First Look: Kodak Snapic A1 Camera
Could the Kodak Snapic A1 be the best entry into film photography for beginners?
What’s this, then? Another cheap plastic camera being punted to the masses by retailers the world over? Ehhh, sort of I guess (c’mon, we’re a business after all), but also… not quite (we don’t want to sell any old rubbish, so read on for why we think this is actually worth considering!).
The Kodak Snapic A1 is one of the more compact cameras readily available on the market, with a range of automatic functions for straightforward photo taking making it a truly accessible and viable option for beginners.
The camera is powered by 2 AAA batteries, and with it’s autowind ability loading film is easy (no more wondering if the film caught on, or accidentally shooting an entire roll of blanks!).
There’s a basic flash, and even a simple double-exposure mode which allows you to experiment with layering.
With a fixed aperture of f9.5 there’s plenty depth of field to maintain usable focus thanks to the wide field of view from the 25mm lens and it’s 2-zone focusing (close or far, it really is that simple).
In fact, it’s so straightforward that to take these examples I barely even flirted with the idea of using my exceptionally smooth brain.
Close
Far
The lens consists of 3 glass elements which really sets it apart from ultra-budget ‘reusable’ disposable cameras from the usual suspects rocking a single element, fixed focus plastic lens.
The Snapic’s shutter is fixed at 1/100, and overall this cameras sweet spot is 400 ISO film stocks, meaning you can comfortably shoot Ultramax which is quickly becoming one of my favourite film stocks.
It’s also one of the more affordable colour films - Which is great news for you, because it slaps!
For the adventurous, you could try slower film stocks and push processing.
I tried a roll of Kodak Double-X (rated 200-250 ISO) and pushed it one stop so you don’t have to, but spoiler alert, it looks kinda great. So maybe you should try it.
Buying film cameras can get pricey, fast. Especially new film cameras.
While the likes of Pentax 17, Rollei 35AF, and Lomo MC-A could be perceived as ‘budget friendly’ in some fart-sniffing circles, each will still set you back ~£500. And let’s be honest, that’s a considerable investment for someone just wanting good photos with minimal effort, or is just curious about the world of film photography!
It’s almost unfathomably small. The overall look and size is up there with the classic Ricoh GR series - discreet, and capable of fitting in even the snuggest of pockets.
Out of the box the Snapic A1 comes with a wrist strap and a little carry pouch.
It slots itself between the ultra cheap and premium, toward what I would consider a more practical budget-friendly option that prioritises ease of use with the bare essentials to guarantee successful image making, while getting to grips with some of the basics of photography.
And to be honest, it’s just a good bit of fun.
Ours retail at £95, and are available here.
Notes: All photos taken with Kodak Snapic A1 on Kodak Ultramax (standard processing), and Kodak Double-X (pushed 1 stop), dev’d and scanned in house on a Fuji Frontier SP-500.