NikonAF600 (Lite Touch)

The Nikon AF600 (Lite Touch) is a product of a period when Contax, Nikon and Minolta were trading punches over who could put the best fixed lens in the smallest body — a wide-angle compact paired with a Nikon 28mm f/3.5. Some backstory: sold as Nikon Mini 28Ti / Lite Touch in different markets.

Format

35mm

Year

1993

Lens

Nikon 28mm f/3.5

Min. focus

0.35 m

Flash

Built-in

Battery

1× CR123A

The Nikon 28mm f/3.5 is the everyday-light specialist — not a low-light hero, but contrasty, sharp and honest at every aperture. Film supply is a non-issue: any 35mm cassette from any lab works. 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 0.35 m — unusually close for a compact of this era and a genuine advantage over rivals that stop at 0.7 m or 1 m. You can fill the frame with a coffee cup, a flower, or a face without stepping back. Something that catches new owners off guard: extremely sharp little 28 — a modern cult favorite. Best for street, travel and group shots — 28mm is the reportage classic, close enough to feel in the scene without distortion.

The Nikon AF600 (Lite Touch) has its fans for a reason, but it's no longer a secret — set a strict budget, hold out for a clean copy, and don't overpay for a famous name.

• §1Sold as Nikon Mini 28Ti / Lite Touch in different markets.
• §2Extremely sharp little 28 — a modern cult favorite.