Konica C35 EF, Sights and Scenes I

Analog Diary: Film photography favorites, Sights and Scenes I, images with a vintage Konica C35 EF (Pikkari), the first compact camera with a fully built-in electronic flash.

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One of my favorite film cameras, to date, is the small and compact Konica C35 Automatic, a true rangefinder and a favorite with a tack-sharp four-element Hexanon 38mm F2.8 lens.

The camerais part of a four-camera series by Konica, which includes the original C35, C35 V (C35 E&L), C35 Automatic (C35 Flashmatic), and Auto S3 (C35FD).

The follow-up series, which started with the Konica C35 EF, nicknamed 'Pikkari' in Japan, introduced in 1975, was the first 35mm compact camera with a built-in flash. Over the original series, the C35 EF was an all-black plastic body and, much like the earlier C35 V, comes with only a zone focusing feature.

Konica C35 EF

The camera itself is slightly bigger and wider than the original C35, and as I can see from the ads listed on auction sites, it will be a hard sell if you find one that is fully functional. Mine had a non-working flash. You still need a battery to run its AE electronics. I had a 1.5-volt SR44 installed, which should work just as well. At a pinch, you may want to set the film ISO speed to a lower setting to cater to the difference.