The Kodak Ektar H35N is a simple point and shoot 35mm camera which would be rather basic and unremarkable EXCEPT for the “H” part— which stands for Half-Frame.

35mm film has a standard frame size of 24 x 36 mm. Half-Frame cameras use only half of that real estate per shot, or 17 x 24 mm.

1/2 frame per shot means you double the number of photos you can take per single roll. A 24 frame roll becomes 48, and 36 shots becomes 72. Considering the modern day cost of 35mm film ($8+ per roll) and developing (often $10-12), this translates to quite a savings!

The trade off, of course, is lower resolution due to the image taking up less space on the film. But if you’re into film for that messy ‘analog’ effect anyway, this is unlikely to be an important downside.

The Kodak H35N is my second camera in this line, I previously purchased the Kodak Ektar H35 (no “N”), but my flash broke shortly after purchase (apparently a common problem with that model per photog messaging boards).

I enjoyed the Kodak H35 so much that I continued to use it in bright sun and got some great results, but when the H35N (N = new) was released in 2023, I decided to make the upgrade to regain the option of flash.

The following images were all shot on the Kodak Ektar H35N indoors using a 400 ISO film. They chronicle our family’s Pesach Seder (Passover dinner) in April 2024.

I present them as diptychs since this is the way they were captured on the film- each two images make up one 35mm frame.

I highly recommend this camera for newbies who want to get into 35mm film but are daunted by the cost, kiddos who keep using disposables (let’s trash less plastic AND save you some money!), and for photographers who want to use a low stakes, just-for-fun camera. I actually keep the Kodak Ektar H35 in my purse because it’s small and light enough to go with me every day — and with 72 shots to complete, it’s easy to take a photo spontaneously without feeling like you’re using up too much film.

Is it remarkable in terms of photo fidelity? Nope. Does it even have an adjustable focus? Also no. But it’s a lighthearted way to capture moments from your life.

“There is one thing the photo must contain – the humanity of the moment.”
– Robert Frank

Camera link here.