By someone who just spent more on a film camera than a new iPhone
Introduction: When Nikon Decided to Make a Camera for Watch Nerds
Let’s cut to the chase: the Nikon 35Ti is the James Bond of 90s film cameras. Sleek titanium body? Check. A lens sharper than Bond’s wit? Check. A top-plate gauge cluster that looks like it belongs on a Rolex? Double check.
Released in 1993, this titanium-clad gem was Nikon’s flex to the world: “Oh, you thought pocket cameras had to be plastic? Hold my aperture ring.”
Build Quality: “Titanium? More Like Tycoon-ium”
Specs:
- Weight: 295g (or “featherweight” for something made of spaceship material).
- Materials: Titanium, glass, and pure 90s nostalgia.
- Aesthetic: A cross between a Leica and a Swiss timepiece. If it told time, it’d be Patek Philippe.
The 35Ti’s titanium body is cooler than your dad’s leather jacket. It’s scratch-resistant, corrosion-proof, and guaranteed to make your hipster friends drool. The black 28Ti might be rarer, but the silver 35Ti? Pure class.
Pro Tip: If your camera doesn’t double as a conversation starter, you’re doing life wrong.
The Lens: “Double Gauss, Double Trouble”
Specs:
- Focal Length: 35mm f/2.8 (the “Goldilocks” of street photography).
- Design: 6-element Double Gauss, because Nikon wasn’t messing around.
This lens is scandalously sharp. At f/2.8, it’s already bitingly crisp. Stop it down to f/8, and it’s like looking through a window into 1993. The 0.4m minimum focus? Perfect for making your cat’s whiskers look like they belong in a shampoo commercial.
The Gauge Cluster: “A Swiss Watch… That Breaks Like a Swiss Watch”
Let’s talk about the elephant in the room: that analog gauge cluster. Nikon said, “LCD screens? Too mainstream.” Instead, they slapped a mechanical dial on top that shows aperture, focus distance, and exposure count. It’s gorgeous. It’s also as reliable as a politician’s promise.
- Pros: Looks cooler than a Tesla dashboard.
- Cons: Breaks faster than a New Year’s resolution.
The “Fake Panorama” Button: Nikon’s Prank on Humanity
On the back, there’s a button labeled “Panorama.” Press it, and… nothing happens. Well, almost nothing. It just crops your 35mm frame into a fake wide-angle. It’s like buying a sports car that occasionally turns into a tricycle.
Why? No one knows. But it’s there, taunting you, like a participation trophy.
Autofocus: “Slow and Steady Loses the Race”
The 35Ti’s autofocus is slower than a sloth on melatonin. Street photography? More like street waiting. Compared to the Contax T3 or Leica CM, it’s like bringing a sundial to a Formula 1 race.
Pro Tip: Use zone focusing. Your sanity will thank you.
Controls: “Designed by a Cryptographer”
Using the 35Ti feels like solving a Rubik’s Cube blindfolded. The buttons are cryptic, the menus are hieroglyphic, and the manual reads like IKEA instructions. After a week, you’ll either master it or develop a twitch.
Fun Fact: The Contax T3 can be operated by a toddler. The 35Ti? Requires a PhD in Vintage Camera Logic.
Battery: “The One Thing That Doesn’t Suck”
The 35Ti uses CR123A batteries—cheap, available at any gas station, and longer-lasting than your last relationship.
Price: “From Bargain Bin to Bitcoin”
In 2017, this camera cost 200.Today?∗∗200.Today?∗∗400+**, because hipsters discovered film. For a titanium-bodied, Zeiss-rivaling lens? Still a steal. The Leica CM costs triple, and the Contax T3? Let’s not talk about it.
Final Verdict: “A Love Letter to Masochists”
The Nikon 35Ti isn’t a camera. It’s a mechanical mood ring. It’s flawed, fussy, and occasionally infuriating. But when that titanium body gleams in the sunlight and that gauge cluster actually works, you’ll feel like a 90s photography god.
Rating: 4/5 stars (minus 1 for the panorama button, because why).
Now go forth and shoot film. Or just stare at the gauge cluster. We don’t care. 📸✨
