I was contacted by the manufacturer of this meter and was asked if I would be willing to give it a review in exchange for a free sample. While I did not pay for this product, I did not approach this review any different than if I had paid for…
This is a Jena Contax, a 35mm rangefinder camera made by Carl Zeiss Jena, in Saalfeld, Germany under direction of the Soviet government after World War II. In the time leading up to Germany’s loss in the war, the Soviet Union had eyed the Zeiss-Ikon Contax for war reparations and…
10 years of camera reviews… I could just end this post here and I’ll have said all that I probably need to, but if there’s one thing that writing camera reviews for the past decade has taught me, is that I am not good at brevity. I’ve shared the origin…
When Oskar Barnack completed the first Leica prototype in the mid 1920s, his goal was to make a high quality compact camera that could make high quality images using double perforated 35mm film. At the time, the idea of a mass produced 35mm camera was one that nobody was thinking…
Earlier this year a group of film photography bloggers had the idea where each of us would write an article discussing our five favorite cameras, and sharing them all together and see what we came up with. Never one to miss out on the opportunity to discuss some of the…
Another year is over, which means another year end wrap up! The best news this year was that 2023 seemed to be the first year post COVID that felt like a normal year. 2020 and 2021 clearly weren’t, and in 2022 things did get a lot better, but there was…
The 1950s camera industry was known for two major events, the first was the rise of Japan’s dominance in the market. What was just a curiosity in the years before, during, and immediately after World War II, by the end of the 1950s Japanese cameras were outselling many German models…
A couple of weeks ago, this site celebrated it’s 8th anniversary since I started writing camera reviews, and like the passage of the entire year, I can’t believe how fast the time has flown. As has been the case for every year since I’ve been keeping track, 2022 was a…
Not everyone reviews cameras or has a camera blog. The fact that you are here suggests you at least like old film (and some digital) cameras. You probably have one or two of your own, or maybe you’re a retired dentist with thousands of them. Whatever the case, I know…
One of the greatest stories I’ve heard while collecting and researching old cameras is how one of the greatest cameras ever made was created. The story goes that in 1911, a Zeiss employee named Oskar Barnack was recruited by his friend and former colleague, Emil Mechau to work for a…
As the holiday season approaches, you might be on the look out for some “offline” reading material for yourself or your favorite camera collector. There are many resources online for great information on what to buy the collector who has everything. Rather than just make a list of a bunch…
Screw Mount Leica II and IIIs were the most copied camera design in history, perhaps even the most copied THING in history. While counterfeit versions of Coach handbags, Rolex watches, and Nike shoes have been extremely common for decades, what makes Leica copies unique is that unlike most other luxury…
