Rollei 35AF: It’s Incredible!

[@TheLokCheung]

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[@tj2375]

Best review of this camera I've watched. The camera is not for me (and neither the original one) but this is by far the most instructive review. And so visually well put together.

[@alexzhu1]

I just disliked the Petapixel video and came here because they DIDN'T EXPLAIN WHAT ALL THE CONTROLS DO in the chapter they call "Controls"!

[@jamesdecross1035]

How cool to get an interview with the manufacturer. A really clever and unassuming guy. Great video - love the camera, too!

[@cynthiamomokoharper8100]

In a world of digital cameras, it is wonderful to see someone who loves and uses film. I started with film and it will always have a soft spot in my heart. Thank you LOK! 😘

[@avisliberis]

So nice to see this review from you! Thank you Lok!

[@oc2phish07]

I have one of the original Rollei 35 cameras and might now add one of these new ones to my collection. Thanks for a very interesting video, Lok. Mind you, ALL your videos are interesting, and always have been since way back in DRTV days.

[@a_deep_breath_in]

I most definitely want to get my hands on one of these!!! I appreciate your authenticity and excitement

[@mikesmith-po8nd]

Great review and interview, Lok! Thanks.

[@michaelcase8574]

The moral of the story, never lend Kai your camera! LOL

[@coffeecuparcade]

I love the idea of both of the new film cameras. If only the film and development wasn't so costly I would jump back to film in a heartbeat.

[@ElektronDeForza]

Developing B&W film at home isn't hard and cuts the cost by a lot

[@trulsdirio]

@@ElektronDeForza even C-41 is super simple, you just need to keep the right temperature, which is easy to do with a water bath. Cinestill has a great C-41 kit.

[@ElektronDeForza]

​@@trulsdirioTrue, but I think the necessity of a constant temp pushes home developers away. So I recommend starting with B&W and then jumping into the rabbit hole of color

[@coffeecuparcade]

@@ElektronDeForza That would be a new thing to learn :)

[@MBroam]

Maybe if these attract enough users it may drive the price down a bit!

[@rikardlandberg]

I own the Rollei 35 AF as well. And this is by far the most accurate review so far.

[@jedunboxing4127]

I still have the olympus mju,I dont even know how the af functions ,but it still works

[@Hanzilla75]

You are still doing great camera reviews Lok, I love your insights into the history of this camera and evaluation in terms of real-life use. I would love to know how it compares to a vintage AF compact camera like the Mju 1 or 2 or even a Konica Hexar 35.

[@grahamariss2111]

Just got mine last night, and sun is shining in Sweden so just going out to test it. As a next camera could you build a camera many of us started our photography with, a upmarket version of the Halina 3000, auto focus, and aperture priority as with the 35AF and a 35mm lens inspired by a classic such as the Carl Zeiss Sonnar, to produce an affordable compact with Leica like capabilities.

[@TheBurritoLord]

i have an original rollei 35, once you get used to it you barely have to look at it. Set up your exposure and you can mostly zone focus your shots.

[@dagmarbaechli]

I got my camera a few days ago and I was blown away by how cool it looks! The black finish is gorgeous, and it feels way more solid than I thought it would. I love all the features and shooting modes I’ve tried so far. The LCD screen is super cute and also really helpful. There are a few things I noticed right away: - The camera doesn’t stand quite level on its own because of the film rewind crank sticking out a bit. - The viewfinder is big enough for me, and it has bright lines, but it has a bit of barrel distortion. I’d love to see that fixed in future models because it’s the first thing people will notice and start criticizing. - I knew before that there wouldn’t be an option to use filters, and honestly, I still don’t understand why this is missing. I hope Mint will come up with a way to add filters in the future. I don’t think I’ll miss the hot shoe. I’m excited to start shooting my first roll once the weather gets better.

[@thinkpadx60]

how's that first roll experience been? missed any frames? any shutter jams, film loading issues, rewinding tension?

[@dagmarbaechli]

@@thinkpadx60 I've gone through my first 1 1/3 films by now. My initial "fear" that it might be too delicate to use has completely vanished. The first film is in the lab, the second will hopefully be full soon. If the pictures are anywhere near as good as the fun I’ve had so far using the camera, then I'll be more than happy!! It's just sexy - love it 💕 🤭

[@MikeLikesChannel]

Bad weather? Black and white baby! 😉

[@calvinchann1996]

Pre-ordering now at Rollei for delivery in mid December. No black version at the moment.

[@jontrewfrombarry]

I'm surprised, even with today's tiny electronics they still had to make the camera larger. Just shows how good Rollei engineers and designers were back then

[@Zee216]

Could have probably made it the same size if they left out autofocus

[@vasilis_k_97]

Instead of a hotshoe, it could have a PC connector. It's much smaller and it allows you to use a flash in a more traditional position to the camera

[@Glen.Danielsen]

I like Lok!! 🫡💛

[@kdj.imagery4317]

Thanks for making newer versions of film cameras and trying too keep film alive! I have three vintage film cameras I'd love too shoot with but just can't afford the cost of both film (especially 620) and processing. :(

[@cameraprepper7938]

1:08 Rollei 35 S and Minox 35 ML have the same size, but Minox are half the weight !

[@Poorgeniu5]

Never had a Rollei but im already fond of the quirky controls like a Autozam AZ-1!

[@numbersix8919]

Great review, Lok! To Mint: requesting a new Olympus PEN. You know, half-frame. A tool for life. Thank you!

[@AndrewRock]

There's the Pentax 17. What less could you want?

[@numbersix8919]

@@AndrewRock Exactly.😆

[@matthewwatt2295]

@@AndrewRock Maybe they could make it a bit smaller and better looking! 😂

[@jafersorianocamargo6723]

It looks like the clockwork Orange set

[@crsantin]

I like this new film camera. The problem for me is film development. That needs to come back somehow. I know how to do it at home but honestly I don't enjoy it. We need some lab service to go along with these new film cameras.

[@jj.1412]

in the 80's I had to mail away my 120 mm film for my first point & shoot.

[@ezragonzalez8936]

wait what they still make new 35mm film cameras! that is wild!!

[@BuffaloNguyen1703]

that film carrying case 🤣

[@davidgifford8112]

Had an original Rollie 35, this version is bigger and looks cheaper. Who needs AF?

[@TigroGumi]

A really cool family hippy cam for more special photos

[@Mamotreco]

Thank you for covering this!!

[@lichtloper]

I wanna hold it some day... - One minus point though is that this new guy doesn't have 40mm anymore. 9:39 "corridor ....is underwater" Well, a good part of the Netherlands is under water, and it's not just a 'corridor' but a place where real people live; there are motorways, hospitals, schools, even an int.airport. Just saying...

[@sheelios]

solid review thank you

[@jonjanson8021]

KISS , (Keep It Simple Stupid). This camera is what the Pentax half frame should have been. I need to get my hands on one before buying but I think I might well be getting one. Hot Shoe is a more reliable way to connect flash or a remote flash trigger. Put a hot shoe on it.

[@bimmerfan2126]

would love to see the old Digital Rev videos brought back ;) with bloopers and un-released footage

[@stuartcarden1371]

If I had the money I'd shoot film exclusively and I would definitely love to use this awesome little camera! Unfortunately now I only shoot film once or twice a year, just for nostalgic reasons with an beaten up old M42 Praktica but if I win the lottery I know what I'll be buying 🎉

[@gewglesux]

Thanks Dude!!!

[@whateverjustposting]

ive reeeally been wanting to pull the trigger on a premium point and shoot for a while, but have been so worried due to how old all the "premium" models are now. primarily had my eye on the 28ti. was intrigued by the 35af, and initial reviews put me off, but i really think im going to snag one. the fact that theyre new and widely repairable is huge

[@akhyarrayhka4048]

olympus just need to make pen f, canon made canonet, fuji make fujica, sony makes rx1r3, etc etc

[@benjaminfranklin414]

which film did you use? the color of the pictures suggests the color isn't balance during the processing or using poor quality chemicals.

[@MikeLikesChannel]

In a world where they’re asking $500 on a 25 year old Mju II which can break the next week and you’re SOL, it’s awesome that this exists. Rough edges and all.

[@michaelwhiles5282]

Incredible when free ….😵

[@AndrewRock]

I have an original Rollei 35 and a Minox 35 ML.The Rollei is not quite as wide, but it is taller and thicker and much heavier. In terms of volume, the Minox 35 *is* smaller and much more pocketable, and much nicer to use.

[@tylerfukuda]

Volume aside, you wouldn’t say those are two completely different cameras though just based on build quality alone? I mean one uses much more metal and the other completely plastic? One uses a Zeiss lens and one is in house?

[@AndrewRock]

@@tylerfukuda The brand of lens isn't an issue if the IQ looks about the same to me. The usability is much better on the Minox, I miss fewer shots. The size and weight mean I'm actually willing to slip the Minox in a pocket. The flash goes on top. The battery can be changed without removing the film. I don't have a bias against plastic. The design is modern and looks great next to my Lamy 2000 pens. I still use my Rollei 35 when I feel like dealing with the quirks, which are all inconveniences.

[@tylerfukuda]

@@AndrewRock Thanks for the insight on the Minox. I for one have never used it or frankly even heard of one for now but judging by your enthusiasm for them I may consider looking into them.

[@jamescole322]

I also have a Rollei 35S and Minox GL, and the Minox is much easier to use and the lens is sharp. The Minox was my favourite camera through the 1990s. But the best small camera is the Olympus XA (with rangefinder). Such a beauty

[@Behnam_Moghaddam]

pentax asahi auto 110 would be the no 1 on my wishlist got so excited, i forgot to thank you for this review! So Thanks a LoK!

[@NeoRazor]

God I love Rollei 35.

[@felixfenette3623]

rocking the S9! Nice!

[@TheLokCheung]

I use it whenever there's a bit of walking around for the shoot of the day. S5II for single location.

[@jackoneil3933]

Very Cool Lok, I much enjoyed this review! I'd so much love o have a full-frame compact digital rangefinder version. I had an original 35T nearly half a century ago, but for a compact I preferred the 'Petri Color 35E' for a super compact, mainly for the 40mm f/2.8 lens that delivered crisp images with nice color.

[@theangrymonkey]

What film were you shooting? Phoenix? Looked like there was a lot of bloom

[@TheLokCheung]

First roll was Kai's Cinestill, second roll was Kodak UltraMax

[@thinkpadx60]

I have one on pre order with tin cheung, hope I have a good experience with it

[@thinkpadx60]

I got it today and I must say the build quality is not good. Sometimes I take a photo and hear the click and the shutter opens, yet I can't do a film advance and need to press the shutter again. This happens every 5-6 shots. Then the led screen is finicky and requires some pressure to be applied by securing the backplate.i wish I could get a refund to be honest.

[@nicshone]

Nice little camera❤

[@fromia1]

The bigger question is, do I buy the silver or the black one?

[@dagmarbaechli]

Black! 🤭

[@cameraprepper7938]

1:16 Do NOT buy used cameras by Kai ! + 25:55 How can Kai be so rough to cameras ?

[@andgainingspeed]

25:53 Kai strikes again on the demo copy of the new camera.

[@mikesmith-po8nd]

When he said that, I thought that he was lucky that it worked at all!

[@AndrejsZavadskis]

you can not buy it in europe :(

[@paulman2270]

好正 Lok

[@tatocientos]

Can't wait to get my hands on one of these!

[@teemo1832]

Is it LiDAR? Not ToR sensor?

[@teemo1832]

Sorry "ToF" Sensor

[@TheLokCheung]

I'm not 100% sure, I think time of flight (tof) is the technique to measure distance by the time it takes an energy to travel that distance. It could be laser, infrared, sound wave etc, like there were ultrasound tof sensors on some Polaroid cameras before. So LiDAR is just one kind of tof sensor.

[@NullStaticVoid]

It's extremely cool. I'm trying to talk myself out of pre-ordering. However I do think it's a huge missed opportunity to have made it an interchangeable lens camera. Perhaps with micro 4/3rd lenses? Not sure how that would work on 35 film image area and focus distance. Another option would have been M39 or M42. Yeah it might be more bulky that way. But to me at least a lot of the fun of shooting on film and just photography in general is lenses! I LOVE my Orestegon and Helios lenses, but not all the time, for everything. The only lens I've ever wanted to use all the time is the Fuji 56mm 1.2 or the 85L on Canon. I don't just love 85mm, both those lenses just punch you in the face with colors. But also 85 looks great on faces. And I wouldn't want to be married to that either. Same with 35mm f2.8. Solid choice as an all arounder AOV. But a lot of us started on 35mm FOV and we quickly move to other focal lengths that do not mimic the human FOV so closely. Personally I wish it was wider. 24mm is one of my favorites for group shots, low angle vacation photos (like shooting diagonally across an intersection in midtown Manhattan). I understand the choice of focal length may also have been driven by the AF subsystem. I'm on the fence about buying it, but I'm glad it exists and someone is making things like this. PS That Pentax 17 is uglier than a Pontiac Aztek. Whomever designed it should go to jail.

[@KusiVantull]

Thanks for sharing such valuable information! Just a quick off-topic question: My OKX wallet holds some USDT, and I have the seed phrase. (behave today finger ski upon boy assault summer exhaust beauty stereo over). Could you explain how to move them to Binance?

[@ryan2stix]

I was really excited for this...but its super loud, and the lens looks a bit soft?.. I really hope the next pentax camera delivers...the 17 is...well....ya..

[@sharpvidtube]

I've never wanted to go back to film. Still got some in my fridge, that's been there for over 20 years😂 The camera looks great, but scanning film drove me crazy, never again.

[@NetvoTV]

Fridge that keep food? Why?

[@crispin8888]

It helps preserve it.

[@Poorgeniu5]

As an half frame shooter, I can relate especially since I don't have a proper copy stand and have to make due with a table and tripod....

[@eyeamstrongest]

8:00 lol i do the same thing on my om4 sometimes

[@joyousland]

Opening the film box and installation is hard. Film winder is like a blade on my finger. Shutter button is heavy as hell

[@thinkpadx60]

its a mess to be honest. lots of fiddling to put the box back in and then that shutter button is another pain

[@thedarkslide]

1:26 Love how you low key shame Kai here. We appreciate, I think so will he. :)

[@kaziqmaziq6703]

OLYMPUS XA (100$) beat it all!

[@rolandthomasset1713]

Every time I see someone ready to take a photo holding his camera with one hand I think of theWesterns when the Sherif and thieves fire their guns 5:00 from the hip ! Actually, Telephones as cameras have produced a new generation of “photographers” who shoot their photos so carelessly ! they get away with it because of the short focal length lenses used on phones but “They” are shooting like in the Westerns ! and missing what shooting with a real camera feels…..

[@ElektronDeForza]

22:53 infrared Time of Flight sensor are still being made. But using Lidar is very cool, so... ¯⁠\⁠_⁠(⁠ツ⁠)⁠_⁠/⁠¯

[@erichramone7812]

No sample images?? 😢 Nevermind I saw them! Thanks

[@TheLokCheung]

Yes there are, not many but there are

[@erichramone7812]

​@TheLokCheung sorry, I saw them, thanks for the great review

[@nicedward7544]

Love you Lok. You the real one.

[@andrew_aden]

i buy old one. why do i need a new one?

[@DDenDeeen]

meanwhile, TC-1:

[@donalmurphy5253]

This camera is a disaster. So frustrating and slow. Had so many missed opportunities for photos because of the shutter and the fact you have to take your eye from the eyepiece to see if a picture has actually been taken is a joke. Don't waste your money or if you want to please contact me to purchase mine

[@callmedwalls]

Incredible is a STRETCH but it’s new YAY I guess.

[@m.i.andersen8167]

No. Not from around "50's 60's" .From 1966

[@michaelbell75]

$800 and not even a hot shoe. Nope

[@andikrauthofen3720]

too big, too ugly. For that prize you get 2 original Rollei 35, with a Sonnar lens...

[@neglectedloves]

I wouldn't call this camera incredible... horribly loud AF, more than quirky film loading, even worse than the original and a film transportation which is terribly wobbly... not worth the money they're asking IMHO 👎🏻

[@thinkpadx60]

my biggest photography regret, wish I never listened to these influencers. Now I spent the money and have a dinosaur which is going to collect dust. Wobbly is the right word.

[@neglectedloves]

@@thinkpadx60 sorry to hear that! But I'm sure some Hipster will happily buy it from you just to own it...

[@thinkpadx60]

@@neglectedloves Aint that the truth!