Nikon L35 AF
This is a wonderful compact yet very capable pocket camera. It has an amazing lens with very good low light capability. It is fully auto up to the point where you can rest back some control when making exposure decisions.
I have never had issues with lens flare and results seem to show that distortion isn’t a thing. I am only shooting B&W for this series so can’t comment on colour saturation but the lens contrast is good.
The focus of this presentation is not to “pro and con” this camera, there are plenty of pages and sites who have already covered this. My focus is to get some rubber on the road, live with this camera for a month and see what outcomes we can produce.
Excellent handling
Some general information
- Does it have an industry nickname – Nikon nicknamed it Pikaichi
- Why was it the darling of the camera scene – This machine was everything consumers wanted. Small, durable, simple, and affordable, it also offered something its competitors lacked; a truly exceptional lens
- Pigeon hole it sits in – It’s a compact point and shoot rangefinder
- Special feature – first autofocus from Nikon with full auto exosure
What is my connection to the camera?
- Why did it catch my interest – I had a Pentax Espio mini on my hip as I back packed Vietnam and Cambodia in the mid 90’s, I filled it with colour transparency film and away I went exploring and adventuring. I was stunned at how great the images came out. I had my full 35mm SLR system with me as well, but nothing caught the spontaneity of the Espio. Fast forward 15 years and I find myself in England hanging with the most varied and eclectic group of photographers I could hope to find. While talking over a beer after the annual group visit to the big vintage camera fair in London, we got to talking about compact 35mm cameras. During this conversation I started making a list of favoured, cherished or sort after compacts other members talked about. Some of these cameras are well out of my budget as they resell for collector prices not user prices. Anyway I happened across the Nikon and was vacillating about it as it wasn’t sort of in my number one group. Well ultimately I acquired for a very reasonable and fair price. I am glad I did, it has its own loyal group of lusters out there who see it as a true sleeper in this category – not that favoured but in fact much better that the higher valued more fancied units.
- How did I acquire it – A process of elimination. I had a budget in mind (a bit rubbery as all photogs will understand) and so had to cross more fancied models off my want list. These sell for prices that would be considered on the upper level, I had read lots and was more than happy to move it up the wish list towards the top and I chased a few online to no avail, however this particular one appeared at a trade stand at the annual camera fair in London. I spoke to the store holder and he was very helpful in letting me hold other models I fancied and then had a fondle with this one. He then offered this very good example to me at a price that one could not say no to
- What uses have I put it to – It gets an airing once or twice a year, it is competing for my attention with other cameras in my collection, I don’t like to have cameras for them to sit and be pretty, I want them to be working and ready to roll
- Why this particular unit – I found it at the right time and the right price
- Unique things I discovered – Although it is automatic, for those with the varied photographic experience I have, I quickly worked out how to manipulate the auto part.
- Where does it sit in my level of obsession – its in that place where it gets taken along with other cameras, it plays second fiddle to the others but leaps into its own when when a totally random moment happens, also helps out when I am out of film in the main camera
Overview of camera form and functions
- Loading – Very simple and straight forward
- Focusing – Auto focus
- Exposure adjustment – Auto exposure but ISO ring can be moved to derivate the exposure
- Light meter – very accurate built in through the lens
- General handling – Light, solid, sure grip, controls easy to find
