Canon Demi C — A Personal Take
by Tobias Eriksson

By Tobias Eriksson · May 2019 · Canon Demi C · 28mm f/2.8 + 50mm f/2.8

Background and First Impressions

This camera sure looks like a child of its times, designed in strict graphic patterns but rounded off by soft curved lines. It was released in 1965, one sibling in the Demi family of cameras. But it was an odd bird there, and in the world of compact cameras as a whole.

The singular reason for the camera being an exception is the fact that you can use two lenses. One is a 28mm f/2.8 — which since this is a half-frame camera equals a 42mm image as projected on a full frame film — and one a 50mm f/2.8 (approximately 75mm). Having the option to switch between lenses on a very compact half-frame camera was unique.

I felt that this camera would be great for me, particularly since I had grown tired of lugging a heavy camera with a large lens when I wanted to take tele pictures. Hence, since my interest in this camera was to use the tele, this review is mainly based on my using it with the 50mm lens.

Handling

The build quality is excellent — firm and sturdy. The controls are intuitive once you figure them out. The viewfinder is clean and bright. The two-lens design means you swap out the front element entirely, which is a clever and compact solution that works well in practice.

The shutter is smooth and quiet for a camera of this era. The film advance is satisfying. This is a camera that rewards patient shooting — it slows you down in a good way.

Image Quality

The 50mm lens produces images with a pleasant rendering. Not clinical, not impressionist — somewhere in between. The half-frame format adds grain that works with rather than against the subject matter. The 28mm is sharp edge to edge in good light.

Like most half-frame cameras from this era, the sweet spot is outdoors in decent light. Push it into low light and the limitations of the small negative become apparent, but that is true of any half-frame camera.

Verdict

The Canon Demi C is a genuinely interesting camera with a unique feature set. The dual lens system is its reason for existing and it delivers on that premise. If you shoot a mix of street and portrait work and want one compact camera to do both, this is worth hunting for.