Capsule review: Canon AF35 ML
With its chunky black plastic body, the Canon AF35ML exemplifies the 80s design aesthetic of consumer electronics (anachronistically, given its release in 1981). Its electronic innards betray another characteristic of the 80s : a seeming lack of any concern for reliability or longevity, like so many cameras of the era. Such cameras break easily ; for example, the flash might freeze in the open position, and the design of the body stymies any attempt at DIY repair. Any of the myriad possible failure modes render the camera inert, leaving useless its otherwise appealing set of features, like its fast lens and reliable albeit noisy autofocus. Among its now useless features, the camera burns in the capture date directly on the film, but not past the year 2010. The particular year most likely results from a mundane technical limitation—or perhaps the camera’s design engineers could not imagine a future beyond this horizon.
Rating: ★★★☆☆
published