KonicaC35 EF-P (Pikkari)

Place the Konica C35 EF-P (Pikkari) in context and you land in the early 1980s, when autofocus and programmed exposure were quietly rewriting what a compact could do. Catalogued as a compact with built-in flash, it pairs the Konica Hexanon 38mm f/4 with a 35mm film path. Worth knowing up front: The C35 EF was the world's first 35mm camera with a built-in electronic flash.

Format

35mm

Year

1980

Lens

Konica Hexanon 38mm f/4

Shutter

1/60s – 1/250s programmed

Min. focus

1.5 m (zone)

Flash

Built-in (manual on/off)

Battery

2× AA

Don't expect heroics in low light from the Konica Hexanon 38mm f/4; expect a tiny camera that drops into a coat pocket and never argues about it. 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 (zone), close enough for a coffee cup or a face but stops short of true macro. Worth knowing in the field: nicknamed 'Pikkari' (flashy) in Japan — sold by the millions. The mild-normal focal length flatters faces and street scenes alike without either looking forced.

The Konica C35 EF-P (Pikkari) hasn't been swept up by the algorithm yet, which is the entire window — get one before the rest of the internet catches up. A footnote that often comes up: The Hexanon lens is sneakily sharp for such a humble snapper.

• §1The C35 EF was the world's first 35mm camera with a built-in electronic flash.
• §2Nicknamed 'Pikkari' (flashy) in Japan — sold by the millions.
• §3The Hexanon lens is sneakily sharp for such a humble snapper.