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…
Tag: Viewfinder Camera
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 […]
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…
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 […]
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 […]
Building the CAMERADACTYL Brancopan
“Are you drilling?” asked my bleary-eyed wife, coming out of the bedroom of our small apartment at 1:30am. My desk was cluttered with tools, plastic shavings, and a half-completed CAMERADACTYL Brancopan 3D-printed camera. Of course I was drilling: the Brancopan has 27 fasteners with 1,094 thread revolutions, and there was no way that I was […]
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 […]
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 […]
The mighty Fujica Panorama G617 Professional camera review
The mighty Fujica Panorama G617 Professional was the camera that made me return to shooting on film. After I’d sold my film gear and gone all digital, I had thought that if I ever found a panoramic camera in a second-hand shop, that it might tempt me back to film – I was right. I […]
Building a point and shoot 6×17 camera: the TwoFourths DIY camera kit
In 2016 I decided to back the TwoFourths DIY 617 Kickstarter project, paying about $185 for a kit that would let me use two lenses on the wood and plastic 6×17 format camera. I saw this as a point and shoot camera, requiring less effort than my 4×5 and 8×10, and much less expensive than […]
The Ihagee Photorex: shooting medium format with a 100 year-old plate camera
When it comes to medium format cameras we’re spoilt for choice. This is not surprising considering that 120 film was the main format used by professionals and enthusiasts alike for a good chunk of the 20th century before 35mm film took over.
Comparing the Super Ikonta 532/16 and Ensign 12-20 folding cameras
British camera manufacturer Barnet Ross Ensign boldly advertised in the post-Second World War period that photographic development had now moved from Europe to Great Britain.
Oly travel twins: The Olympus Trip 35 vs the Olympus XA2 in the field
Both these little cameras get a lot of love and I think they deserve it.
Holgas in the Himalayas
I continue to carry film cameras long after the world has gone digital. We had a darkroom when I was growing up and I learned to develop film and print photos when I was about 10.
Camera Review: Kodak Brownie Hawkeye, Flash Model
In 1900, Eastman Kodak introduced the original Brownie camera, the first in a long-running series of affordable, easy-to-use cameras for the general public.
Camera review: the Hasselblad 903 SWC
I’ve been photographing with analog cameras for over a decade now and this isn’t my first Hasselblad (previously owning a V-Series 500CM).
Camera review: the Kodak Instamatic 500 or, why I love 126 format film
The Kodak Instamatic 500 was the “jewel in the crown’ of the Kodak Instamatic line.
Camera review: Holga 120N + video review
It’s been a little while since I have gone out to do some shooting with my Holga.
Camera Review: Steky Spy Camera Model IIIb
I’ve had this Steky camera (2 of them actually) in my collection for a while now. I only take them out during show and tell, and always…
Camera review: the Holga 135BC
When I was writing my eBook on the Holga cameras, I made the assumption that I would be covering as many Holga models as I could get my hands on—medium format Holgas, that is.