Amateur Photographer verdict
A camera that challenges you to take photos a little differently, it invites you to experiment and have fun whilst photographing.- Interesting concept
- Enough features for more technically competent photographers to take control
- Small, lightweight and discreet
- Great battery life
- Encourages creativity and experimentation
- More complicated than a typical film camera to start with
- Easy to make mistakes with the wind on reel
- Perhaps not suitable for beginners
Alfie Cameras is a family run business that started creating compact 35mm half-frame cameras after a successful Kickstarter campaign in 2022. The line-up started with the Alfie Cameras Tych model. We first saw it at The Photography Show, and the Alfie Cameras Tych+ is its premium successor. Though having the same compact build and rotary lens board design, the main difference is in the additional premium glass 33.3mm f8.0 lens (the Tych camera has three lenses only) and bright glass viewfinder.
At a glance:
- 35mm half frame camera
- ISO 12-6400
- Rotary lens board with 4 lens options
- Focal length 33.3mm, 30mm, 25mm and 25mm
- 33.3mm (50mm equivalent) F8 rapid rectilinear lens with 4 elements in 2 groups
- – 30mm F8 single element meniscus lens
- – 25mm F56 zone plate
- – 25mm F125 pinhole
- Shutter speed 30sec – 1/500sec
- Built in light meter for automatic exposure
- USB charging
- 120g, 90mm x 79mm x 45mm (measured without viewfinder)
- £499
The Tych+ camera is available for £499 and is currently only for sale via the Alfie Cameras website. The original Tych retails for £299. The Tych+ comes with a Lens Hood, camera strap and USB C charge cable. A range of other accessories are available – shutter release cable, external flash and collapsible sport finder.
Being similar in price, the Tych+ will certainly be rivalled by the new half-frame film camera on the block, the Pentax 17. But the Tych+ stands on its own, not only in build and features, but target audience and purpose. Read on to find out how I got on with it…
Alfie Cameras Tych+ Features
The Alfie Cameras Tych+ offers a hybrid shooting experience. It gives you the feeling of shooting film whilst also having electronic light metering, screen, and rechargeable battery.
The camera itself looks quite complicated, however after reading the quick start guide and looking through the settings menu a few times before starting, I got my head around it.
The lens rotary board on the front of the camera holds four lenses: the 33.3mm (50mm equivalent) f8 rapid rectilinear lens; 30mm (45mm equivalent) f8 single-element meniscus lens; 25mm f56 zone plate and 25mm f125 pinhole lens (both 38mm equivalent). All four lenses are fixed focus. The pinhole and 25mm lens range from 0m to infinity, the 33.3mm 2m to infinity and 30mm 1.5m to infinity.
The lens rotary board is easy to use with each lens clicking into place upon rotation. The different options encourage some creativity and opportunities to create unique images. A feature that hasn’t been seen before on cameras like this, if at all, allowing it to fall into its own experimental niche and put it apart from other cameras.
The camera has a built-in light meter for automatic exposure and ISO from 12 to 6400. Each lens has an auto mode, you can switch between auto f8, f56 and f125, or manual mode. There is also a mode for flash use. There is shutter delay and exposure compensation is available up to +/-2 stops in ½ stop increments. It took me some time to find (or perhaps notice in my ignorance) each auto mode and the ability to change between F stops. But once found, it was simple enough to use the pinhole and 25mm lenses as well as the standard F8 lenses without using the fully manual mode.
The wind on wheel doesn’t automatically stop when you reach the next shot. The good thing about that is you can take multiple exposures without any hacks or tricks needed; as the camera doesn’t require you to wind on for the next shutter. But this could be seen as a blessing and a curse if you aren’t aware of the status of your current film position.
Alfie Cameras Tych+ Design and Handling
The Tych+ camera has a smart, all black, unique design. The camera body is made of Anodised aluminium / MJF hybrid construction camera body.
On the front, we have the lens rotary board and neat looking TYCH branding. The top contains the viewfinder and small LCD screen which allows the user to see settings and the electronic shutter count. A small button just below the screen allows you to change settings. The camera is charged by USB-C, a handy inclusion.
It is very small in size, lightweight and fits in the palm of your hand. It weighs just 120g and is 90mm x 79mm x 45mm. Much smaller than other film cameras like the Pentax 17, easily fitting into a pocket or slipped into a bag. I found it easy to hold and use in my small hands, others with larger hands may have a fiddlier experience. The only issue I have had when using the camera is the rewind knob, even with small fingers it was quite awkward to rewind without the viewfinder or my own fingers getting in the way. However, the viewfinder can be slid off, which makes winding back the film much easier.
There is a large Wind Wheel at the bottom of the camera, and next to it is the Frame Indicator. It’s worth noting you need to watch until you wind on to the next white square, as it doesn’t automatically stop when you reach the next frame like other film cameras. It does also have a habit of winding too far – whether that’s from human error or when in a bag. I made sure to check each time I got the camera out of my bag as more often than not the white square was half visible having wound on. If you do go too far, you can use the rewind knob to return to the correct position.
Alfie Cameras Tych+ Performance
Overall, whilst the Tych+ has been interesting to use, for me it doesn’t feel as straightforward as other film cameras – which is part of its niche. The camera was easy enough to set up and load the film, but it took some time to figure out the different settings and options.
From a standard 36 exposure roll of film, I was able to get over 72 shots (approx. 76-80 photos). I generally shot in Auto mode, and found the best, and sharpest, results came from the 33mm f8 lens. I found the 30mm meniscus lens produced some images that were softly blurred. Once I got the hang of finding and changing the settings I gave the pinhole and 25mm lenses a try. But in a lot of cases, the results were indecipherable. I did have some luck when using manual mode and the pinhole lens, however. So, this camera really is about trial and error, which might not be to everyone’s taste. During shooting I found myself making a few notes so I could try remember which lens matched up to the photo.
The LCD is a great addition, and through which you can set your ISO, reset your shutter count and more, including changing settings. The Tych+ also has a useful electronic light meter that selects the appropriate shutter speed for the chosen lens and aperture settings.
The camera and shutter were very discreet and quiet, which works well for street photography. I also enjoy doing multiple exposures, and being able to do them on this camera without needing to use any hacks was a plus.
I had no issues with battery life, during my time using the camera I didn’t need to recharge, it still remained on the full three bars after two films, and being switched on and off.
Alfie Cameras Tych+ Verdict
Whilst it looks quite complicated initially, the Alfie Cameras Tych+ is a good challenge and fun to use. It offers a lot of room for experimentation and brings modern design and electronic features to film photography.
It is small, quiet and discreet, which is great for travel and street photography in particular.
It’s on par with the Pentax 17, in terms of price. But this feels like a camera nerd’s investment piece. Despite being one that you can indeed go out and point and shoot with in Auto and the standard 33mm lens, this camera needs a lot of time dedicated to fully understand and make use of its full functionality.
The Alfie Tych+ is definitely for more competent photographers and camera users. Depending on your style, the results produced are very interesting and more experimental and creative. Sometimes that means sacrificing sharpness and clarity. It would make a great gift for the hardcore film enthusiasts. It’s likely too expensive for a point and shooter or a beginner film photographer who wants something for more sporadic use.
Related reading:
- Pentax 17 vs Kodak Ektar H35N – half-frame film cameras compared
- Ondu: the success of handcrafted wooden pinhole cameras
- How to make a pinhole camera and take photos in 10 steps
- New CubeFF 35mm full-frame pinhole camera!
