Old Camera Reviews Vol. 1 (Vivitar Ultra Wide & Slim, Bell+Howell Focus Free 28mm & Bell+Howell 960 NP Panorama)

Check it, you'd see this AND MORE if you bought my zine. It's sweet.

SOME REVIEWS,
of a few cameras that came out about 15 years ago

When I shoot film I like to take a “seat of the pants” approach, and like girls, I like a camera that doesn’t require much maintenance. For me the perfect film camera is something I can wind, point and shoot, I don’t like it much when my film cameras require something so pedantic as being focused. Who needs that crap?

Here are three cameras that I use pretty often that match the description. While I don’t think it’s likely you’ll go out and buy any of these (the Vivitar is the only one easily found online) this article’s point is less about specific cameras and more to explain how I shoot and what I look for in a pocket sized film camera. Basically, less is more, small is big and you don’t need more than basic features to make a good photo.

Vivitar Ultra Wide & Slim




With a Flickr pool of over 30,000 images the Vivitar Ultra Wide & Slim is certainly the little camera that could. . . command way too much for some molded plastic and a cheap lens. I blame it’s popularity on it’s wide lens (22mm), compact design and the hoards of zombie Lomo geeks that love “lo-fi goodness” (whatever that means). All the cameras that went to high school with this camera gossip about how it’s really sold out, but they’re all secretly jealous of it’s success.

My dislike of “popular” photography culture aside, if you can pick this camera up for under $7 (it regularly goes for over $30) I’d do so. It’s about as thin as a 35mm camera can be, the lens is wider then you’ll likely find anywhere else and it really is a camera that deserves (most) of it’s popularity. I’m all about putting a camera like this in a coat pocket and taking a few frames per week. It’s wide lens is perfect for spur of the moment shots and after a month or two have gone by it’s fun to get those photos back and see what ya’ done made.

Bell+Howell Focus Free 28mm




The Bell+Howell Focus Free 28mm is (culturally speaking) the Wide & Slim’s little, dumber brother. If the Wide & Slim graduated high school with honors, the Bell+Howell is got the GED. Sure, it’s an equivalent, but it in the real world that doesn’t mean the same thing. I should know, I’ve dropped out of high school. Twice.

Uncool reputation sure, but this camera is pretty much the same thing as the Wide & Slim, save a somewhat more narrow lens (28mm). Still it’s got surprisingly sharp optics (optic?) and is a good candidate to be left in your pocket until you need it. Because it doesn’t have that “lo-fi goodness” tax this camera will run you under $5. Draw a puppy on it to get a good reaction.

Bell+Howell 960 NP Panorama




Certainly the most high tech of the group (this one requires a battery!) the Bell+Howell 960 NP Panorama is the heavyweight of the bunch. Bell+Howell doesn’t seem to be able to make cameras cool with the kids these days and this light-taieght box is no exception. It’s about as hip as a McDonald’s Employee and has (comparatively) about as many features as pimples on the face of, uh, a McDonald’s employee.

It’s got one of those switches which turns your shot into a “panorama”, but is actually a switch that crops part of the neg off (as opposed to widening the part of film that’s being exposed). I used this camera for the photos of Tijuana Bible and it preformed up pretty good considering how dark it was in that venue. Again, this is a good camera to take with you and forget about. Keep it in your pocket until someone gets a nosebleed. It’ll probably run you about $5 in the underground thrift store market.

Of course, these cameras aren’t anything without knowing how to use them properly. Learn to frame a shot without looking, aim from the hip and don’t get too serious. (That he not busy being born is busy dying.)