Nikon L35AF

bmattock

bmattock

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I picked up a copy of the 'cult classic' Nikon L35AF camera at an online thrift store a few weeks ago. Cleaned it up, put new batteries in it, and it seemed to be working.

12507397_10207699078729980_8504610802729118411_n.jpg


Yesterday, I ran a roll of very expired Shantou ERA 100 B&W film through it. Rated the film at EI 200 and processed it as usual in Diafine 5+5. Scanned with Konica-Minolta Scan Dual IV and edited in The GIMP, all under Linux. Minimal fix-up done. Some scratch removal, some minor cropping. But largely as it came from the scanner.

The L35AF is reputed to have a very sharp lens. I can say that it is indeed sharp. I didn't see a lot of evidence of distortion or light falloff in the corners either; seems sharp edge to edge. Of course, there is no way to know what the aperture was that these were shot at, since it's automatic everything.


2016-02-07-0037_edited by Wigwam Jones, on Flickr


2016-02-07-0042_edit by Wigwam Jones, on Flickr


2016-02-07-0025_edited by Wigwam Jones, on Flickr


2016-02-07-0015_edited by Wigwam Jones, on Flickr


2016-02-07-0009_edited by Wigwam Jones, on Flickr
 
I like this set - excellent sharpness and metering is good.

I have one of these that has finicky AF. I will take it apart one of these days and see if can be repaired.
 
Nice, Bill, and thanks for the photos. Always was interested in this lens since it's the only 35mm Sonnar that I know of.

Roland.
 
I like this camera. It was Nikon's first autofocus compact, I believe. There are maybe 3 versions of this camera. Bill and I both have the earliest version with filter threads, and manual asa setting. Later versions lacked this and had an automatic closing lens cap.
 
FrankS said:
I like this camera. It was Nikon's first autofocus compact, I believe. There are maybe 3 versions of this camera. Bill and I both have the earliest version with filter threads, and manual asa setting. Later versions lacked this and had an automatic closing lens cap.
Click to expand...

Mine is version 2 of the first edition, I believe. The ASA setting goes to 1000, which I believe the first version only went to 400. Mine does have the filter threads.

I see these going for silly prices on eBay, so I've never really been tempted, but I happened to see this one pictured but not named in a group of point-n-shoot cameras being sold on Shopgoodwill.com and I put in a lowball bid and got it. Of course, no telling if it worked or not, but in my case, I got lucky.

http://www.shopgoodwill.com/viewItem.asp?ItemID=26956091

I think I came out OK on the deal... ;)
 
Believe it or not guys, I've got one of these Version 2's sitting in my old Nikon bag. I bought it new back in the day. Haven't shot any film thru it in ages but I stored it without batteries so I imagine it might still work.
 
Very cool. I've always wanted the Vivitar Series 1 PHD that had a manual zoom, made about the same time.

Congrats on breathing a bit of life back into a fine new friend.

B2 (;->
 
I liked the idea of a 35mm Sonnar so much that I cannibalized a non-working L35AF and mounted the lens assembly in a hacked Soviet Industar so I could use it on my LTM cameras. May not be pretty, but it works great.



 
02Pilot said:
I liked the idea of a 35mm Sonnar so much that I cannibalized a non-working L35AF and mounted the lens assembly in a hacked Soviet Industar so I could use it on my LTM cameras. May not be pretty, but it works great.



Click to expand...

That's awesome!
 
I bought one at a yard sale for my son in 1987 (he was 6), but whatever fatherly knowitallism I felt with my OM was taught a lesson or two by that lens. Where did it go? It didn't survive some transcontinental moves. This winter I bought him another one, though. And threw in one roll of TriX.
 
bmattock said:
I picked up a copy of the 'cult classic' Nikon L35AF camera at an online thrift store a few weeks ago. Cleaned it up, put new batteries in it, and it seemed to be working.

12507397_10207699078729980_8504610802729118411_n.jpg


Yesterday, I ran a roll of very expired Shantou ERA 100 B&W film through it. Rated the film at EI 200 and processed it as usual in Diafine 5+5. Scanned with Konica-Minolta Scan Dual IV and edited in The GIMP, all under Linux. Minimal fix-up done. Some scratch removal, some minor cropping. But largely as it came from the scanner.

The L35AF is reputed to have a very sharp lens. I can say that it is indeed sharp. I didn't see a lot of evidence of distortion or light falloff in the corners either; seems sharp edge to edge. Of course, there is no way to know what the aperture was that these were shot at, since it's automatic everything.


2016-02-07-0037_edited by Wigwam Jones, on Flickr


2016-02-07-0042_edit by Wigwam Jones, on Flickr


2016-02-07-0025_edited by Wigwam Jones, on Flickr


2016-02-07-0015_edited by Wigwam Jones, on Flickr


2016-02-07-0009_edited by Wigwam Jones, on Flickr
Click to expand...

This is one of cameras I didn't buy when having 35mm compact craze. Lens is cracking, reminds me Konica C35.
 
I almost bid on that bunch just because of the L35AF. Since I already have two, I let it go. Glad you have one now to enjoy, Bill. I don't shoot mine often enough, but they are great 35's.


On Kodak Ultramax 400
7022424115_543ca274c3_z.jpg

Blocked by P F McFarland, on Flickr

PF
 
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