Fuji K-28
Introduced in 1991 by Fuji, the K-28 was a purpose designed “Work Record” camera for the construction industry. The K-28 does not seem to have been marked outside Japan.
The K-28 is a tough little camera. Not supper compact but small for how much protection it has. Fully weather sealed with a hard case, you are ready for the job site of any adventure. The design is very reminiscent of the Fuji HD-R but with a wider 28mm f3.9 lens vs the HD-R 38mm f2.8 lens. Operation is simple and mostly manual. Manual film advance and manual focus using a zone focus knob on the top of the camera. The focus knob is large enough to allow for use with gloves. Also on top is on/off for the flash and a lock for the shutter button. All very accessible and oversize.
Focus is .75m to infinity. ISO is auto for 100 to 400 film. Shutter speed is fixed at 1/100th. Camera picks the aperture. In the viewfinder is an LED that will indicate under exposure so you can turn on the flash. Rewind is manual.
My Take:
The HD-R is one of my go-to adventure cameras. And the K-28 should be the same. I like the wider lens even if it is slower. The K-28 is not the camera to grab if you want lots of control. Other that a rather imprecise zone focus, the camera is in charge. If you want control there are lots of other cameras to pick. It is also not the smallest camera I own. It is about the same size as an M Leica body. So there are plenty of time that I will not reach for the K-28, but if I want a throw in a beach bag, bottom of the kayak, outside of the pack on a hike, pocket of a ski coat (just don’t fall on it, camera will be fine, your ribs will not) or just foul weather kind of camera; the K-28 is a great pick.
It feel so much like a point and shoot that I sometime forget the manual focus. I try to leave it on infinity, but that big focus knob is easy to bump. So remember to check. I think everyone needs an adventure camera and the K-28 is a nice option if you can find one.
Lens: Fuji K-28
Film: Fuji 100