I was given my first camera when I was seven. My grandfather’s Box Brownie. Ever since then, and I’m seventy now, I’ve collected Kodak cameras. The second one, which I bought myself, was an Instamatic 100 which took the 126 square format film cartridge. In the mid seventies when I was a hard-up student Kodak …
Kodak Star, 60 and S30 – One City, One Film, Three 110 Cameras Read More
Full disclosure: The Kodak Ektar H35 is right up my alley. Why? I like inexpensive, minimalist, rudimentary cameras. This usually consists of older, low level gear like your odd Argus or Russian knockoffs. I had an Argus C3 and still have a C4. I currently have a few FEDs including a 2 and 5C and ZENITs E and KM, the latter being a hilariously awful camera and I heart it. But few new low cost film cameras interest me usually.
The analog community has always been blessed with the abundance of obsolete film cameras from previous generations. If you were to start your P&S analog journey today, getting a camera would be the least expensive set back. If you prefer a zoom camera, you are in luck! There are tons of options out there and zoom cameras cost almost nothing, even top of the line ones are relatively inexpensive. Unfortunately, if you prefer a fixed lens compact, expect to pay more and even a ridiculous sum for a popular camera. Prime lens cameras selection and supply are much more limited than their zoom counterpart, but the demands for fixed lens compact are always high which drives the price even higher.
This is a review of the Chinon Auto 2001 & Kodak VR35 K14 – the Kodak VR35 K14 is a rebranded and slightly tweaked Chinon 2001.
It was apparent that the 80’s was the decade that automobile manufacturers shifted their design philosophy. Every car then was starting to adopt design principles that advocate accentuated straight lines and bold shape to create a futuristic appearance. Who could forget the striking design of the DeLorean car from “Back to the Future”? If you are an analog shooter who admires the design of this car then look no further than the Kodak VR35 K14 and the Chinon Auto 2001 These two cameras were introduced in the 1980’s, bearing a distinctive aesthetic that perfectly embody the 1980s design principles.
This review is about the Kodak S1100XL, a Chinon 3001 with a different badge. If you are a point & shoot enthusiast, you will likely know that rebranding was been a common thing in analog compact cameras. This is usually the case with Rolleis which were often rebranded Samsungs or Leicas which were Minolta at their heart. And of course everyone’s beloved classic: the Chinon Auto 3001 is no exception to rebranding. If you didn’t know, the Chinon 3001 is a well-known camera for its excellent performance as well as being the first compact camera to employ multi-beam focusing.
