There was a time when the only way to buy a film compact was to dig through the used market. After the big camera makers walked away from film in the late 2000s, about the only new cameras left were disposables. Meanwhile, prices for 1990s compacts climbed steeply. A well-known model like the Yashica T4 in good condition sells for $500 to $600.

That has changed over the past few years. New film cameras are coming out again, from budget models carrying the Kodak name to premium autofocus compacts. Here are six of them, from cheapest to most expensive. Prices are launch prices, and what you pay in Korea may differ.

Kodak Ektar H35N, 72 shots from one roll

A half-frame camera that gets more than 70 shots out of a 36-exposure roll. The lens is 22mm and the shutter is fixed at 1/100s. Screw in a cable release and you can shoot bulb, holding the shutter open. The flash runs on a single AAA battery, and there is a built-in star filter that splits points of light into star shapes. At $64.99, it is the cheapest of the six.

One catch: some labs will not scan or print half-frame, so ask before you shoot. You also end up with twice as many prints.

A black Kodak Ektar H35N on white, with a silver upper panel, central lens, and flash at upper right.
Kodak Ektar H35N product photo. Kodak Camera / RETO
The sun sets behind buildings across the water, with two photographers in silhouette and long star-shaped rays of light.
Kodak Ektar H35N sample. Kodak Camera / RETO
White and red vehicle light trails follow a city road at night, with illuminated buildings behind them.
Kodak Ektar H35N sample. Kodak Camera / RETO

Kodak Snapic A1, a $99 automatic compact

It has a 25mm f/9.5 lens built from three glass elements, with two-step focus: one setting for near, one for far. The shutter is 1/100s and exposure is automatic. Two AAA batteries power the flash, and the camera weighs about 120g. Some reviews say the flash does not reach more than a few steps indoors. It comes in gray or white.

White and gray Kodak Snapic A1 cameras arranged on rocks, with their fronts and orange top buttons visible.
Kodak Snapic A1 product photo. Kodak Camera / RETO
A stone torii gate stands in a lake, with buildings along the right shore and wooded mountains behind.
Kodak Snapic A1 sample. Kodak Camera / RETO
A mountain ridge of pale rock and green vegetation beneath a blue sky, with clouds filling the valley below.
Kodak Snapic A1 sample. Kodak Camera / RETO

FilmNeverDie Nana, a metal camera made by a lab

This one was built in-house by FilmNeverDie, a film lab in Australia. The body is metal, and the film advances on its own after every shot. The 31mm lens is fixed-focus, sharp from 1.5m to infinity. It takes AA batteries and weighs 300g. It started on Kickstarter, went on general sale in November 2024, and costs around $230. What stands out is who made it: people who handle film every day.

A white-gloved hand holds a gold Nana camera vertically, showing the lens, flash, black grip panel, and wrist strap.
FilmNeverDie Nana product photo. FilmNeverDie
Black-and-white street photograph of a convertible in front of a corner building, with palm trees and overhead wires.
FilmNeverDie Nana sample. FilmNeverDie

Pentax 17, the first new film camera in 20 years

Pentax released this half-frame camera in June 2024, its first new film camera in about 20 years. The 25mm f/3.5 lens focuses by turning through six zones, and you advance the film by hand with a lever. It launched in Europe at €579. Brisnap TV wrote about using one in "Pentax 17 is a perfectly good first film camera."

Top view of the Pentax 17, showing the ISO dial, mode dial, film advance lever, and focus-zone symbols on the lens.
Pentax 17 product photo. ⓒ B&H
Two half-frame views of golden fields, with blue sky and clouds on the left and sunlight through branches on the right.
Pentax 17 / Kodak ColorPlus 200 ⓒ @brisnaptv

Lomo MC-A, Lomography's first autofocus camera

Lomography announced its first 35mm autofocus camera in October 2025. The 32mm f/2.8 lens focuses with LiDAR ranging, and you can choose anything from program auto to full manual. Shutter speeds run from bulb to 1/500s, and it can stack several exposures on one frame. It costs $549. We covered the film advance problems in early units, and whether it is worth buying now, in "When film focuses itself: Lomo MC-A."

Front view of a black Lomo MC-A, with the lens in the center, the viewfinder above, and the flash on the right.
Lomo MC-A product photo. lomography.com
A silver car covered in artwork and stickers stands between roofed stalls, with tall buildings behind it.
Lomo MC-A sample. lomography.com

Rollei 35AF, a premium compact that focuses with LiDAR

MiNT released it under the Rollei name in 2024. It borrows the look of the 1960s Rollei 35, but everything inside is new. The 35mm f/2.8 lens focuses with a LiDAR sensor, and exposure switches between auto and manual. There is a built-in flash, and you advance and rewind the film by hand. It launched in the UK from £762 for the silver version, the most expensive of the six.

A silver-and-black Rollei 35AF on a dark background, with two front dials flanking the lens and the flash and viewfinder above.
Rollei 35AF product photo. MiNT CAMERA
An upward view of a ribbed building, hanging traffic signals, and a ONE WAY sign against a blue sky.
Rollei 35AF sample. MiNT CAMERA
A white-and-tabby cat lies on a woven floor beneath wooden furniture beside a bright window, looking toward the camera.
Rollei 35AF sample. MiNT CAMERA

One that has not shipped yet

There is also the aF-1, unveiled in January 2025 by Analogue of Amsterdam, the Netherlands. It has a 35mm f/2.8 lens, LiDAR autofocus, a shutter that reaches 1/1000s and motorized film advance, and it was announced at €399. Shipping was first promised for summer 2025, but shutter durability issues and prototype revisions pushed it back. As of August this year, there was still no ship date.

Official front-view image of a black Analogue aF-1 on a light gray background, with the lens exposed beside the open cover and a viewfinder and flash above.
Analogue aF-1 official product image. Analogue Shop

Which one to choose

Line the six up and the price gap is more than tenfold. If you are new to film, either Kodak will do. Their lenses are slow and they have only one shutter speed, so they work best outdoors on a sunny day. If you want a roll to last, go half-frame with the H35N or the Pentax 17. If you want to set focus and exposure yourself, compare the Pentax 17 and the Lomo MC-A. If you need autofocus, compare the Lomo MC-A and the Rollei 35AF.

A new camera comes with one thing a used one does not: somewhere to fix it when it breaks. Parts for 1990s compacts have dried up, and many are hard to repair. So between a used T4 at over $500 and a brand-new MC-A at $549, which one will stay with you longer?

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