Newly released in 2024, the Rollei 35AF offers a new take on the classic Rollei 35 design. With great new features added to the camera, the Rollei 35AF has all the functionality that modern film photographers are looking for. 

We loaded some film into the camera, took it for a spin, and are here to tell you all about it.

What is the Rollei 35AF?

Created by MiNT camera, the Rollei 35AF is a brand new 35mm film camera. If it looks familiar, that is because its design is based on the vintage Rollei 35 cameras. The camera was released in 2024 and features a number of great additions that make the camera more suited to modern photographers. 

It was released in two colours: silver or black. The camera comes with a wrist strap, quick start guide, stickers, and a lens cap.

What features does the Rollei 35AF have?

The Rollei 35AF is packed with great features that make it a very usable camera for beginners and seasoned photographers alike.

The features of the Rollei 35AF include: 

• 35mm f/2.8 glass lens
• Shutter speed from 1/1000 to 1second
• LT mode (exposures up to 60 seconds)
• Automatic exposure mode
• Exposure compensation modes
• Manual exposure mode
• Aperture range from f/2.8 to f/16
• Autofocus from 70cm to infinity
• Built-in flash with a 3.5m range
• Manual winding
• 10-second self-timer
• DX code reader (25-3200)
• Manual ISO mode
• OLED display for frame counter and exposure assistance
• Weighs only 242 grams

What are the benefits of the added features to the Rollei 35AF?

The new features on the Rollei 35AF make it a very versatile camera. There are several ways in which to use the camera in order to get the best results and create images the way you want to. 

Aperture priority - using the camera with a manual aperture and automatic shutter speed means you can shoot quickly and with the focus of your images in mind. Your aperture controls how much of an image is in focus and how much depth of field there is. 

Fully manual - you can shoot with manual shutter speed and manual aperture. The light meter will guide you on the OLED display as to whether your image is well-exposed. Having fully manual settings means you can control your exposure and how your image will appear. For example, you can do long exposures, or make sure the camera is firing at a fast shutter speed for moving subjects. 

Exposure compensation - this mode is ideal for expired film as you can set the camera to over or under-expose by a number of stops. 

Manual ISO - similarly to exposure compensation, you can manually set the ISO of the film. This is also useful for films that do not have a DX code on the canister.

Built-in flash - this allows you to shoot at night and in dark settings. This is ideal for street photographers as well.

These blogs may help you understand these settings:

Sample Images from the Rollei 35AF

We loaded a roll of Fujifilm 800 film into the Rollei 35AF and took it around London. This film was expired by a decade, so it is was probably not the best film to test this camera with. However, we were pretty pleased with the results of the camera.

Overall, we were impressed with the metering and the focus of the camera. All of the shots we took came out sharp and in-focus. The metering for the silhouetted shots was great, as well.

The Rollei 35AF camera's metering and focus in low-light was also great. The image of the theatre sign was a handheld shot and would have been sharper if the camera was on a firm surface.

Is the Rollei 35AF good for beginners?

Whilst the camera does have advanced settings for more seasoned photographers, the Rollei 35AF would be a great camera for beginners. It allows you to shoot almost fully automatically and the autofocus takes a lot of the strain of manual focusing out of image taking. 

The Rollei 35AF would also be a great camera for seasoned photographers who are looking for a pocket-sized camera. The camera offers being able to shoot manually, which allows for a lot of image control. 

Is the Rollei 35AF worth the money? 

The Rollei 35AF is (at the time of writing) the only brand new autofocus 35mm film camera with manual settings. Other brand new cameras, such as the Pentax 17, have zone focusing (and Pentax 17 is also a half-frame camera.)

Similar cameras to the Rollei 35AF on the market would be the Contax T2, Nikon 35Ti or Nikon 28Ti. These cameras are significantly more expensive and do not have the added benefit of being a brand new manufactured camera. 

The Nikon 35Ti, for example, which has the same functions as the Rollei 35AF, retailed for $1000 when released in 1990. In today's currency, this would be $2414 as a retail price. The Rollei 35AF is a fraction of this. 

Final Thoughts on the Rollei 35AF

The Rollei 35AF offers modern photographers a great way to create 35mm film images. It has great functionality for beginners and seasoned photographers alike. For now, it is a camera like no other on the market at this price. If you love vintage design with the functions of a modern film camera, you will love the Rollei 35AF.

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