In June 2000 I was getting ready to head to Fan Fair for the first time in my life. I was really wanting a new camera so I could get some decent pictures of some of my favorite country stars. So my husband took me out to Service Merchandise to let me pick out the camera I wanted. My birthday is also in June so this ended up being the perfect birthday present for me. Canon is a name that I trust so home I came with a Canon Sure Shot Z135.

You will also need to purchase two lithium batteries (CR123A or DL123A, 3V). I use a butter knife to unscrew the battery door. If you are out somewhere and need to replace the batteries a coin would work also. Be sure and put them in there with the + and - in the correct positions. It will tell you on the door which way to put them in.

There are several modes that you can set your camera in when taking pictures. I use the full auto mode more often than any other. Let me tell you a little bit about each mode.

Full Auto Mode will focus the subject even if it is not exactly in the center. If there is low light the flash will fire automatically.

Action Mode is for taking pictures of anything that is moving. It will keep the subject in focus and allow you to keep taking pictures nonstop.

Night Mode is for taking portraits against a nocturnal background. The flash and the shutter speed are slower than normal. This causes the flash to illuminate the subject while the slow shutter speed (maximum 4 seconds) illuminates the dark background.

Portrait Mode is for shooting beautiful portraits. It will automatically zoom in on the upper half of the subject and the flash will add sparkle to the subjects eyes.

Close-up Mode is great to shoot close-ups of things that are close to you. This could be used for something like plants or flowers.

Spot Mode should be used when shooting pictures of extremely dark or light subjects. This would be great for shooting someone on a ski slope or in a spotlight.

This camera has a focus lock. This is to be used to focus on a subject that is positioned close to the edge of the picture frame.

In the Flash ON mode the flash will always fires no matter what the lighting conditions are. In the Flash OFF mode it will not fire even if the conditions are very low light.

Some warning signs:
~If the battery indicator is blinking the batteries are dead and need to be replaced.

~If the battery indicator is not on then no batteries are in the camera or they are completely dead or they are put in incorrectly.

~If the shutter doesn't release the batteries could be dead, the film not loaded correctly or film in camera that needs to be rewound.

~If there is an "H" on the display of the LCD panel you need to reset the camera. You just turn the camera off and then back on. If the "H" comes back then it needs to go to a repair shop.

Specifications:
Type: 35 mm fully automatic lens-shutter camera with built-in zoom
Image Size: 24 x 36 mm
Lens: Canon 38mm-135mm f/3.6-8.9
Shooting Distance: 2 ft. to infinity; close-up mode: 1.3 ft. to infinity
Viewfinder: Real-image zoom viewfinder
Film Loading & Winding: Automatic
Film Rewinding: Automatic at the end of each roll
Frame Counter: Counts up during winding, counts down during rewinding

Flash Range:

ISO 400 color print film
Wide: 0.6 to 14.2 m (2 to 46.6 ft)
Tele: 0.6 to 5.8 m (2 to 19 ft)
Close-up: 0.4 to 6.8 m (1.3 to 22.3 ft)

The flash recycling time is about 4 seconds. The flash is a pop-up flash. The camera comes with a strap that is easy to attach.

Tips:
Never open the door while you have film in the camera. Make sure that it has rewound back to 0 or you could ruin your film.

Keep away from water. Don't use it if it is raining or snowing. Also keep away from excessive humidity.

Store your camera in a cook, dry, dust-free place. Be sure to keep out of direct sunlight. Avoid storing in hot places such as a car trunk or near mothballs.

Never take the camera apart yourself as there is high-voltage circuitry inside.

Never put any liquids on the lens or body of the camera.

Film that goes through the X-ray examinations at an airport could be exposed and ruined even when still in the camera.

Always develop film promptly as your color could be affected from sitting too long.

I have had this camera for over a year and have used it quite frequently. It always takes good clear pictures. I am glad that I got this camera. It has been very reliable and dependable so far.

The manual that comes with the camera is in 4 languages: English, Spanish, French and Portuguese.

Contact Information:

Canon U.S.A. Inc.
Customer Relations
One Canon Plaza
Lake Success, N.Y. 11042-1198

1-800-828-4040



Recommended: Yes

Amount Paid (US$): 230.00