Back in the heyday of analog point-and-shoot cameras, the better-quality models used 35mm film. Ilford's Sprite 35 was one of the classics, and it's now being reintroduced – sort of – in the form of the Sprite 35-II.
The reusable camera is aimed at younger and/or newer photographers who wish to experiment with 35mm film, but who don't want to deal with a lot of manual settings right off the bat. Ordinarily, such photogs might go with a cheap recyclable camera that couldn't be reloaded, or they'd take their chances with a used 35mm camera. There are also a few 35mm SLRs still being made, but they're a pretty expensive way to go for people who are just giving the format a try.
The Sprite 35-II can be loaded with any brand of ISO 200 or 400 35mm film (color or black-and-white), which is manually advanced one shot at a time using a thumb lever, then rewound once the roll is used up. It has a fixed shutter speed of 1/120th of a second, a single-element f9 fixed-focus 31mm lens, and a built-in flash.
As far as the more basic specs go, the camera weighs 122 grams (4.3 oz), has an ABS plastic body, and is powered by a single AAA alkaline battery. And that's pretty much all that can be said about it – which is the basic idea, as it's intended to be simple.
The Sprite 35-II should be available beginning next month (in color choices of black or black/silver), priced at US$34.95. Potential buyers who are interested in getting artsy might want to also check out some of the quirky 35mm cameras offered by Lomography.
Source: Ilford via Inside Imaging
