It would be a lie to say I never impulse buy anything, but it is semi-rare that I do. Except when it comes to cameras... Nearly every camera I have has been a poorly researched (i.e. not at all) thrift store or auction find that I bought just because it was cheap and available (like I like my women?).
But Google seems to have it in for me. My browser history is filled with random camera searches, so naturally Google likes to suggest things. Last month a little half frame camera called the Kodak Ektar H35 popped up on my home page. I have been drooling over Canon Demis for a while (the only Canon I'll drool over) so this brand new Kodak intrigued me.
Off to the B&H app I went. Having that Payboo credit card is a dangerous thing. $47 or so later the Ektar was on it's way.
There is nothing quite like getting double the images from a roll. Actually, for me it was more than double. I guess I loaded it wrong because the counter didn't start to work until the 10th or so photo. Once developed and scanned I counted 80 images from my 36 shot roll.
The little Kodak is fun. The build quality is somewhat lacking, it feels like a disposable camera. If I had picked it up in a real store I probably would have assumed it was a $5 camera. But it does the job adequately with its 9.5 aperture and 1/100th shutter speed. Load up some Kodak Ultramax 400 and you can stretch your shooting into many lighting conditions, especially with the built-in flash.
With double the frames it is possible to shoot the Ektar like one normally shoots digital. Well, maybe not like digital exactly, but definitely without fear of running out quickly. It took nearly a month to finish the roll. I was getting desperate and shooting anything just to get through the roll so I could determine if my purchase was worth it.
So was it? Maybe. Double the frames does save money on film. And it means one can shoot film with much more gusto. But those tiny frames are a bit on the grainy side for me. Perhaps Kodak Gold 200 would be a better choice, especially given the "slow" shutter speed. Nearly every outdoor shot is just a touch overexposed. I suppose they could be corrected in post, but why would I want to bother?
This camera is a pure return to the old days of point and shoot whatever you see. It's not made for art, or even amateur hobbyists. It's for hipsters like me who want yet another camera on his wrist just for the sheer hell of it. It's a film camera for the digital age, a bridge between shooting a million useless shots that will forever crowd a hard drive and shooting a (relatively) modest 48-72 frames which may or may not ever be looked at after they are scanned and stored in a forever crowded hard drive.
Should you buy it? Sure. The best camera you have is the one that is on your person. And the Kodak Ektar is perfect to always keep on you.
Camera: Kodak Ektar H35
Film: Kodak Ultramax 400
Developed in Cinestill C-41 and scanned with the Epson V600.
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S. D. G.
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