CanonPrima 5
Autofocus Compact
The story
The Canon Prima 5 comes out of a period when Contax, Nikon and Minolta were trading punches over who could put the best fixed lens in the smallest body. Catalogued as a autofocus compact, it pairs the Canon 35mm f/4.5 with a 35mm film path. A bit of background: sold as the Sure Shot Ace in North America and the Autoboy Prisma in Japan.
Specifications
- Format
- 35mm
- Year
- 1992
- Lens
- Canon 35mm f/4.5
- Min. focus
- 1.0 m
- Flash
- Built-in auto
- Battery
- 2× AA
Notable features
- Active autofocus
- Programmed AE
- Auto film load, advance and rewind
- Self-timer
Shooting it today
The Canon 35mm f/4.5 is on the slow side, so it rewards good light or a roll of ISO 400 — but the body shrinks accordingly into something you'll actually carry every day. Film supply is a non-issue: any 35mm cassette from any lab works. It runs on common AA batteries — you can resurrect one on a Sunday afternoon with whatever the corner shop has in stock. The built-in flash will fire whenever the meter decides it should, so learn the override before your first night out. Minimum focus is 1.0 m, close enough for a coffee cup or a face but stops short of true macro. One thing worth knowing before you load a roll: an entry-level Sure Shot aimed at first-time AF compact buyers in the early '90s. The 35mm field of view sits halfway between observer and participant; it suits anything where you want the viewer to feel in the scene.
Who it's for · Verdict
Quietly underrated, the Canon Prima 5 is the kind of camera people brag about owning five years from now and ten times the price.
Fun facts
- §1Sold as the Sure Shot Ace in North America and the Autoboy Prisma in Japan.
- §2An entry-level Sure Shot aimed at first-time AF compact buyers in the early '90s.
Field note
A technician bet me a coffee that the Prima 5 I'd carried in was dead, so I loaded a roll on his counter. The 35mm on the Prima 5 turned out to be exactly how far I naturally stand from people, so I stopped composing and just looked. A single pair of AAs carried the Prima 5 from the first frame to the last. We missed the last tram on purpose to finish the roll, and two years on those Prima 5 prints still cover the fridge door.
Creative field note — inspired by this camera's character, not based on real events.
Find one
Most copies turn up second-hand on eBay. We've linked a saved search so you can see current listings.
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