There are far too many cameras made by Zeiss from the last century, which is to be expected with a history that goes back over 110 years. While they have recently released their first digital camera, the ZX1, this a little story about why Zeiss stopped producing film cameras. First off, I myself, am not […]
Category: Reviews
Find all EMULSIVE reviews, covering photographic films, cameras, lenses, bags and other film photography gear, hardware and software, right here.
Posted inArticles, Canon film camera reviews, Film camera reviews, Reviews
Mini-review: The Canon A-1 in Thailand
It used to be that one of the delights of visiting the UK occasionally was to fetch the things that one could not get abroad. Yet for the last decade, this notion has become outdated. Consumer technology, new motorcycle designs, fashionable recipes, and other trends often originate in South-East Asia, and in Thailand in particular. […]
Posted inDarkroom Equipment
Meopta Magnifax 4 darkroom enlarger: All you need to know
The darkroom is, I believe, the ultimate escape — if you are a photographer, that is. Whether you call it a she-shed, a man cave, darkroom or by another name, once the door is firmly shut and sealed, it’s just you and your art. It gives you focus — pun intended. Just remember, no touchscreens […]
Posted inFilm camera reviews
Rheinmetall Weltax + Meyer-Optik Trioplan f/3.5 75mm + Lomography Redscale and Kodak Portra 160… A review (kind of)
The Weltax is a nice little 6×6 folding camera, introduced in 1938 by Welta Kamerawerke, which became VEB Welta after WWII and later still…
Posted inArticles, Featured, Film camera reviews, Leica film camera reviews, Reviews
Enter the Leica M4: Upgrading my Barnack Leica
I had been planning to upgrade from my Leica IIIf for a while; it’s a great camera but it makes taking photos a complicated process. First, cut the film so that it fits the camera, place it on the spool, insert it, wind it, only then select the shutter speed and realise a few shots […]
Posted inKonica film camera reviews
A creative machine: The Konica C35 EFP
I was 22 and we were eating at my grandfather’s. I knew he had a camera when he was younger, so I asked him “Do you still have it?” After his “Do not break it” speech he told me where to find it. I ran immediately upstairs to what used to be my father’s room, […]
Posted inFilm camera reviews
Crash! Bang! Rollop! What a Picture! A review and test of the Lipca Rollop II TLR
A year or two back I was given a box of old cameras, four in total. These included a Voigtlander Vito B. a couple of Soviet-era rangefinders, and a Lipca Rollop TLR. I tested the Vito B with a roll of film not long after receiving it, but not a single shot was even close […]
Posted inCanon film camera reviews
The Canon AL-1: Do opposites attract?
Everybody knows the AE-1 and AE-1 Program. Maybe that’s because Canon produced so many of them. In reviews of this camera, they mention it was one of the products that opened the world of SLR to an average consumer. Nowadays young photographers may keep warm memories of their parents’ (or grandparents’) cameras when they are […]
Posted inArticles
Camera review: The LEGO VIP Rewards Vintage Camera + build video
It’s not a Leica, but if you’re a film photographer, you’re probably going to Like-uh-it a lot. If you like LEGO, you’ll likely be quite partial to it, too. Yes, it’s the (limited edition?) LEGO VIP Rewards Vintage Camera. This article reviews the camera in full with a start-to-finish video of the build (condensed to […]
Posted inFilm camera reviews
Mini-review: The RETO Ultra Wide & Slim – Experiences and a change in attitude to P&S cameras
Traditionally I have avoided the point and shoot class of camera because I wanted to be able to make my own exposure decisions. I either shoot Manual, or in Aperture Priority modes with one finger on the exposure compensation button. Most of my cameras date from the 20th century and most of those are entirely manual. In […]
Posted inADOX Film Stock Reviews
Film review: ADOX HR-50, a high-resolution film with a boost
Earlier this summer I shot a roll of ADOX HR-50. I had seen this film online and since I live in a country which can be very sunny I had decided to try slower films this summer. I went to the photography store (In Zurich I recommend ars-imago, the customer service is good and they […]
Posted inCONTAX film camera reviews
The Contax RX: My search for the perfect camera
I started out writing a 5 Frames article for this excellent website but my typing ran away a little and I ended up realising it had turned into a mini-review of my latest 35mm acquisition, the Contax RX. I thought that rather than crop the article down, I would publish the long version in its […]
Posted inPentax film camera reviews
Camera Review: Pentax ME Super (featuring Portra 400 and the SMC-M series lenses) – By Trevor Hong
I used to hate electronic cameras because people keep saying “they might break”. That was until I stumbled across the Pentax ME Super. Actually, I had the chance to use the original ME version that my boss handed down to me and I absolutely fell in love with Pentax 35mm — the ME Super is […]
Posted inGear Reviews
Gear review: The Alvandi 6×12 film back, a different perspective
6×12 isn’t exactly a format you come across very often; it’s wide, but not so wide you’d call it panoramic, to put it into perspective, an Xpan has an aspect ratio of 2.4:1, 6×12 is 2:1. Still, to me, 6×12 is the perfect aspect ratio for landscapes. Producing 6 shots from a roll of 120 […]
Posted inFilm camera reviews
EMULSIVE’S most popular film stock reviews of 2021
With just 2 days left until the end of 2021, here’s a quick look back at the most popular film stock reviews on EMULSIVE this year as decided by you! ~ EM
Posted inILFORD Film Stock Reviews
Kentmere Pan 400 at EI3200 – A low-cost, high speed alternative?
Recently I looked at Kentmere Pan 400 made by HARMAN/ILFORD in the UK. I showed 5 Frames shot at box speed with my Leica M6 and 35mm f/2.4 Summarit-M. I was very pleasantly pleased with the prints I made from this film. How about rating the film for a higher EI (aka underexposing it and […]
Posted inFilm camera reviews
Semflex Studio: the tele-TLR with a French accent
The world of Twin-Lens Reflex cameras seems to be endless and has plenty of surprises, but few manufacturers have offered TLRs with long focal length lenses permanently attached to the camera. Interestingly, the Tele-Rolleiflex was not the first to be released, as a rather unusual French camera predated it on the market by a few […]
Posted inLens Reviews
The Lomography Atoll 17mm f/2.8 M-mount lens: Get close to your subject. No, closer. No, really, get a bit closer…
This is just a bit of fun with my Leica M6 and the new Leica M-mount Lomography Atoll 17mm f/2.8 wide angle lens. This isn’t really a review, it’s certainly not too technical, and I’m not going to talk about edge sharpness at f/4 or the lens’ micro-contrast: It’s one user’s experiences with & opinions […]
Posted inArticles
Caveat emptor, buyer beware: Restoring a Flexaret IV
If you have had a look at my article on the Goldilocks of camera designs you will have realised that I am a bit of a fan of the Twin Lens Reflex (TLR), a type I have used for around half of my 60 or so years in photography. Unfortunately, in my declining years I […]
Posted inFoma Bohemia Film Stock Reviews
Shooting 4×5 in 2021: Affordable Czechnology with Fomapan 200 Creative
Like many commodities affected by the COVID pandemic, photographic film prices have soared to unprecedented heights. I acutely remember 25 sheet boxes of ILFORD Delta 100 Professional 4×5 film selling for $45 at my local camera store in 2019, only to see that price rise almost 70% to $65 in September 2021 — before tax. […]
