VivitarUltra Wide & Slim

Released into a period when Contax, Nikon and Minolta were trading punches over who could put the best fixed lens in the smallest body, the Vivitar Ultra Wide & Slim is a toy compact built around a 22mm f/11 plastic. For context, cult toy camera — also sold as Eximus Wide & Slim and Superheadz Wide & Slim.

Format

35mm

Year

1990s

Lens

22mm f/11 plastic

Min. focus

1.5 m (fixed)

Flash

None

Battery

None (fully mechanical)

Don't expect heroics in low light from the 22mm f/11 plastic; expect a tiny camera that drops into a coat pocket and never argues about it. Film supply is a non-issue: any 35mm cassette from any lab works. Battery: None (fully mechanical). Make sure you can still source them locally before paying for a clean copy. Minimum focus is 1.5 m (fixed), close enough for a coffee cup or a face but stops short of true macro. A quirk worth flagging up front: famous for dreamy distorted wide shots. At this focal length it lives for interiors, architecture and storytelling wides where the room is half the subject.

Reputation is doing a lot of the price work on the Vivitar Ultra Wide & Slim; the camera is good, but pay for the camera, not the legend. One last detail: disposable vibes.

• §1Cult toy camera — also sold as Eximus Wide & Slim and Superheadz Wide & Slim.
• §2Famous for dreamy distorted wide shots.
• §3Disposable vibes.