The minimalist design frees your mind to focus on the organic side of photography, the creative side, the intentional side, and the here and now —which, in part, is precisely why the Sprite II is s o much fun for beginners & casuals. This article isn't a comparison piece between the Ilford and Kodak cameras, as these options are similar in quality, price, and use case. Instead, think of this editorial as an overview of the best choice in the film camera game of 2023. People’s faces glow in an extremely flattering way. It’s still more than sharp enough to capture expressions, eyes, hair, textures, clothing. But it doesn’t make acne, fly away hairs, or wrinkles stand out — especially when the flash is turned on. It’s no secret that the Ilford Sprite 35-II cameras do not capture sharp images. But that’s not what this camera is about. There are plenty of good reasons why some love the authentic look and feel of film-generated photographs; there’s also the discipline of having only 24 or 36 exposures to work with, and the anticipation of having a roll developed. Then there’s the desire to slow down from the relentless pace of digital technology and instant gratification

I’ve been using the Ektar H35 for the last month now, and here’s what I found when shooting this camera. Here is the translated press release: Spring promotion: New camera and inkjet photo paper in a bundle We know that users of analog cameras give a large part of the film for development and then also receive files from their negatives. That is why the camera will also be available as a bundle with selected inkjet photo papers. In this way, the user can print out his analogue photos at home, ”says Karsten Goltz, General Manager at Ilford. And although it has automatic capture settings, it features a manual film advance winding lever that allows you to rewind each exposure. The camera boasts a 31mm, single-element F9 fixed-focus wide-angle lens, allowing you to capture stunningly-focused daylight scenes. Its fixed shutter speed of 1/120s ensures vibrant, sharp images and also comes with a built-in flash. The Ilford Sprite 35-II continues this legacy. It meets the needs of people experimenting with 35mm film and looking for a camera that is “no frills” easy to use. It is an advance over single-use cameras because it is reusable and does not create additional waste. All in all, it offers a highly interesting and inexpensive opportunity to get into analog photography and experience the fine grain of silver-based photographs.This stunning camera shoots images using just half a regular 35mm frame in portrait format, doubling the capacity of each roll. Using this camera, you’ll be able to take 48 or 72 images per roll instead of the usual 24 or 36. Shooting analog is a unique and rewarding experience, and in this article, we compare two newly manufactured and highly affordable film cameras — the Kodak EKTAR H35 Half-Frame and the Ilford Sprite 35-II. This camera looks amazing using color films like Kodak Gold, Ultramax. Their warm, saturated feel looks stunning in this camera, capturing perfect skin tones that look gorgeous at sunsets. ISO 400 film will give you more exposure latitude in the shadows and is preferable when shooting later in the day, or with flash at night. Taylor hits the nail right on the head in her review video. At first ( or even second) glance, the Ilford Sprite 35mm-II doesn’t seem quite impressive, and that’s because it’s not. Not in the traditional sense anyway.

Overall, I’m quite happy with the build quality of this camera. Even after a couple drops, it’s still in fully working condition. It feels like a camera that I can trust to bring on an airplane, camping, hiking, or anywhere else. If you’re not a fan of the flaring, then the best solution is to have the sun behind you. That way your subject will be in the most flattering light, and you’ll be able to create sharper, better images. The camera cannot focus on objects that are closer than 1 meter to the camera. Be sure to not get too close to your subjects. Downsides of the Kodak Ektar Half Frame Camera?After loading the camera with 200 or 400-speed 35mm film, all you have to do is aim the camera and press the shutter. This is not a camera for pixel peepers or people who care more about the quality of images than the memories captured in them. In contrast, the Ilford Sprite 35mm is a conventional film camera producing 36 frames with any 35mm roll. I used this camera nearly every day last year as my daily shooter to capture family road trips, my dog, and sunny skate sessions, and it held up beautifully. Again, the file images are more prominent in resolution than those from the Kodak H35 camera, but unless you're a colossal pixel peeper — the visual difference is relatively minimal. The Kodak Ektar H35 Half Frame camera is for anyone who loves using disposable cameras, but hates the environmental impact of them. This camera has all of the glory those cameras do, but it’s also reusable, and gets twice as many frames per roll of film.

The lens is not the sharpest, and the shutter speed is slow enough that it will make blurry images if you’re moving, but that’s actually a benefit for this camera. Because The Kodak Ektar H35 isn’t as sharp, it makes skin look flawless, and people look younger. One of the most significant advantages of these cameras is their affordability, especially in comparison to the high cost of film rolls and their chemical processing. While Ilford doesn’t advertise this, the aperture does get larger when you turn on the flash. That means you can get a brighter exposure by turning on the flash — even if you’re taking landscape photos. That means this camera is fantastic for architecture and street photography — there won’t be any strange warping around the edges.

ILFORD Sprite 35-II Film Camera Key Features:

The Kodak Ektar H35 is one of the most fun reusable cameras to hit the film photography scene this year. The Ektar H35 is built for all photographers who love capturing moments on film, but wish they were able to eek out just a couple extra frames per roll. For that reason, this camera is way better as a film camera than it could ever be as a digital point-and-shoot. Film makes the process easy, thought-free, and fun. Throw in a roll of Kodak Ultramax or Lomo Purple and have fun. ILFORD revives the popular retro film camera from 1964 and introduces the new »ILFORD Sprite 35-II« Last is the flaring. The lens is pretty good overall, but the flaring can be a big distraction in some images. Unless you like that look (which it can definitely be used for some cool effects), then you will always have to take photos with the sun outside of the frame. Shooting with the sun behind you is how you get the best light on your subjects anyways, so I don’t see it as too big of a issue. Final thoughts: Who is The Kodak Ektar H35 camera for?

The Ilford Sprite 35-II continues that heritage and will meet the needs of people experimenting with 35mm film and looking for a camera that’s ‘no frills’ simple. It’s a step up from disposable cameras, and being re-usable, it won’t create extra waste. When shooting directly into the sun, the Kodak Ektar H35 camera does create some significant flaring around the edges of the frame. In this image, it actually has a pretty cool effect, but to get to most out of it, you will have to have your subject in the center of the frame. A fixed shutter speed and single element f9 fixed-focus wide-angle lens that’s perfect for daytime photography. The great thing about the Ilford Sprite 35-II is that it comes with a built-in flash. So while you can’t change the settings, you will be able to capture photographs of people at night, or in darker circumstances.

There are some awesome half-frame cameras out there, like the Yashica Samurai, or even the underrated Olympus Pen F which has interchangeable lenses. But the Kodak Ektar H35 camera holds up surprisingly well in most cases. The only times where the camera won’t work is when you want to get close to your subject, or when you want to take group selfies. The camera doesn’t focus closer than 1 meter, or 3.3 feet, meaning anything closer than that will be blurry. If you are new to analogue photography, or someone who has always favoured 35 mm film, the Ilford Sprite 35-II is an affordable and fun little film camera. In the 60s, the original Sprite 35 was ‘the' go-to model due to its cheap price and easy-use. The ILFORD Sprite 35-II continues this heritage with a fixed shutter speed (1/120s) with a 31mm, single element f9 fixed-focus wide-angle lens; perfect for well-focused daylight scenes. This 35 mm film camera also comes with a built-in flash with a 15-second recycle time for night shooting. The ILFORD Sprite 35-II Film Camera is a re-usable, solid step up from your disposable camera. It's stylish, smart, and great for those that wish to capture a couple of snaps without the fuss/expense of going digital. The corners are completely unsharp while suffering from vignetting, lens flare, chromatic aberration, and dramatic distortion. The center of the frame is a little better, but that’s about where it ends. If you’re capturing landscapes, this camera isn’t going to capture photos that get featured in National Geographic (though, they could probably make it in Vogue!)