My favorite film camera as a parent

Small enough to fit in my sunglasses case with a razor-sharp focus

I love my Canon AE1, don’t get me wrong, but when it comes to photographing kids, my hands (and mental capacity) are often at their limits. Most of the time, pulling out my light meter, checking the light, adjusting my camera settings, and then manually focusing on an active toddler isn’t realistic. By that time the moment I had wanted to capture is usually lost and they are on to the next thing. Of course, there are slower moments when this scenario works, but when we are on-the-go it’s nice to have a camera that does the heavy lifting. All I need to do is power it on and *click*.

This is why I love having a point-and-shoot camera when I’m photographing family life.