Somewhere in the world of 35mm film cameras, at the intersection of simple point-and-shoot cameras and fully automatic cameras, is a wonderful zone of small, easy-to-use, high quality cameras that is all too often overlooked.  These cameras fit well into a pocket or bag, usually have a fixed lens, and feature enough controls to make even advanced photographers comfortable. 

Case in point is the Petri Color 35.  Introduced in 1968, the Petri Color 35 gave photographers at all levels a camera that could be carried and used in a wide variety of situations, while not getting in the way of producing fantastic images.

The Petri Color 35 achieves a good portion of its compactness by having a partially collapsible 40mm f/2.8 lens.  Extending the lens barely adds to it diminutive size.  At only four inches at its longest and weighing less than fourteen ounces, the little Petri is small and light enough to find a place in anyone's bag.

Controls for the Petri Color 35 are also easy and well-placed on the camera's body.  Shutter speed and aperture dials are mounted on top of the camera body and can be adjusted with the photographer's right thumb and index finder.  The film winding and rewinding levers are each in their traditional spots for most 35mm cameras, which helps make using the Color 35 feel very intuitive.

With such a small camera, there are some compromises to be made.  While the aperture settings range from f/2.8 to f/22, the shutter speeds are limited to between 1/15th of a second to 1/250th of a second, plus Bulb.  A later model of the Petri Color 35 had a top shutter speed of 1/300th of a second, but none of these cameras are going to be photographing action sports anyhow.  Any limitations in shutter speed is offset by the fact that its leaf shutter allows for flash synchronization at even the fastest shutter speed. 

Focusing the 40mm f/2.8 lens is achieved through a traditional helical system, but there are no focus assists on the Petri Color 35.  Although a  distance scale is visible in the viewfinder, for close focusing Petri recommended taking an actual measurement from the camera to the subject.

The Petri Color 35's light meter was designed to be used with a 1.3 volt mercury powered battery.  As these batteries are no longer in production and the modern alkaline batteries are a different voltage, most users rely on either an external meter or the "sunny 16" rule to achieve the correct exposures.

Given its looks and size, it is far to easy to pass by the Petri Color 35 and its compatriots in the ultra-compact 35mm camera world.  Picking up and using one, however, may leave new users wondering why these cameras are not in wider use.  Seeing the image quality from the Color 35 will only add to this question.

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