Hanimex 35RAS – My Frugal Film Project 2026 Camera

 In the 1980’s compact 35mm point & shoot film cameras were getting fancy with auto shutter, auto aperture, auto focus, auto flash and auto wind/rewind. These features really defined the point & Shoot cameras of the era. They were at first the domain of the big companies and expensive, but as the tech matured brands like Hanimex made them affordable. 

It was with this in mind that I went hunting for a cheap 35mm point & shoot to use for the Frugal Film Project 2026. My first, and last, port of call was the Kosmo Foto website to see what they had in stock in the Cameraburo. This review is neither sponsored by, nor has any kickback from Kosmo Foto. I just like the guy.

Kosmo Foto had several 35mm point & shoot cameras for sale with prices ranging from £7.50 to £80. Most were around the £30 - £50 mark and perfect for the Frugal Film Project budget of no more than $75/£75. I spotted a couple of Hanimex brand cameras and the first one I looked at had already been sold to some bloke in Canananada. (Alex Luyckx gets everywhere!)

My next choice was a Hanimex 35RAS that looked clean, had been film tested and was ready to go for £30. I took the plunge and bought it. When it arrived a few days later, I could see it had been looked after and all I had to do was fit 2 AA batteries, load a roll of Kentmere 400 35mm B&W film and go for a wander to remind myself of what photography was all about in the 1980’s.

When I fitted the batteries I gave my Hanimex 35RAS a few tests and it seemed to be working just fine. When I loaded my roll of Kentmere 400, I pulled the leader to the white mark, closed the back and heard the reassuring noise of the camera advancing the film to the first frame. I went for familiar compositions on my walk in my local countryside that covered various lighting conditions on a sunny afternoon.

From dark woodland paths to the full brightness of the sunshine along the dirt roads, my Hanimex 35RAS handled it with ease and it didn’t take long to shoot my roll of film and I headed home, eager to develop it and see exactly how it had performed. I developed my roll of Kentmere 400 in Bellini Euro HC at 1+31 dilution B for 6 minutes at 20 celcius and soon had it hanging to dry in my bathroom. I digitised my film with my Nikon D700, Tamron Adaptall 2 90mm f/2.5 macro lens, Valoi 35mm film holder, Pixl-Latr and A5 sized led light pad. I processed the RAW files with Affinity Studio.

This first roll told me all I needed to know about my Hanimex 35RAS and also gave me confidence I could use it for the Frugal Film Project 2026. My film looked decently exposed, as I processed each frame with Affinity Studio I didn’t need to make many adjustments to get them looking presentable. 

My Hanimex 35RAS may be a simple to use camera with a fixed 34mm lens and few automated features to make life easier, but it is far from being a disposable item. I was able to get some decent photos with it and all I had to do was point & shoot. The camera took care of the rest which suits me just fine. I have taken part in the Frugal Film Project for several years now, with cameras I really needed to use my skills to get consistent results. For 2026 I want an easy life and this camera gives me that for not a lot of cash. I'm using rechargeable batteries too.

Here’s a few favourites from my first roll of Kentmere 400 shot with my Hanimex 35RAS. I am very happy with my purchase and it's a pleasure to do business with Kosmo Foto. You can visit the website via the link below.  I have decided to stick with Kentmere 400 for the Frugal Film project 2026 and look forward to sharing more photos with you as the year progresses. I have placed these and more in an album on Flickr you can visit using the link below. I hope you enjoy them. 

Hanimex 35RAS - Kentmere 400