My first and favorite film camera is my Nikon OneTouch. It was delivered about 5 months after I arrived in NYC and I’ve been shooting with it since.
After 3 months of quarantine overseas, I decided to move to NYC in June 2020. Subsequently, Black Women Photographers launched in July 2020 and Photodom opened in September 2020. I got into film because of Photodom. The shop opened 30 minutes from where I live in Brooklyn and it was a double win: learn more about photography and support a Black-owned business.
After researching, I found my Nikon OneTouch — the latest model of the older, popular L35AF. By latest, I mean vintage from the 1980s. The 35mm f/2.8 fixed lens is razor sharp and fast, producing focused photos with vibrant colors. After three decades of use, the lens came with no scratches — and I keep it this way with my camera cover from Photodom!
Recently, I’ve been having issues with the flash going off resulting in some over exposed photos. I try to remedy this by holding onto the button on the front that prevents flash but sometimes the camera has a mind of its own. It gets easier the more I play around with it and I don’t mind since it’s part of the charm of having an older camera.
The Nikon One-Touch is perfect for beginners due to its simple construction. All you need is two AA batteries and it’s ready to go. A slider feature on the bottom opens and closes the lens and aside from the flash control button, and the only other button is the shutter-release.
Top of camera 
Bottom of the boss 
Viewfinder supreme
I love how pictures of various subjects turn out with this camera — whether it’s landscapes or people. Depending on the lighting, the pictures come out with an old school vibe or more sharp and modern, with the promise of being treasured memories in the future. A classic and sizable point and shoot, it’s become my go-to camera for personal memories.
Grab this sizable camera if you happen to come across it. It’s definitely a blast from the past. Or back to the future, depending on which 80s reality you want to jump into. It’s definitely worth it, and even though it’s definitely considered a relic in today’s world, it still delivers great photos!
Michal Petros documents her photography journey on Instagram and Exposure. She is a member of Black Women Photographers and was first introduced to film photography by Photodom in 2020. View her work here!
