There’s something wonderfully silly about the return of film cameras, as revealed in our guide to the best film cameras for beginners. For years we’ve been told digital is faster, sharper and more convenient (and, obviously, it is), but somehow that hasn’t stopped people falling back in love with the slightly awkward, unpredictable charm of waiting days to see whether a photo actually worked. Usually this comes from a generation who hasn’t suffered the days of waiting for holiday photos and then the realisation half of them were out of focus, or your thumb was in shot.
But you can’t deny the tone of film just feels warmer than digital, and it comes with a built-in editor – a limited number of shots means you’re not snapping endless selfies. Now Kodak has a new way to get involved without spending a small fortune on vintage camera gear. The Kodak EC35 is a simple reusable 35mm film camera that costs just $35 / £35, which is about as low a barrier to entry as you’re going to find if you fancy trying analogue photography without hunting through eBay for old Olympus and Canon compacts.
The appeal is pretty obvious. There are no menus, no settings, no RAW files, no endless tweaking – you point it at something interesting, press the shutter and move on. A simplicity backed by its specs: a fixed 25mm f/10 lens, a fixed shutter speed and a built-in flash powered by a single AA battery. The EC35 comes in a bunch of fun colours, including Butter Yellow, Lavender, Powder Blue, Blush Pink, Avocado Green, Vanilla White and Midnight Black, and it has that unmistakable late-90s compact camera feel to its design.
The big win here is that it’s reusable. Unlike disposable cameras, once you’ve finished a roll of 35mm film, you can rewind it, get it developed and load another one just like we used to back before iPhones. That makes it a much nicer way to experiment with film photography without constantly buying single-use cameras or investing in high-end cameras and stock.
Of course, the low price comes with compromises; for starters, this isn’t a replacement for a proper film camera, and anyone expecting razor-sharp images or manual controls will probably want to look elsewhere. The fixed focus and basic lens are all about the experience rather than technical perfection. But it's a step above the throwaway cameras that became a trend at parties and weddings.
But that limitation is also why cameras like this are fun. The slight unpredictability is part of the appeal. You don’t instantly check every photo, delete the ones you don’t like and take another 15 attempts. You just take the shot and move on, then get that little surprise when the prints come back.
At around $35 / £35, the Kodak EC35 is a pretty easy recommendation for anyone curious about film photography, a creative looking for a new way to capture ideas, or someone who simply wants a camera that feels like a camera rather than another screen.
The EC35 is cheap on its own, but this bundle offers a box of Kodak Ultramax 400/24EXP 35mm film so you can get shooting out of the box. A box of two film rolls is $23.89, so you're not making a big saving, but it does make it more giftable. This bundle also comes with a strap.
