Canon vs. Canon
A point and shoot fight… to the death!
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Recently I purchased two vintage Canon point and shoots: the Sure Shot Classic 120 and the Sure Shot Multi Tele (also known by their infinitely radder Japanese names, the Autoboy 120 and Autoboy Tele). I previously posted about these cameras in a pair of notes here on Substack; both had me very excited as I’d read only good things about them online. So, I proceeded to load up some Kodak Gold (💸💸💸) and take ‘em through their paces.
Originally, I had not planned a showdown like this, but I thought it would be way more fun to write about them in this way. So please join me for the match of the century - the pitting of the point and shoots, the clash of the Canons, a real retro rumble1.
First up: The Sure Shot Classic 120
A metal-bodied dynamo, its got a cleverly hidden flash and a hatch on the back hiding all its buttons and features, that sneaky devil. Its lens is sharp and its uppercuts even sharper. The auto focus is varied, fast, and powerful. Using advanced AI (well, advanced for its time), it can focus on a subject, even if it’s not in the centre of the view finder - unheard of! It can even switch to single point central AF! An absolute monster.
This camera’s got multiple moves up its sleeve as well - all set to a very satisfying dial. It can switch between modes swiftly: Auto! Action! Night! Spot! Close-up! Portrait! It has it all!
Lastly, with a long 120mm zoom, its definitely got the reach advantage. Is there anything this camera can’t do? A full featured contender if I’ve ever seen one, but as the younger of the two, will that be a detriment, or give it the edge it needs? Let’s see how it stacks up to our next contestant!
Next up: The Sure Shot Multi Tele
A rare breed and unique option that can flip between both full and half frame with the flick of a switch - a technique learned from its sensei, the Canon Demi.
Its plastic chassis doesn’t quite stack up to its opponent’s metal frame, but what it lacks in material it more than makes up for in size, coming in larger and more imposing - what a beast! Its auto focus is quick and accurate like it’s jabs, but more basic than its opponent (its lacking the high-end AI focus features, so it’s got a lot of ground to make up for in this department).
Like the Classic 120, the Multi Tele features a lens that’s deadly sharp, but unlike its opponent, it lacks a true zoom, rather opting for a sleeker more compact appearance. That said, it’s able to bob and weave more easily, thanks to its minimal two lens feature. This functionality enables the camera to quickly swap between a wide 35mm f/3.5 lens and a tele 60mm f/5.6 lens.
This ability to zoom in close on the subject without compromising the camera’s sleek silhouette may just give it the edge it needs in this battle. As the older contender of the two, experience may be the winning factor here, but we won’t know until we meet them in the ring.
Let’s get into it:
We’ll start with the crowd favourite, the young upstart, the Sure Shot Classic 120.
The results certainly speak for themselves - a solid performance all around - sharp shots and accurate exposure. This will certainly be tough to beat.
Next up is the cam, the myth, the legend, the Sure Shot Multi Tele.
I never thought it would be this close, but the Multi Tele certainly holds its own. I can barely tell the difference between the two. We’ll have to go to the judges (aka - everyone reading this - let me know if you have a clear favourite in the comments!).
All fun aside, these are both extremely capable point and shoots that are super fun to use for casual shooting, which is something I’ve been doing a lot lately. I’m really enjoying just going out and putting zero pressure on myself to get bangers and trying to forget I’m using film (💸💸💸). This free styling approach helps me to have more fun and shoot more liberally.
It’s been hard to get out lately due to the weather not cooperating on my days off, so I’ve been sticking close to my neighbourhood, heading out before work when the sun decides to make an appearance. I hope to get a change of scenery to feature in my upcoming posts, as I start to get out and about a bit more.
In summary, to wrap up this match up, I was really surprised with these two cameras. They’ll both be in rotation this summer for more casual outings with friends and just catching moments, which is exactly why I got them. They’re so compact and easy to handle, not taking one of them around with me isn’t an option.
While they aren’t MJU’s, T4’s or a Contax, they do a great job and I’m really happy with the results - and for under 40 dollars for both, I mean…you cannot go wrong. Both the Multi Tele and Classic 120 are massive steps up in quality from my Minolta Auto Focus D, which I’ll be selling now to make more room on the shelf to feature these two champs.
Stay focused.
No cameras were harmed in the making of this match-up.
Long live the underrated point and shoots!!!! The boxing gloves were a very humorous touch!!! 🤣🤣🤣. So, I didn’t think the tele was going to deliver like it did. A lot of times tele point and shoots deliver soft results—soft/blooming edges—but I’m impressed!!! The results on both are so crisp and detailed. People don’t know what they are missing out on when it comes to point and shoots—it’s like holding magic in your pocket! Great work, friend!!!!!
Keeping an eye out for the Multi Tele in all future flea market explorations, because it looks like it'd do all the things I want in a point & shoot (especially the half frame option)