> ## Content Index > Fetch the complete content index at: https://www.unknowndivide.com/llms.txt > Use this file to discover other available public pages before exploring further. # Kodak Ektar H35 Half Frame Camera: Review Notes and How to Load Film - URL: https://www.unknowndivide.com/kodak-ektar-h35-half-frame-camera-how-to-load-film/ - Published: 2023-05-12T15:00:00.000Z - Updated: 2026-11-05T07:20:08.000Z - Description: The Kodak Ektar H35 is a tiny half frame film camera that turns one roll of 36 exposures into about 72 photos. Here is how it works, how to load film step by step and why it became such a popular first film camera. - Author: unknowndivide staff - Tags: Tech *Unknowndivide may earn a commission from purchases made through links in this post.* Film photography has a cost problem. Every press of the shutter uses a frame, and rolls are not cheap. The Kodak Ektar H35 answers that with an old trick: half frame. Instead of one standard 35mm image per frame, it splits each frame into two narrower pictures, so a single roll stretches roughly twice as far. Add a featherweight body, a built in flash and a choice of soft colors, and you have one of the friendliest film cameras on sale. ## What is the Kodak Ektar H35 The Ektar H35 is a reusable, focus free 35mm film camera made under license by Reto, the Hong Kong based company behind several modern point and shoot film cameras. It weighs about 100 grams and measures around 11 by 6 by 4 centimeters, so it slips into a jacket pocket or bag without a second thought. It takes ordinary 35mm film and runs on a single AAA battery, which powers only the flash. The controls could hardly be simpler. There is a shutter button, a thumb wheel to advance the film, a rewind crank and a ring around the lens that switches the flash on or off. The lens is a fixed 22 millimeter optic at f/9.5 and the shutter fires at 1/100 of a second, which is tuned for bright daylight. ## What is half frame A normal 35mm camera exposes a horizontal rectangle about 36 by 24 millimeters. A half frame camera exposes two vertical rectangles in the same space, each about 18 by 24 millimeters. A 36 exposure roll therefore gives you around 72 pictures. Because the camera is held normally, each shot is naturally portrait shaped, which suits people, street scenes and tall buildings. Many labs scan half frame negatives as pairs, which creates a fun diptych effect: two moments side by side on one scan. Some people start shooting deliberately in pairs to take advantage of it. The tradeoff is resolution. Each image uses half the film area, so prints and large crops show more grain. For phone screens and small prints, that rarely matters, and the grain is part of the charm. ## Ektar H35: how to load film 1. Open the back by sliding the rewind knob up. 2. Drop the film canister into the left chamber with the flat end facing down and push the rewind knob back down so it engages. 3. Pull the film leader across the back and tuck it into a slot on the take up spool on the right. 4. Advance with the thumb wheel and press the shutter once or twice until the film sits flat and the sprocket holes catch the teeth. 5. Close the back and keep advancing and firing until the frame counter reaches the first frame. 6. When the roll ends and the wheel will not turn, press the rewind button underneath and turn the crank until the film is fully back in the canister. Load in shade, not direct sunlight, and you will lose fewer frames to light leaks. ## Which film to use Because the shutter speed and aperture are fixed, film choice does most of the work. In bright sun, a film rated ISO 200 on the International Organization for Standardization (ISO) speed scale, like [Kodak Gold 200](https://www.unknowndivide.com/kodak-gold-200-film/) is a great match. For mixed light or overcast days, step up to ISO 400, such as [Kodak Portra 400](https://www.unknowndivide.com/kodak-portra-400-color-film/) for color or [Kodak Tri-X 400](https://www.unknowndivide.com/kodak-tri-x-400-black-and-white-film/) for black and white. Use the flash indoors and in deep shade. Our list of [film cameras you can still buy new](https://www.unknowndivide.com/film-cameras-you-can-still-buy-new/) covers other options if you outgrow this one. ## Who it is for The Ektar H35 is ideal for beginners, travel, parties and anyone who wants film photos without fiddling with settings. It is not a precision tool. There is no focusing, no exposure control and only a simple viewfinder. But that simplicity is the appeal: you look, you press, you move on, and you get a roll that lasts for weeks. ## Who makes it The camera carries the Kodak Ektar name under license and is designed and sold by [Reto](https://retoproject.com/?ref=unknowndivide.com), which has built a small range of affordable, reusable film cameras for people rediscovering analog photography. It comes in several colors, including black, brown, sage, sand and off white, and the [official Kodak Ektar store](https://kodak.retopro.co/products/kodak-ektar-h35-half-frame-film-camera?ref=unknowndivide.com) sells it directly. **Where to buy the Kodak Ektar H35** [Kodak Ektar H35 (official store)](https://kodak.retopro.co/products/kodak-ektar-h35-half-frame-film-camera?ref=unknowndivide.com) [Kodak Ektar H35 half frame camera, black](https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0B1J1D5G7?tag=unknowndivi02-20&ref=unknowndivide.com) [Kodak Ektar H35 half frame camera, sage](https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0B1J582SJ?tag=unknowndivi02-20&ref=unknowndivide.com) See more cameras and film stocks in our [Leica and film photography hub](https://www.unknowndivide.com/leica-and-film-photography/).