KodakAdvantix C700

The Kodak Advantix C700 comes out of 1996-99, when the spec wars had cooled and manufacturers were quietly perfecting what they already had. Catalogued as a zoom aps compact, it pairs the Kodak Aspheric 30–60mm f/5.6–10 with a APS film path. A bit of background: The Advantix line was Kodak's big push for APS — and the format that buried Kodak.

Format

APS

Year

1999

Lens

Kodak Aspheric 30–60mm f/5.6–10

Min. focus

0.6 m

Flash

Built-in multi-mode

Battery

1× CR123A

The Kodak Aspheric 30–60mm f/5.6–10 covers wide-to-short-tele in one barrel — one lens, no decisions, point and shoot. APS film has been out of production since 2011, so you're shooting expired stock from eBay and sending it to one of the handful of labs that still handle IX240 — confirm both before you commit. A single CR123A lithium cell powers everything including the motor; still cheap and stocked at most camera shops. The built-in flash will fire whenever the meter decides it should, so learn the override before your first night out. Minimum focus is 0.6 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: drop-in film cartridge: no more threading the leader. Genuinely a great UX. Built for family events, holidays and anything where you'd rather reframe than walk.

Zoom compacts are still the bargain corner of the film market — pick up the Kodak Advantix C700 cheap, run a roll through it and judge whether the convenience outweighs the slower aperture. Worth remembering: find one with a fresh roll and you've got an instant 1999 throwback machine.

• §1The Advantix line was Kodak's big push for APS — and the format that buried Kodak.
• §2Drop-in film cartridge: no more threading the leader. Genuinely a great UX.
• §3Find one with a fresh roll and you've got an instant 1999 throwback machine.