C41
Kodak Portra 400
Kodak Portra 400 is a professional C-41 color negative film known for flexible exposure latitude, natural skin tones, and fine grain.
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The Pentax PC55 Date (1985) is a program-autoexposure autofocus compact camera in the tradition of mid-1980s AF point-and-shoots. It features a 35mm f/2.8 lens, active infrared autofocus, a built-in electronic flash, and a date-back module that imprints date information directly on the film frame. Controls are minimal: the user sets film speed, frames the subject, and presses the shutter. Like most compacts of its era, it offers no manual exposure override.
Reference
Recommended film stocks for the 35mm format your camera takes.
C41
Kodak Portra 400 is a professional C-41 color negative film known for flexible exposure latitude, natural skin tones, and fine grain.
View profile →C41
Kodak Gold 200 is a daylight-balanced C-41 color negative film with warm color, moderate grain, and a classic consumer-film look.
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Kodak UltraMax 400 is a versatile consumer-grade ISO 400 daylight-balanced color negative film with T-grain emulsion, delivering warm Kodak colors, fine-for-speed grain (PGI 46), and wide exposure latitude. Currently in production and available globally as a single-roll and multi-pack.
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Before you buy used
About this camera
Mid-1980s Pentax autofocus compact with 35mm f/2.8 lens and built-in date imprinting.
| Field | Value |
|---|
| Format | 35mm |
| Lens | 35mm f/2.8 (fixed) |
| Years | ~1985–1989 |
| Shutter | ~2s - ~1/250s, electronic leaf |
| Flash sync | ~1/250s |
| Meter | TTL silicon |
| Exposure modes | Program auto only |
| Autofocus | Active infrared |
| Viewfinder | ~80% coverage, optical direct-vision |
| Weight | ~270 g |
| Battery | 2x AA |
The mid-1980s saw rapid commoditization of autofocus technology in the compact camera market. Pentax had established itself in the AF compact segment with the PC35AF-M (c. 1982–1984) and expanded the line with variants at different price points and feature levels. The PC55 Date arrived around 1985 as a consumer-tier option with the date-back feature differentiating it from plainer siblings.
By the late 1980s the camera was superseded by Pentax's Espio line, which brought zoom lenses and improved AF into the compact lineup. The fixed-lens single-focal-length compact segment was largely cannibalized by zoom compacts by the early 1990s.
The PC55 Date is a period document of mid-1980s autofocus compact design. Active infrared AF systems of this era — also used by competitors — worked well in low light but struggled with subjects behind glass and with fast-moving subjects. The 35mm f/2.8 lens is an adequate performer, broadly consistent with lens quality in this class and era.
For contemporary film users, the camera is primarily of interest as an inexpensive platform for casual shooting or as an example of 1980s compact design. It has no strong cult following, unlike more celebrated compacts of the period.
C41
Kodak ColorPlus 200 is an affordable, consumer-oriented daylight-balanced color negative film at ISO 200. Known for warm, slightly muted color rendition, fine grain, and wide exposure latitude, it is currently in production and widely available in Asia and select global markets.
View profile →BW
Kodak Tri-X 400 is a classic black-and-white film known for strong tonality, visible grain, and documentary character.
View profile →Pentax PC55 Date
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