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There’s something to be said about the ergonomics of cameras, for the most part, they hadn’t moved beyond the box cameras that dominated the snapshot market. Even the single lens reflex cameras and rangefinder cameras were boxes. And while they weren’t too bad to hang onto for extended periods of time there had to be something better. Today we have cameras with excellent grips, but the first thing I realized when I picked up the Contaflex Super B was that it wasn’t a box, and the trapezoid shape of the body would make the camera an enjoyable one to shoot as I walked from theRead More →

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To say the Mamiya Universal is clunky and hard to use is an understatement. But it is not wholly un-useable, you just need to find the flow of the camera. The Universal isn’t a bad camera, underrated, hard to use yes, but a good camera. And while the whole Press series is a strange departure and little more than a footnote in the history of Mamiya, it almost seems like they were trying to build a system camera to see that they could before hitting the big time with their medium format SLRs. But there is a strange draw to a camera system that youRead More →

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I’m a sucker for mechanical match needle SLRs. They’re simple, elegant and great to learn on and even now still a joy to shoot. The FT3 is just that, an easy to use, fun camera that can if needed double as a self-defence weapon. The sad part is that the FT3 only was made for a few months before being superseded by the Nikon FM. A unique creature among the more-consumer-oriented Nikkormat lines the FT3 can use AI and AI-S lenses even if they don’t have the coupling claw. Sadly you won’t be able to use the Non-AI glass that many Nikkormat shooters love. CameraRead More →

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If you have ever used the Olympus Trip 35 then, you’ll be right at home with the Minoltina-P. The camera is a fixed lens, semi-automatic point and shoot from the 1960s and honestly before I saw it on the shelf at Burlington Camera I had never even known this camera existed. But don’t let that scare you, Minolta produced a lot of underdog cameras through the 1960s that often were as good as their competitors. The Hi-Matic went up against the Olympus 35 and Cannonet Series, and the Minoltina, well it’s an Olympus Trip 35. The Dirt Make: Minolta Model: Minoltina-P Type: Point and ShootRead More →

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We recently posted a link to our Facebook page about the top twenty-two vintage cameras to buy and it generated a lot of discussion about the article. And while we agreed (mostly) on the cameras on the list we felt that there were some better choices for vintage gear that you should buy. So this month we’re giving you the Classic Camera Revival Top Twenty Vintage Cameras to buy! In no particular order… Nikon F2 – This mechanical beauty won’t let you down whatever model you pickup! Pentax 645 – Simple, Easy, Great way to get into Medium Format without breaking the bank Nikon FMRead More →

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If you grew up in the 1980s and 1990s, you’d first recognize the sound this camera makes when it takes a photo. It’s a total nostalgia fest from those long family vacations, holiday snaps, and trips to the amusement park. And you would be right; the Nikon AF240SV is a mom camera, designed to be as simple as possible the modern version of the ever present Kodak Camera from the 19th century. You press the button; it does the rest. While my family never used Nikon, we were mostly Minolta; it still was a trip back in time for me to use such a cameraRead More →

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While I was not a fan of the last Yashica camera I used in the project, the 137 is a fun camera that is super easy and great to use right off the bat. With squat almost Soviet styling, this camera is certainly one that many people just miss because they never heard of it. And the only Contax camera I knew of for the longest time was the G2. Then I started learning about the older German models, and finally through the Film Photography Project of their SLRs. Special thanks to Chrissie Wu for loaning out this camera for a review! The Dirt Make:Read More →

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Indiana Jones, style, class and a taste for adventure. The 1930s were a great time save the crippling economic depression and Nazis but who needs to worry about those when you have a slick looking camera that can turn heads and take find photos as well? Two things that make the folding style of camera special. The first is that they don’t take up a lot of space, second, they look fantastic! And while I don’t use this style camera much, in fact, I don’t even own one; the Super-Ikonta is a beautiful camera and fun to operate. Special thanks to James Lee for loaningRead More →

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Nikon has an uncanny ability to build amazing cameras, not always but sometimes they get one just right, but then it just slides through the cracks. The Nikon F90 (N90 for you American readers) is one such camera, one from a proud line of SLRs that stretch back to the 1960s with the original Nikkormat. While often overlooked against such professional bodies like the Nikon F4 and Nikon F5 which the production of the F90 overlaps. The F90 can be had for a song these days and yet performs well both on its own and when paired with one of those bodies. And while IRead More →

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There is a reason that this camera is nicknamed the fridge it’s big, heavy, clunky, and near awkward to carry with you. But if you treat it right it will give you big beautiful images that will give you a cheaper alternative to 4×5 with near the same quality and more importantly the same aspect ratio in your negatives! Of course, for those unfamiliar with the system, there are two models of 6×7 Mamiya cameras the one being reviewed is the RB version. Special thanks to Alex Koroleski for loaning out this camera for this review! The Dirt Make: Mamiya Model: RB67 Type: Single LensRead More →