The A35 Datelux camera was a milestone for Canon – their first camera with a built-in flash. Canon nicknamed it the 'Nighter' to highlight the flash, and even included that name on the camera packaging and on promotional materials.
This camera is a joy to use, with a metal body (and diecast metal chassis), bright viewfinder and fully automatic exposure. The camera automatically sets both the aperture and shutter speed for you so all you need to do is to focus the lens on your subject.
Unusually for a compact flash-equipped camera it also has the rangefinder focusing system, so no need to try and guess the distance to your subject !
The flash system is very clever – when using the flash the camera automatically selects the correct aperture based upon film speed and the distance to your subject so flash exposure is always correct (provided you aren't too far away for a flash).
As the name of the camera suggests, the Datelux also has the capability to print the year / month / day on each photo if you like. Having said that, the range of dates it can print is from years 1978 to 1988. Luckily you can choose to just print the month / day so the year doesn't matter.
The viewfinder itself has quite a lot of information - it has a moving needle that shows the aperture that the camera is automatically selecting. This also tells you if the light is too bright (or too dark) for your photo. If too dark then the camera doesn't let you take a photo to avoid wasting film. The battery check function also uses this needle - when you press the battery check button the needle should go to the 'f/5.6' mark if the batteries are OK.
When the date function is on, the camera briefly flashes the date in the viewfinder as you take a photo which is a nice touch.
Canon A35 Datelux
The Datelux represented a time of transition for Canon – the previous Canon compact cameras were the ‘Canonet’ range, which had a traditional silver metal body and no flash. They were phenomenally popular, so the Datelux caused quite a stir when it was introduced with more automation, and the rarity of a built-in flash and date function. It also had a more modern look.
A few years after the Datelux, Canon introduced autofocus with the AF35M and from there a long line of autofocus compact cameras so this camera also represents Canon's last manual focus compact camera.
You may also sometimes see a very similar camera around - the Canon A35 F. This is essentially the same camera but without the date printing function.
Canon A35 Datelux
The Datelux is in general a very reliable camera and takes two sets of batteries: 1 x AA battery that powers the flash, and it was originally designed to take a couple of little Mercury batteries for the shutter and automatic exposure. With these Mercury batteries being unavailable now, we supply the camera with 2 x SR44 batteries and a special adaptor that enables them to fit snugly.
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