Canon Sure Shot Z155 Zoom 35mm Camera

Al Hansen: Andrea Rosen Gallery.: An article from: Artforum International
The Canon Sure Shot 35mm is the finest of all the compact film cameras. For two years, this camera was my mainstay. Simple in design and function, the Sureshot provides dependable sure shots. The self-timer comes in handy.

I got this camera a little over four years ago when i started taking a recreational photography class. I started that class using a Poloroid p&s that i got under 30 dollars. That one broke not even 2 weeks later, i splurged on replacing it with this canon sure shot. I didn't regret it then, but now after having more experience with photography and buying cameras, i don't think i would pay that much money for a point and shoot again. At the time the cost was up in the 200's and digital photography was getting more popular, but they still sold 35mm along side it. -- So yeah the price is one drawback on this camera, not that it's not worth it, because this is a great sturdy, attractive little camera.
Pros: The zoom is the best thing about. In fact the zoom is almost as good as my dslr lenes.
I'm proud of the results you can with this camera. The colors it can produce, and the crispness of the photos is something to brag about.- Takes nice black and whites with perfect contrast. - you have many different options and functions to pick from. You have an exposure control function to allow to choose before a shot whether you want it to be lighter or darker. - Extremely easy to load film in, and automatically rewinds once roll is used up

Cons: View finder too small.- The focus wheel baffles me. I have no idea what affect it has on pictures, pretty much useless.- Oh and as others have said, you do have to hold down the shutter until the lights do their thing. But i have this problem with most automatic cameras.- And lastly, its kinda loud. When you zoom, when the film proceeds to the next frame, and when it rewinds, it makes this kinda loud screeching noise, zzreeeouuuu. Lol. It must be the motor, i think. It's not because it broken, if you own this camera you know what i mean. So just a tip: don't bring this camera to a wedding ceremony, especially if you sit in the front row.

I am really suprised to see such negative comments on this camera.
I always got amazing quality photographs from this camera. It's very easy to use. It's not bulky. It was by far the best film camera I had ever owned.

When I went to a football game, I took photos of the game with the flash on. The photos came out too dark when you zoom in. So I decided to take photos WITHOUT the flash. I recognized that the orange button was blinking repeatedly. When I looked in the manual, it said that it was because the camera was shaking, which the camera was still. It said to use a tripod. I got my pictures back, after trying EVERY mode possible without the flash, and almost ALL of them came out blurry. Why make a camera without a flash if all of the pictures are going to come out blurry?? So basically you can only use this camera with a flash or outside or all of the pictures are going to come out blurry?? Canon has been known for making great cameras and scanners/printers. But this camera was just down right horrid when it came to getting a decent picture. It is overpriced garbage and people at Canon should have made a sure shot camera that lived up to its name. The zoom is nice, as it gets good close ups. But when it comes to using this camera without flash, it is impossible without a tripod. I am not about to bring a tripod to a football game. Why have a sports feature on the camera FOR MOVING OBJECTS if the feature is not going to work?? Seems to me, that the folks at Canon are bonafied MORONS!!

I bought this camera before reading the reviews, and then was pretty uncomfortable when I saw all the negative comments. That said, I needed a camera for my first trip to Hawaii that was 1)not expensive, 2)light enough to carry around, and 3)uncomplicated. (I am notorious for NOT wanting to read instructions. Some people love to read those fat little manuals from cover to cover. Not me.)
So, I took a roll or two before going on the trip. What I found was not much different than the reviewers before me: the personal setting made horrible, blurry messes, and sometimes the full zoom did the same thing. However, the automatic setting did a great job. So I stuck with that, and almost every photo taken on that setting, out of 11 rolls of film, was beautiful. The camera was ideal for what I needed, especially since I didn't feel moved to go digital just yet, and I'm quite happy with it.

You do have to tell any random person who is taking a photo of you and your friends, to hold the button down FOREVER because it truly does take 4 or 5 seconds sometimes to take the photo.