mike eckman dot com

Unlike many film photography blogs, this site is run entirely by one person, me. I have no writers, no admin, and no staff of any kind. Everything you see here is done by me, including paying the bills. According to Cloudflare, the amount of traffic this site serves up averages 800GB per month. Between the Amazon Web Services bill, plus what I pay for backups in case the site goes down, and other site related costs, I need your help and ad revenue doesn’t cover it alone.

If you’ve enjoyed any of the content here, please consider a small donation through Paypal. Thank you!

Your donation goes towards hosting this site.

I am proud to announce a new series of posts here that I am calling “Keppler’s Vault”.

The name Keppler refers to none only than Herbert Keppler (April 21, 1925 – January 4, 2008), long time photographer, journalist, consultant, and editorial director at both Modern Photography and Popular Photography.

Herbert Keppler (1925 – 2008)

Mr. Keppler’s career at both magazines lasted a remarkable 57 years, 37 at Modern and 20 at Pop Photo. In that time, he wrote countless reviews, editorials, and articles covering almost every possible topic relating to film, cameras, and photography. His reviews signaled a change in how the industry tested and reviewed cameras and lenses. He developed objective tests in a lab environment that were repeatable between many different models to give measurable proof of a certain model’s performance. Some of his lens resolution tests are still used to this day and Keppler’s book “124 Ways You Can Test Cameras Lenses and Photographic Equipment” is still considered a bible for camera testing. The book is in the United States public domain and can be read online for free.

In addition to his work at both magazines, Keppler authored several books, considered at the time to be authoritative works about various Japanese camera companies like Nikon, Pentax and others. Herbert Keppler received many awards throughout his life for his contributions to the photographic world such as being inducted into the Photo Marketing Hall of Fame, a lifetime achievement award by the Photographic Manufacturers and Distributors Association, and in 2002 was awarded the Japanese Order of the Sacred Treasure from the Emperor of Japan for his contribution to the Japanese photographic industry.

The Keppler’s Vault series will focus primarily on various articles published in Modern Photography magazine from the early 1950s to the mid 1960s. I think this era was one of the most fascinating chapters in photography as the number of new models, designs, and technology in the camera industry was vast and constantly changing. The original articles were painstakingly scanned in and published online by Marc Berger and used with his permission.

The goal of this series is not to plagiarize any of the original works, but as to highlight an article that I find interesting and share it with you. Throughout the 20th century, magazines published a countless number of articles and reviews that have been forgotten and are no longer available. Some attempts have been made to archive important works of the 20th century, but they can’t all be saved and unless someone takes the time to put them back online.

It is my goal to shine a light on these forgotten articles to inform, educate, and on occasion, entertain you all so that they do not remain forgotten. If you are like me and love the rich history behind the companies and models we use today, and are curious about what people were saying about those same companies and models over half a century ago, then hopefully you’ll enjoy this new series.

Here are three indexes in which you can choose to sort all the reviews on this site by company, by model, and by film format.

Although readable on mobile platforms, these reviews are designed to be read in a desktop browser with a display resolution of 1440 pixels or wider.

These articles might be of interest to anyone into vintage photography or collecting cameras but aren’t quite a guide or a review.

These articles are for the beginning vintage camera enthusiast and cover everything from getting started with a new collection, using your old camera, and some things to do when something goes wrong.

Here are the results of your search, in order of relevance.

If you are unable to find what you are looking for, I recommend checking out the Indexes in the navigation bar above.

Welcome to the home of the Camerosity Podcast, the world’s first open source film photography podcast. Unlike other film photography podcasts where the hosts get to decide what’s talked about, the Camerosity Podcast relies on live callers such as yourself.

Each episode is recorded (usually) every other Monday evening, and prior to the recording, we post a link for anyone to join in the show to ask questions or share your latest pick ups. Show announcements and all previous shows are listed below, but can also be found on our official Facebook and Instagram pages:

https://www.facebook.com/groups/camerositypodcast

https://www.instagram.com/camerosity_podcast/

We look forward to hearing from you!

Episode 14: Vintage Video and Stereo Cameras

We’re back with episode 14 of the Camerosity Podcast. This week we threw caution into the wind and recorded a show without any idea of what we were going to talk about and letting fate decide for us. Apparently, fate wanted to talk about vintage video and stereo cameras! Joined…

December 3, 2021 December 3, 2021 Camerosity Podcast

Episode 13: Nikon History with Michael Wescott Loder

This week’s episode of the Camerosity Podcast is one for the ages. Michael Wescott Loder, Nikon historian and author of “The Nikon Camera in America 1946-1953”, joins us to discuss a huge number of topics regarding Nikon’s history along with the Zeiss-Ikon Tenax II and a huge number of other…

November 24, 2021 November 24, 2021 Camerosity Podcast Nikon / Rotoloni

Episode 12: The Pentax Episode

This week on the Camerosity Podcast, we have a quad-fecta of returning callers, Mario Piper, Mark Faulkner, Michael Gossett, and Michael Kaplan all joined Anthony, Theo, Paul, and I in a lively discussion that was dominated by everyone’s favorite camera, brand Pentax! Of course, I found a way to mention…

November 17, 2021 November 17, 2021 Camerosity Podcast

Episode 11: Mirandas, Nikons, and Leicas

This week on the Camerosity Podcast, we were once again joined by previous guests Paul Rybolt and Mike Novak and first time caller, Hong Joon Lee who has been following on Facebook and purchased the Contax Sonnar 1.5 I recently sold. Half way through the show however, we were joined…

November 10, 2021 November 10, 2021 Camerosity Podcast

Episode 10: Recommendations for a Film Beginner

This week on the Camerosity Podcast, we are joined by two listeners, Michael Gossett and Nick Lyle. Michael is an experienced digital photographer, but is a novice when it comes to film. Only having shot automatic 35mm SLRs, Michael asks for recommendations on medium format cameras, and tips how to…

October 28, 2021 November 9, 2021 Camerosity Podcast

Episode 9: Flying on Planes with Vintage Cameras

This week on the Camerosity Podcast, we are joined by three listeners, Mark Faulkner, Mike Novak, and Skip Williams. Without a predetermined topic to discussed, we just winged it and managed to talk about everything from the Pentax LX, to the dangers of flying with cameras, to Mark’s Big Suitcase…

October 20, 2021 October 20, 2021 Camerosity Podcast

Episode 8: Making Kodak Film with Robert Shanebrook

This week on the Camerosity Podcast, we are joined by film historian, author, and ex-Kodak employee, Robert Shanebrook who gives us 90 straight minutes of pure Kodak history, covering everything from how film is made, his work on Apollo 11 designing cameras for moon photography, what is ESTAR base, whether…

October 13, 2021 October 13, 2021 Camerosity Podcast

Episode 7: The Future of Film Photography

After a one week break, the Camerosity Podcast returns with more open source film discussion. This week we were joined with Canadian photographer and RB67 enthusiast Jess Hobbs, the Camerosity Podcast’s number one fan, Michael Kaplan, and finally, returning for his second podcast with us, Cheyenne Morrison. If you are…

October 6, 2021 October 6, 2021 Camerosity Podcast

Episode 6: The I Dream of Home Made Cameras (and Minox) Podcast

This week we get a special surprise visit from Jeff and Gabe from the I Dream of Cameras Podcast, Nick Lyle from the Home Made Cameras Podcast, and West Texan photographer and Noblex fan, Liz Potter where we talk about everything from small Minox cameras to large format. Of course…

September 22, 2021 September 22, 2021 Camerosity Podcast

Episode 5: Our First Two Callers

This week we finally open up the call-in lines and invite you all to participate in our weekly camera discussion. Using a Zoom link posted every Sunday, anyone can talk to Mike, Anthony, Theo, Johnny, and whoever else comes on. Without any warning or planned scripts, Vladislav Kern from USSRphoto…

September 15, 2021 September 16, 2021 Camerosity Podcast

Episode 4: Paul Rybolt is an eBay Superstar

This week we welcome Paul Rybolt in episode 4 of the Camerosity podcast. With over 500 current auctions and nearly 2800 positive feedback Paul offers his insights into selling on eBay and one thing you should include in your camera auction listings to boost exposure. Also returning are Anthony and…

September 8, 2021 September 8, 2021 Camerosity Podcast

Episode 3: The New Camerosity Podcast

This week I present the first ever Camerosity Podcast, the world’s first open source film photography podcast. The idea behind an open source podcast is to have it be controlled by you, the listeners. Although there are a great many excellent film photography podcasts already out there, I’d like to…

August 26, 2021 August 26, 2021 Camerosity Podcast

Kentmere and I – Musings on recent film choices July 5, 2025
Firstly the cover shot. Having picked up on a comment recently, the cover shot was also on film. A Voigtlander Vito B and a roll of Kodak Gold that had just come out of two other cameras. Ten frames in each, but that’ll be the subject of another article. Bemuses my partner There are ‘go... […]
Paul Quellin
5 Dyptichs with an Olympus Pen EF July 4, 2025
For your consideration, an Olympus Pen EF. Released in 1981 this little camera makes me happy, let me tell you about its best qualities! The Pen EF has a nice little 28mm lens. It is fastest in bright sunlight, and with the flash! The Pen EF comes potentially loaded with any of Fujifilm’s original film... […]
Nicholas Johnson
Leitz 50mm f3.5 and the 135mm f4 – A Brace of Elmars – Sublime to Ridiculous July 4, 2025
Specifically the Leitz 50mm f3.5 and the 135mm f4, both LTM and both are late coated versions. Tony Warren recently wrote an excellent review of the 90mm Elmar should you wish to investigate that one. Ergonomics The 50mm has a front facing f-stop adjustment and doesn’t take standard screw filters (the horrible clamp-on filters and... […]
Geoff Chaplin
Meet Me Mum – One-Shot Story July 3, 2025
Of course, my mother isn’t a rubber frog! But this one may have been her second message to our family when she died. (More about the first one later.) It did not surprise us that this occurred. Though not Catholic, mom still witnessed or caused enough Biblical-level miracles to qualify for sainthood. The smallest one... […]
Dave Powell
Sunday morning with the Industar 61 in a Fuji XT-1 July 3, 2025
Walking through São Paulo with a camera is always a mix of some surprises and great urban scenery. In downtown and its surroundings, this microcosm of a city with about 20 million people offers both incredible architectural landscapes and scenes of neglect of historical heritage and security problems, but also good ideas on how to... […]
Rodrigo Castro

Life is a Highway | Exploring Canada July 4, 2025
There’s a delightful irony in publishing this post on the 4th of July, a post celebrating Canada. I started working on this post in April after hearing about a list of the ultimate Canadian travel guides being put together by CBC Radio. Now, my travel within Canada is limited. I’ve only visited a handful of […]
Alex
Optical Review Blog No. 54 – Minolta Maxxum AF 20mm 1:2.8 June 30, 2025
At the end of my 24mm f/2.8 review I asked: Do I now need to find and invest in the 20mm? Well if you’re reading this review, the answer was yes. I enjoy working with wide-angle lenses, and while I do have the lovely 17-35/2.8-4 D ultra-wide zoom, there’s something special about an ultra-wide prime […]
Alex
Classic Camera Revival – Episode 202 | A Century of Progress June 26, 2025
This year marks the 100th anniversary of the Leitz Camera, or as we know it today, Leica. The Leitz Camera Co is far older than the camera they produce, but in today’s episode Bill leads a panel of photographers including Alex (Smith), John Roberts, and David who all have one thing in common, their love […]
Alex
Summer Vacation | Kingston Adventures June 24, 2025
We wanted to stay close to home this year for our main summer vacation. The one place my wife and I had been talking about visiting is Kingston, Ontario. As a city, it is one of the older urban centres in Ontario. It is home to numerous historic sites, not to mention some stunning architecture […]
Alex
1812:Revisited – Severed Dreams June 19, 2025
The western division of the British Forces in North America was in a tough spot, as was the Naval Squadron on Lake Erie. Both were starved for men, arms, and supplies. Despite several requests to their superiors, both Major-General Henry Proctor and Commodore Robert Barclay were forced to divide what little they had between them. […]
Alex

The Leica IIIF – Worth the Frustration? June 16, 2025
Now I hate to start a review off with negativity about a camera, but the Leica IIIF is probably one of the most frustrating cameras I have ever used! With its tiny viewfinder, delicate shutter, and absolutely frustrating way of loading film among the list of cons, it can be hard to say if the… […]
Aly's Vintage Camera Alley
The Voigtländer Bessa R2C and 2 Lenses May 13, 2025
What do you get when you take a reasonably well made camera body (some variants are better than others) and slap some really nice lenses on it? A great idea and way to sell a camera. The Voigtländer Bessa R2C and its siblings set out to revitalize the Voigtländer name, but not through the original… […]
Aly's Vintage Camera Alley
A Day on Color Film: Part 2 April 13, 2025
Earlier last year I shot a whole day on film. If you’ve been following along, you know I already shared the black and white film I shot that day, which was Street Candy’s ATM400 and MTN100. Then Part 1 of the color film from that day was a couple Lomography films that I had quite… […]
Aly's Vintage Camera Alley
Crohn’s Disease Flare-Up: 6 months in with a Creative Slump March 28, 2025
I’m now 6 month into this horrible flare-up, and everything has just really wreaked havoc on my self esteem and my hope for my future. I find myself wondering how many times will I have to fight a flareup in my lifetime? How long will my lifetime even be with this kind of struggle? Worst… […]
Aly's Vintage Camera Alley
Crohn’s Disease Flare-Up: 4 months in January 31, 2025
January is coming to a close and I am about 4 months into the healing part of this flare-up. I’ve finished the 3 initial infusions of the new medication I’ll be taking for my Crohn’s Disease and now I’ll move onto what they call On Body Injections that I’ll administer myself. When I went to… […]
Aly's Vintage Camera Alley

Visiting Photo London 2025 and meeting Ching-Hui Chou June 26, 2025
This post is a tiny bit late in being published, seeing as Photo London 2025 was back in May and… Read more Visiting Photo London 2025 and meeting Ching-Hui Chou
Peggy
Agfa Optima Parat June 18, 2025
Another borrowed camera. But I am so tempted to buy this one from my friend. I mean, look at it…… Read more Agfa Optima Parat
Peggy
Lomography Kompakt Horizon June 12, 2025
This is another borrowed camera, I am borrowing rather than buying these days. I am keeping my G.P.S. counter going.… Read more Lomography Kompakt Horizon
Peggy
Photo Post: Ikon Nettar and Bleaklow June 11, 2025
I have already posted about my walk to Bleaklow, but I am going through my draft folder and found another… Read more Photo Post: Ikon Nettar and Bleaklow
Peggy
Photo Post: MTL5 in Leicester June 11, 2025
I wrote recently about a photowalk in Leicester, where I picked up some rolls of Harman Red. It was too… Read more Photo Post: MTL5 in Leicester
Peggy

Retro Lo-Fi Fun – Chuzhao Retro Digital January 31, 2025
2024 saw a lot of jostling to push Lo-Fi digitals from the very good new Camp Snap to the frankly awful Retro Snap. You’d think i’d have had enough and should be saving my pennies for that Black Z fc I’m craving . But no, here’s the Chuzhao Retro and for ~50 quid you get […]
Alan D
A Wee half to forget – Hayamou Half Frame Disposable Review January 22, 2025
Turns out the Ilford Ilfocolor Rapid Half Frame disposable has some opposition. Meet the Hayamou Half-Frame Disposable. At the time the cheapest half frame on the market and possibly the easiest disposable I’ve ever had for reloading. But optically things are not so great I suspect this camera is not just available with Hayamou branding. […]
Alan D
2024 – The year in photography January 10, 2025
So the Last pigs in blanket has been scoffed and my port bottle has been running dry. So it feels like time to look back over 2024 from a film and lo fi digital point of view. We’ve court battles, new gear a plenty and Gen Z nicking all the budget digicams. As well as […]
Alan D
Undercooked Turkey – Retro Snap Review January 6, 2025
The Lo-fi camera market has had a turbulent 12 months. But new camera touted a few months back to be a new entry player with retro styling and switchable filters. The Retro Snap looked like a tweaked Camp Snap – the current budget favourite of the field and there an element of shameless hommage (or […]
Bigalid
Using Optical filters with a Paper Shoot December 21, 2024
In a Facebook group I’m in, someone asked what size of filters a Paper Shoot (PS) takes. Truth be told there’s little info on that. But in fact the current cases take a 26mm filter thread. What no official filter spec ? It’s weird that PS don’t declare this point as it would be handy […]
Alan D

The Russian Photographer Who Pioneered Color Photography Over 100 Years Ago February 20, 2025
Over 100 years ago, a pioneering Russian chemists and photographer perfect color photography using an ingenious technique. The post The Russian Photographer Who Pioneered Color Photography Over 100 Years Ago appeared first on Casual Photophile.
James Tocchio
Kodak Euro 35 Colors Camera Review February 5, 2025
A point-and-shoot 35mm film camera with standard performance and above-standard style. The post Kodak Euro 35 Colors Camera Review appeared first on Casual Photophile.
James Tocchio
Nikon EL2 Review – Present Perfect SLR January 22, 2025
James reviews the Nikon EL2, a 35mm film SLR that beautifully blends the past with the future (as it appeared in 1977). The post Nikon EL2 Review – Present Perfect SLR appeared first on Casual Photophile.
James Tocchio
Leica Digilux 1 Review: Red Dot Digital Disaster November 20, 2024
The Leica Digilux 1 is a digital point-and-shoot camera made in 2002 which says "Leica" on it in no less than seven places! The post Leica Digilux 1 Review: Red Dot Digital Disaster appeared first on Casual Photophile.
James Tocchio
Nikon Nikkor H Auto 85mm f/1.8 (1964-1977) Lens Review November 8, 2024
The Nikkor H Auto 85mm f/1.8 isn't an easy lens to use, but it can reward us with some truly gorgeous images The post Nikon Nikkor H Auto 85mm f/1.8 (1964-1977) Lens Review appeared first on Casual Photophile.
James Tocchio

Recommended reading July 5, 2025
The blog articles I liked best this week, called out for your reading pleasure.
Jim Grey
A time of profound change in the United States July 4, 2025
Americans, how are you feeling about your country on this Independence Day?
Jim Grey
Vintage neon in Greenville, Illinois July 3, 2025
A vintage neon sign in front of a diner in Greenville, Illinois -- and the story of its lost near-twin.
Jim Grey
single frame: DLR train July 2, 2025
The London train system is brilliant, full stop.
Jim Grey
Old cars parked, June 2025 July 1, 2025
The old cars I found parked during June.
Jim Grey

Ultreia: Making pilgrimage to Santiago de Compostela January 21, 2024
There are a few moments in a man’s life that are truly capable of changing him in the depths of his being. Whether through pain or peace, sadness or joy. For a photographer like me, the feelings that arise over the years gradually become part of my photographic language. The moment I am documenting here […]
Gabriel Wisniewski
5 Frames… In the pits at Brands Hatch motor racing circuit on FP4 PLUS (35mm format / EI 125 / Nikon L35AF) – by Nik Stanbridge January 10, 2024
I started marshalling at motorsport events here in the UK about ten or so years ago. It followed going to a very sparsely attended event on a very cold, windy, and wet September day when the rain was horizontal and spiteful. I was hoping that the racing would take my mind off the weather, but […]
Nik Stanbridge
5 Frames… Of my boy (skeleton) Jeffrey on Polaroid Color SX-70 film December 20, 2023
A few years ago, looking for things to do in the waning of the pandemic, I spent a lot of time online. I think we all spent a little more time online. Instagram, Tik-Tok, Snapchat, whatever could help me to pass the time and connect me to fellow bored people looking to pass the time […]
Dylan Scillia
New film day! Say hello to HARMAN Phoenix 200, a brand new mid-speed colour film December 1, 2023
The title pretty much says everything you need to know but as ever, the devil is in the detail! Let’s start with what HARMAN Phoenix is. Before I get to what HARMAN Phoenix is not, here are a few sample photos courtesy of the folks at HARMAN technology, plus a couple of not so creative […]
EM
My First Roll… With a Yashica Mat 124G November 26, 2023
The Yashica Mat 124G, an embodiment of mid-20th-century camera engineering, greeted me with its robust, yet elegant, presence. The utilitarian design, devoid of modern frills, conveyed a sense of purpose. This camera deserves to be out there, not on the shelf for some decorative purpose. A few months ago I won this camera on eBay […]
Antonio Miše

TFS May Photo Walk in the Junction, The Other Side of the Tracks.... July 3, 2025
The Junction is always a fun spot for a photo walk and Ryan Ruskey, member of the Toronto Film Shooters took the reigns for the month of May, it's his part of Toronto and better to have someone who lives close by to put the route together. Lighting could have been better thank you goes to […]
TFS May Walk in the Junction Part One June 30, 2025
The May photo walk for the Toronto Film Shooters we went exploring the Junction, only this time I didn't plan it, my friend Ryan Ruskey who lives in the area put it together. Rolling with the Leica M4-2 was a wise choice, I hand metered with a Sekonic incident meter, the lighting to say the least […]
Old Oakville and Bronte June 24, 2025
I had to go out to Oakville to do two things, one pay my home and auto insurance and drop a watch off at my watchmaker in Bronte. I made a day of it, weird no longer being a resident and now a visitor. I even stopped by the family house, the new owners are […]
Ossington Strip in Black and White June 20, 2025
Ossington Avenue is a street I don't photograph all that much, partly when I was living in Oakville it wasn't all that convenient to get to. With the alleyway walk I brought along one of my Rollei 35's loaded with Kentmere 400, the student film of choice. The weather got miserable with off and on […]
Ossington Alleys June 17, 2025
I think with the second roll of Kodak Ultramax 400, I'm getting a better handle on scanning with Silverfast 9. The last few frames have a bit of Fred Herzog/Saul Leiter vibe with them along Ossington proper. This was a fun photo walk, I might choose a different start point for the Toronto Film Shooters if […]

Photographing Fireworks with a 95 Year Old Leica July 2, 2025
Johnny uses a vintage Leica to capture fireworks, achieving unique results.
Johnny Martyr
Capturing Comedy with a Relic from the Golden Era of SLRs – the Nikkor 300mm 2.8 AI ED-IF June 25, 2025
The Nikkor 300mm f2.8 AI ED-IF lens, once loved by professionals, is now a rarely used gem.
Johnny Martyr
Quick Tip: Nikon Nikkormat Model Overview June 24, 2025
Nikkormat cameras were iconic 35mm SLRs with distinct models and features.
Johnny Martyr
ADOX HC110, FPP-110 & Why You Might Want To Use An Alternative to Kodak HC110 May 27, 2025
Kodak's recent HC110 reformulation faces scrutiny regarding shelf-life and crystallization issues, prompting users to explore alternative developers.
Johnny Martyr
Quick Tips: My Doubts About Photography As An Art May 20, 2025
The author reflects on photography's derivative nature and emphasizes a photographer's need to actively engage in life.
Johnny Martyr

China Lucky Film’s new colour film ‘launched in July at Chinese trade show’ July 2, 2025
China Lucky Film’s forthcoming colour film will be released later this month, according to reports from China. Photographic brand Reflx Lab published an Instagram post on Wednesday (2 July) announcing the film’s unveiling at a forthcoming photographing industry event in China. The post read: “China Lucky will launch its 200iso color film in Shanghai Vision […]
Stephen Dowling
This photographer’s collection of 500 film cameras took a decade to build. Now it’s for sale June 30, 2025
A Portuguese photographer who spent a decade collecting and shooting hundreds of different film cameras now wants to sell almost the entire collection. Fernando Penim Redondo, a Lisbon-based amateur photographer, created a project called Flashback in 2012 after rekindling an interest in film cameras after his retirement. The project led to him shooting two rolls […]
Stephen Dowling
KONO! announces KONO Color 200 colour negative film June 29, 2025
German film brand KONO! has announced its new colour negative film, KONO Color 200. The company said the film is produced in Germany but a longstanding partner and “stands as a testament to the passion and skill behind analogue photography, inviting creators to continue capturing moments with authenticity, depth, and a splash of fun”. KONO!’s […]
Stephen Dowling
Rare Leica 0-Series camera sells for more than €7m at Leitz Photographica Auction June 27, 2025
A Leica 0-series camera – one of only a handful made by Leica inventor Oskar Barnack in the 1920s – has sold for nearly five times its estimate at the Leitz Photographica Auction in Germany. The camera, serial number 112, sold for €7,200,000 including the buyer’s premium – nearly five the €1.5m to €2m it […]
Stephen Dowling
Announcing the Cameraburo Compact Cup! June 22, 2025
About six years ago, Kosmo Foto started running photowalks with Rob from London Camera Project. In recent years, we’ve co-sponsored some of the walks as Cameraburo, offering film, cameras and all sorts of other prizes. Now. We’ve decided to hold our first Cameraburo photowalk. And what with it being a summer without a World Cup […]
Stephen Dowling

Olympus Pen FT – Half yet double May 3, 2025
The Olympus Pen FT is a compact half-frame SLR praised for its exceptional lenses, producing high-quality images despite metering limitations. Read how I enjoyed using it! The post Olympus Pen FT – Half yet double appeared first on Photo Thinking.
Theo
Vietnam Travel with Film and Digital Cameras February 19, 2025
I recently travelled to Vietnam with both film and digital cameras for photography. This is about my experience and photos from the trips. The post Vietnam Travel with Film and Digital Cameras appeared first on Photo Thinking.
Theo
Rollei 35AF – Modern Compact November 30, 2024
The Rollei 35AF is a brand new film camera released by MiNT Camera. I have been given the opportunity to try it in its early days. The post Rollei 35AF – Modern Compact appeared first on Photo Thinking.
Theo
Voigtländer Vitessa L – Plunging Forward November 11, 2024
The Voigtlander Vitessa L is a folding 35mm rangefinder camera with a quirky and unusual design. Read to learn about its plunger and barn doors! The post Voigtländer Vitessa L – Plunging Forward appeared first on Photo Thinking.
Theo
Canon PowerShot S95 – Pocket Power July 22, 2024
The Canon PowerShot S95 is a compact size digital camera with advanced features, and solid build quality. I have carried this 10-megapixel camera with a CCD sensor, and have found worthy to write an article about it. The post Canon PowerShot S95 – Pocket Power appeared first on Photo Thinking.
Theo

The Bad Get Worse April 1, 2025
No-Name Panorama Camera Why would you do something you already know the answer to? Spite, curiosity, stupidity… in my case it’s probably all three. Was it a waste of film? Probably. Did I enjoy doing it? Not particularly. Am I happy that I did it in the end? You bet.
Eric Jason
Missed Shots - Part 1 December 24, 2024
Missed Shots - Part 1 The first installment of the new missed shots series. A look back at three pictures from this past year that I messed up, with an interesting story.
Eric Jason
The Ektar Perfex September 22, 2024
Perfex Special A focal plane shutter proved to be too difficult to fabricate reliably at a lower cost, but the Candid Camera Corporation still wanted to produce a higher quality camera. What resulted was a unique line of cameras that existed in a somewhat gray area. Advertised as the ‘Perfex Special’, four distinct models were […]
Eric Jason
Dead Hands Cameras - Five Cameras I will Never Part With May 6, 2024
Dead Hands Cameras - Five Cameras I Will Never Part With In a film photography group I’m a part of, the most recent comment was on how much Theo Panagopoulos liked his Voigtländer Superb. He liked it so much that it was deemed a “pry from my dead hands camera…”. Thus a new collaboration article […]
Eric Jason
The Electro Spotmatic's Second Attempt March 17, 2024
Pentax ES By 1970, the m42 screw mount was starting to show its age, along with the Spotmatic. After a failed first attempt at a new electrically controlled Spotmatic, Asahi went back to the drawing board to release something special. This is the 1971 Pentax ES.
Eric Jason

Bird Photography July 1, 2025
I first became aware of photography by birds when I acquired a well-used copy of Pigeon Heroes by Marion B. Cothren, with a copyright date of 1944.The book's foreward carries impressive credentials:and here is the relevant passage from Page 14:This picture is from Page 16:We always have a few pigeons hanging around our back porch, […]
Miyatake's Camera June 29, 2025
Toyo Miyatake, a skilled and successful photographer, was one of ten thousand Japanese-Americans imprisoned during World War II in the Manzanar concentration camp in central California. Anyone of Japanese ancestry was forbidden to possess a camera at the time. Miyatake, however, did manage to include an old shutter and lens among the small amount of […]
Connecting The Dots June 27, 2025
Carl Van Vechten-1934I was able recently to dispel a little of my ignorance about music with the help of Angela Davis and her history of early Blues performers, Blues Legacies and Black Feminism. The book also included a reference to the writing and photography of Carl Van Vechten who compiled a vast catalog of images […]
Another "What is that camera?" June 23, 2025
These pictures are part of the exhibit about Albuquerque's Special Collections Library. They are printed from a large group of negatives in the Albuquerque Museum Photo Archives. The relevant clues are the camera shape, the controls on the top deck, the black lens barrel and the dates in the captions and in the Albuquerque Tribune article.What […]
Arresting Beauty: Julia Margaret Cameron June 21, 2025
An article in the New York Times about an exhibition of the work of Julia Margaret Cameron at the Morgan Library & Museum was a nice excuse to look again at her work. The reviewer is Arthur Lebow, who wrote an exhaustive biography of Diane Arbus.Cameron has always been one of my guides to good […]

Canon Demi camera July 3, 2025
My Canon Demi camera. I've never really been a big fan of Canon cameras, as I've always been a Nikon person. In my opinion, Canon cameras weren't well-made, especially in the 1960s, when this camera was manufactured. Their line of early rangefinder cameras has nice optics and is comfortable to shoot with, but I just […]
Dan Cuny
Bolsey 8 Camera June 26, 2025
My Bolsey 8 camera Being a big fan of Bolsey cameras, I was thrilled when a Bolsey 8 camera showed up unexpectedly with a "lot" of cameras purchased online. It was buried in the photo, and all you could see was part of the case, so to my surprise, I picked up the camera and […]
Dan Cuny
Contessa Nettel Cocarette I DeLuxe June 19, 2025
My Contessa Nettel Cocarette I DeLuxe camera As I've mentioned in other posts, colored cameras are some of my favorite cameras to collect. That's a good thing when the camera is a different color than the standard drab black camera and a beautiful, rich brown-toned camera. When the camera is a rich brown-toned camera and […]
Dan Cuny
Riley Rilex camera June 12, 2025
My Riley Rilex camera The first time I saw the Riley Rilex camera was at a camera show in Seattle, WA, about six months ago. I was selling cameras and other photo items at the show. A friend who had driven up from the same area I live in and know well approached me looking […]
Dan Cuny
Futura-S Camera June 5, 2025
My Futura-S camera. As a camera collector for over 50 years, I was unaware of the Futura cameras for almost 45 years. It wasn't until a friend and fellow collector mentioned the Futura camera that it stuck in the back of my mind, as I haven't come across one in all these years of collecting. After […]
Dan Cuny