I was feeling a bit bored and wondered if I could get an f2.8 fixed-lens point-and-shoot as cheaply as possible. Yes, I got this one for £10 from the bay. Would it be as good as other famed f2.8 cameras?

I was a little disappointed it was a Sure Shot, as I didn’t have a great opinion of them. The others I have tried have been very noisy and clunky.

The first thing to figure out was where to put the battery. You have to undo two screws, and it fits under the strap end. Plus, it used a 2CR5, not a common size. All in all, not exactly easy if you are out in the field. It forces you to be prepared. Saying that, apparently, this camera was voted European Camera of the Year for 1986.

The flash is automatic, but there is an off button on the base of the camera. Next to that is a ’tilt’ dial which extends a little foot by a turn. It is a good feature when using the self-timer. You could place the camera on the floor or a chair and tilt the camera up to get better framing. And that is basically it, you point and shoot.

My example arrived with a half-used film inside. I finished it off, but I had no faith in the film not being corrupted in some way or even completely fogged. I sent it off to be processed, and it turned out to be an E6 film. I chose the cheapest option, which was to cross-process it. I was right, not even converting them to black and white helped them.

Well, if anything, I could see that the camera was firing and the images were sharp. So I loaded a roll of Exeter 400 and went for a few wanders.

I started in Bardsey, which was a delightful place to wander. Then I took it to Sunny Bank Mills, home of the Sewing Bee. They were having a heritage day where you could go on a tour and see the older parts of the mill. I thoroughly enjoyed that day out and will be going back there soon. It even had a photographic exhibition, which I went to. Finally, I had a wander around Gargrave, where I had to walk through a field with three massive bulls. I did not stop to take a photo. They were actually OK they didn’t even look at me. The next field had three rams, and they were less pleased to see me. I was happy to be on the safe canal, but was then faced with a snappy dog wandering free from a local house. It was a weird day for domesticated animals.

Here are the results.

I really liked the results. My overall impressions were good, but with a few caveats. This model was surprisingly quiet until it started to rewind. At that point, it turned into a massive decibel machine. The half-press worked well, but the full press was sometimes a little ‘absent’. The half-press showed everything was ready to go, but it sometimes refused to believe itself. I found I had to press the button harder than usual. If I wanted to turn off the flash, like on the indoor shots, pressing the tiny button and giving the shutter a hard press at the same time was awkward.

Here is another review which set out with the same aim as I had and ended with the same results. This is a great camera that has flown under the radar. It is cheap enough to throw in a bag and not worry about it, but still get great results.

If you can find a cheap one before the prices start to increase, then do it. You won’t be disappointed.