I am actually amazed by how many youngsters are into film photography these days. If the screen of your Shutter release disabled. It appears that it performs much better when focused closer compared to infinity. Anyway, getting back to the real world !! I heard from other threads that you must hear a high pitched charging . Thanks again for your review and keep shooting/enjoying the Nikon. Other manufacturers made early-advances with their all-automatic cameras and Nikon had to join the race in order to show them who was the boss back then. I recently purchased a used L35AF and nothing actually happens when you turn it on. (All pics: Lucy Lumen) A long time ago I dreamed of owning a Yashica T4 or maybe even a Contax T2.This is a shared camera dream, one that has become more like a fantasy in recent years due to the ever-increasing popularity and price of these aspirational point-and-shoot film cameras. You are using an out of date browser. The motor does just fine when Im taking photos, however when the roll is finished and I try to rewind it can only muster rewinding a few frames. Change). You could take it in for repair but honestly it won't be worth it. In fact just give it a fire and shake whatever nothing to lose (as long as youre sensible about the vigour of your oscillations). I found mine stuck and it moved quite slow. I've had to do research to figure out what the heck my camera was, as the camera body itself simply says 'Nikon One Touch.'. It uses 2 AA batteries, a fresh pair will last you 100 rolls when not using the flash and merely 10 rolls when its fired every frame according to the user manual. If you would like to change your settings or withdraw consent at any time, the link to do so is in our privacy policy accessible from our home page.. It is still a very useable high IQ camera. It was manufactured with a full metal body, covered in black plastic with a moulded grip. On the front right top corner is the self timer lever. Cult Classic! Or, if you want it working, look into sending it to an authorized service center for a refurb. Send it to a real repairer and be sure that hes legit because there are many bogus operators out there. Copyright 2023+ Photo.net Trigger the flash by covering the meters window with your finger and see if it fires once the ready-light is lit. There was even a waterproof version in 1986, the L35AWAF. (Nikon should be covering this re-repair even if it is outside the warranty period. To view the purposes they believe they have legitimate interest for, or to object to this data processing use the vendor list link below. That, along with the Nikon & a Minolta AFZ, are probably my favourite point and shoots. The only reliable way to get a working capacitor is to salvage one from another camera. Youre out-of-luck if thats the problem since looking for replacements can be difficult. Interestingly, rather than the usual Tessar style design this lens has a Sonnar design. Heres another example that implies that the autofocus, focusing and metering modules communicate. I reach for it whenever I have an occasion for a compact which I want to rely on. Theres a small spring at the bottom-right corner that is connected to the lever for rewind. But when they did, they didn't screw around. Another reason for that is the capacitor. There are many factors that go into pricing, including the products and packages offered. . Its difficult to adjust it but I will show you how its done later. The Nikon L35AF; an affordable alternative to overpriced compacts? I came across this copy online where the seller was selling a Nikon F65 (N65 in North America) with a kit lens for the ridiculously low price these sell for now. I thrifted one of these bad boys and I cant seem to get the iso dial to move. For more advanced topics, you can read myfungus removalpost as a start. To clean the viewfinder extract this screw and remove the cover. I used to have one of these. Money isnt my prime motivation for this blog and I believe that I have enough to run this but you can help me make this site (and the companion facebookpage) grow. I've done multiple successfully repairs but this one is quite difficult. Privacy Policy. Hamish had a frustrating experience with a Nikon L35-AF. Cover the meters window to deploy the flash and see if the ready-light works. For a better experience, please enable JavaScript in your browser before proceeding. I just got a very nice condition Nikon L35AF for $1 at an estate sale with the original case. The side-effect to this is prices of used gear is on the rise, even cameras that used to be less-desirable now cost more than they should. More Nikon Manuals . This was unfounded and incorrect. You can delay that by depressing the shutter and not releasing it until you think its safe for people to hear the camera buzz. If it didnt then the flash would have fired with more power and the lantern would look overblown. The only way I can get it to stop is by taking the batteries out. Yes, suddenly there was automatic operation in what felt like tiny cameras! AD stands for Auto Date (currently referred to as QD) Digital SLR Cameras. This is the capacitor, careful when touching anything close to this thing as it will definitely give you a shock. The L35AF opened the door for Nikon into the world of consumer point-and-shoots, the way the Yashica T2 and then T4 did for that company. This is respectable but you should assume that it will deplete the batteries faster since older cameras tend to suck power more than new ones thanks to corrosion. Here is the problem. But opting out of some of these cookies may affect your browsing experience. Chromatic and spherical aberration can be easily-seen in this photo. Nikon Corporation, known just as Nikon, is a Japanese company specializing in optics and imaging products. A version with an "autodate" function was . It's all due to the reliable Copal shutter inside these cameras. The Nikon L35AF is a pretty amazing point & shoot film camera, especially for its age. It accepts a pair of LR44 cells to power the date-back. Another sign of a bad capacitor is when the ready-light wont light-up or takes a long time to do so. Its battery door design is MUCH better, too. I picked up a filthy L35AF (iso 1000 version) at a car boot sale this morning for 2. Youll have to adjust the dial yourself and see how high it goes because theres no visual indication apart from that. Press the film rewind button and rewind the film back into the cassette. Some functions of the camera will only be available when the frame has reached 1. For the record, the L35AF-3 (One-Touch Macro) is also a great camera, with its macro . Change), You are commenting using your Facebook account. I have a nikon l35 af film camera and it's second hand so the shutter button was always a little stiff but it worked. Learn how in this buyers guide. His excellent review spurred me to write a few notes on some simple but sometimes effective things to try if you find yourself with a less-than-top-notch Pikaichi. This helps confirm there is film and it is advancing. . You are right, the second (and third) versions of this camera were good upgrades on an already good camera and address some of the issues. Can I ruin my shots by moving the film? Happy hunting. Toss it away; it's not worth anything. This is the last photo where well talk about resolving power and sharpness. The ergonomics are fantastic and this model (rather than the AF2 which succeeded it), doesnt feel as plastic/fragile as a lot of P&S camera of this era. Top 10 Last-Minute Gifts for Photographers - 2022 Edition. 1980s and 90s compact cameras were generally built down to a price. Resolving power is obviously less than what were used to seeing with true-blue Nikkors but its adequate when you give it the right variables. The minimum focus distance is 80cm. Now check the batteries after you have pressed the shutter release button again. Save my name, email, and website in this browser for the next time I comment. Visible here is the lever that youll have to use when shooting in backlit-situations, this will force a +2.0 exposure compensation, similar to what we have with the Nikon FM3A. I've recently got my scuba diving license. On the left of the lens is the backlight switch for the metering. It doesn't. If youre anticipating something like this, buy the ones that will allow you to change your ISO up to ISO1000. Its capable but its lack of resolving power made it appear less than what it shouldve been. I had a lot of fun with it. It is a camera I have become very attached to. I'M trying to take professional homecoming pictures. Delicious, fun, a bit quirky. In my camera shop, there's a rather sad rack of broken cameras that we use for parts, occasional repairs, and to remind us of the temporaneous nature of our mortal existence. I put the two batteries in the camera (with no film)and turned it on and the light meter seemed to work. The Leica M11 is just one model worth considering for your photographic needs. I can say that that this version is robust and has none of the issues that you describe. My guess is they knew there was an issue though because the manual has an atypically specific section on battery selection. Nikon came to the automatic compact camera market quite late compared to most the other manufacturers. This is a simple camera but its not easy to diagnose it. Its this version Im referring to and is identical to the original camera including the Sonnar lens and the ability to take filters. I can hear the flash power up if I hold it next to my ear; that's it.</p>. It's 2020 and the price of the Nikon L35AF is rising. Film after film, I have been impressed with the results. Im actually impressed by it, the results remind me of older Nikons or maybe a bit better in some cases. In fact Nikon went back to one of its most iconic lenses for inspiration, the 105mm f/2.5 original Sonnar. The second issue is that sometimes after taking the photo, the camera wont advance the reel and Ill have to take the batteries out for a bit then put them back in for it to finally advance. Koichi Wakamiya completed the optical design of the lens at the end of 1981. After taking it apart and fidgeting with the shutter, I was seeing the same thing shown in this thread's video: nikon one touch l35af - shutter button won't go down all the way. This was shot with ISO400, I was surprised that the flash didnt pop-up and the camera allowed me to shoot this with available-light. This might be because they use more metal components than most and so are more prone to seizure after years of inactivity. Lens on this one is spectacular! Exposure has been very consistent. Check if the focus is accurate or at the very least, acceptable. Once Im satisfied with everything its time to put all of the parts back. The flash is located on the left side and is fixed in place. This place has the most compact cameras in every condition found in Tokyo. Hey guys! The L35AF was Nikon's first compact camera with autofocus. The cover of the compartment is the second weak spot of the camera, in that it is well known to break off or just not close. Features similar styling to the iconic F3. The Panasonic Lumix GH5 might be nearly six years old, but when it arrived in 2017, it had incredible features, particularly for video. I found out that the power switch is pretty loose but I don't think that's the error because i opened it up and bridget the switch. Any manuals or guide recomended.. Ive tried cleaning the contacts and using new batteries. Any idea what may cause the camera to automatically advance through the film roll? The consent submitted will only be used for data processing originating from this website. Ive seen a few dead or semi dead L35s, including a couple of Ebay spares or repair bargains come back to life just by scrubbing and scraping the contacts with vinegar and using Duracell AAs. Here is a link to its user manual. Got a broken l35af and thought i can fix it (have done a few repairs before) but in this case i don't really know how i can fix this camera. After seeing this I hope that I convinced you that this is not a job for a beginner. Hello, everybody! Even if you did, it doesnt look bad at all and is actually quite tolerable. and our I just got a very nice condition Nikon L35AF for $1 at an estate sale with the original case. To my amazement it works, but the viewfinder needed a really good clean. For more information, please see our I love how the front looks. Disengage the flash by its lock, it should charge the capacitor if its exhausted. Does it just involve carefully resoldering it? Do you have an experience with loading/winding malfunction of these cameras. If you take a minute to look at the two models, the design language of the Nikon L35AF and Konica Hexar AF are remarkably alike. There is no direct influence on shutter speed and aperture. It has subsequently become a cult classic among . Does anyone know of any places that can fix this type of issue or any . It appears that the camera will retain what it saw at the time you half-press the button, locking focus and exposure settings. Working ones usually sell for $100.00 and up, I found mine for a lot cheaper because I only look for junks. What Are The Common Faults Of The Nikon L35AF Camera? It was released in 1983, a few years after Nikon's competitors had opened up the point and shoot market. The spring allows the chrome arm to return when the rewind function is disengaged. I know that you can only press the button when it gets power but i have new batteries and pressing down the batterie compartment didn't Help. There are cases when it did not give me what I expected of it but that has more to do with difficult situations where I was using this at its near-limits. Change), You are commenting using your Twitter account. I still use my L35AF and it is always the results which make me smile. When I taught 35mm film photography, I loaned these inexpensive Nikon compact cameras to students who . Do not flush it with lighter fluid though. All the major manufacturers were selling them. The entire apparatus is powered by two AA alkaline batteries. And as with most compacts, if youre having problems with your shutter or motor the chances are youll have to open the camera up for prodding/adjusting/cleaning etc. Then I crossed my fingers and hoped it was working. On the good side, I dont see any blobs, not even under the worst situations but this doesnt mean that its immune to it. These are nice cameras. But the first version had an increase to ISO 1000 during mid-production. Useful focus confirmation, a filter thread and manual iso rating mean this will probably be my nightlife camera with pushed Kentmere 400. I found this to be quite handy in being able to see what was just outside the frame and prepare for someone walking into it. If it were mine, I'd open it up to see if anything obvious had fallen out of place, which is the most likely cause. Thanks in advance! The internal mechanisms were where cuts in quality were made, plastic drive train gears, membrane shutters, etc. in nikon,lens repair,lens maintenance,nikon repair,, Nikon,museum,classic lenses,, Uncategorized. Theres no information about the shutters range but its assumed that it wont go very-fast and it doesnt support long-exposures either. Nikon released it in 1983 and nicknamed it Pikaichi which means "top notch" in Japanese.