Kodak’s new point-and-shoot 35mm film camera comes in 7 vibrant colors, costs just $35, and brings back one of my favorite pieces of camera design

• Reto Project has released a new Kodak-branded film camera, the Kodak EC35
• It’s a total point-and-shoot, with focus and all settings fixed
• However, it features a stylish sliding lens cover, in the style of the Olympus Mju from the early 1990s

A new Kodak film point-and-shoot camera has just been announced. And the reason for the tortured use of the passive voice in the previous sentence is that it isn’t actually made by Kodak.

The Kodak EC35 is a 35mm film camera made by Reto Project, a company that licenses the Kodak name to produce a range of both analog and digital cameras. While my personal favorite is the Kodak Snapic A1, a sleek little 35mm film, its most popular release by a considerable margin has been the little digital keychain camera, the Kodak Charmera.

Reto generally produces simple point-and-shoots, and the Kodak EC35 is exactly that. It takes 35mm film, and all its settings are fixed, with a 1/100sec shutter speed and f/10 aperture. The lens is fixed-focus — there isn’t even the option to switch from near to far focus like there was on the Snapic A1 — and is a 25mm optic. The camera also has a built-in flash.

What really caught my attention about this camera, however, is its design. Specifically, the fact that it has a gorgeously curved sliding lens cover that protects the optic when it’s not in use. It’s a chip off the Olympus film camera block — the iconic Olympus Mju immediately comes to mind.

All style, some substance

While I tend to associate sliding lens covers with the Olympus XA2 that’s sitting on my desk as I write this, with the curved design of its plastic body, the Kodak EC35 is pretty clearly meant to evoke the look and feel of the Mju.

And I also like the idea of having a lens cover in a practical sense — not just aesthetic! A lot of these cheap film compacts, like the Snapic A1, the Ektar H35N, etc, don’t have a lens cap or lens protection of any kind, meaning it’s easy for the lens to get dirty, dusty or bashed around. The cover also doubles as a shutter lock, meaning that the camera won’t end up accidentally firing off shots while it’s in your bag.

The EC35 is being released in an attractive range of colorways: Midnight Black, Vanilla White, Butter Yellow, Lavender, Powder Blue, Blush Pink and Avocado Green. I’m normally ‘give me black or give me death’ when it comes to cameras, but I’ll admit, that yellow version is pretty striking.

The EC35 is powered by a single AA battery (which is only needed for the flash), and weighs a pleasingly slender 102g. It’s available on its own for $34.99 / £35.99 (about AU$50) or in a bundle with a 24-shot roll of bright and colorful Kodak Ultramax 400 for $44.99 / £45.99 (about AU$65).