Canon AF35ML

The Canon AF35ML — sold as the Super Sure Shot in the West and the Autoboy Super in Japan — arrived in July 1981 carrying something almost no autofocus compact of its era had: a 40mm f/1.9 lens. Most point-and-shoots of the period topped out around f/2.8, and the difference of nearly two stops is why this camera still has a following. It focuses in the dark, it shoots indoors without the flash, and the out-of-focus rendering at f/1.9 is closer to an SLR than to a snapshot camera. It is also, at 440g, satisfyingly dense — a proper metal-era object rather than a plastic shell.

Specifications

• Format: 35mm film
• Lens: 40mm f/1.9, five elements in five groups
• Focus: CCD triangulation autofocus with focus lock
• Shutter: Electromagnetic programmed, EV 4 (f/1.9 at 1/4s) to EV 17 (f/18 at 1/400s)
• Film speed: ISO 25-400
• Flash: Manual pop-up, guide number 11 at ISO 100
• Viewfinder: Projected frame lines with parallax correction marks
• Power: 2x AA batteries
• Weight: 440g with batteries
• Released: July 1981

Condition

• Cosmetic: Excellent+ overall condition, minimal to no signs of use.
• Functional: Fully functional. Autofocus, shutter, flash and film transport all working correctly.

Included

• Canon AF35ML body
• Pouch

The f/1.9 lens is the reason to buy this over any other eighties compact — it is one of the fastest ever fitted to an autofocus point-and-shoot, and it turns the camera into something you can use at dusk and indoors on ISO 400 without touching the flash. Note the film speed range tops out at ISO 400, so 800-speed film will be under-set. Excellent+ condition with the pouch.