Canon's 1985 budget 35mm compact — fixed-focus 35mm f/4.5 lens, motorised film handling, built-in flash
The Snappy S of July 1985 was the third member of Canon's budget Snappy series of 35mm compacts, aimed at buyers who wanted simple point-and-click photography below the autofocus Sure Shot line. In Europe it was sold as the Snappy S-30 FF, and Canon offered it in black, red, green and yellow.
It is a fully automatic fixed-focus 35mm lens-shutter camera with a 35mm f/4.5 lens of three elements in three groups. An electromagnetic programmed shutter and aperture handle exposure from 1/40 to 1/250 second, a flash is built in, and film loading, advance and rewind are all motorised. Two AAA batteries power it, and a rotating lens cover doubles as the off switch.
Everything from about 1.5m to infinity lands in acceptable focus, so it suits carefree street and holiday snapshots and appeals to the same buyers as other 1980s fixed-focus compacts now popular for casual film shooting. The slow f/4.5 lens wants generous light or the flash indoors.
It will not fire without working AAA cells, so test the shutter and motor wind with fresh batteries and listen for a healthy advance. Confirm the flash charges and fires, check the rotating lens cover still switches the camera cleanly, and inspect the film door seals and battery contacts for corrosion before trusting it with film.