I followed The Seller deep into a fire marshal's nightmare of rented rooms below a supposedly standard domicile. The deeper we penetrated, the stranger the smells became. Some miles later, we came to a baroque cabinet adjacent to a combination bedroom / laundry room. I was distracted from thoughts of emergency rations and suicide by the glint of my prize: The Minolta AF-C

The little brother of the Minolta AF-S I bought previously, the AF-C is a 35mm compact with entirely automatic exposure controls (save the ISO dial). While it also uses auto-focus, the AF-C has a manual film winder, unlike the excellent AF-S. However, the size and weight savings are significant, giving this device a pocket-ability approaching the Olympus XA.

I ran through a roll of expired Velvia 100F and cross-processed it in C41 chemicals. While the camera generally performed well, the meter was tripped up a couple times in difficult light and with the EF-C flash attached. Still, it performed admirably for a compact of its age.

I can't help but be disappointed though. It doesn't have the feel of slick Olympus Mju compacts, the rugged pragmatism of the Infinity series, nor the methodical charm of the XA. This camera left me wanting, despite hitting the right marks on paper.