White Slim Angel 35mm film point and shoot plastic camera with roll of Fuji film

5 Frames with a White Slim Angel – Then and Now – By DeeDee Yelverton

By / 14 Comments / / 5 frames with... / Slim Angel, Vivitar Ultra Wide and Slim

I’m not sure how or when I first discovered the plastic White Slim Angel camera – but I think it was around 2009 or 2010. For those not familiar with this gem, it is a plastic point and shoot film camera, with a wide angle lens of 22mm, fixed at f/11 and 1/125. I didn’t learn until reading a post on 35mmc that the The White Slim Angel is essentially the resurrected / cloned version of the Vivitar Ultra Wide & Slim.

It was cheap and it had a wide angle – which I didn’t shoot, so I thought it would be a fun way to see if I could get the hang of that kind of perspective. At the time, film and processing were also readily available and inexpensive. Shortly after I got my little plastic jewel, I signed up for a photo walk as part of the global Flickr Photowalk event in 2010. I got some of my favorite shots with this little camera on that photo walk.

Time passed, I forgot I even had this and then rediscovered it a few months ago. Eager to capture similarly enjoyable images and the fun experience I remembered from that 2010 adventure, I found some film and loaded it up. Below are my 5 frames from 2010 and 5 frames from 2020. I don’t know what the film was in 2010 but the film I used for the 2020 images is Fuji Superia Xtra 800.

5 Frames in 2010

man looking at statue taken with a White Slim Angel ultra wide 35mm point and shoot film camera
On the grounds of the Texas State capitol building – Austin, Texas, USA – 2010
streets and buildings in Austin, Texas, taken with a White Slim Angel ultra wide 35mm point and shoot film camera
Near downtown Austin, Texas, USA – 2010
Reflections in a door of a building taken with a White Slim Angel ultra wide 35mm point and shoot film camera
Reflections in a door. Austin, Texas, USA – 2010 .
Yellow cab on the streets in Austin, Texas, taken with a White Slim Angel ultra wide 35mm point and shoot film camera.
Yellow cab and a few cars on the streets of Austin, Texas, Summer, 2010. The streets were not nearly as jam-packed as they are today.
Painted blue brick buildings with windows and flags taken with a White Slim Angel ultra wide 35mm point and shoot film camera.
After the photo walk, I stopped in a small town on the way home to use up the last of the roll with this one. Central Texas, USA – 2010

5 Frames in 2020

Flowers in the foreground and a pergola in the background at a local park, taken with a White Slim Angel 35mm point and shoot film camera.
Thanks to COVID19 stay home recommendations, and sweltering summer heat, I had this beautiful park and garden area to myself for the half hour or so that I ventured out. Central Texas, USA, July 2020.
Rows of plants and a single person at a local garden centerin July 2020, taken with a White Slim Angel 35mm point and shoot film camera.
Physical distancing still in full force at the local garden center. July 2020.
Flag waving at a park, taken with the White Slim Angel plastic point and shoot 35mm film camera.
Mid-day at a local park – plenty of space to distance since no one in their right mind is out during this time of day due to the heat. 🙂 July, 2020
Open sign on sidewalk near a shop taken with the White Slim Angel 35mm plastic point and shoot film camera.
Sparse sidewalks and shops slowly opening up again thanks to a world-wide pandemic. July 2020.
Sun flare across a green lawn, taken with a White Slim Angel 35mm plastic point and shoot film camera.
I don’t remember if I intentionally tried to capture a sun-flare on this one or if it was a happy accident, but either way, I like it.

I still enjoy using this little camera. It’s lightweight, fully automatic and lets you be in the moment. It’s almost like the precursor to your phone camera – only lighter weight and you get actual film prints. It is fun, and you can make some surprisingly enjoyable images with it. I plan to put some other rolls through it – my current favorite being Kodak Portra 400.

The Slim Angel is overpriced now but if you are patient you may be able to find one in a bargain bin somewhere. It is also delicate since it is plastic – particularly when you are winding the film back into the spool when you have finished, so if you do find one, just be extra careful when you rewind your film. I’m enjoying mine and I am glad I found it before it was too fashionable to afford. 😉

You can find more of my photography on Flickr, at my website, and random, intermittent postings on Instagram.

 

Contribute to 35mmc for an Ad-free Experience

There are two ways to experience 35mmc without the adverts:

Paid Subscription - £2.99 per month and you'll never see an advert again! (Free 3-day trial).
Subscribe here.

Content contributor - become a part of the world’s biggest film and alternative photography community blog. All our Contributors have an ad-free experience for life.
Sign up here.

About The Author

My interest in photography began when I was around 9 or 10 years old. I was fascinated with photography as a way to capture and preserve a feeling and a moment forever - to me it was the closest thing we had to time travel. I still feel the same way about it.

Related Posts

14 thoughts on “5 Frames with a White Slim Angel – Then and Now – By DeeDee Yelverton”

  1. Mike Watkins

    Great pics! I loved my Ultra Wide and Slim until I broke the rewind crank off. It’s surprising how good the results can be with a simple single element lens and curved film plane. Just like a 1950s vintage 120 or 127 Kodak Brownie.

    Reply
  2. Terry B

    DeeDee, I was really surprised at the IQ of the photos you’ve posted here, much better than I would have anticipated from what was virtually a “throw-away” camera. One would have thought that by attempting a 22mm WA plastic lens with just two elements would have been too ambitious, but your sample seems spot on.
    I did a quick check on ebay and indeed the camera is way overpriced for what it is, but if they all perform to the standard of your unit, still cheaper than the hundreds of $/£/€ a reasonable “proper” lens of, say, 21mm will cost, and this little camera makes sense if one wishes to do the odd super wide shot and not invest in pricey glass.
    Thanks for posting.

    Reply
    1. DeeDee Yelverton

      Thank you, Terry. You have a good point about the cost vs a proper wide angle lens. I was a bit shocked when I saw the current asking prices for this plastic camera. Part of the fun of using this for me was that it was so inexpensive.

      Reply
  4. Stala Gavrielides

    Great write up and photos! Thanks for sharing.

    I was told that it’s safer to load 24 exp film to avoid breaking that rewind crank.

    Reply
    1. DeeDee Yelverton

      Thanks, Stala! Yes, that’s true. It’s better to load 24 or 12 exp film to avoid breaking the rewind crank. I forgot to include that tip in the article. Thanks for mentioning that!

      Reply
  5. Alec Brown

    Lovely shots Dee Dee, I was also going to suggest only using 24 exposure max to save the rewind crank.
    I had a Vivitar UWS back in 2009 that I picked up for pennies, I sold it for 50 times what I paid for it a few years later then regretted it.
    I’ve just picked up another for not too much and am running a film through it now.

    Reply
  6. Carl Cozzone

    Nice shots!
    I raan a roll of Velvia through the UWS maybe 10 years ago? The shots were pretty spectacular as i remember. Sadly it failed. I still miss it. I have the flickr link if you re keen to look at some of the pics?

    Reply
  8. Alec Brown

    I’m shooting a roll of expired Agfa Vista Plus 200 asa.
    In fact I just finished it this morning.
    You know what I might just share the images.

    Reply

Leave a Comment

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.

Scroll to Top