The Canon Demi EE17 - A 1960s Half-Frame Masterpiece (Sample Photos)
I heard about half-frame cameras a while back. But, when the Pentax 17 recently dropped (hooray for new film cameras!) I was surprised by how much I enjoyed the photos and how much resolution they had.
Saving money on film is obviously one of the benefits of half-frame, but the more I shot the Canon Demi EE17 — and saw the results — the more I realized the benefits go far beyond being frugal.
Why the Canon Dem EE17?
The Canon Demi EE17 35mm Half Frame Camera from the 1960s
Of the half-frame cameras that came before the Pentax 17, the Olympus Pen line of 35mm film cameras typically leads the charts. Afterall, Olympus popularized the format in a stylish and compact manner. Canon, Yashica, and a few others soon jumped on the popularity of half-frame, each with their own unique take on camera operation, style, and ideal focal lengths. The Pentax 17, from what I’ve heard, is a great camera. But, I love the old school film cameras with a story to tell.
While the Olympus Pens tick a lot of the boxes for me, I found that many of the Canon Demi’s out there were in better condition and use a CdS (Cadmium Sulfide) light meter. The CdS is key since it relies on batteries where as the Selenium meters react to light are fairly unreliable given their age.
The Canon Demi’s were also renown for their solid feel.
That, and the standard advance lever vs thumbwheel, sold me on the Canon.
Quick Details for the Canon Demi EE17
The Lens - 30mm f/1.7 (About 45mm equivalent on a full frame 35mm camera)
The Features - Shutter-priority auto exposure, manual exposure control, zone focusing, and a CdS light meter
Shutter Speeds - 1/8 to 1/500
ISO Settings - Dial on the bottom of the camera - ISO 400 Max
Number of Shots - 72! Glorious!
How Half-Frame Makes You a Better Photographer
Most people will purchase a half-frame camera for the savings on film. And, while it is technically true, each shot costs 1/2 of a full frame, you may not actually save money overall.
Let me explain.
72 Shots is Freeing (not free)
Film photographers who come from a digital background will often talk about how shooting film causes them to slow down, and be intentional with each shot. We’re more involved in the process and therefore feel more satisfaction in both the process and the result.
So, if you’ve been shooting 36 frames on the regular, having a 72 shot counter feels liberating. Personally, I still felt the sense of a boundary — film isn’t unlimited photos like digital. But, I found myself experimenting more. Taking the shots that I may have passed over on a standard camera. The result was more surprises for me when the film was developed. It’s common for film shooters to forget the shots they took, and when we finally get our film developed it’s like Christmas. But with half-frame it’s even better. 144 photos, most of which I had forgotten about, in just 2 rolls of film.
It’s amazing.
All of that experimenting really allows your personal tyle to bloom.
Shooting Vertical Makes You See the World Differently
I should have noted this at the outset, but due to the natural of half-frame, the shots are vertical by default, not horizontal. Surprisingly, so is much of the world we live in, or rather, the subjects that catch our eye.
When I first started framing up scenes with the Canon Demi EE17, it just felt easy. Suddenly, I was looking at the world in a different way. When a new photographer first gets the bug, they start framing up everything. “That bush would make a cool photo”, “That lamp looks great”, “Wow, that gum on the sidewalk is really interesting” and so on it goes. Eventually, like reading, we do it rather unaware, dismissing scenes that our eyes have witnessed 1,000 times.
Then comes vertical.
New boundaries for framing a photo become a default. The brain does a double take and new life is breathed into an old art.
Challenges with the Canon Demi EE17
This is going to be a pretty short section as my experience with the Demi EE17 has been very positive. I purchased my camera from Japan and it’s about as mint as they come.
Zone Focusing
This isn’t an issue with the camera, but with the photographer. For those not familiar, on the Canon Demi EE17, zone focusing uses three ranges—close (about 2.6–3 feet), portrait (3–10 feet), and landscape (10 feet to infinity). Small icons in the viewfinder indicate the focusing zone and the typical feet or meters marking on the lens gives an exact focus distance.
The only time I really had issues was with close up focusing with a lower f stop. This is pretty common. I have a Nikonos V which has a type of zone focusing as well. Shots at f/8+ that are 10+ ft away are easy. It’s the closer ones that are the challenge.
Once again, this is the old school feature of classic film cameras that still cause you to slow down before taking the shot. You’re involved and you learn from your mistakes.
Film Loading
I’ve found the Canon Demi EE17 to be harder to load than I would have expected from a camera as advanced as it is for its day.
This is probably another user error, but I typically end up advancing the film a few extra times before closing the back just to make sure it’s really taken up. Not a big deal and I bet it will be worked out over time with use.
Metering is Slightly Off
Although the CdS meter still works, and I have a Wein cell battery loaded (the best approximation to the original battery size and voltage) the meter seems to underexpose about 1 stop. It mostly shows up in lower light settings, but I just rate the film an ISO lower than it actually is to account for it. So, if I’m shooting Kodak Gold 200, I set the Demi ISO to 100 so it will think I am using a slower film.
This is only an issue when using the Auto Mode - this mode will automatically select the aperture given the set shutter speed and ISO.
Final Thoughts
If you’re on the fence about half-frame, you should get a Canon Demi EE17. It’s portable, image quality is great, and it’s sure to get a lot of compliments (mine does).
It’s a true gem of a camera and I honestly believe it will accelerate your skill as a photographer.