Category: All Reviews
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Still life in lockdown: Yashica MAT-124 and Fomapan 200 Creative
Greetings and salutations from Quentin Quarantino at Club Lockdown! I’ve always appreciated still life but never really practised it at a photography level. If you need encouragement may I recommend having a look at the work of Josef Sudek. What this master can do with just an egg and a glass, is outstanding! Even though…
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Mini-review: Making portraits with the Lensbaby Composer on film
A few years ago, when I was first getting into serious photography and before I started exploring analog, I purchased a Lensbaby Composer lens for my Canon DSLR. For those who haven’t heard of the Lensbaby, it’s a (rather expensive for what it is) selective focus manual lens. Basically, you decide which part of the…
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Camera review: The Olympus XA, Downhill longboarding, Madeira Park and Agfa Vista Plus 200
“Of course they are..” I remember thinking to myself as I read the headline that Agfa Vista films were being discontinued. Why? Because it had just cemented its position as my go-to roll for weekend getaways. An almost perfect companion to the tiny must-pack-with-me Olympus XA that’s always in my pocket for casual trips. Best…
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Film stock review: Kodak EASTMAN DOUBLE-X (5222) – 35mm format
Any cinephiles reading this have seen Kodak’s DOUBLE-X 5222 shine its magic even if they didn’t know it. It’s the stock that Manhattan, Schindler’s List and Raging Bull were shot on, as well as parts of Casino Royale, Kill Bill, and Momento. When shot properly, it yields fantastic results. Those familiar with Cinestill’s films may…
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A look at two uniquely different medium format Fujifilm cameras: The Fuji GA645Zi Professional and Fuji GW690III Professional
From the fully automatic point and shoot Fujifilm GA645Zi to the totally manual Fujifilm GW690III, Fujifilm’s medium format cameras encompass a wide range of types and functions and formats. I purchased both of these cameras based on recommendations from very different sources and as different as they are, I enjoy them both. I first learned…
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Learning to love a rangefinder camera: Five years with the Leica M6 TTL 0.85
In late 2015 I was hit by a taxi making an illegal turn and received three fractured vertebrae for being in the wrong place at the wrong time. When the mist cleared a second or two after I hit the tarmac, I found myself with my right arm aloft, still holding a new to me…
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The Olympus AF-1 (Infinity): A solid combination of affordability and quality
I first got back into film photography when I dug through some old boxes at home and came across my mom’s point and shoot camera. For those new to photography, a point and shoot camera is simply that: a camera that was designed to “point and shoot” without having to worry about technical settings. It…
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Lomography Peacock X-Pro Slide 110 film: Just because it says X-PRO doesn’t mean you should
What did my mother tell me about talking to strange men on the internet? That’s right, I shouldn’t do it. Did I listen? That would be a no. Social media is a strange place and you can end up chatting to many different people on a whole range of subjects, but I digress. On this…
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Pocket wonder: The Olympus XA with ILFORD PAN 100
My first of roll of film for the new year 2020: a fresh roll of ILFORD PAN 100 all used up in one day with a camera I’ve never used before. This was January’s commitment to the new year’s resolution I’ve signed up for. That resolution is to shoot one roll of film per month.…
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So you want to shoot Fujifilm Instax? These are your options today
Fujifilm Instax covers a huge range of instant film and cameras created and sold since 1998. Over the past 2+ decades, while the number of other instant film options have dwindled to just enough to count with your fingers and toes, Instax has gone from strength to strength. In this article, I cover the history…
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Canon Demi EE17: The everyday diptych machine
There are many cameras out there that take standard 35mm film and expose alternative formats for creative effect. The Noblex’s literally sweeping panoramas, the Nishika N8000’s 3D gifs, and the Lomography Pop’s 9 frame pop-art “explosions” all have their appeal, but they all share the same problem: their form factor and results are too niche…
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Shooting the Leica M1: From 1960s British holiday camps to the streets of 21st century England
I am a great fan of the Leica M1, having first used this camera in the late 1960s as a camp photographer at Butlin’s in the UK. I can safely say that for me, it has everything necessary for quick shooting and nothing that you don’t need. So before I get stuck in, let me…
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Push me, pull you: The Contax RTS III and Carl Zeiss Vario-Sonnar 35-70mm f/3.4
Following my CONTAX S2 review last year, I got thinking why I liked using my S2 so much more than my RTS II. After all, the RTS II had some great features with its centre weighted meter and aperture priority mode, it was a more relaxed camera than the all-manual S2. And yet, I did…
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Compact, lightweight medium format panoramic photography with the Horseman SW612
I first came across the Horseman SW612 when I saw a stills photographer on a film shoot I was on using one. I was impressed by the compactness of the camera compared to my Fujica G617. The SW612 is about the same size as modern pro DSLR, and as such is a much more portable…
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Film stock review: LomoChrome Metropolis XR 100-400 in 35mm and 120 format – A new color negative favorite
In 2019 Lomography announced the launch of a Kickstarter campaign to fund a brand new film emulsion: LomoChrome Metropolis XR100-400.
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CatLABS X-Film 80 with the ONDU 612 MULTIFORMAT pinhole camera or… how to screw up a roll and learn to love the mistakes
An article about learning to love photographic mistakes may not be completely interesting to all of you reading this. Stay with me for a minute. My promise to you is that at the very least, I will end with my feelings on Catlabs X-film 80 as they specifically relate to my experience with the ONDU…
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Long-term bag review: The Billingham Hadley Pro 2020, six months and counting…
First impression count but a longer term opinion is often more important when making an investment. These are my thoughts 6 months in…
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The best (and worst) film cameras of the 1990s
My take on the 10 “best” film cameras released during the 1990s. It’s not a countdown in the traditional sense and “best”…well…
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Kodak T-MAX 400: An honest film stock review
I have always been on the fence about Kodak’s T-MAX 400 film. I have been using it on and off for the last ten years now but only had really used it for specific purposes, mainly portraits due to its super sharp rendering and high resolution with very fine grain. T-MAX 400 also has beautiful contrast right off…
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Building the Goodman One: A homemade, 3D printed plastic fantastic (review)
Do you remember being a kid and building stuff out of whatever you had lying around? It was difficult at times finding the right materials or the perfect tools. The good part about being a grown-up is that you get to play with tools which are much — MUCH — more fun! Queue the 3D…
Recently published
- Ultreia: Making pilgrimage to Santiago de Compostela
- 5 Frames… In the pits at Brands Hatch motor racing circuit on FP4 PLUS (35mm format / EI 125 / Nikon L35AF) – by Nik Stanbridge
- 5 Frames… Of my boy (skeleton) Jeffrey on Polaroid Color SX-70 film
- New film day! Say hello to HARMAN Phoenix 200, a brand new mid-speed colour film
- My First Roll… With a Yashica Mat 124G
- The Contax 645: Not just a wedding camera
