The distinctive character of film cameras and the joy of carefully taking each and every frame have been re-evaluated in recent years. Among the many film cameras out there, there is one luxurious, grown-up compact that stands out in a class of its own.

This time I'd like to introduce the luxury compact film camera that appeared in 1997, the Rollei QZ 35W.

I took this camera, which fuses the optical technology of the prestigious Rollei with refined industrial design, for a walk around the city. With sample photos I actually shot, I'll review its appeal and how it feels to use in detail.

Features of the Rollei QZ 35W

The "Rollei QZ 35W" is a luxury 35mm compact film camera released in 1997. Amid the luxury compact camera boom of the late 1990s, it is known as a premium model jointly developed by Germany's Rollei and Korea's Samsung Aerospace Industries.

Let's look at three main features.

1. A Fine Titanium Exterior Designed by Porsche Design

The exterior design was handled by Porsche Design Studio, led by Ferdinand Alexander Porsche, known as the designer of the original Porsche 911. The body, which combines an aluminum die-cast core with a titanium alloy exterior, achieves both a luxurious feel and excellent rigidity. With flowing, beautiful curves and a solid presence, the design conveys the dignity unique to a premium compact. It's a camera that lets you feel the joy of ownership from the moment you pick it up.

2. The "Vario-Apogon" Zoom Lens with HFT Coating

The lens is the 28-60mm F2.8-5.6 Vario-Apogon, treated with Rollei's HFT (High Fidelity Transfer) multi-coating. The "W" stands for wide (wide-angle), and it covers everything from 28mm wide-angle to the 60mm standard range. It's a high-quality zoom lens with a field of view that is easy to use in many situations, from landscapes and cityscapes to everyday snapshots and travel.

3. Serious Exposure Control and a Top Shutter Speed of 1/8000 sec

In addition to Program AE (a function in which the camera automatically decides shutter speed and aperture), it offers aperture-priority AE, shutter-priority AE, and manual exposure. You can enjoy serious exposure control that you wouldn't expect from a compact camera. The shutter speed also goes up to 1/8000 sec, making it easy to finely control exposure even outdoors in bright light and suiting a wide range of shooting situations.

What I Noticed While Shooting

If you pick it up expecting an ordinary compact camera, you may be surprised by its weight of about 640g. However, that weight contributes to stability when shooting, and combined with the fine texture unique to the titanium exterior, you can sense that this is a special camera from the moment you hold it. Handling is good, the autofocus works comfortably, and the whole sequence from looking through the viewfinder to pressing the shutter is smooth. Moreover, the Vario-Apogon zoom lens delivers rendering so clear and sharp you would hardly believe it is a zoom, offering the high image quality you'd expect of a luxury compact.

Sample Photo Review

Now let's look at sample photos of city scenes actually shot with the "Rollei QZ 35W."

1. A Lovely Everyday Moment

A shot of an adorable black Shiba Inu peeking out from a car window. Even in a scene with some movement, the autofocus accurately caught the subject and clearly rendered even the texture of its fur. The text on the construction sign in the background is even legible, showing the lens's high resolving power.

2. Three-Dimensionality Created by Natural Bokeh

A shot of a fellow photographer walking through the city, seen from behind. The subject is in sharp focus, and even the natural movement of spreading both arms while walking is vividly rendered. Meanwhile, the cityscape in the background is softly and naturally blurred, making the subject stand out impressively. The clear rendering typical of the Vario-Apogon zoom lens and its natural bokeh work in harmony, producing a result in which you can even feel the atmosphere of the city.

3. A Piercing Rendition of Blue

A shot of a red-and-white crane stretching toward the blue sky. The color of the clear blue sky is striking, and the contrast with the crane's vivid red and white is beautifully expressed. The clarity and natural color reproduction reflect the rendering performance expected of the Vario-Apogon lens with HFT multi-coating.

4. Natural Perspective and the Atmosphere of the City

A shot in which a stopped truck and a kei car driving up a slope stand out. The composition, with the road extending into the distance, naturally expresses the breadth and depth of the city. The green of the trees on both sides and the texture of the buildings are also carefully rendered, capturing an ordinary city scene in an impressive way.

5. Rendering Street-Corner Details Vividly

A shot of the front of a barber shop. The textures of the stone-clad exterior wall, the barber pole, the bicycle, and more are all rendered naturally, conveying everyday street-corner life just as it is. What's impressive is the rendering power that honestly reproduces the atmosphere as seen, rather than creating flashiness.

6. Nimble Enough Not to Miss a Fleeting Chance

A composition placing a small airplane crossing the high sky between buildings seen looking up. The unique foreground element of undulating power lines and the gradation of the distant sky coexist nicely. As a snapshot camera, it has the user-friendliness to be raised in an instant the moment you want to shoot.

7. Beautiful Control of Light and Shadow

An everyday moment of a woman walking down an alley under a white parasol. The exposure balance between the deep shadows on the asphalt cast by the strong sunlight and the highlights (bright areas) on the parasol is superb. You can see the camera's exposure meter (the sensor that measures brightness) working intelligently.

8. Impact Created by a Bold Composition

A shot taken from a bold angle looking up at a building. The lines of the building stretching toward the sky are striking, conveying the power and sense of openness unique to the city. The contrast between the clear blue sky and the building's exterior wall is also beautiful, capturing the cityscape impressively.

9. A Retro Scene Like a Movie Still

The entrance of a coin laundry and a blue vending machine beside it. It's a familiar Japanese streetscape, but when burned onto film through this camera, it takes on a touch of exotic atmosphere and a cinematic coolness, like a scene from a movie.

Conclusion

The Rollei QZ 35W is a premium compact camera whose charms are its refined Porsche Design styling, the fine texture unique to its titanium exterior, and the natural, beautiful rendering produced by the Vario-Apogon lens.

You can enjoy everything from casual shooting with Program AE to serious shooting using aperture-priority AE, shutter-priority AE, and manual exposure, so even though it is a compact camera, it suits a wide range of shooting styles.

It is a model you now have to look for on the used market, but the Rollei QZ 35W offers not only the fun of taking photos but also the joy of owning a camera. For those who care about design, rendering, and handling alike, it's a camera I'd like you to try holding at least once.

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