C41
Kodak Gold 200
Kodak Gold 200 is a daylight-balanced C-41 color negative film with warm color, moderate grain, and a classic consumer-film look.
View profile →
half-frame
The Canon Demi EE17 (1966) is the top-specification model in Canon's Demi half-frame family, distinguished by its exceptionally fast 28mm f/1.7 lens (equivalent to approximately 40mm on full 35mm frame due to the smaller half-frame negative). The "17" in the name refers to the f/1.7 maximum aperture. It shoots 18×24mm half-frame negatives on standard 35mm film, doubling the frame count (72 shots on a 36-exposure roll). Aperture-priority auto-exposure with a CdS behind-lens cell; manual aperture control as override. The Copal SV shutter runs 1/30s–1/250s with X-sync at 1/60s.
Reference
Recommended film stocks for the half-frame-35mm format your camera takes.
C41
Kodak Gold 200 is a daylight-balanced C-41 color negative film with warm color, moderate grain, and a classic consumer-film look.
View profile →C41
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.
View profile →BW
Develop half-frame-35mm film
We're growing the lab directory near you. Browse all labs.
Before you buy used
About this camera
The fastest half-frame. 28mm f/1.7 SE Lens (28mm equivalent in half-frame = normal-ish), aperture-priority auto-exposure, 72 exposures on a 36-exposure roll, and Canon's 1960s build quality.
| Field | Value |
|---|
| Format | Half-frame 35mm (18×24mm) |
| Lens | 28mm f/1.7 SE Lens (≈ 40mm full-frame equivalent) |
| Years | 1966–1972 |
| Shutter | 1/30s – 1/250s, Copal SV leaf, B |
| Flash sync | 1/60s |
| Meter | CdS behind-lens, aperture-priority AE |
| Focus | Zone (3 zones: 0.9 m / 1.5 m / 3 m / ∞) |
| Weight | 430 g |
| Battery | PX625 / 1.35V mercury |
Canon launched the original Demi in 1963 as a compact half-frame aimed at the amateur market, competing with the Olympus Pen series. The EE17 arrived in 1966 as the premium variant with a faster f/1.7 lens and improved AE system. "EE" stood for "Electric Eye" — Canon's marketing term for automatic exposure. Canon produced the Demi series through the early 1970s, when compact full-frame cameras began to displace half-frame in consumer preference. The EE17 is the most desirable Demi because of its lens speed; clean examples are harder to find than the standard Demi or EE models.
Half-frame cameras offer a peculiar trade-off: half the resolution of standard 35mm per frame, but twice the shots and a naturally vertical default orientation (the camera shoots landscape but the negative is portrait). The EE17's f/1.7 lens is remarkably fast for a half-frame — the Yashica Half 17 was the first with this aperture (also f/1.7), but the Canon EE17 matched it. In practical terms, f/1.7 on a half-frame is approximately the same as f/2.4 on full frame for depth-of-field purposes, so the background blur is limited but the low-light performance is genuine.
Canon's build quality on the Demi EE17 is a step above most half-frame cameras. The finder is clean, the zone-focus ring is positive, and the AE system is well-calibrated on working examples. Used prices have risen with the film revival: expect $40–150 for a working body.
Lens is fixed. Standard accessory shoe (no hot shoe — sync via PC socket). Close-up supplementary lens available as accessory. Self-timer built in. No interchangeable lens option.
Ilford HP5 Plus is a flexible ISO 400 black-and-white film with classic grain and strong push-processing tolerance.
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 →BW
Kodak Tri-X 400 is a classic black-and-white film known for strong tonality, visible grain, and documentary character.
View profile →