The Nikon 35 Ti is one of my favourite cameras. First released in 1993, these cameras are up to 29 years old and weigh about the same as a can of pop. As you probably know, the camera body is mostly titanium, which helps to keep it durable and light. And I freaking love titanium.
When released in 1993, the 35 Ti was Nikon's top-of-the-line point and shoot, meant to compete with cameras like the Contax T2 and the Fuji Klasse S/W.
The Essential Features
At first glance, it's a pretty standard point and shoot, with all the features you expect in cameras of the time - autofocus, self-timer, built-in flash, DX encoding. It even has a date and time imprint feature that puts the date and/or time on every photo if you want it to.
Viewfinder
The viewfinder is not huge but works well. It displays frame lines and other vital details about the camera's operation that we'll get to later. The viewfinder display does depend on available light to be visible. The 35 Ti does have a light that you can turn on to illuminate the display, in red, for darker conditions.
Matrix Metering
Nikon's matrix metering is in this camera, making it very good at proper exposure. The lens is exceptionally sharp and reasonably fast at an f2.8 max aperture. This camera takes terrific photos.
Flexible Program
It has a "flexible program" mode, which is neat. After you half-press the shutter button to focus and meter a scene, you can use the control dial to adjust the aperture. The camera automatically adjusts the shutter speed to maintain proper exposure. This is great if you want to occasionally control the depth of field while in program mode.
Exposure Compensation
The 35 Ti also gives you the ability to adjust the exposure compensation. You do this by holding down the +/- button on the camera and turning the control dial. This and aperture priority are two features that I always appreciate on all my cameras that have auto exposure. And your EV adjustment is saved even if you turn the camera power off and on again. This is nice and different from the Contax T3, which only remembers the exposure compensation until you take a shot.
I'll dial the EV down a bit if I want to shoot into the bright sunshine or darken the overall image. The excellent matrix metering built into Nikon 35 Ti does an outstanding job handling backlit subjects. I have probably adjusted the EV on this camera a handful of times since I trust this particular camera to do a good job.
Built In Flash
The flash on the Nikon 35 Ti is always on auto, with no way to permanently disable it or have it always fire. You can disable the flash or force it to fire by pressing and holding one of the two little buttons on the front of the camera while you press the shutter button. This works fine, but when I am shooting somewhere where I want to discreetly, I get paranoid that I'm not holding the flash cancel button perfectly enough for it to work.
Unique Features of the Nikon 35 Ti
Long Exposure Mode
Now, on to some of the unique features of this camera. First up is the long exposure mode. It's the T on the mode dial. In this mode, you press the shutter button once to open the shutter and once again to close it. The shutter will stay open for up to 10 minutes. This is a neat feature that overlaps with Lomographic and creative photography. It allows you to create shots with intentional camera movement or light trails. The only issue with this mode is that the camera has no remote release. When pressing the shutter, you have to be really careful, so you don't introduce extra camera movement.
Analog Display
Another unique feature of the Nikon 35 Ti, and one of my favourites, is the analog dials on the top of the camera. Using an interface that looks like an analog watch, you get details on the camera's focus distance, shot count, and aperture setting. And since this camera has exposure compensation, which I LOVE, it also displays the EV value using an analog dial.
Manual Focus
The manual focus is next in features that make this camera slightly different from other points and shoots in its class. There is no focus ring on the lens like is standard on manual focus lenses. Instead, you depress the AF button on the camera's top and then use the control dial to set your focus distance. The needle on the left of the analog display moves to show you the focus distance that the lens is set to.
This is great if you want to zone focus like on a rangefinder - dial in your focus distance and take the shot. But on this camera, it's more of a novelty than anything. The camera doesn't show your in-focus distance range like you would get on most manual lenses. It might make sense in low light when you know the distance to your subject, and the camera autofocus isn't working. I do sometimes use manual focus on this camera when I want to shoot on the street and want to be discrete. No waiting for the auto focus, and I can even shoot from the hip when my subject is in range.
Panorama Mode
Finally, the Nikon 35 Ti has a panorama mode that isn't found on many other point-and-shoot cameras. The camera achieves this by a pair of shutters that crop the frame down to a 16:9 aspect ratio. Flip the switch on the back of the camera to the left to engage this mode. The frame lines in the viewfinder automatically adjust to the new aspect ratio. In panorama mode, your negative gets vertically smaller because of how the camera is cropping the image. It's a cool feature that I've used a few times, and it's just a neat way of capturing panoramic views in camera. I prefer shooting without this mode, though, and cropping in Lightroom after scanning my negatives.
Getting a Nikon 35 Ti
The Nikon 35 Ti is not super old, and you can find a ton of them on eBay for around $800 USD. It's more commonly found in the champagne colour, though you can find the black version, which sells for about $300 more. If you're lucky, you might find one at a thrift store or garage sale near you and for cheaper. Like when buying any other used camera, make sure the glass is scratch and fungus free and that the camera functions properly.
Images
Here are some images that were taken with the Nikon 35 Ti
My Thoughts
The Nikon 35 Ti is a very good, feature-rich camera. It performs exceptionally well and looks beautiful and unique. The titanium body is durable. With the excellent glass and matrix metering, the images are top-notch. The Nikon 35 Ti is a solid 35mm point and shoot. It has many features that I have played with but never used - like the manual focus or the panorama mode. The long exposure mode does give you the option to explore some creativity if you want with this camera. But is it worth the current asking price of $800? That's up to you. I like it because it takes excellent photos and is often a talking piece when I'm around people. They notice the dial and want to know more. And I like to use the manual focus when I want to shoot from the hip or discreetly, like when doing street photography. But suppose all you want is a good point and shoot that takes good photos with fewer luxury features and a lower price. In that case, there are other options out there, like the Kyocera Yashica T Proof or the Nikon L35 AF. I'm glad I have this Nikon 35 Ti, and I do hope you get the chance to try one out for yourself.
That's it! Until next time!