First Look at the Kodak EC35 Film Camera - Review and Sample Shots

I've spent the past few days with Kodak's EC35 film camera (yes, the yellow one to match Kodak colours!) and I've got some initial photos and thoughts to share with you.

First Impressions

The EC35 is the latest in a range of Kodak-branded film cameras produced by a partner company called Reto. They are distinguishable from many of the cheap point-and-shoot cameras available on the market in that (a) their design is often inspired by past iconic film cameras and (b) the build quality is usually pretty robust. An important factor when choosing a pocket film camera for holidays and analogue adventures!

As soon as I unboxed the camera I could tell that the EC35 would continue both these traditions. Despite the plastic material the EC35 feels durable, and the shape and sliding lens cover immediately recall an Olympus Mju or similar.

I enjoy the strong click when the lens cover slots into place, I love the different colour options, and I'm thrilled they chose to include an inbuilt flash.

Technical Specs and Numbers

The lens has a focal length of 25mm which puts it on the 'wider' side of the spectrum - this means you'll get a lot into each photo.

The aperture is fixed at f/10 and shutter speed at 1/100s. You can use our Sunny 16 calculator to work out which 35mm films will work best at these settings.

Simply put I'd choose an 100-200 ISO film for bright sunny days, and 400 for anything cloudy or indoors (with flash). I'd avoid slide film or anything with a narrow exposure latitude as you're likely to need about 4 stops of exposure to cope with changing cloud cover!

Shot on a sunny day in Oxford with Kodak Gold 200 35mm film - you can see that the detail is captured in the bright sky, the flowers and the near (shadowed) side of the house 👌🏼 Developed by Analogue Wonderland

The camera is light - just 102g without a battery - and comes with the wrist strap included. You will need to provide your own battery (AA) before shooting with the flash!

Sample Photos

It was consistently sunny, but I took some photos inside some of Oxford's shops so you can get a sense of the power of the flash.

Who Would Enjoy This Camera?

The Kodak EC35 is a fantastic pocket camera for summer holidays and film-fuelled fun 🤩 Its lack of settings makes it a true point-and-shoot, so it is difficult to control the exposure in tricky lighting, and creative opportunities are limited - so don't expect this to replace an SLR.

The lens is also plastic - you can see the softness around the border of the sample shots - so again this won't take photos of the same edge-to-edge quality as the Pentax 17.

However it is much cheaper than both those options! And I found it incredible easy to use on a day trip - I can open the lens cover, take the shot, and put it back in my pocket all with one hand - and the resulting photos are gorgeous.

Caveat: it was a lovely sunny day and I was in a very picturesque city (with a picturesque wife!) - I suspect that grey days will be harder to appreciate, although that is admittedly true with nearly all photography.

Next test...black and white film! Watch this space.