See Real-World Photos From MiNT’s Long-Awaited Rollei 35AF Film Camera

Jun 11, 2024

It has been a long time coming, but analog photography enthusiasts can finally see the light at the end of the tunnel for MiNT’s premium compact Rollei 35AF camera.

A year and a half after announcing the development of a brand-new 35mm camera, MiNT has officially said that the Rollei35 AF is coming this year, and prospective customers can join the preorder waitlist now on a dedicated website. Per Kosmo Foto and MiNT itself, the camera will cost between $650 and $800 at launch.

Side-by-side images of a Rollei 35 AF camera. The left image shows the front view with the lens and various controls. The right image displays the back view, featuring the viewfinder and part of the camera body with a textured black surface.

The new teaser site does more than notify film shooters about the Rollei35 AF’s availability; it also includes some photos actually captured with the upcoming 35mm camera. These images have also been featured in MiNT’s most recent blog post about the 35mm camera and are featured throughout this article.

Prior blog entries also include some interesting details about the Rollei 35AF. For example, concerning the Rollei 35AF’s built-in lens, MiNT explains that it is a 35mm f/2.8 prime lens. The lens has five glass elements, each with coatings on both sides. MiNT adds that the aperture ranges from f/2.8 to f/16.

A person in a suit holds a vintage Rollei 35AF camera. The camera has a retro design with a visible lens and various control dials. The person's fingers are positioned around the camera, poised to take a photograph.

MiNT has also said that, unlike all its other cameras, which are instant cameras, the Rollei 35AF will feature a fully-metal construction.

“However, since the Rollei 35AF is much smaller, using a metal body doesn’t make it much heavier. You’d actually be able to feel the coolness of metal on your fingertips this time,” MiNT says.

A traditional Japanese temple gate with a tiered roof and vibrant red wooden beams stands against a backdrop of trees and hills. Stone statues guard the entrance, and cherry blossoms are visible in the vicinity, adding to the serene atmosphere.

A white car drives down a wet street as rain falls. In the foreground, vibrant purple flowers with raindrops on their petals line the sidewalk. The scene is urban, with buildings and leafless trees in the background under an overcast sky.

A small snowman with twig arms and a smiling face stands in a snow-covered yard. Behind it, there are leafless trees and a traditional wooden building with a sloped roof under a clear sky.

A vibrant shop filled with hanging paper lanterns of various designs and sizes, illuminated by ceiling lights. Shelves below are stocked with a variety of packaged goods, including drinks and other items, with Japanese labels and signage.

A black and white photo depicts several motorcycles parked under a highway overpass at night. Some motorcycles are covered with tarps, and a few people walk nearby. The area is dimly lit, with concrete pillars and road signs visible.

A small, square outdoor lamp emits light on a patch of grass and dirt at night. The lamp is housed in a simple, cuboid structure placed on a concrete base, casting a soft glow in the surrounding area.

Two elderly people push carts loaded with cardboard boxes down a narrow street. The person in the foreground wears a black shirt and pushes a cart with a purple shoulder strap bag. The person in the background, in a green shirt, smiles while pushing a similar cart.

View of a cityscape through a narrow gap between two high-rise residential buildings, one in tan and white and the other in yellow and teal. Visible in the background are other buildings, hills, and the sea under a cloudy sky.

Aerial view of two motorcyclists stopped at a T-intersection on a city street. One rider is on the left side, and the other is by a "no entry" sign on the right side. The road markings include pedestrian crossing lines and yellow grid lines for traffic control.

A focus for the MiNT team is making 35mm analog photography accessible without robbing it of its tactile, manual charm. As for automatic features, the Rollei 35AF includes autofocus — as evidenced by its name — and has a built-in light meter and automatic exposure modes. It will be interesting to see just how much control analog photographers will have if they don’t want to use the automatic modes.

A lot is riding on MiNT’s Rollei 35AF camera project. In a blog post last November, MiNT describes the research and development costs of the camera as “sky high” and says that MiNT is “risking the whole company to get this project off the ground.”

That’s a big gamble, but photographers seem excited about the Rollei 35AF so far. It also appears that the long wait for the brand-new full-frame film camera is nearing its conclusion. With Pentax poised to release its brand-new half-frame film camera soon, 2024 is shaping up to be one of the most exciting for analog photographers in a very long time.

Image credits: MiNT Camera

Analog, Equipment, News

35mmcamera, analog, film, mint, mintcamera, rollei, rollei35, rollei35af

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