The Olympus AF-10 is a compact 35mm film camera introduced in the 1990s. It was designed to offer convenience and portability to amateur photographers.
We have spent some time testing this camera out. Overall, we think it’s an awesome camera, especially for beginners who want an easy-to-use small and lightweight camera, but we’ve gone into a complete review on the AF-10, so you can decide for yourself.
Design and Build Quality
We love the way this camera looks. It’s lightweight and small, making it so easy to carry around and slip into any bag or even straight into your pocket.
The body design features a slide-open, slide-close front, which protects the lens when not in use.
We couldn’t really talk highly enough about the design of this one, we love it. Small, lightweight, sleek. A great looking camera.
Lens and Image Quality
The Olympus AF-10 has a fixed 35mm f/3.5 lens. In plain English, this means you can expect a versatile and moderately wide-angle field of view.
The f/3.5 aperture allows for reasonably good performance in low-light conditions and the ability to create selective focus effects. It's a popular choice for general-purpose photography and is often favoured by photographers seeking a good balance between image quality and versatility. If you're looking for a particular photo style, this is generally more impacted by the film you use, check out our guide to different types of 35mm film.
The Olympus AF-10's fixed lens produces sharp, detailed images with vibrant colours in good lighting. The built-in metering system generally provides well-exposed shots.
Here are some example shots taken with the Olympus AF-10
Shooting Modes and Autofocus:
The Olympus AF-10 is an automatic 35mm film camera with a fixed focus lens and a built-in flash. The camera automatically sets the shutter speed and aperture based on the amount of light available, which makes it really easy to use. There is also a self-timer function and a date imprint function.
It uses a contrast-detection autofocus system to focus the lens. The camera has a single autofocus point in the centre of the frame, which was fairly reliable when we tested it out.
Ease of Use
The Olympus AF-10 is a very easy-to-use camera. It has a simple, straightforward design with just a few buttons and dials. There is no manual mode, so all you have to do is load the film, point the camera, and shoot. Loading and unloading film is a straightforward process, as the camera incorporates an automatic film advance and rewind system.
Drawbacks
During our testing, the only thing we could find as a drawback was performance in low-light situations, which resulted in slightly grainy images. You also need to be mindful of shooting in heavily backlit areas, as this can occasionally lead to underexposed subjects.
While this camera is great for someone looking for a simple point and shoot, if you’re looking for a camera that will give you creative control over things such as ISO and varying flash modes, you may want to try another film camera.
The Film Camera Co Overall Review
Overall, we love the AF-10. It’s an affordable and straightforward 35mm film camera that offers decent image quality and is so easy to use. What we love above everything else is how small it is.
Even after 30 years on the market, the Olympus AF-10 remains a great entry point into the world of film photography. With its sleek design and fixed 35mm f/3.5 lens, it captures sharp and vibrant images in good lighting. Although low-light performance and heavily backlit areas can pose challenges, overall, the Olympus AF-10 is a great choice for those seeking an easy-to-use, point-and-shoot film camera.