Canon A35 F

Greyscale

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I just picked up a very nice, working Canon A35 F rangefinder at a local garage sale for $4.00. When I got it home, I did a "completed auction" search on eBay to see what they were selling for. I was very surprised at how low the few "sold" ones went for. Especially when compared to other black-bodied automatic rangefinders from the same era.

From what I understand, this camera is pretty much a Canonet 28 with a built-in flash, so it should be a decent performer. Except maybe not so much for low-light use without the flash, as it apparently disables the shutter in those instances.

Is this particular model a dog, or is it simply overlooked, undervalued, and unappreciated? Or is it the seeming lack of low ambient-light capability the key factor in keeping its value so low?

Since I don't really do much low-light shooting at present, this little camera may very well give me the most bang for the buck of any other camera that I own.
 
Canon A35F

Canon A35F

Hi Greyscale,

I picked up a Canon A35F a while back off the big auctions site. $29 practically new in the box! I've really enjoyed using it. It looks and feels great and the integrated flash is very handy for fill flash & indoor shots.

The flash has the "Canon Auto Tuning System (CATS) which automatically sets the proper flash aperture for the subject distance and film speed." Many times I've been impressed at how well this system works (the same system in the Canolite D flash that I use on my Canonet QL17 G-III I believe).

A few drawbacks with this camera:

1. Camera only lets you control focus, ISO rating, and flash on/off.
2. It takes the now unavailable Mercury PX625 battery.
3. As you mentioned, it's a 40mm f2.8 lens (not very fast).
4. ISO range is limited to 25 to 400.
5. A little hard to source hoods & filters for this camera (48mm filter size).


You can find more information about this camera here:

http://www.canon.com/camera-museum/...78_a35f.html?lang=us&categ=srs&page=other&p=1

I've attached a couple of photos I've taken with my Canon A35F to give you an idea of the results I've gotten (They were shot with either Kodak BW400CN or Kodak Gold 100). Enjoy 😀.
 
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Auto-only AE is kind of short, isn't it? I mean, you could carry smaller camera with easier to find/replace battery for fast snaps...I want to say, I could.

40mm is intresting lens, though. I use 40/2.8 with Av and it's pretty universal package - both 35mm and 50mm can be too "either end", so 40mm is spot on, for me.

For $4 don't regret anything, if you dont mind control over aperture or speed, it can turn out your workhorse camera.
 
Nice shots, Dave. I will be happy indeed if I produce photos of similar quality with mine.😀

The camera is in absolutely perfect condition, and still has a working mercury battery in it, so I think that it has rarely seen the light of day since it was new, or at least since they stopped selling mercury batteries in the US. If and when the current battery does fail, I think zinc-air 1.35v batteries would be a suitable replacement.

btgc, in many cases, I find that I prefer the larger, heavier cameras (although lately, the little Oly Stylus is almost always in my pocket), and this camera is a lightweight compared to my KAS2. It has a nice short stroke on the film advance, much shorter than the G Yashicas or the Hi-Matic 9, and a nice soft shutter release, are all Canonets like this?

This might not become my main workhorse camera, but I think it may become my "go-to" indoor or flash camera, and with a long, cold Iowa winter rapidly approaching, I think it will see plenty of use over the next 5 months.
 
btgc: I agree with you. Most features could be found in a smaller camera. Nevertheless, there's something about the A35F that just "feels" right. There's a simplicity to it.... I also enjoy using fill flash and a 40mm lens. 🙂 You refer to using a "40/2.8 with Av" - is this the Yashica Electro MC you are referring to?

Greyscale: Thanks for the compliments on the snaps! I'm not sure if all Canonets have nice soft shutter releases, but my two do.
 
Yes, I think I know what you both mean by "feel just right", I have some cameras I don't use much but they have a proper size, shape and feel, topped with nice lens and controls.

Dave S. - I mean exactly 35 MC, though lately I've found also 35 FC is fine - same lens (though in plastic casing), just little bigger body and RF focusing.
 
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