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…
I woke up this morning and saw a link someone sent me to Chris Sherlock’s YouTube channel and I thought, hmm, I wonder what exciting new camera Chris is taking on today. Quickly though, I saw the purpose of the short 46 second clip, in which Chris announces his retirement…
Another year, another Year in Review post! Skipping past the obvious summaries of the past 12 months, 2021 was a pretty good year for Mike Eckman dot Com. As was the case every year, traffic increased from the year prior, but this year, traffic really increased, but more on that…
It seems like every few months, another press release is made by Kodak or Fuji with bad news about some film stock that is being discontinued and others that are getting price increases. These announcements inevitably launch a buying frenzy of still available films that quickly deplete available inventories at…
There is a saying that the only two things guaranteed in life are death and taxes, and since I don’t have any interest in writing about taxes, I am sorry to say that this post is about yet another member of the film photography community who has passed away. I…
When someone asks the question “What is the ‘best’ 35mm rangefinder ever made?”, a great number of responses will likely include either the Leica M3 or the Nikon SP. The reason for these two models on the tops of so many people’s lists is that they are both very good…
If you’re like me, it is exciting to see an old camera in a movie or television show set in the past. My attention is quickly diverted and I play this little game with myself where I try to see how quickly I can both identify the camera and whether…
