[35mm Ohio] Canon Point-And-Shoot

Sep 6

Experimenting with a Canon AF35MII and Kodak Gold 200.

- The world's most fascinating parking/urban-renewal structure, Cincinnati.

When I first started studying photography as more than just a hobby, I learned how to shoot and develop film. That was 12-13 years ago, though. Once I reached college, everything was done digitally. Still, I experimented with film on occasion. When Cameron was also contributing to QC/D, he was really into film and attempted to spread the good word of 35mm to me. While at a thrift shop together, he convinced me to buy two old Canon point-and-shoot cameras. We had no idea if they’d work, but they were cheap enough. I shot some 35mm off and on over the years, but never dug out those two old Canons until last year when I started this recent round of film photography.

I couldn’t get either one to work and threw them into a box to further collect dust. I really wanted a point-and-shoot to carry around, though—something easier than constantly lugging a heavy SLR. So, I resolved to fix at least one of them. I was able to remove parts from the first and combine them with the second. After some mechanical guesswork, I cleaned the battery contacts and got one to come to life. I threw a roll of Kodak Gold 200 in there and started carrying it around town and on a trip with no idea if it’d actually work until I got the film developed.

Turns out, it works, and it’s really cool. Combined with the Kodak Gold, the photographs it produces feel like something from a mid-90s vacation.

Some selections from the first roll with a jury-rigged Canon AF35MII:

Frames of the parking garage outside of Music Hall/Cincinnati Public Radio/WCET. This structure is fascinating and was covered here and here before.

- The world's most fascinating parking/urban-renewal structure, Cincinnati.

La Michoacanna in Springdale.

I now realize that the Canon AF35MII’s autofocus isn’t as precise as an SLR. I.E. it locked onto the counter behind the ice cream rather than the ice cream itself in this frame:

- Ryan and Tom.

En route to and in Columbus:

- Somewhere along I-70 East.

- Wonder Bread sign, Italian Village, Columbus.

- Wonder Bread sign, Italian Village, Columbus (note the camera struggling to focus again)..

- Columbus neighborhood.

Hell is Real with Die Innenstadt:

I brought the camera along during the first of this year's Hell is Real matches. Frames from the tailgate, march, and within Mapfre Stadium.

- Christina, Jeremy, and Kevin - Columbus.

- Bob leading the march on the stadium, Columbus.

- Die Innenstadt banner flying in Mapfre's upper deck.

The above photograph would've been a good portrait of Crew SC "celebrity fan" Morgan Hughes, but I didn't notice the wrist strap creeping into the frame.