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 […]
Category: Reviews
Find all EMULSIVE reviews, covering photographic films, cameras, lenses, bags and other film photography gear, hardware and software, right here.
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. […]
Posted inILFORD Film Stock Reviews
Chromogenic inspiration: ILFORD XP2 Super – Andrea Bianchi
What is the reason that drives a photographer or an analogue lover to use chromogenic black and white film in 2021? Personally, I appreciate them for the almost total absence of grain and the way they surrender detail. I like their characteristics and you feel good using them. Don’t get me wrong, I am a […]
Posted inFujifilm film camera reviews
Unrequited love: The Fuji GA645 Professional
I’ll admit my bias upfront: I adore the GA. This camera delivers sharp, perfectly exposed negatives with a minimum of fuss and worry.
Posted inNikon film camera reviews
Best of both: The Nikon Z6 “vs” the Nikon F6 in a portrait session
After learning last year that our office was due to close, I wanted to use my photographic skills to give something back to the people I worked with, something that might help them find their next dream job. I thought I could offer portraits that people could use on their CVs and social media. After […]
Posted inGuides & How-Tos
Shooting 35mm panoramic photographs with the Pentax 67
I first heard about the 24x65mm panoramic format when I bought my Fujifilm GFX50S a few years back. The digital medium format camera is able to shoot in 24×65 cropped mode whilst keeping the raw file intact and uncropped. I thought it was fun to shoot but I didn’t really commit to the format that […]
Posted inFilm camera reviews
Half a year with the Nons Camera SL42 Mk II: a real user’s review
I have had the Nons Camera SL42 Mark II for 8 months and it has transformed my instant film photography. In this mid term user’s review I’ll explain why the Nons Camera has filled a niche of its own in my instant film camera line up.
Posted inFilm camera reviews
Revisiting the cameras of my youth: Five half-frame Canon cameras over five and a half decades
In the 1960s half frame 35mm cameras enjoyed some popularity and several manufacturers offered models for this format. The idea was that the standard size of the 35mm frame (24×36 mm) was divided into two, which produced a frame half the size at 24×18 mm.
Posted inFilm stock reviews
Svema Foto 65 – Shooting Expired Film from 1989
I didn’t imagine that film which over 30 years expired would yield any result, decent or otherwise. Following the unwritten rule of adding a stop of exposure per decade expired, my film speed plummeted from 80 ISO all the way down to 12 ISO. Not ideal for anything that moves, such as children or sports! […]
Posted inPentacon film camera reviews
Camera review: The Pentacon Six TL and the Curate’s Egg
The Pentacon looks just like a standard 35mm SLR, although it is a little taller, a little wider and a little deeper. It is also heavier although does not feel particularly unwieldy in use.
Posted inArticles
Reviewing the original daylight film processing tank: the Agfa Rondinax 35U
I’ve been developing my own film now for over ten years, using Paterson system tanks and reels. The process of finishing a roll, getting out the dark bag and getting the film onto the Paterson spool has become almost second nature and, when all goes well, almost meditative. A few moments of calm. Does it […]
