Back in sunny July, I got the urge, as I often do, to browse the “almost ending” pages of eBay’s Film Camera category. I sometimes fantasise that I’ll see a mislabeled gem and get it for a song, but my impulse buying was, this time, motivated by the #shittycamerachallenge hashtag on Twitter. A long-running (but now almost over) game, which involves buying the shittiest camera possible, for the least money, and taking it out in an attempt to make some decent images.
I love this challenge, as it satisfies both my unquenchable lust for a bargain, and my hoarding instincts (more cameras = better). It was with this in mind that I splashed out a whole £15 for a champagne-coloured Canon Sure Shot 76 Zoom – the pinnacle of plastic millennial cheap point and shoot technology. What made me choose the Canon over hundreds of other cheap point and shoots? The ability to set the camera to “no flash” and keep it there, without endless fiddling and menu-button-pressing. I’m happy for the camera to automate everything else, but firing off a flash when I’m trying to be a bit stealthy is mortifying, so it’s a function I very much appreciate.
I took the Sure Shot out on a walk around the Westbury White Horse, on a gorgeous warm sunny day. Shooting it is the epitome of ease – no focusing, automatic metering – literally just point and shoot. It’s got a fairly bright viewfinder too, and all the shots I got back from Film Dev are both in-focus and correctly lit. After years of using all-manual, or aperture-priority cameras, it was a refreshing change, and reminded me of holidays when I was younger.
Loaded with expired Agfa Vista 200, it truly is a cheap solution to shooting film. I love the yellow/gold colours of expired Agfa Vista, it particularly suits summer landscape shots. It was so enjoyable to use, I managed to finish a whole roll in one day, which is rare for me! The rest of the images from that day are here.
I’ve lent the Canon to a friend, as she admired the retro feel of the shots above (I think we all yearn for childhood summer holidays at the moment), but when I get it back, it’ll be a permanent addition to my camera bag. Who would have thought, such easy fun for just £15?