Cosina Compact 35E

The Cosina Compact 35E is a rangefinder camera. It was developed by Cosina and presented in the 70s. The 35mm camera was also available on the market under the name “Porst 135 S”. The camera is available with a completely black housing and in a version where parts are silver. It is partly made of metal.

The lens of the Cosina Compact 35E cannot be exchanged. It is called “Automatic Cosinon 1:2.7 f=38 mm” and has a maximum aperture of f2.7. The model does not have autofocus. Therefore, you have to focus by hand. The rangefinder helps with focusing. The minimum distance to the subject must be 100 cm.

The camera has a built-in light meter. The light meter was built for films with a sensitivity of ISO 25 to ISO 400. The Cosina Compact 35E has an automatic exposure control. The photographer cannot select the aperture and exposure time.

The 35 mm camera has a Bulb mode. In the Bulb setting, the remains open as long as the photographer keeps the shutter button pressed.

An external flash can be connected to the hot shoe. The Cosina 35 Compact E has a self-timer and a tripod socket. The dimensions of the 35 mm camera are 11 x 7.5 x 5.4 cm. At the same time, it weighs 359 grams.

Films for the Cosina Compact 35E

What kind of films does the Cosina Compact 35E need? It requires 35mm films. 35mm films are still in production. Possible films for the model are the Kodak Ultramax 400* and the Ilford HP5*.

The color film is processed in the C-41 development process. The C-41 process is offered by almost every photo lab. The black and white developer cannot be processed in this process. It must go into special SW chemistry for development.

The film must be rewound manually by the photographer. There is a lever on the back of the camera for this purpose.

The rangefinder camera is no longer manufactured. Depending on the condition and functionality, the used price varies.