooters (P&S) on the market and whilst basic and bulky had much in the ways of the compact P&S like the Olympus Trip 35 that followed it a decade plus later. And you know something, it still works and takes pretty good shots. Continue reading The Fujica 35 Automagic Review : Futuristic 50’s Automagic
The Halina 35-600 is one of Haking’s most stylish compact camera from the 70’s. But is this zone focus, auto-exposure Olympus Trip 35 clone any good ?
The Halina 3000 and it’s unmetered siblings the 1000 and 2000 have the gorgeous retro silver and black look that is so en vogue at the moment in modern camera styling. Oddly their underpinnings are actually more 60’s rather than 70’s when they were sold. But is it any good ? Continue reading Halina 3000 Review : Stylish re-invention or outdated Junk
This year I managed to pick up a Goko UF a pretty rare fixed focus plastic flash shooter with a patented Universal Focus system which promises the ability to remain in focus both near and far.
But how does that work in practice and with a camera with a fixed aperture ? Continue reading Goko UF Review : Universal Focus Plastic Flashtic
Haking by the 80’s had produced a series of increasing complex 35mm compacts. The MW series of camera added motorwind capability and the MW 35E is one of the best examples of these pre-autofocus Point & Shooters. And despite some serious limitations, it can be a capable beast (during a recent holiday in Skegness it outshot a Olympus XA2 !) Continue reading Halina MW 35E Review : 80’s motorised flashy fun
This 120 roll film camera is a bit of an oddity for Haking a company with a TLR (Halina A1) and a smattering of pseudo TLRs (e.g. the Halina Viceroy. But it perhaps serves as model for how Haking cameras were to become in the 35mm age and the styling is more like a 35mm than 120 film camera of the era.
And for a basic 120 film P&S, it is pretty good. Continue reading Halina 6-4 Review: Point and shoot 120 class with Pilkington Glass
The Halina 1000 is wee bit of an oddity. Launched in the 70’s it was the little sis of the Halina 2000 & Halina 3000. Unlike those scale focus, multiple settings cameras, the Halina 1000 was pretty much all plastic fixed focus fun with minimal settings. Pretty basic by the standards of the day but now presents sharper alternative to the Diana Mini in the Toy Camera class. Continue reading Halina 1000 Review – 70’s plastic fun to take on the Diana Mini
This little oddity (here wearing it’s Revue 35FC guise) has become labelled as the Hong Kong Lomo due to its LC-A like styling. Infact both cameras are arguable different takes on the Cosina CX-2 and are very different. The Micro 35 is probably Haking’s best styled compact and certainly is a lot more interesting to look at than some of the brick like beasts of its era. Continue reading Halina Micro 35 Review : Hong Kong not so Phooey
