The Kodak 35 AF 2
I was quite surprised by the Chinon AF 2001I wrote in my last post, but sadly the camera plastic housing showed more ans more cracks. Also, the not so cheap battery was empty after one film, maybe some circuit problems. So that camera had to stay on the shelf. But luckily I found a new one on a flea market in Baltmansweiler. At least, I thought after first glance. Turned out it was a Kodak 35 AF 2 which looks very, very similar.
Thang Nguyen suggested that the Kodak VR35 K14 is the technical twin of the Chinon in his great article on 35mmc, but with regard to design, the similarities with the Kodak AF 2 are even stronger as you can see in the side by side picture below. So, is this the real twin? (Spoiler, I still don’t know, maybe someone else can solve this mystery)
About the Kodak 35 AF 2The four Kodak cameras I already have in my collection are Retinas made in Stuttgart, this is the first Kodak from Japan I own. I assume it’s made by Chinon, but couldn’t find proof for this assumption yet. It’s basically the same camera as the Chinon Auto 2001, but with three differences:
There’s only one AF sensor visible. Maybe the upper one is hidden, or the AF on this model is just simpler.
The lens is described as a Kodak Ekton instead of Chinon. Both have 35mm f 2.8 lenses which look similar, but maybe are different in regard of elements, coating etc.
The Kodak does not have the DX “override”, which makes perfect sense for a camera from “the” film company.
The other differences are rather cosmetic: different shape of the shutter button and the typeface. The casing and material are so similar that after I opened the battery compartments of both cameras, I couldn’t find out which one belonged to which camera.
If you don’t want to read my previous post, here’s the summary of the camera:
The Kodak is a full automatic camera for 35mm film, with a 2.8 35mm autofocus lens, a built-in flash and DX encoding. It also has a built-in winder, which is hard to overhear. Self-timer and tripod mount are great for family photos with all members :).
The Kodak came with the original manual.
Taking pictures with the Kodak 35 AF 2Start with buying a battery, which will cost more than the camera (I paid around 7 € in 2025 for the battery and only 5 € for the camera). The battery cover might be quite loose without a battery, but as soon as one is in the compartment, it holds tight. Then open the back, insert your film and close the door. The camera does the rest: recognize the film sensitivity and forwards to frame 1. As there is no way to compensate the ISA I suggest to use fresher film with DX encoding.
Open the slider to uncover the lens and the viewfinder. The red LED next to the viewfinder window will blink red, signalling that the flash is ready. It will fire if needed but can be deactivated or forced to fill in by moving and holding (!) the slider next to it. Slowly depress the shutter button and a symbol will show the subject distance measured by the autofocus (person, two people, group & mountain). Full press and you just took a picture. The camera will wind automatically to the next frame. If you want to use the self-timer, use the little slider under the lens, marked “S.T”. After you pressed the shutter, a small red light over the “Autofocus” label will start to blink. S.T is reset when you close the camera.
When the roll is finished, the camera will rewind automatically. But you can start that earlier with the small “R” slider. That’s it. It’s one of the easiest to use camera in my collection.
The Kodak 35 AF 2 is a cheap and fun point and shoot from the 80ies. Perfect for the kids or when you want to take a camera, which you won’t miss too much if it breaks.
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Film purchase & processingThe camera can use any type of 35mm film, but be aware that one roll might double the value of the camera.
Useful Linkshttps://kodak.3106.net/index.php?p=210&cam=1299/ (Description)
Manual
PicturesKodak 35 AF 2 pool on Lomography
https://www.flickr.com/photos/christoph_hille/albums/72177720327803250/
