Chinon 35F EE (c.1978)
A compact 35mm film camera with auto-exposure and manual scale focusing, introduced around 1978.
Overview
The Chinon 35F-EE is a 35mm compact film camera produced by Chinon around 1978. It features auto-exposure metering with aperture priority and uses a fixed CHINONEX COLOR 38mm/f2.8 lens. Designed for simplicity, it requires manual focusing via scale distance settings rather than rangefinder coupling. The camera supports 26x24mm frame size on standard 35mm film and uses an LR44 mercury battery for its light meter. It is the scale-focusing variant of the Chinon 35F-A, which features autofocus.
Specifications
| Format | 26x24mm on 35mm film |
| Lens | CHINONEX COLOR 38mm/f2.8 |
| Minimum Focus Distance | 1m |
| Shutter Speeds | 1/60 – 1/250 seconds |
| Flash Sync Speed | 1/125 second |
| ISO Range | 25 – 500 |
| Battery | LR44 (meter) |
| Weight | 344g |
| Dimensions | 132 x 79 x 53mm |
Design
The Chinon 35F-EE is a basic 35mm auto-exposure, manual focus compact with an auto-selected aperture light meter system. It lacks rangefinder coupling, relying instead on scale focusing. It uses a manual film advance lever and
Product Family
The 35F-EE is the scale-focusing version of Chinon's 35F-A, which features autofocus.
Market
Listings in mid-2024 show the Chinon 35F-EE selling for around $49–$55. Common issues include non-functional light meters and missing meter battery covers. An original service manual from 1978 is available for collectors at $15.00.
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