At first glance you might be thinking this is a clone of the Ricoh FF-7 or similar. But nope this turns out to be a very quirky basic shooter but with some quirks. Meet the fairly unique plastic fantastic, the Fetana 35FT
You’ll find this on the likes AliExpress and TBH I dunno if this is new or new old stock. That said some Singapore and other Asian camera stores do sell this and other Fetana models. But whilst I do think these are BNIB, they are likely old discontinued stock.
So is it clone of the Ricoh models ?
You’d think so but looking like the Ricoh FF-7 and later models like the FF-9s above. These are fully automatic with AF, auto exposure and a motor drive. Our humble Fentana has none of those. But has a very similar flick up flash
Okay so what’s the Fentana 35FT spec ?
We have a lo-end camera with 2 notable quirks. Firstly and most obvious is that Ricoh like swing up flash. It uses 2 AA batteries but the battery compartment is very snug.
The battery also powers a low light warning system. This uses a simple LED on rear and a sensor on front. It does not have DX code reading nor is there a stable film speed
The 34mm 1:5.6 lens is fixed focus. It is glass and 3 elements. And it carries the Japan Lens moniker a sign of quality (not). There are 2 apertures f /11 in normal shooting and it drops to f/5.6 when you trigger the flash. You can drop out the the batteries to give yourself 2 extra stops in low light. The shutter is locked at 1/125sec.
The estimated focal range of 1.5m to infinity matches what you’d expect for a f/11 34mm lens. Personally I think the focus is set a little bit before the predicted 3.64m optimal focal point as I’ll discuss. Flash is described as having a 1.5-3m range (5-10ft in old money)
Fetana 35FT Design and Build
This does uncannily look like a slightly more blocky Ricoh compact from the late 80’s/early 90’s. Its plastic and a bit creaky but its alright made. The battery compartment is very tight
There’s a chucky grip on one side. Beside it is a switch that causes the lens cover to slide to the side. On top there was a switch that causes the flash to swing out and pop up. Both the lens cover and flash need to be push manually back to close.
There’s no tripod or or cable point. The rear has 2 LED – one for flash ready and one for low light warning (a sensor sits to the side of the view finder on the front). I think this sensor is geared for 100/200 ISO films. There’s a wee film window so you can see what film you’ve loaded.
Inside the camera there is a standard slotted take up spool and the film plane is flat. There is a conventional rewind system. With rewind button on base and a rewind knob with fold out handle on the top.
Worth noting there is a protective film over the central basic viewfinder.
The camera box is if I’m being charitable – basic. It’s the flimsy box and mines arrive creased and crumpled. It’s also branded for a digital camera. I’ve bought another Fetana (coming soon) which comes in the same cr@p box. There is a branded plastic bag which is alright alongside a instruction sheet in Chinese and English but that’s it.
Who are Fetana ?
I have no idea. But interestingly the cameras they make/made aren’t under other names. I suspect they are a Taiwan or Chinese brand. The box indicates the company makes digital cameras, chargers etc.
I’ve found 3 other film camera models sold online. They are all 35mm cameras with a 34mm 1:5.6 Japan Made lens.
- 35SR similar spec but more conventional looking
- 35NF Similar to 35SR with motordrive
- 35MD another motordrive version different styling
There’s a few insta posts of a Fetana Digital camera from earlier this year. They all show a white camera with a flip up screen.
But it’s hard to tell anything about it – it could be legit but I’ve seen many a scamera with similar imagery.
The lack of a website or sources would suggest it’s defunct company and these film cameras may be old stock
Use
Load as usual. and wind on. The lens cover doubles a shutter lock which is nice. The lo-light LED comes on to suggest you turn on the flash in dark places but it isn’t linked to your film
As to film choices I’d use either c-41 colour or B&W assuming a +2/-1 tolerability 400 ISO is the best except if very bright. But here’s a wee chart
| Optimal | +2 | -1 | -2 | |
| 100ISO | Slightly overcast/Hazy | Beach /Snow | cloudy bright | cloudy dull |
| 200IS0 | cloudy bright | Bright Sun | Cloudy Dull | dark skies |
| 400ISO | Cloudy Dull | Hazy | Dark Skies/Sunset | Neon signs/ immediately after sunset |
| 800ISO | Dark Sky | cloudy Bright | Neon signs/ Immediately after sunset | well lit indoors |
| 1600ISO | immediately after sunset. Neon signs | Cloudy Dull | after sunset/ well lit indoors | reasonably lit indoors |
Dropping batteries out and using the flash allows you to shoot 2 stops down on this chart
Results with the Fetana 35FT
It’s not awful. The triplet glass lens helps with that but that lens doesn’t do much better than the current crop of Dubblefilm clones.
Flash shots & f/5.6
Oddly I’ll talk about the flash shots first
Kudos on some levels, They’re not bad although soft they’re sharper than even a good disposable centrally although fall off to edges is notable. There a very soft vignette and I would agree more than a few metres away things would soften more but it does what it needs to.
You can also drop the batteries out and exploit the wider aperture but you’re making your depth of field much smaller. Assuming the optimal hyperfocal distance is the the actual focal point for f/11, it would give a depth of field of just 2.4-7.3m.
I think the focus is set nearer to fit the flash. I would argue its’s just a smidge better than the dubblefilm clones
At standard non flash setting (f/11)
On the standard shots this camera heavily vignettes. I’m trying to avoid the Chinese Lomo moniker but it is quite striking.
The images are sharper at close to medial distance as you’d expect and fall off whilst present is less than at f/5.6.
Radial distortion whilst present is low. For a lo-fi camera there’s a smidge of barrel distortion. It does soften a lot off centre towards the edges even at f/11 and becomes messy in the corners.
Chromatic aberrations are evident on colour shots but ease off on B&W. In fact as the lens is quite contrasty it suits B&W more than average lo-fi.
Long shots are weak even on the standard f/11. I suspect the focal point is set before the optimal hyperfocal point to ensure the flash shots are in focus.
But it’s a compelling mix for a lo-fi camera
Final Thoughts on the Fetana 35FT
This shouldn’t exist in 2024, but I’d argue it’s good it does
Pluses
- Triplet lens with 2 stops for Thirty quid
- Keeps up with more modern lo-fi cameras
- Pop up flash and lens cover
This is surprisingly good for the money. It’s not perfect but can keep up with the Dubblefilm/M35 clone crowd. The triplet lens under performs but does enough to keep up and there is some character and individuality here
Negatives
- Triplet really under performs
- soft long
- Vignetting not for all
- Kodak Ektar H35 and Holga 35BC about the same
I can’t say this is the best camera in the current crop. The Dubblefilms are as good and better in some areas. Although the Fetana works better with the flash aperture trick at close shots. It also doesn’t match the Reto UWS and other VUWS clones. Whilst they lack a flash their spiritual and more fancy successors the half frame Kodak Ektar H35 and H35N do have. And the later has the flash trick option too and is arguably the most compelling sub £100 roll film camera on the market. Both produce waaay sharper clinically images (esp the H35N with the hybrid lens.
But that’s not the point. The Tetana 35FT is a quirky less seen alternative with some retro vibes and it’s own lo-fi character. Some may baulk at the image quality but for a lo-fi enthusiast this may just be the quirk you’re seeking for around thirsty quid
A few more alternatives to the Fetana F35FT
I’ve already listed the Dubblefilm/Kodak M35 clones, the Kodak Ektars, VUWS clones. I’d also have a gander at the Lomography LomoApparat which adds all sorts of Lo-Fi fun with flash gels, switchable lens filters but costs about 2-3x the cost of the Fetana. The Holga 135BC and Lomography La Sardina are 2 other more quirky Lo-Fis but the former does suffer from variable QC.
