Here I am back in the half-frame saddle. I have a couple of people to thank for this. First, there is a student at the college where I work who has a Pentax 17. It was the first time I had seen one of those cameras in the wild, and I was more than happy to let me hold it and fiddle with it. It felt good, far heavier and well-built than I was expecting. Then there was an article by fellow blogger and all-around awesome guy, Johnny Martyr, about his experience with the Canon Demi EE28. Now, in all fairness, I had been looking at the Canon Demi series. I think it was after seeing a video on YouTube about the camera as an alternative to the Pentax 17. Well, I left a comment on Johnny’s post, and a couple of days later, I got a message from a mutual reader who offered to send me his duplicate Demi EE17. So here we are, and thanks to Richard Rothaus for the generous donation of the EE17.
Camera Specifications
Manufacturer: Canon
Model: Demi EE17
Type: Zone-Focus
Format: 135 (35mm), 18x24mm
Lens: Fixed, Canon Lens SH 30mm 1:1.7 (6 Elements, 4 Groups)
Shutter: Inter-Lens Leaf Shutter, 1/500-1/8sec + Bulb
Meter: CdS Meter, EV 4.5 ~ EV 17, ASA-25 – ASA-400
Dimensions (WxHxD): 117x71x48mm
Weight: 445g
Power Source: PX625 (Mercury), Meter Only
Year of Manufacture: 1966-1970s
Background
Founded as Precision Optical Instruments in 1933 as a collaboration between Yoshida Goro, Uchida Saburo and Takeshi Mitarai to produce a Japanese-made 35mm rangefinder based on the Leitz Leica II. The trio purchased, stripped down, rebuilt and made extensive notes on the Leica II. Then, they set about producing a clone of the German camera, with a prototype ready by 1934. Full production of the Kwanan hit the domestic markets a year later. The camera used the same LTM lens mount and Nikkor lenses. Canon continued to improve on its initial model and weathered the storms of World War II. In 1946, Canon introduced its first lenses and began releasing new versions of its rangefinder, moving further away from the Leitz platform with post-war releases. These cameras started to gain popularity among the domestic and occupational markets. Unlike the German photographic industry, the Japanese one began to rely on more economical film consumption. Releasing cameras that maximised the number of shots per roll by reducing the frame size. The trouble with these cameras is that they couldn’t be sold outside of Japan, at least until 1959, when Olympus introduced the Pen. The Pen exposed half of a standard 35mm (36x24mm) frame. The idea was not new; the half-frame first appeared in 1889 with motion picture cameras, at which time it exposed a 16x22mm image. But in the 1950s, the motion picture industry had switched to the Super35 standard of 18x24mm. This effectively doubled the number of shots per roll. Other Japanese manufacturers jumped on the bandwagon, among them Canon. Canon’s first half-frame camera, the Demi, hit the market in 1963. The Demi featured a 28mm f/2.8 lens and a selenium-based meter for match-needle exposure with zone focusing.
A year later, the Demi S added semi-automatic shutter priority metering and a new 30mm f/1.7 lens. Canon also tried out an interchangeable version, the Demi C. Based on the Demi C, the S version had two lens options: a 28mm and a 50mm, but no other lenses were released. The decade also saw a push for easy loading and unloading with the introduction of the Kodak Instamatic line of cameras. Agfa in Europe released its Rapid cartridge system. Canon designed the Demi Rapid to use this cartridge system. However, the Demi Rapid also moved away from Selenium metering, utilising a modern CdS cell to drive the shutter-priority metering, while retaining the 30mm f/1.7 lens. In 1966, Canon introduced the Demi EE17. This new model is a Demi Rapid, but it no longer requires the Agfa Rapid cartridge. Canon introduced a budget-friendly version, the Demi EE28, in 1967, which featured a return to a selenium meter and the 28mm f/2.8 lens. Through all this, Canon had a parallel line of half-frame cameras, the Dial 35 and the final half-frame camera, the Dial 35-2. While I cannot pinpoint an exact end to the Demi and Dial line of cameras, it was probably in the early to mid-1970s, generally, when half-frame photography began to fall out of favour. However, Olympus continued to produce half-frame cameras until the 1980s. And today, half-frame has seen a resurgence with the RETO Kodak Ektar H35 and H35N, and the Pentax 17.
Impressions
There is a certain elegance to this era of cameras; the fixed lens rangefinders of the late 1960s both looked good and were functionally excellent. The EE17 is a small camera, but it isn’t so small that it gets lost in your hand or your camera bag. Despite its small physical size, there is a heft to the camera, a solid feel that tells you it’s well-made. The EE17 is well laid out, and it reminds me of the Rollei 35 and Pentax MX; nothing on this camera is there that doesn’t have to be. The rounded edges make it easy to hold and also enhance the elegance I mentioned earlier. The small lens sticks out enough to let you use the exposure controls; the viewfinder is a bit hazy, but that’s due to age, and the framing lines are still visible. The shutter is nearly silent, but has a nice ‘snick’ noise, and the film advance is a short throw, also allowing for rapid shooting. The one minor complaint I have about the camera is the lack of a hotshoe; it does have a cold shoe to mount an accessory meter, but the camera’s CdS window is not on the lens, but rather next to the viewfinder, so if you are using a filter, you will need to compensate for the filter factor manually.
Experiences
If you have never used a half-frame camera before, getting into them can be difficult if you’re used to full-frame and medium format cameras; the idea of having a large number of frames can be intimidating. Thankfully, there are some ways around this. Flic Film is rolling short rolls that will reduce the number of frames in a half-frame camera, and you can do that yourself if you practice bulk rolling. My personal way is to shoot rolls of 24 exposures, which does still give you 48 frames, but it’s a far easier number to swallow than 72. The Demi EE17 is a fun camera to use. It’s small, lightweight, and can easily fit in your pocket, even with an attached accessory meter. Loading film can be tricky, and I’ve found it suffers a bit from frame spacing issues, though that could be due to age and poor loading in some cases (which is my own fault). Despite its small size, it fits nicely in the hands, and it doesn’t feel too small. Exposure controls are located on the lens barrel itself, with the aperture on the front and shutter speeds on the barrel. They are easy to operate and are clearly labelled. The camera does have aperture-priority AE if you have one with a working meter/battery. From what I’ve seen, the meters are still accurate today, even with a modern cell installed (the camera normally uses a mercury cell). I ended up using two accessory meters, the AsterHori XH-2 and the Revini Labs shoe meter. The Revini Labs unit is a far better choice, as the XH-2 makes it hard to use the viewfinder in either orientation. Although you can always use a handheld meter, the Reveni Labs “Knuckle Duster” would be my first choice. The viewfinder is typical of a half-frame camera, with clear frame lines to aid composition and a clear meter readout. Even though my copy is hazy (which is a thing), it still works well. While I initially struggled with composition, it became easier the more I used the camera. The film advance is short, and the shutter is quiet, making it a great stealth camera. The one thing I do find lacking is any way to add a camera strap, unless you use one that can be screwed into the tripod socket. As for working through those large frame numbers, there are a few tricks that I’ve learned: be a little freer with taking photos, use two or three frames to tell a story or build a panoramic image. Shoot the roll over several days to space out the use, and enjoy the process. I know that I was in the groove right away, having worked with the Ektar H35N. The Demi EE17, even without a working meter, is a joy to use and provides a better-quality image.
Optics
Here is where the EE17 stands out, especially against the only other half-frame camera I’ve used, the Ektar H35N. The camera has a brilliant 30mm f/1.7 lens. If there is one thing that Canon always got right, it is optical design and construction. First off, the 30mm offers a ‘normal’ field of view (ignoring peripheral vision), equivalent to 45mm on a standard full-frame (36x24mm). Not too wide, not too narrow, a great balance between the two. Next is the fact that the lens is all-glass, with six elements in a four-group construction, giving it great sharpness and contrast. It’s also coated, so it works well with both colour and B&W film stocks. Now it’s not fair to compare the H35N to the EE17, but even compared to the modern Pentax 17, the EE17 has a better lens. And the results speak for themselves. The first time I pulled the film out from the tank and started scanning, I was impressed with the results. These are sharp, clean, and look amazing. The one downside is that the filter will block the aperture settings, so you either have to go full automatic or set the aperture and leave it be. The lens also seems to resist flaring with indirect light, so you don’t need to add a lens hood.
Lowdown
The biggest weak point of this camera in the 21st Century is the battery; the meter relies on a mercury cell to supply the required 1.35V for the CdS meter, but you can run the camera without the meter. Now there are some modern options, the first is, of course, to use a modern cell and bank on the forgiveness and latitude of colour negative and B&W films. You can also go with a Zinc-Air cell, but I’ve never had good luck with those. Because it takes a 625 battery, you can get a modern rechargeable option. Augeknipst offers a battery-and-charger combo with one battery for 82 CAD, or a ‘pro’ version with two batteries for 90 CAD. But don’t let that stop you, this camera works great on its own and is the perfect option when you want to shoot half-frame but don’t want to drop the cash on a Pentax 17. You can find a good copy of the EE17 for around 200-300 CAD, but expect to spend around 250-280 CAD for a good working copy. Alternatively, you can get the EE28 for about a hundred dollars less and, if the selenium cell is working, have a functioning meter without worrying about a battery. Honestly, I didn’t think I would pick up and own a half-frame camera, but the EE17 certainly changed that. While it might not be a daily user, it will certainly be showing up more, especially for the half-frame day in September.
Further Reading
Don’t just take my word for the Demi EE17; you can check out reviews from other awesome camera reviewers!
35mmc – Canon Demi EE17 Review: A Surprisingly Good Half-Frame Camera
Emulsive – Canon Demi EE17: The everyday diptych machine
Ravioli, Ravioli, Ravioli – Compact, Economical and Brilliant – The Canon Demi EE-17 Review
Urban Adventure League – The Canon Demi EE17 enters the stable
Urban Adventure League – The return of the Canon Demi EE17, and how to embrace half-frame
Analog Insights – Canon Demi EE17 Review – A vintage Pentax 17 alternative?