Nothing is more 90s than a point and shoot film camera. We love them because they are compact, lightweight, and super fun to use.
In previous articles, we’ve talked about our favorite 35mm film cameras and favorite medium format cameras, so let’s go over some of the best point and shoot film cameras that you can get in 2024.
While not known for the best image quality, due to their low quality lenses and limited features, they are still the film camera for parties and get-togethers, a day at the beach, and road trips. They’re perfectly designed to be used spur of the moment and capture life as it’s happening.
We’re going to take a look at 12 of the best point and shoot film cameras that would be a great addition to any camera bag.
Not only do these analog cameras have all of the fun and simplicity that make point and shoot cameras so special, but we also wanted to find the point and shoot film cameras with the best image quality.
Benefits of Point and Shoot Film Cameras
There are a few benefits when it comes to using point and shoot film cameras, and one of the best ones is that they are an easy way to learn film.
If you want to start shooting film but feel intimidated by the process, a point and shoot camera is a great place to start. They are really easy to use with minimal settings, so you can get a feel for what it’s like to shoot film without having to figure out some of the more complicated aspects of shooting film or using film cameras.
Another benefit of using a point and shoot is that they are incredibly small and portable. Their compact size makes them easy to throw in a bag, and most can even fit in your pocket. If you are looking for a more convenient way to carry a film camera around, a point and shoot is the way to go.
Point and shoots also give you the perfect, nostalgic film look. A point and shoot is going to deliver images with a lot of character that look like they are straight from the 90s with that extra bit of grain and grittiness that is so unique to film.
Best Point and Shoot Film Cameras:
1. Contax T2
It’s tough to make a list of point and shoot film cameras without talking about the Contax T2 (find on eBay). The T2 is arguably the most popular point and shoot camera around right now.
It has always had a solid reputation and fan base in the film community, but after being hyped by a few celebrities, it’s gained some mainstream popularity as well (for better or worse).
While it’s a beautifully simple camera with clean lines and a solid metal build, it’s lens is what makes this camera so amazing. The Carl Zeiss Sonnar T* 38mm f/2.8 lens is one of the sharpest lens you’ll find on a point and shoot.
It will also give you much more control over your images than you might expect from a point and shoot. With the Contax T2, you can manually set your aperture and exposure compensation, and it also has an AE lock feature, allowing you to focus on your subject while metering elsewhere.
This amount of creative control and the sharp lens gets you much closer to the image quality of an SLR with the ease of a point and shoot. It’s easy to see why people love it so much!
As a side note, you cannot manually set your ISO with the T2, but this article will help you hack your DX code so you can change the ISO on any camera that auto-detects ISO.
The downside to it’s hype and popularity is it’s price tag. Oof. It’s one of the more expensive camera on this list at around $850 on eBay at the time of this article.
Here’s a more in-depth review of the Contax T2.
Specs:
Lens: Zeiss Sonnar T* 38mm f/2.8
Shutter Speeds: B, Program AE: 1s – 1/500s, Aperture Priority: Less than 1s – 1/200s, With Flash: 1/30s – 1/500s
Shooting Modes: Aperture Priority Program AE
Exposure Compensation: +/- 2 in 1/2 stops
Flash: Built-in
Build: Titanium
Average Price in 2023: $850
Find the Contax T2 at KEH Camera or on eBay.
2. Yashica T4
Most point and shoot film cameras are pretty similar. They’re small, plastic cameras with simple controls, just durable enough to be thrown in a bag, but nothing fancy.
So what sets some analog point and shoots apart from the rest? It’s the lens. It’s always the lens. You’ll notice the cameras on the list all have remarkable lenses.
The Yashica T4 (find on eBay) is no exception. It’s Zeiss Tessar T* 35mm f/3.5 is sharp and renders colors beautifully. It will give your images nice contrast with rich colors. The 3.5 aperture is a little slower than ideal, but it does retain it’s sharpness wide open.
Where the Contax T2 is more of a point and shoot that wants to be an SLR, the Yashica T4 is very much not. It is the point and shoot of point and shoots. It has a classic plastic body and almost no controls. Automatic exposure, half press the shutter to lock focus, toggle the flash on or off, and that’s about it.
Along with the quality lens, the Yashica T4’s flash it’s other main attraction. The T4 has been famously used by fashion photographers to create a punk aesthetic with the strong direct flash look.
Here’s a video with a good overview of the T4 with some great examples of the fashion aesthetic: Yashica T4 Review from New Nostalgia
This is another camera where its popularity has created a steep price tag. The Yashica T4 can be found for around $450 on eBay.
Specs:
Lens: Zeiss Tessar T* 35mm f/3.5
Shutter Speeds: 1s – 1/700s
Shooting Modes: Program Automatic
Exposure Compensation: No
Flash: Built-in
Build: Plastic
Average Price in 2023: $450
Find the Yashica T4 at KEH Camera or on eBay.
3. Leica Minilux
Leica is famous for their rangefinder film cameras, but they also manufactured some great point and shoots, such as the Leica Minilux.
The Minilux is very similar to the Contax T2, all-metal body, exposure controls, and an incredibly sharp, high-quality lens. They also sell at a similar price point at around $800 on eBay.
The lens is a 40mm f/2.4 with that gorgeous Leica glass. It has an auto mode, aperture priority mode, and exposure compensation at -/+ 2 at half stop intervals.
The biggest downside to the Minilux is its viewfinder. It’s known for having a very small, hard-to-use viewfinder that doesn’t give you exposure information on its display. This is improved in the Leica CM (find on eBay), but that camera comes in at about twice the price tag.
Specs:
Lens: 40mm f/2.4
Shutter Speeds: B, 1s to 1/400s
Shooting Modes: Program, Aperture Priority
Exposure Compensation: +/- 2 in 1/2 stops
Flash: Built-in
Build: Titanium
Average Price in 2023: $800
Find the Leica Minilux at KEH Camera or on eBay.
4. Minolta TC-1
If you like a wider lens, the Minolta TC-1 (find on eBay) is a fantastic choice.
It has a sharp, contrasty, high-quality 28mm f/3.5 lens, giving you a wider view than most point and shoots. It also shoots in aperture priority with exposure compensation settings of +/- 4 stops.
For even more control over your exposure and settings, the TC-1 has an option to manually set the ISO. So if you love to shoot Portra 400 at ISO 200, you can override the automatic ISO and you’re good to go.
The TC-1 has spot metering, focus lock, and let’s you switch over to manual focus with zone focusing settings. So many settings packed into a point and shoot while still being easy to use and navigate.
The Minolta TC-1 is also ultra small and lightweight with a nice titanium body. A great high quality point and shoot!
Specs:
Lens: 28mm f/3.5
Shutter Speeds: 4s – 1/750s
Shooting Modes: Aperture Priority
Exposure Compensation: +/- 4 in 1/2 stops
Flash: Built-in
Build: Titanium
Average Price in 2023: $750
Find the Minolta TC-1 at KEH Camera or on eBay.
5. Contax TVS
If you’re interested in the Contax T2 but want something more affordable, try the Contax TVS (find on eBay) series.
The TVS series is very similar to the T series, with the same sleek design, exposure compensation, and exposure lock feature, but with a zoom lens.
The lens won’t pack quite the same punch as the fixed-focus prime on the T2, but it’s still a high-quality, great lens for a point and shoot. And the zoom gives you some more versatility.
The Contax TVS can be found in good condition on eBay for around $400.
Check out this review for more about the Contax TVS.
Specs:
Lens: Zoom 28–56mm f/3.5–f/6.5
Shutter Speeds: 16s – 1/700s
Shooting Modes: Program, Aperture Priority
Exposure Compensation: +/- 5 in 1/3 stops
Flash: Built-in
Build: Titanium
Average Price in 2023: $400
Find the Contax TVS at KEH Camera or on eBay.
6. Olympus Stylus Epic / Olympus Mju II
The Olympus Stylus Epic (find on eBay), also called the Olympus Mju II, is a fully automatic, beautifully compact point and shoot film camera.
There are two Olympus cameras on this list, and that is because of the Olympus lenses. While not quite the same magic as a Zeiss lens, the lens in the Olympus Stylus Epic really holds it’s own. It has a sharp and fast 35mm f/2.8 lens, even beating out the Yashica T4 for speed.
The Stylus Epic is fully automatic with auto exposure and focusing, but you can utilize its spot metering mode.
By pressing the self-timer and the flash-mode button at the same time, you’ll turn on the spot mode. Then, you can aim the camera where you’d like to take an exposure reading, press the shutter half-way, and it will lock in the exposure and focus. Then you can recompose and shoot. This mode does reset when you turn the camera off, so it’s a bit of a cumbersome feature, but it’s still nice to have.
The Olympus Stylue Epic is also weatherproof! For a plastic camera, it’s quite durable. If you’re looking for a point and shoot that can handle rain, snow, and other adventures, this might be a great fit.
You can also read our detailed review of the Olympus Stylus Epic / Mju II here.
The Olympus Stylus Epic / Olympus MJU II can be found for around $200 on eBay.
Specs:
Lens: 35mm f/2.8
Shutter Speeds: 4s – 1000s
Shooting Modes: Program Automatic
Exposure Compensation: No
Flash: Built-in
Build: Plastic
Average Price in 2023: $200
Find the Olympus Stylus Epic at KEH Camera or on eBay.
7. Fuji Klasse
Another point and shoot with a high-end feel is the Fuji Klasse (also sold as the Rollei AFM35).
Made of aluminum-magnesium alloy, the build quality of the Fuji Klasse (find on eBay) doesn’t quite compare to the titanium of the Contax point and shoots, but is far better than the plastic found on most point and shoot cameras. It’s solid, lightweight, with a beautiful and streamlined look.
It has a sharp Fujinon 38mm f/2.6 lens, and has both an auto mode and aperture priority mode. So if you want a little more control over your images and enjoy shooting at a lower aperture, this camera will be a great fit.
A fun fact about the Fuji Klasse is that it produces triangle shaped bokeh. Generally, bokeh will be in more of a circle or hexagon shape, but the aperture blades of the Klasse gives the bokeh a very cool and unique triangle shape.
For a wider lens, you can also try the Fuji Klasse W, and for more exposure control, try the Fuji Klasse S. But both of these variations are quite a bit more expensive than the original Klasse.
You can find the Fuji Klasse for around $400 to $500 on eBay.
Specs:
Lens: 38mm f2.6
Shutter Speeds: B, 1/2s to 1/290s (at f2.6) to 1/1000s (for f16)
Shooting Modes: Program, Aperture Priority
Exposure Compensation: +2 Backlight Mode
Flash: Built-in
Build: Aluminum-Magnesium Alloy
Average Price in 2023: $500
Find the Fuji Klasse at KEH Camera or on eBay.
8. Nikon L35af
The Nikon One Touch L35af point and shoot film camera is another great option you can pick up for around $150 on eBay.
It has a sharp, fast 35mm f/2.8 Nikon lens with a great focusing system. The lens also has threads for filters. Such a rarity in a point and shoot!
With the exposure meter located right under the lens behind the filter, you can even use ND filters without having to worry about exposure compensation.
The Nikon L35af also has a few other cool features worth noting. It has a manual ISO setting (no DX code reader), so you’ll be able to manipulate your exposure a bit.
There is also a 2 stop exposure compensation for backlit images. This is a lever on the side of the lens, so you’ll need to hold the lever down while shooting. It doesn’t have incremental exposure compensation, just the +2 feature.
The camera is pretty bulky, though, and not the most pocketable. It has a square, functional, 80s style design to it. But if you don’t mind the size, it has a fantastic lens at a great price point and gives you a good amount of control over your images.
Specs:
Lens: 35mm f/2.8
Shutter Speeds: 1/8s – 1/430s
Shooting Modes: Program Automatic
Exposure Compensation: +2 Backlight Mode
Flash: Built-in
Build: Plastic
Average Price in 2023: $150
Find the Nikon L35af at KEH Camera or on eBay.
9. Olympus XA2
The Olympus XA2 (find on eBay) is an interesting camera and the second Olympus point and shoot camera on this list. It is one of the smaller and more bare bones cameras out of the list talking about today.
One thing that makes it so small is that it does not have an integrated flash. It has a flash attachment that connects to the side of the camera. It’s an unique design that makes the camera quite small when the flash isn’t attached.
It also doesn’t have auto-focus. It utilizes zone focusing. There is a small toggle next to the lens where you select the focus distance of 1.5 meters, 3 meters, or infinity. While the lack of auto-focus might feel like a negative, it actually makes the camera incredibly quick to use.
Without a DX code reader, so you’ll need to manually set your ISO on the Olympus XA2. This is another less advanced feature that actually leads to more freedom and control while shooting. It’s a little exposure compensation hack.
The Olympus XA2 is small, unassuming, and super quick to shoot. This along with its great lens makes it a favorite for street photographers. It is ready to go the second you open it! You don’t need to wait for focus to lock or fiddle with settings. It is a true point and shoot that produces reliable, quality images.
The XA2 can be found at a great price point as well at under $100 on eBay, and you can read our full review of the Olympus XA2 here.
Specs:
Lens: 35mm f/3.5
Shutter Speeds: 2s – 1/750s
Shooting Modes: Program Automatic
Exposure Compensation: No
Flash: Mount
Build: Plastic
Average Price in 2023: $100
Find the Olympus XA2 at KEH Camera or on eBay.
10. Canon Sure Shot A1 / Prisma AS-1
The Canon Sure Shot A1 (also known as the Prisma AS-1) is one of the most fun cameras on this list. It’s a waterproof point and shoot film camera that works up to 16.4 feet underwater. Perfect for a day at the beach or by the pool!
While it’s an underwater camera, the Sure Shot A1 (find on eBay) also great above water. It has a decent 32mm f/3.5 lens with ultra simple controls: an auto setting, a couple of flash settings, and an underwater macro setting. And since it’s waterproof, you never have to worry about taking it out in the rain.
It’s rugged casing makes it durable and solid, but it is a little bit bulkier than your typical point and shoot.
A note about the Sure Shot WP-1: The Canon Sure Shot WP-1 looks identical to the A1. There is a little debate about if the WP-1 is waterproof or not, but its manual has it listed as water resistant, not waterproof. So if you’re planning to use this underwater, the A1 is a safer bet.
Specs:
Lens: 32mm f/3.5
Shutter Speeds: 1/60 (2 sec. with flash mode off) – 1/250
Shooting Modes: Automatic
Exposure Compensation: No
Flash: Built-in
Build: Plastic
Average Price in 2023: $100
Find the Canon Sure Shot A1 at KEH Camera or on eBay.
11. Ricoh FF-1S
The Ricoh FF-1S is a straight-forward point and shoot with a great retro feel. Its retractable lens with a folding door gives it such a unique look from the rest of the cameras on this list.
This camera has a solid 35mm f/2.8 lens, but it is pretty low tech as far as settings go. Most notably, it utilizes zone-focusing instead of auto focus, which could take some getting used to if you’re not already comfortable with this type of manual focusing. You can set the ISO, but it does max out at ISO400.
You can find it for around $100 on eBay.
Specs:
Lens: 35mm f/2.8
Shutter Speeds: 2s – 1/500s
Shooting Modes: Automatic
Exposure Compensation: No, but you can manually set the ISO
Flash: Hot-Shoe Mount
Build: Metal and plastic
Average Price in 2023: $100
Find the Ricoh FF-1S at KEH Camera or on eBay.
12. Nikon Lite Touch
Rounding out our list of the best point and shoot film cameras is the Nikon Lite Touch (also known as the Nikon AF600). This camera is a great option if you’re looking for a wider lens but want something more affordable than the Minolta TC-1.
It has a decent 28mm f/3.5 lens and can focus at just over a foot (14.7 inches). This combo makes for such a great shooting experience letting you get up close and personal with your subject.
Another unique feature of the Nikon Lite Touch is its panorama mode. Instead of shooting over multiple frames, though, it masks the top and bottom portion of the frame, capturing the image at 12.3x36mm.
One in good, working condition can be found for around $100 on eBay.
Specs:
Lens: 28mm f/3.5
Shutter Speeds: 1/4s – 1/250s
Shooting Modes: Automatic
Exposure Compensation: No
Flash: Built-in
Build: Plastic
Average Price in 2023: $100
Find the Nikon Lite Touch at KEH Camera or on eBay.
Kathleen is the founder here at Shoot It With Film, and you can read more of her articles here, such as 5 Great 35mm Film Cameras for Beginners and 30 Film Photography Resources for Beginners. You can also check out her work on her website and Instagram.
Leave your questions below in the comments, and we’d also love to hear about your favorite point and shoot film cameras!
And if you want to learn more about shooting film, read all of our film photography tutorials here!
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Blog Comments
Will
October 9, 2020 at 11:36 am
Can’t argue with the XA2. It’s dead simple and produces consistently good images. A lot of the ones you find today will have light leaks from rotted light seals and are in need of an overhaul, but $5 worth of foam later and you’re golden.
Another favorite compact of mine is the Fuji Klasse W. I was lucky to get mine for about $500 USD via an international eBay seller and it’s in great shape. Definitely Fuji’s best compact film camera!
shootitwithfilm
October 9, 2020 at 3:03 pm
Such a good point about the light leaks! And could not agree more about the Klasse W. It’s a really cool point and shoot with a great lens!
Adam Carter
May 16, 2023 at 1:21 pm
Ricoh Gr1s, better than thems
Michael Steinbach
February 3, 2024 at 11:57 am
Great article! I would include the nikon 35ti or 28ti, the manual controls plus the very cool analog top deck have kept me a fan!
Nishad Roy
November 28, 2020 at 11:20 am
First time here on your blog and it’s amazing! I really had a great time! Keep up the good work.
shootitwithfilm
March 15, 2021 at 10:27 pm
Thanks so much!
Diane
November 22, 2021 at 2:03 pm
Thank you for this article and in formation. I need a camera that can handle fast film. Do any of the 5 cameras you’ve reviewed permit an iso of 1250?
Ok
Thank you for your help.
shootitwithfilm
November 22, 2021 at 2:15 pm
Hi Diane! The Contax T2, Yashica T4, and the Olympus Stylus Epic all can shoot with an ISO higher than 1250. They auto detect the ISO from the roll of film, so you cannot manually override the ISO to a specific number.
If you’re interested in a way to hack your camera roll to indicate a different ISO, this article might help! https://shootitwithfilm.com/hack-the-dx-code-on-your-35mm-film/
Michael S. Goldfarb
February 17, 2021 at 11:02 am
Old-timer here, I’ve been doing photography since the early sixties.
I literally grew up with it, my parents were pros with a little commercial studio they’d opened after WWII. I was put to work at a very young age, developing b/w 4×5 and roll film, drying prints (a big deal before RC papers came out), assisting with setups and on location shoots, etc. Anyway, I have witnessed decades of huge technological change in photography (and everything else)!
I bought a Nikon L35af when it was new, circa 1984, and it was a revelation. It was head and shoulders above the other primitive point & shoots of the time, with that outstanding lens and focus/exposure systems, and some surprising refinements (like the built-in lens cap, as opposed to the easy-to-lose separate ones on other contemporary p&s cameras like the original Canon SureShot).
But I feel I must point out to you younger folks that it was NEVER called the “L35af” in any of the USA-based sales/documentation/etc. materials of the time. I literally never heard that designation until articles like this one started to appear written by modern film camera fans. I never knew it as anything other than the “Nikon OneTouch”.
For the record, I’ve got an Olympus Stylus Epic too (originally a gift I gave my teenage son, before he switched to digital cameras circa 2006) that I occasionally use. A great little camera… apart from its questionable auto-exposure logic that tends to choose wider apertures vs. slower speeds, unnecessarily reducing DOF.
Other cameras I still regularly run b/w film through include the Nikon F2, Olympus OM-2, and Olympus Pen F. I’ve used all kinds of films and chemicals over the years… but I always come back to Tri-X and D-76!
shootitwithfilm
February 17, 2021 at 3:01 pm
Michael, thank you so much for sharing your experience with the Nikon OneTouch! I’ll definitely start calling it that from now on! And absolutely loved hearing about your time growing up in your parents photography studio. So fascinating!
Victor Reynolds
March 15, 2021 at 10:08 pm
I have two Olympus Stylus Zooms I use: the 120 and the 140. I love these cameras for their portability. My only gripe is that they automatically set the film ISO. However thanks to Amy, I now have a way to hack the DX reader!
shootitwithfilm
March 15, 2021 at 10:32 pm
Awesome! So glad you found the DX code hack so helpful! Totally agree with you about the auto ISO settings and love using that little hack to get around it.
Tim Davison
August 3, 2021 at 5:59 am
I would also add the Minolta TC-1 which is just amazing small with an incredible lens
shootitwithfilm
August 3, 2021 at 6:50 pm
Thank you, Tim! That is a great addition to this list!
Prince Charming
October 24, 2021 at 7:49 am
Why aren’t people talking about the Contax T3? This camera is borderline better than using a Leica M6 and 35mm Summicron. Smaller than T2, only about 800€ more, and comes with a lens. Also focuses closer than a 35mm Summicron. I don’t get it?
vincent
August 6, 2022 at 11:31 pm
it has a 2.8 lens from zeiss. it is just a little noisy on the re -wind. But it has a great lens.
Marvin Estrella
November 27, 2021 at 7:56 am
The P&S cameras you featured in your article are all ridiculously expensive for beginners struggling to experience film photography! Do you get any commission/incentives for featuring these items???
shootitwithfilm
November 27, 2021 at 10:31 am
Hi Marvin! This list covers the highest quality point & shoot cameras, so they can get quite expensive. The Canon Sure Shot or the Nikon Lite Touch are solid options that are more budget friendly. You might also find these articles helpful:
5 Film Cameras Under $50 – https://shootitwithfilm.com/5-film-cameras-under-50-dollars/
5 Great 35mm Film Cameras for Beginners – https://shootitwithfilm.com/5-great-35mm-film-cameras-for-beginners/
Larry Beckerman
October 31, 2022 at 12:14 pm
A concise and nicely written article for first-time film shooters. As a part time film shooter, my fun film time is spent looking for the point and shoot with similar to Yashica T4 / Olympus Epic image quality at a much lower price. So far, I really like, drumroll please, the Ricoh FF-3. Not as nice looking, but an excellent 35/3.5 lens and manual override features.
shootitwithfilm
October 31, 2022 at 1:49 pm
The Ricoh FF-3 is such a great point and shoot!
Dani
March 3, 2023 at 11:42 am
The Fuji Klasse (original) is also a really good option! Elements of exposure compensation available. You can set aperture yourself. Great glass, and honestly less than cameras like the T4 which baffles me. Small enough for a fanny pack. It’s my fav!
Owen
May 19, 2023 at 6:42 am
No love for the Ricoh GR1?? Has to be one of the best compact cameras ever made.
Tim Cove
December 15, 2023 at 10:46 am
Interesting read. Generally most of these cameras are higher end, therefore more expensive. I tend to use Pentax Espio point and shoot cameras as they are affordable ($25 to $40 Cdn) and easily available. Cheers.
shootitwithfilm
December 15, 2023 at 5:23 pm
The Pentax Espio is a great suggestion! Thank you for sharing!
Larry
December 22, 2023 at 10:53 am
Nice article and selection of cameras. Couple of really nice ones you left out; Rollei 35 and the Minox 35 of which there are several models.
shootitwithfilm
December 23, 2023 at 11:47 am
Great cameras! Thank you!
Seven Lin
August 27, 2024 at 10:45 pm
Good information for me.
Tomasz
September 5, 2024 at 11:37 pm
How about the Nikon 35Ti?