Episode 91 of the Camerosity Podcast turns its attention to cameras of the 1990s, with hosts Anthony, Paul, Theo, Stephen, and Mike joined by returning callers AJ Gentile, Ira Cohen, Miles Libak, Nick Marshall, Robert Rotoloni, and Will Pinkham. The episode opens with Paul recounting the rise of minilabs and single-use disposable cameras before moving into a broad survey of the decade's camera technology, from bridge cameras to premium point-and-shoots.
The group discusses a wide swath of 1990s gear, including the Olympus IS-2 bridge camera (which Mike praised), the enduring popularity of the Olympus Stylus Epic, and premium point-and-shoot models from Nikon and Konica. They also revisit some notable dead-end technologies of the era, such as Minolta's Creative Expansion cards and Canon's obscure barcode scanning system for the EOS 10S. On the SLR side, conversation covers Nikon's F5, N70, and N90/F90, various Contax models like the S2, RTS II, and RX, and Minolta's Maxxum 600si/650si and 9xi. Canon's EOS-1n RS, its pellicle mirror system, and Eye Control autofocus also come up, alongside a look at 110 cameras, APS film, and the Kodak Advantix system. The hosts highlight the 1990s as the first decade of digital photography, citing the Sony floppy-disc Mavica and Nikon D1 as historically significant cameras that proved digital's viability. Later segments include Theo's enthusiasm for the Mamiya 7 (compared to the Mamiya 6), Robert's insights into the development of the Nikon S3 2000 reissue, and a deep dive into Kyocera's Contax SLR lineup. Theo also shares notes on 1890s Australian studio cameras and the Alfred C. Kemper Kombi.
The episode offers no single verdict but instead functions as a wide-ranging retrospective celebrating both the successes and oddities of 1990s camera design, technology, and marketing. The hosts close by inviting listener participation for future episodes, with the next installment set to explore the lesser-discussed Italian camera industry, covering brands like Rectaflex, Ducati, Gamma, Bencini, Durst, and Ferrania.
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Like the saying goes, “better late than never”. The Camerosity Podcast is back with Episode 91, which is dedicated to cameras of the 90s. Which 90s you prefer, 1890s or 1990s, all 90s cameras are welcome!
Joining Anthony, Paul, Theo, Stephen, and Mike are returning callers, AJ Gentile, Ira Cohen, Miles Libak, Nick Marshall, Robert Rotoloni, and Will Pinkham and we cover a wide range of 1990s cameras and technologies. Paul starts off with some stories about mini labs and how single use cameras became a big thing. We dive into bridge cameras, including the Olympus IS-2 which Mike gave rave remarks to.
We discuss a large number of point and shoot cameras including premium models by Nikon and Konica, and ponder why the Olympus Stylus Epic is so popular today. We talk about some dead end technologies from the 90s such as Minolta’s ill fated Creative Expansion and Canon’s obscure barcode scanner for the EOS 10S.
Not all technologies from the 1990s were failures though as the 1990s was the first decade of digital cameras. Models like the floppy disc Sony Mavica and Nikon D1 were great cameras with a historical significance which helped prove that digital photography had arrived.
We round out the discussion with why Theo loves the Mamiya 7 so much and how it compares to the Mamiya 6, Robert shares some info on the development of the Nikon S3 2000 edition, and we have a thorough discussion on Kyocera’s Contax SLRs.
As always, the topics we discuss on the Camerosity Podcast are influenced by you! Please don’t feel like you have to be an expert on a specific type of camera, or have the level of knowledge on par with other people on the show. We LOVE people who are into shooting or collecting cameras, no matter how long you’ve been doing it, so please don’t consider your knowledge level to be a prerequisite for joining!
The guys and I rarely know where each episode is going to go until it happens, so if you’d like to join us on a future episode, be sure to look out for our show announcements on our Camerosity Podcast Facebook page, the Camerosity Discord server, and right here on mikeeckman.com. We usually record every other Monday and announcements, along with the Zoom link are typically shared 2-3 days in advance.
For our next episode, we decided to explore the Italian camera industry as its not often discussed in camera collector circles. While Germany, Japan, the Soviet Union, and the United States were well known as makers of fine cameras, a great number of really cool cameras were made in Italy such as the Rectaflex, Ducati Sogno, Gamma II, and other models by Bencini, Durst, and Ferrania. Join us if you’re a fan of cameras from this “boot shaped” country, and see if we can manage to fill an entire episode without getting distracted! We will record Episode 92 on Monday, May 19th at 7pm Central Daylight Time and 8pm Eastern Daylight Time.
In This Episode
Jeff and Gabe Can’t Pronounce French Names / Alan Peres Sends Us Emails Now- Sometimes Its Hard to Remember That We Like Cameras from the 1990s
- The 1990s Was the Decade of the MiniLab and Single Use Disposable Cameras
- Olympus Invested Heavily in Point and Shoots in the late 1980s
- In the 1990s, Olympus Gave Up on Traditional SLRs and Created the IS-Series
- Olympus IS-2 / In the 90s Zoom Reach was Over Valued By Novices
- Why Are the Olympus Stylus Epics so Expensive? / µ[mju:]-II
- Nikon F5 Improvements Over the F4 / Paul Really Hates the Nikon N70
The Nikon N90/F90 Was Nikons Best Semi-Pro SLR of the 1990s- Broken Battery and Film Doors Were a Huge Problem Back Then
- The Nikon 28Ti and 35Ti Are Impressive Cameras but Terrible Investments
- 1990s Underwater Cameras / How Many People Kept Shooting 80s Cameras in the 90s?
- Contax S2 and Other 1990s Contax SLRs / Contax S2 and ST
- Mike Likes the Contax RTS II and the Contax RX / Large Contaxes Like the N1 and AX
- The Minolta Maxxum 600si/650si Has Mechanical Knobs and is Awesome / Minolta Maxxum 9xi
- Minolta’s Horrible Creative Expansion Cards / Disabling Features on Consumer SLRs / Canon Barcode Scanning System
- The Canon EOS-1n RS / Pellicle Mirrors / Canon EOS A2E / Canon’s Eye Control System
- Premium Point and Shoots / Konica Hexar AF / Canon Elph
- Theo Loves the Mamiya 7 / Mamiya 6 / Everyone’s First 110 Camera
- Nikon Started Working on the S3 2000 in the 1990s / Differences Between the 2000 and Original S3
- Sony Floppy Mavica Cameras / Nikon D1
- Alfred C. Kemper Kombi from the 1890s / Theo’s 1890s Australian Studio Cameras
- Advanced Photo System (APS) Film and Cameras / Kodak Advantix Preview
Links
The Camerosity Podcast is now on Discord! Join Anthony, Paul, Theo, and Mike on our very own Discord Server. Share your GAS and photography with other listeners in the Lounge or in our dedicated forums. If you have questions for myself or the other guys, we have an “Ask the Hosts” section as well where you can get your question answered on a future show! Check it out! https://discord.gg/PZVN2VBJvm.
If you would like to offer feedback or contact us with questions or ideas for future episodes, please contact us in the Comments Section below, our Camerosity Facebook Group, Instagram page, or Discord server.
The Official Camerosity Facebook Group – https://www.facebook.com/groups/camerositypodcast
Camerosity Instagram – https://www.instagram.com/camerosity_podcast/
Keppler’s Vault 101: Advanced Photo System – https://mikeeckman.com/2022/03/kepplers-vault-101-advanced-photo-system/
Theo Panagopoulos – https://www.photothinking.com/
Paul Rybolt – https://www.ebay.com/usr/paulkris – https://thisoldcamera.net/
Anthony Rue – https://www.instagram.com/kino_pravda/
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