You can verify film winding by the check window on the back. Loading film is like any modern compact, line up the leader with the red indicator, close the back and press the shutter release, the film will wind on and stop at the first exposure. There also appear to be model year variations of both cameras, as well as a long line of spawn, both of the One Touch and the 元5. The very similar Nikon One Touch, which is a more obvious copy of Canon’s Sure Shot, appears to be the same camera as the 元5AF produced for a different market, with a different rubber grip and a few minor differences like a Canon-style closing lens cover, something lacking on this model.
Features I like beyond what I’ve already mentioned: the ability to use filters as on the Canon AF35ML. I haven’t been able to find out very much about this little keeper, except that its weight is due to it being an all-metal body with a plastic outer shell, and that it’s still highly regarded by the people that own(ed) one. It wasn’t on my radar till I rescued it from the local Goodwill for $6.99… Reasonably fast coated 35mm Nikon lens, very quiet motor advance, and accurate autofocus are the standout features of this surprisingly heavy little compact. Nikon thought enough of this camera to dub it ‘Pikaichi’, or ‘top notch’ in Japanese. My first Nikon camera ever! What at first looked like a junky point-and-shoot quickly revealed itself as a sleeper classic, Nikon’s very first compact automatic camera and a close copy of Canon’s very popular AF35M (aka Sure Shot or Autoboy).