A Super time at Disney World
In my last post, which was unfortunately quite some time ago, I reflected on the experience of capturing holiday memories on a disposable camera. I knew after using the disposable, that I wanted to invest in a compact plastic point and shoot. I wanted something light but also robust and which would produce better quality images than a disposable. A camera that I wouldn’t need to worry about and could just throw in my bag. After some research, I settled on the Olympus AF-1 Super. The decision was influenced by my affinity for Olympus cameras, having always been happy with the other models I own. I also liked the idea of having auto-flash available for lower light conditions.
The Olympus AF-1 Super was released in 1991 as a follow up to the 1986 Olympus AF-1 . The Super, also known as the Infinity Super in the US, has the same basic specifications as the AF-1. The Super has close up capability down to 50cm, continuous shooting to 4 frames and flash which can be turned on and off. The lens is a 35mm f/2.8 and shutter speed is 1/15 - 1/750 seconds. The camera also has auto-focus, auto-exposure, dx decoding and the plastic body and sliding lens cover make the camera weatherproof. Loading the camera is a breeze as the film automatically advances once you close the back door. There are only three buttons on the top of the camera, the shutter button, the continuous shooting button and the flash and close up button.
My Olympus AF-1 Super.
To turn the camera on you simple slide the lens cover open and closing it again turns the camera off. This is both a good and bad feature. I found that sometimes if I placed the camera back in my bag and the sliding door caught on the edge, it would open the sliding cover and mean the camera was left on in my bag. My other issue with the sliding door is that sometimes my finger was unwittingly covering a small part of the lens while holding the camera. So be mindful of finger placement before hitting the shutter button. Aside from that, the camera was very easy to use and to hold and super light to carry around.
My finger impinging on the lens. Be mindful of that when holding the camera.
Using the Super
My first outing with the AF-1 Super was for my holiday to Orlando last October and having finally gotten around to scanning in the negatives, I’ve been reasonably happy with the results. I used Kodak Ultramax ISO 400 in the Super and in the bright Florida sunshine, it performed well. In the bright daylight the colours are clear and vibrant. These shots from the Festival of Fantsy Parade at Magic Kingdom, highlight how well this camera can perform at times.
In some cases though, despite the autofocus, the images aren’t quite as sharp as I would like.
You can see the softness in this image.
The camera also seems to struggle in lower outdoor light. Indoors I would also recommend the use of the flash though the flash does have a tendency to wash out the subjects a bit.
The camera didn’t cope well with the lower outdoor light.
I did get lucky with some indoor shots and not using the flash. I was particularly happy with how well the stormtroopers turned out in the Rise of the Resistance ride.
Overall, I think this camera definitely performed better than a disposable but not quite to the level of some of my other point and shoots such as the Olympus Trip. I think the plastic cover on the lens may contribute to why some of the shots aren’t quite so sharp, while exposure was definitely hit and miss. Ultimately though, the camera did what I wanted it to do, it captured off the cuff holiday snaps and helped me to create memories from a phenomenal trip. Some of the softness and imperfections give the images a very nostalgic quality which I do love. It has been such a joy to relive those moments and reminds me that my photography is mainly for myself, and a way to capture memories that matter to me.
