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 […]
Category: Reviews
Find all EMULSIVE reviews, covering photographic films, cameras, lenses, bags and other film photography gear, hardware and software, right here.
Posted inHasselblad film camera reviews
Camera review: A love letter to my Hasselblad 500CM
After graduating from college in 2020 my parents gave me a Hasselblad 500CM as a graduation present. I had been wishing for a Hasselblad since learning about them. As a quick introduction, Hasselblad is legendary within analogue photography circles, from photos on the moon during the Apollo 11 mission (I can recommend the 2019 documentary […]
Posted inArticles, Featured, Film camera reviews, Kiev film camera reviews, Reviews
Camera review: The utilitarian Kiev 60
The Kiev 60. It was the camera that got me into medium format film photography, and for better or worse, the one that I love, and the one that frustrates me the most. A Soviet tank of a camera — the T-34 if you will — it’s not one that you want to lug up […]
Posted inCineStill Film Stock Reviews
Film review: Cinestill 50D on Zurich’s smaller streets – Pentax MX and SMC Pentax-M 50mm f/1.7
I recently shot a roll of Cinestill 50D on a sunny, Saturday walk in Zurich. I chose to shoot Cinestill 50D because I had recently watched a review of it on the Analogue Wonderland Youtube channel. Having shot it before and not finding it particularly good, I wanted to shoot it again because the photos […]
Posted inArticles
Taking Stock: A shootout with 3 very different color films highlights creative possibilities – Kodak Portra, Fuji C200 and Fuji Velvia 100
I recently acquired a Rollei 35 after dreaming about shooting with this ultra-compact camera and its legendarily sharp Carl Zeiss lens for many years. I was able to score a great deal on a lightly used “Made in Germany” variant at my local camera shop by trading in an old Canon A1 and 50mm lens […]
Posted inGuides & How-Tos
Everything you wanted to know about auto (thyristor) flash photography …but were afraid to ask
I am familiar with flash photography. Much of what I shoot digitally, either in the studio or in the real world, is done with flash. On camera, off-camera, one flash, 6 strobes, no problem. I am, however, no hero. Shooting flash with digital is simple. I am good at simple things. I would even go […]
Posted inLomography Film Stock Reviews
Purple nights on Lomochrome Purple with the Pixels and Grain Collective
Lomochrome Purple XR 100-400 is an interesting film, with unclear origins, that shifts colours towards the purple spectrum, like a fantasy/dream. Greens become purple, blues aqua/green, and skin tones orangey, in a psychedelic way. Iso 100? 200? 400? Take your pick! While there are many articles out there about the colour shifting properties of this film, […]
Posted inArticles
Medium format film camera showdown: Contax 645 vs Pentax 645NII
I love medium format cameras but sometimes I feel a bit lazy: I just want to shoot a camera that is quick and convenient to use. That is when I reach for my trusty Pentax 645NII. It is a medium format film camera, but at the smallest end of what’s officially medium format. The Pentax […]
Posted inArticles, Film camera reviews, Reviews, Rollei film camera reviews
An accidental Rolleiflex TLR: A new experience with the Rolleiflex Automat 6×6 Model RF 111A
I had used film from the late 1950s right up to the digital revolution when I was seduced by what the new cameras could do. As DSLR cameras improved (I now have a Nikon D850) there were few practical reasons for working with the older technology. But what does practicality have to do with anything? […]
Posted inArticles, Film camera reviews, Mamiya film camera reviews, Pentax film camera reviews, Reviews
Same format, different story: Making the switch from a Pentax 67 to a Mamiya 7ii
I had been meaning to get into the medium format 6×7 game for a while and I finally bought the Pentax 67 (the “middle” version before the 67II) at an auction. For a long time, it was my go-to medium format camera. We had a real love-hate relationship. I loved the 105mm lens and hated, […]
Posted inArticles, Film camera reviews, Mamiya film camera reviews, Reviews
The Analogue Studio Polaroid conversion kit for the Mamiya RB67
I get easily excited about the little things. Whether it’s a new film stock, a film stock revived from the dead (come on Agfa Vista 400!), a new camera, a newly discovered old camera, or literally anything with the word Mamiya in it, my creativity starts rolling and I get my butt off the couch […]
Posted inGuides & How-Tos
Brighten up your Rolleiflex (or any TLR camera) with a new Rick Oleson Brightscreen
For a photographer, there is nothing quite like the experience of looking onto the focus screen of a TLR or other medium format, primarily waist-level viewfinder cameras such as Hasselblads, Bronicas or Mamiya RB67s.
Posted inReviews
Film stock review: Cinestill BWXX
I started writing this article in 2019 and left it as a draft for EM here for quite a while. The reason for this is that while I enjoy writing, I don’t often think that my “reviews” are especially the most I have to offer. I wrote a disparaging follow up to a piece I’d […]
Posted inArticles, Film camera reviews, Nikon film camera reviews, Reviews
Less than the sum of its parts? The Nikon F3P, a press camera
Back in the day, the “stock” Nikon F3 was so popular amongst Japanese photojournalists that Nikon decided to make a “Press” or “Professional” version to the Japanese market. Apparently, only accredited photojournalists could get their hands on one of these babies, so only limited quantities were produced until… Nikon decided to make extra ones called […]
Posted inFoma Bohemia Film Stock Reviews
Foma Retropan 320 Soft: A valuable way of seeing
I recently wrote an article for 35mmc reacting to my inability to obtain one of my favorite films, Foma’s Retropan 320 Soft in 35mm format .In it, I touched briefly on why I shoot film and how Retropan has helped me understand that inclination more clearly. It has inspired me to consider this issue in greater […]
Posted inArticles, Film camera reviews, Opinion, Reviews
Nishika & The N8000: A seedy history of telephone scams, lawsuits and fake parts
Did you ever hear the tragedy of the Nishika N8000? If you haven’t you’re going to learn all about the seemingly seedy history of this camera; from fake LCD screens to telemarketing scams ahem, creativity…
Posted inArticles, Film camera reviews, Reviews, Zorki film camera reviews
Around Europe with the Zorki 4K
I for the longest time fancied owning a completely mechanical rangefinder camera, but I always thought that they were out of my budget. That was until I, by utter chance, stumbled into the world of Fed and Zorki Ukrainian and Russian rangefinders. After doing a bit of research online, I decided on getting a Zorki […]
Posted inArticles, Featured, Film camera reviews, Reviews
Maximum readiness, effective robustness: The Durst Sei Sei (Durst 66)
During the never-ending cycle of lockdowns here in the UK, I’ve set myself a little project wandering about on my permitted ‘one-exercise-a-day’ time, documenting my hometown of Stone in the West Midlands. My preferred film is ILFORD HP5 PLUS: absolutely bomb-proof. A friend regularly develops his in his coffee (Caffenol) and he gets printable negatives […]
Posted inNikon film camera reviews
The Nikonos V: The underwater & on-land adventure camera
The Nikonos V — with its striking orange exterior — is one of the most legendary 35mm film cameras ever made. Created for scuba diving, the Nikonos can go as deep as 50 meters underwater (about 5 bar / 72 pounds per square inch of pressure), which covers more than enough depth for recreational divers. But […]
Posted inFeatured projects
Disassembling the only 35mm Graflex Film Holder Ever Made
Disassembling the only 35mm film holder made for Graflex Cameras isn’t something you get to do every day. Some sixty years ago, a photographer had a distinct need to shoot 35mm on a 2×3″ format Graflex SLR and they were not going to wait for the market to catch up. What they created is most […]
