Review: Nikon L35AF

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This is another camera from my boyfriend's stash of film cameras (he has more cameras than you can imagine).

The Nikon L35AF is a standard-looking point-and-shoot film camera. It is the first compact automatic camera from Nikon with an autofocus. It's a cult classic among collectors and was an instant hit when it was first released due to its design.

It has a 35mm lens with f/2.8 widest aperture. It's in-viewfinder focus indication makes it handy for users to check if they are in focus or not. It has portrait, group, and landscape symbols inside to know how you're focusing. It focuses from 0.8m to infinity. The camera has its own flash and is powered by two AA batteries.

I've heard a lot of good things about the camera. You can read Shawn's review here and Ken Rockwell's review here. My boyfriend seems to enjoy this camera too and lent it to me for my out-of-town work trip. However, I found it too heavy for me, especially when it's a compact camera. Though it is sturdy, I guess I just prefer those lightweight toy cameras for lugging around.

I also found the autofocus cumbersome. I know this might be weird, but I just didn't like it. I found it difficult to adjust and recompose my shot, especially when I changed my mind on a shot. Maybe it takes some getting used to.

It takes decent photos for its size. This camera takes wide photos and this is usually hard to come by for a compact camera. The L35AF is also considered as a cheap alternative to the Contax T3. I love how some of the photos I took were good.

scratches all over :(

However, I was also frustrated with how the other photos turned out. I used a Fujicolor 200 on the camera. I'm thinking that this has something to do with my local lab since all of my other films aren't turning out right. Most have scratches and there are some random dots on some frames. I'm planning to switch to a new one this year. (I recently switched film labs and got "better" developing and scanning compared to my previous one.)

The Nikon L35AF is a pretty decent camera for its size. I'm sure all the Nikon fanatics would enjoy having this little one in their collections. Since it takes up 35mm film and uses AA batteries, it's pretty easy to use the little guy. Since my first roll from the L35AF didn't turn out great, I'm thinking of taking the camera for another whirl using a brand new lab.

Do you have a Nikon L35AF? Tell me your experiences and thoughts on the L35AF.

Eating Iligan

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They say you get to know a place by tasting the food it has to offer. And, eating was what we certainly did in Iligan City.

I guess as a general rule and theme of our gastronomic escapade, we had no expectations for we didn’t know what was available. Throughout the eating trip, we were checking out the places we passed by and what seemed appetizing. We also relied on Foursquare, which was always a savior in our travels.

Tedts' (near Gaisano)

kuya, the buko vendor

Tedts' was our first stop in Iligan. As a sucker for anything with sugar, the cupcakes sucked me in. It was just a quick lunch before heading out to Gaisano for further exploration.

The buko (coconut water) vendor near Iligan’s plaza was probably the highlight of our visit. Unlike the usual buko in Cebu that comes with white sugar and milk, in Iligan they use brown sugar instead. For P10, you can get a glass of iced buko. What’s interesting is that you can get a refill for free! Free! We didn’t know about this until we saw other people asking for a second glass without paying. From then on, this has become our favorite.

Pan-Q was another interesting food in Iligan. I heard much about this from the boyfriend’s sister and her husband. Think of it as a sandwich version of the Filipino barbecue. The catch is that both the bun and the meat are grilled and slathered with the sauce. Although I found it a bit strange at first, it was actually appetizing. I guess slathering the sauce on the bun made the flavors similar. So, it's all BBQ-y in taste.

Coffee Works

We grabbed some quick coffee at Coffee Works, which was just a few minutes away from the boyfriend's family's shop. It was just a quick stop to cool down since Iligan can be pretty hot and humid during the day. We were a bit disappointed at the coffee and the price. However, the place is pretty nice and quiet.

Pizarella in Iligan

me in Cozycup

We stumbled upon the pizza place by accident when we were dropped by in the area. Since we always love a good pizza, we said why not. Pizzarella has quite yummy pizza, I must say. They had really good selection of pizza and you can also get a free bottle of soda.

Cozycup was a milk tea place that we hunted down since last year. We knew that if we’ll be going to Iligan together, we have to try this place. It was all pinterest-y and cute with its pastel colors and buntings. It was definitely an Instagram-worthy place. The milk tea was just okay and pretty basic compared to other posh milk tea places here in Cebu.

There are definitely quite a lot of places to dine when in Iligan. If you love food then you wouldn't be disappointed. There were still a few places we weren't able to try, but we're looking into it when I'm back in town.

What's your favorite restaurant in Iligan?

PS. Forgive the bad scanning of my local lab. Can't seem to get rid of the white dots on the last two photos.

A Quick Glance of Iligan

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reminds me of downtown Cebu

A lot of people might think of Iligan as a quiet city. That was what I thought, too. However, there are so many things going on in Iligan and it can be an interesting place.

Iligan City is known for its waterfalls. If this is something that interests you, then Iligan is the place to be. There are quite a number of falls that you can go to in Iligan. It has 23 falls. Maria Christina Falls, Tinago, Mimbalot, and Abaga falls are among the most notable.

Maria Christina Falls

a man-made cave near Maria Christina (with tons of bats)

The Maria Christina Falls is by far among the most famous waterfalls in the country as it powers most of Mindanao. For a minimal fee, you can go up the National Power Corporation Nature Park and see the grandeur of Maria Christina up close. The plant only opens to tourists on Sundays so expect other visitors. There are also other recreational activities in the park, like zipline.

Gloria's playhouse in the property

The Macapagal-Macaraeg ancestral house was one of our touristy stops in Iligan. It was the home of former president Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo's youth. The caretaker of the property will tell you a lot of things about the house and the family. It can be an interesting historical treat. The house is open for everyone without any fee. You can donate any amount to the caretaker, though.

Transportation is not a problem in Iligan. You can go around the city riding jeepneys. That's what the boyfriend and I did when we explored downtown. You can ride a jeep to anywhere you want to go. 

a busy street in Iligan (on a jeep)

Unfortunately, we weren't able to spend ample of time going to touristy spots in Iligan, aside from Maria Christina Falls and the Macapagal-Macaraeg ancestral house. I'm looking forward to visiting Timoga Cold Springs next time I'm in town. We did enjoy rummaging through the different restaurants in Iligan, which was the best part of the trip (and will be up next week). I guess I'm going to see Iligan next time. ;)