Learning to work within the Limitations of a Toy Camera - Kodak Ektar H35

Analog

Feb 24

On a whim, I picked up the Kodak Ektar H35 film camera. The Kodak is a tiny, lightweight camera that is similar to a disposable camera, but has the ability to replace the film.

The H35 is a toy camera, meaning that it has no ability to change exposure settings or focus. The aperture is fixed at f9.5, the shutter speed at 1/100, and the focus falls roughly around 3 feet/1 meter. ISO is determined by the film speed selected. There is a flash, but I did not test that on this roll of film.

These limitations forced me to fully consider the scene’s composition and light to understand if the camera will be able to create a successful image in the existing conditions. Sometimes I succeeded, other times I didn’t, but shooting this way is an excellent exercise in working on photography shooting skills. I definitely confirmed that I am a ridiculously crooked shooter.

*Sunrise at the Avon Fishing Pier, Outer Banks, NC*

The H35 is a half frame camera which records two vertical images side by side on one negative, creating a diptych effect, offering opportunities for creative pairings in camera. This format encourages shooting in a vertical orientation, which is something I had gotten away from in recent years and have been working to get back to. The frame counter is difficult to read and I did find myself getting off track from my pairings from time to time which offered an element of surprise that I fully enjoyed.

*Roanoke Island Maritime Museum and a roadside field of flowers*

For simplicity, I ordered the bundle which included the camera and a roll of Kodak Ultramax 400 speed film. The roll had 36 exposures, which resulted in roughly 72 images. Ultramax is a versatile film that works well in both daylight and lower light conditions . It has warm tones and strong saturation, which I felt would work well at the beach. The film does have pretty obvious grain, which I personally love in film photographs as it triggers the feelings of nostalgia that I long for in film photography.

The Kodak Ektar H35 is an inexpensive and fun creativity exercise. I really loved some of the images that I created using the camera. I had a few images that were fails, but for the most part, I was able to work within the limitations and found it entirely enjoyable!