I first got back into film photography when I dug through some old boxes at home and came across my mom’s point and shoot camera. For those new to photography, a point and shoot camera is simply that: a camera that was designed to “point and shoot” without having to worry about technical settings. It was a no-name brand that wasn’t fancy but it looked good enough for snapshots. Its cheap plastic body gave me the comfort of knowing that if I dropped it, or even lost it, it would be okay! Sure enough, I ended up losing it!

However, all was not lost as I managed to put a few rolls of film through the camera. And a few rolls later I was hooked. Some sample images below.

I had such a good experience with that point and shoot that I went all in and bought the Fuji Klasse S, a premium point and shoot film camera from eBay. However, it was so nice that whenever I’d use it, I was a nervous that I might break it!

I wanted a 35mm film camera that I could carry around with me everywhere and not be as attentive to it as I would be if I were to carry my SLR, rangefinder, or medium format film cameras. The Fuji was really nice but I eventually ended up selling that camera (since then, the prices for the Fuji Klasse have skyrocketed and so has my regret!) and have been looking for a replacement that would marry the best qualities of my mom’s old point and shoot, with the quality of the Fuji Klasse.

Enter the Olympus AF-1. The Olympus AF-1 (also known as the “Infinity” in the US) was produced in 1986 and was the world’s first weatherproof camera with a very capable 35mm f/2.8 lens. When I stopped by Walter’s Camera Repair late last year to have a camera inspected, I spotted a point-and-shoot camera that I had not seen before. Henry at the counter saw me take a look and he let me know that this camera has the same lens as the one in the Olympus MJU II, a prized point-and-shoot camera among analog shooters. He even said that it was the store owner’s favorite point and shoot.

When I asked Henry how much the Olympus AF-1 was, I was pleasantly surprised when he said that he’d give it to me for $60 dollars! At the time of this writing, the Olympus MJU II sells for around $300 USD so a camera with the same lens at a fifth of the price sounded pretty great! Needless to say, I walked out of that camera repair store with an inspected camera and an unexpected point-and-shoot.

Performance

The moment comes with every film camera you try, when the hopeful vision of what could be becomes a reality. The Olympus AF1 did not disappoint. For the camera’s first outing, I took it with me on a trip to Big Bear Lake in California and shot a roll of Kodak Gold 200.

As you can see in the image above, the lens performs pretty well. Landscapes are sharp and well exposed. The lens resolves color well with the highlights and shadows being well balanced. Although this lens doesn’t compare with high end premium compacts like the aforementioned Fuji Klasse, it’s 90% of the way there and definitely more than capable of delivering on that vintage vibe that people shoot film for.

The flash of this camera delivers the candid look that has become popular again among analog shooters. Atlanta-born photographer Gunner Stahl uses this style of photography and has photographed artists such as Childish Gambino and Lil Uzi Vert. With that said, the Olympus AF-1 has an automatic flash that you can’t disable. I haven’t found it to be a problem since I’m not using this camera for fine art. I actually enjoy the fact that I’m taking a chance each time I take a photo.

While the flash is reliable, if the subject that you want in focus is not in the center of the screen, you have to hold the ‘focus lock’ button with your left hand, aim at the subject with the central box in the viewfinder, half press the shutter release button, hold it down, then finally release the ‘focus lock’ button to take a photo. It’s really worth reading the manual to understand as it takes some getting used to. I missed some shots because I didn’t know that the typical half-press of a shutter didn’t lock focus.

Overall, the shooting experience is pretty straight forward. Simply slide open the lens hood when you’d like to start shooting and the camera will turn on. (You cannot fire the shutter when the lens hood is closed) Loading and unloading film is very easy and automated. It features a 12 second self timer and a threaded tripod hole if you’d like to use a tripod. It is made of sturdy plastic and is also waterproof so a little splash of water, dust, and even a bump or two shouldn’t be a problem.

Olympus AF-1 (Infinity) technical specifications and features

Camera nameOlympus AF-1 (Worldwide excl US)
Olympus Infinity AF-1 (US-market only)
Camera typePoint and shoot
Format35mm
ManufacturerOlympus Optical Co. Ltd (Japan)
Manufacture dates1986-1992
Lens35mm – f/2.8-f/11
Four elements in four groups
ViewfinderBright frame finder with 0.45x magnification
Autofocus frame
Flash indicator
Battery check lamp
ShutterElectronically controlled
1/30 – 1/750 sec
Self-timer with 12-second delay
FocusingActive infrared single point autofocus (center) with focus lock
0.75m to infinity
MeteringESP (Electro-Selective Pattern) metering (spot plus center-weighted)
EV 1-17
ISODX coded film ISO 50-3200
ISO 100 default when unable to read DX markings
FlashBuilt-in with auto activation in low light/backlight

Working ranges:
0.75-4.5m (ISO 100)
0.75-9.0m (ISO 400)
LoadingAuto load and rewind
Manual mid-roll rewind
Date/time stampNo
WeatherproofingYes – weatherproof (world first, IEC 529)
Power1x CR-P2/BRP2/DL233A
Weight227g (no battery)
Dimensions
(appx)
124×62.5x45mm (WxHxD)
AccessoriesOptional case and wrist strap

Who is it for?

This is a great camera for those who are interested in 35mm film photography and specifically want the experience of a point and shoot camera. The advantage of this camera is the automation and the built in flash. As of now, smartphone cameras cannot compete with the power of the flash in most point and shoot film cameras. This camera gives you the same “sensor” size as a full frame digital camera. This means greater ability to see the shadows and highlights. (the dark and light parts of an image) Can you tell which one is film and which one is digital?

In both of the image sets above, the photo on the left was taken on the Olympus AF-1. The digital photos were taken on the iPhone 7 plus and post processed using the VSCO app.

Final thoughts

There is something very charming about the personality of this camera. It is not the best in any one category but its virtues are built upon a foundation of mini successes. It has a really good lens, feels solid in the hand, is aesthetically pleasing and affordable.

It’s not the perfect camera (no such thing exists) but it is a camera that produces more good shots than bad and gets me excited to see how the images will come out. After all, isn’t that the beauty of a film camera?

Thanks for reading and hope you take some amazing snapshots!

~ Simon

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9 responses to “The Olympus AF-1 (Infinity): A solid combination of affordability and quality”

  1. Lately I’ve realised that I love yo click pictures mostly aesthetic ones and the art of photography or so :p not that great at it. Which camera would anyone of you suggest me ,if I were to take it with me anywhere for a walk or a trip and just enjoy it without getting deep into the technical stuff of it?!

  2. Not sure if you or anyone reading this would be up for answering questions. Do you have any tips on how to avoid underexposed photos? I have been gifted this as my first film camera and found that some of my pictures are very dark. Especially when the subject is backlighted! Is there anything I can do to stop this? Could it be due to the film I’m shooting?

    1. If shot indoors, backlighting and lower speed film can be potential issues. I’d recommend at least 400 speed film if shot indoors to help with the issue. If the flash is working properly, it may be an issue with development. Good luck!

  3. My grandmother just passed and going through the house came across this camera it was the main camera my grandfather used for 25 years. had a roll of kodak gold 200 he had loaded still in it. Popped the shutter and it still worked flawlessly. My parents still have the identical camera he bought for them when he bought his. Looking forward to processing that kodak gold.

  4. Not to flog a dead horse, but these have skyrocketed in price since I started shooting film a little over a year ago. I think eBay sellers are running out of working Mju II’s so this one gets advertised as ‘Like Mju’. Same with all the cameras that came after the Nikon L35AF, they’re all misrepresented and people are paying 200 pounds for (at most) 30 pound camera.

    So don’t pay too much folks, its a 4 element 35mm f/2.8 with a single AF beam.. like you know, just about every other P&S you can buy for 25 pounds. (not to disparage the AF-1.. )

  5. Olympus compacts are solid. I have had a mu2 from new. A AF-2(?) With f3.5 lens picked up for £1 works well. There also is a range of Olympus non interchangeable fully auto SLRs. Big lumps but often available much cheaper than compacts and quality just as good with benefit of a zoom lens. Canon made something similar.

    Generally found top makes survive best.

  6. I think it’s a mistyping and the flash range is up to 10m at ISO 400.

    1. Hi Rainer, The flash data for ISO 400 should be “0.75-9.0m”. Definitely a typo on my part 😉

  7. Great write-up about this camera. I have been two Christmases ago and absolutely love it. Whenever I want a point and shoot, it’s my first port of call. It’s light, rugged, and so easy to use.

 

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