To be honest, I have no idea where my Pentax PC35AF-M came from. It just showed up in my camera collection one day. I think I might have picked it up in a thrift store but I’m not sure! For years, I kind of skipped over it, choosing other cameras instead when I’d pack my camera bag. Recently, I was cleaning out my office and stumbled across it again. When I opened the lens cover, I realized the lens was a 2.8F lens. It made me wonder why I hadn’t given this camera a chance yet! So I loaded it up with a roll of 35mm film and took it with me on a recent trip to Boston & Salem, Massachusetts. I even took it with me to a few fashion shoots I had in Portland, Oregon but somehow I lost that roll of film. I’m pretty devastated about that because I’ve never lost a roll of film. Maybe I’ll come across it one of these days. Or maybe I somehow shot over it and will end up with a roll of double exposures. I sure hope so!

A BRIEF HISTORY OF THE PENTAX PC35AF-M

The Pentax PC35AF-M is a 35mm point and shoot autofocus compact camera produced by Asahi Optical Corporation in Japan. It was originally released in 1984, which doesn’t sound that old for a vintage camera, but these days that means it’s 40 years old! In my opinion, they seem to hold up very nicely because of their solid build. The PC35AF-M was a follow-up to the original version of the camera, the Pentax PC35AF. The only difference was a motorized film-advance. The PC35AF was Pentax’s first autofocus compact camera, which is pretty amazing considering how well these little cameras have held up.

INITIAL THOUGHTS

So far, I’m pretty impressed with this camera. It doesn’t look like much but it seems to be becoming a bit of a cult classic in the camera community. It’s still relatively affordable though ($50-200) and I’d recommend scooping one up while you can. You can find them on eBay and places like Mercari. The lens is incredibly sharp for the price and it has quite a heavy, sturdy body for its size. I think this camera still flies under the radar though and I’ve heard of people picking them up in thrift stores for next to nothing. Hopefully you’ll be one of the lucky ones that finds one this way!

FEATURES

If you’re a fan of compact, easy-to-use 35mm point and shoot cameras, this one definitely won’t disappoint. The shutter button makes a strangely satisfying electronic sound and the photos are quite sharp for the price point of this camera. The autofocus system is different than others when it comes to point and shoots, in that you have a bit more control over the subject distance. If you partially depress the shutter button, it shows you in the viewfinder which subject distance it’s choosing. If you decide to change subjects, you can remove your finger from the shutter and redepress the button for the new focusing distance.

I love that is has a pop-up flash. There’s a fun little red button on the side that you pull down and the flash just shoots right up! It gives you a bit more control over the flash, rather than it just popping up on its own when you’re in a low light situation like some other point and shoots. When I was in Boston, I’d bring this camera out with me every night. Since it had a flash and a 2.8F lens, it does pretty well in most lighting conditions and makes a fun nighttime camera.

This camera also has a self-timer, a back-light feature, an ISO switch and automatic film advance. The battery compartment tends to pop open but I just make sure to tape it and I don’t have any problems. It just takes two AA batteries which is super nice. It’s such a pain when I pick up a camera that takes some weird, hard-to-find battery.

The only downside for me, personally, is that there is no multiple exposure feature. There is a rewind switch on the bottom of the camera though, so you could always rewind the film and shoot over it for that effect. I just prefer to have a built-in multiple exposure option.

SIZE & WEIGHT

This camera is great as a grab-and-go or for street photography. It’s somewhat inconspicuous, though maybe a bit too large to fit in a pants pocket. I had no trouble fitting it in my coat pocket, but it does leave a hefty and questionable lump! To me though, this camera is small because I’m used to dragging around giant cameras. It’s surprisingly heavy for it’s size, 12.2 ounces. The older version of the camera, the PC35-AF, weighs a little less though because it doesn’t have that motorized film advance.

ISSUES & FAULTS

Overall, I haven’t noticed anything terribly faulty with it. I did have an issue with the most recent roll of film I shot with it, though. For some reason, I was having trouble getting the film to wind back all the way after I was done with the roll, so when I opened the back I ended up light-leaking a few images. It doesn’t really bother me because I love light leaked photos, but I do want to figure out what happened. I plan on paying more attention the next time I use the camera so I can fix it!

As I mentioned previously, the fact that it doesn’t have a multiple exposure option is an issue for me, but that’s not a dealbreaker for everyone.

FINAL THOUGHTS

If you come across a Pentax PC35AF-M, definitely don’t leave it behind. With such a sharp lens, this makes a great addition to any camera collection. Plus, the fact that it is so sturdy and substantial leads me to believe that these little cameras will last quite a while. Not to mention that it comes with a built-in springloaded lens cover that helps to protect that 2.8 lens. I haven’t experiemented with the back light feature yet, but I think it’s really going to come in handy if I ever remember to use it!

WHERE TO BUY

Here are a few of my favorite film options:

I’m going to think twice before leaving this camera behind now. I like to keep at least one 35mm point and shoot camera in my bag at all times and I think it’s going to be fighting in the battle with my Contax T2, to be honest. My Contax isn’t always the most reliable. Plus, if I lose it while I’m traveling I’m out quite a substantial amount of money. Luckily, the Pentax PC35AF-M is affordable and more easily replaced.

I’ve shared a few of my favorite images from this camera so far, but I’ll be sure to add more to this post as I use it more!

Thanks so much for stopping by!

<3 Myles Katherine

SAMPLE PHOTOS (click to enlarge):

My TOP 5 favorite 35 mm Color Films

At this point, I’ve tried out a LOT of different brands of 35 mm film. While it’s fun to experiment and try out different ones, there are definitely a few that I tend to re-order over and over again. Mainly because of price-point, but also because of quality and sharpness. I have a LOT of cheap, somewhat “crappy” 35 mm film cameras so I like to use film that is super sharp and has a lower film speed. It takes some adjusting to figure out the perfect film for every camera, but there are my top 5 favorite 35 mm films that tend to work well with cheap 35 mm cameras, as well as more expensive ones.

Kodak Portra 160

While this tends to be the priciest of the bunch, it is the most worth-the-money film out there. It has BEAUTIFUL, ACCURATE skin tones, sharp detail and beautiful coloring overall. I don’t buy this film as often as I’d like to, simply because of the price. But when I do use it, I’m always reminded of what an incredible film this is, especially for portraits and landscapes.

2. KODAK gold 200

This is a very specific kind of film - meaning, if you’re looking for that classic, LA/Hollywood golden sunshine film vibe, this is what you want. I don’t always like using this film because it does have such a golden/warm tone to it, and I personally tend to like cooler tones overall in my images. However, if I’m going to Hawaii or Italy or somewhere known for it’s stunning sunsets and golden hues, I ALWAYS grab a few rolls of Kodak Gold 200. The price for this film tends to vary depending on demand, so if you ever see it at a discounted price, GET IT.

3. Lomography color 100 or 400 film

This tends to be my go-to color 35 mm film. It’s affordable (especially if you buy in bulk), it’s bright and saturated and it’s sharp. Depending on where I’m traveling, I’ll go for either the 100 speed or the 400 speed film. If it’s going to be cloudy, overcast or a dark environment overall, I’d opt for the 400. If you’re going to a sunny location like the beach, then definitely go for the 100 speed to get that extra sharpness in the detail of your photos. Sometimes it can be difficult working with the colors of this film in post-processing, just because it is so saturated. But if you like bright color, this is the one to go for.

4. KODAK PRO IMAGE 100

Another affordable option - Kodak Pro Image 100 film has a natural overall color to it, without that golden tone you get from Kodak Gold 200. Just know that using 100 speed films with cheap 35 mm cameras only really works if you’re in a fairly bright environment. If it’s overcast or dark, your shutter speed may be too slow to capture super sharp images, and your photos may be too dark overall. Stick to the outdoors in a sunny location and you’ll be good! This is a good basic option to go for - it’s affordable with normal color tones and easy to work with. It’s not necessarily the sharpest 100 speed film I’ve ever worked with, but it’s still fairly sharp overall.

5. Fujifilm fujicolor 200

This film isn’t anything super exciting, but it has a classic, film vibe to it with greenish undertones in the shadows - reminiscent of disposable cameras and photos from my childhood. I do love the nostalgic mood to it, but if you’re taking photos in a very green landscape, sometimes the images just turn out too green. Green can be a difficult color to adjust in post-processing but if that’s the look you’re going for, then go for it! Again, not the sharpest film overall but it does have a different, unique vibe to it.