Tag: Compact Camera

Harman Reusable Camera

Thursday

Ilford has created a reusable 35mm film camera under their Harman brand. The Film Photography Project sells the camera, including two 36-exposure rolls of Kentmere Pan 400, for just over $30. The Harman Reusable Camera is a plastic camera that doesn't have an impressive spec sheet, but I want one for some reason. I have not identified what drives the want, but I've already imagined this inside my Peak Design Everyday Sling. Maybe seeing this camera ignited a feeling of nostalgia for the early days of married life before kids. Bhavna and I travelled more, and I have dozens of developed rolls of APS film captured on long-gone point-n-shoot cameras.

So, I ordered one from the film photography project.

Best Compact Camera for You

The manufacturer tells you the ’35mm equivalent focal length’ of the lens but then claims its absolute aperture. Here’s an example. Let’s say the camera has a 1" sensor, which is a 2.7X crop factor. If they claim it has a 24-70mm full-frame equivalent lens, it’s actually a 9-28mm f/2.8 lens. OK, fair enough.

But then they calculate the aperture at the actual focal length (not FF equivalent). So the lens is a 9-28 f/2.8 aperture is 28mm divided by 2.8 = 10mm. That’s the actual size of the aperture. But if you then list it as a 24-70mm, well, a 10mm aperture at 70mm = f/7 (same math, different direction). It’s not a huge problem, but it makes you think that the lens might act like a 24-70 f/2.8 lens on your SLR and it won’t. ~ Roger Cicala

Roger's post is an informative and entertaining read. After reading this, I think I am reconsidering "needing" a Fuji X100F ($1300 new) for travel/walkabout photography. I love the design of the camera, and it has just the right size and looks to make me feel like an invisible tourist while walking around. However, I would prefer a standard focal length, and I think I can achieve the same result with a Fujinon XF27mm f/2.8 pancake lens ($450 new) which has a ~41mm full-frame focal length.

I can have my pancake and shoot it too.