Ostra 35
A 35 mm film camera you wind by hand. The shutter is mechanical, so it fires with a flat battery, in the cold, in twenty years.
First batch of 1,200 ships from March 2027
- Format
- 24×36mm
- Lens
- 35mm f/2.8
- Fastest shutter
- 1/500s
- Weight
- 310g
Three finishes, one machine
The top and base plates are machined from solid aluminium and anodised. The release button is the same orange on every camera: it is the one thing you should find without looking.
Eighty-one parts. No screen.
Scroll to take it apart.
- Top plate. Milled from one block of 6061 aluminium, 1.2 mm at its thinnest.
- Release. A short, soft travel with a click at the end, threaded for a cable release.
- Dials and gears. Shutter speed, film counter and the advance train, in machined steel.
- Viewfinder. Glass optics, 0.6× magnification, bright frame lines with parallax marks.
- Body shell. Cast aluminium wrapped in leatherette that you can replace yourself.
- Lens. 35 mm f/2.8, four elements in three groups, multi-coated.
- Film back. A flat steel pressure plate keeps the film within a tenth of a millimetre of focus.
- Base plate. Opens with a coin. Holds the one coin cell, which runs only the light meter.
Thirty-six frames, then you go home and wait.
No review screen means you look at the street instead of the back of the camera. The meter shows three lights in the finder: under, right, over. You set the rest by turning things.
Loading film takes about a minute
The first time, read along. After a roll or two your hands do it without you.
Pull the rewind knob up until the back unlatches. Do it in shade, not in direct sun.
Cartridge on the left, flat end down. Push the rewind knob back down until it seats.
Lay the film flat across the gate and tuck the tip under the take-up spool. The orange dot inside shows how far.
Close the back. Wind and fire two blank frames until the counter reads 1. You have thirty-six.
Why not a camera from a flea market?
You can, and many are lovely. Here is what you trade.
| Feature | Ostra 35 | A used 1980s compact | A single-use camera |
|---|---|---|---|
| Fires without a battery | Yes, mechanical shutter | Usually not: most have electronic shutters | Yes, but only at one speed |
| You set aperture and speed | Yes, with a three-light meter to help | Rarely; most decide for you | No |
| Focus | Manual, with zone marks | Autofocus, when it still works | Fixed, sharp from about 1 m |
| Reloadable | Yes, any 35 mm film | Yes | No, one roll and it goes back |
| When it breaks | We repair it, at cost, for twelve years | Spare parts are scarce; often not repairable | Not repairable |
| Price | €389, once | €40 to €200, condition unknown | About €20 a roll, every roll |
Specifications
- Format
- 35 mm film (135), 24 × 36 mm frame
- Lens
- 35 mm f/2.8, 4 elements in 3 groups, multi-coated, 39 mm filter thread
- Aperture
- f/2.8 to f/16, half-stop clicks
- Focus
- Manual, 0.7 m to infinity, with zone marks for 1.5, 3 and 8 m
- Shutter
- Mechanical leaf shutter, 1 s to 1/500 s and B. Works without a battery
- Flash
- Hot shoe, syncs at every speed
- Light meter
- Centre-weighted, ISO 50 to 3200, three LEDs in the finder
- Viewfinder
- Optical, 0.6×, bright frame lines with parallax marks
- Power
- One CR2032 coin cell for the meter, about a year of use
- Body
- Aluminium top and base plates, cast aluminium shell, replaceable leatherette
- Size
- 118 × 70 × 42 mm
- Weight
- 310 g without film or battery
In the box
- 1Ostra 35, in the finish you chose
- 1Aluminium lens cap on a short cord
- 1Waxed cotton strap, 110 cm
- 1CR2032 cell for the meter, already fitted
- 1Roll of ISO 400 colour film, 36 exposures
- 1Printed manual, 24 pages, with the exposure table on the back
Questions we get every week
- Which film does it take?
- Any 35 mm (135) film, colour or black and white, from ISO 50 to 3200. The meter reads the speed you set on the dial; it does not read the cartridge.
- What happens when the battery dies?
- The three lights in the finder go dark and nothing else changes. The shutter, the advance and the lens are all mechanical. Expose with the table on the back of the manual, or by eye.
- Can I take it on a plane?
- Yes. Put exposed and unexposed film in your hand luggage and ask for a hand check; the newer CT scanners can fog film in checked bags.
- Where do I get the film developed?
- Any lab that develops C-41 colour film, which is most of them. We list labs we trust in twelve countries in the manual.
- Is the deposit refundable?
- In full, until your camera ships. One email is enough, and the money is back in your account within five working days.
- Do you ship to my country?
- The first batch ships to the EU, the UK, Switzerland, Norway, the US, Canada and Japan. Import duties outside the EU are paid by us and included in the price.
Reserve one from the first batch
We are making 1,200 cameras in the first run. A €50 deposit holds yours; the remaining €339 is charged when it ships, from March 2027. Change your mind before then and the deposit comes back in full.
- TodayPay the €50 deposit; you get a reservation number
- January 2027Your finish is confirmed, or changed if you ask
- From March 2027We email when your camera is assembled and test-fired
- Two days laterPay the €339 balance and it ships, tracked and insured
- Shipping
- Free, in a recycled-cardboard box with no plastic
- Payment
- Card, PayPal or bank transfer
- Returns
- 30 days after delivery, even if you shot a roll
- Warranty
- Two years, then repairs at cost for ten more