CanonSnappy S

The Canon Snappy S comes out of the early 1980s, when autofocus and programmed exposure were quietly rewriting what a compact could do. Catalogued as a compact, it pairs the Canon 35mm f/5.6 with a 35mm film path. A bit of background: part of Canon's early-'80s Snappy series of focus-free point-and-shoots.

Format

35mm

Year

1983

Lens

Canon 35mm f/5.6

Min. focus

1.5 m

Flash

Built-in

Battery

2× AA

The Canon 35mm f/5.6 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. Standard 35mm keeps it compatible with whatever Kodak, Ilford, Fuji or CineStill stock you find on the shelf today. 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 1.5 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: designed as an affordable entry into 35mm photography for casual shooters. Best for street, travel and environmental portraits — 35mm is the all-rounder documentary photographers default to.

The Canon Snappy S hasn't been swept up by the algorithm yet, which is the entire window — get one before the rest of the internet catches up.

• §1Part of Canon's early-'80s Snappy series of focus-free point-and-shoots.
• §2Designed as an affordable entry into 35mm photography for casual shooters.