In our first episode, we discussed those cameras that can take any work we throw their way, and so to close off this season; we’re bringing that topic back! What makes things interesting is that some of our choices have changed, and some familiar cameras are still on the table but in different people’s hands! And there are no surprises in this list; we have cameras like Hasselblads, Mamiya, Olympus, Nikon, Canon, and Minolta are all in our choices. And when it comes to workhorses, these are cameras that will work in any condition and deliver solid image quality. You also need a camera thatRead More →

I remember not being overly excited about Rollei Paul & Reinhold when it was first announced in September of 2020. I mean, yes, it is great to see a special edition film released to celebrate the 100th Anniversary of a premier and historic camera maker (Franke & Heidecke later Rollei). There was little data on the film at the time, and there are still many gaps. Given that the actual film stock is unknown, it’s either a limited edition run (made in Italy, not Belgium) or a found stock that has been rebranded. Either way, Rollei has been tight-lipped about the film’s source. Given thatRead More →

When it comes to Film Photography, most of the technology behind the medium has not changed that much since its inception. But some things are still struggling and need to rest in peace, or often in pieces. The gang sits around and hashes out formats and technologies that need to be put to bed, with items like Selenium Meters, 126 formats, APS, among the things. And they also talk about new advances in film photography and technology behind them like ReveniLabs Meters. Recycling old cameras and lenses from systems that aren’t too popular to formulate new cameras again. ReveniLabs and, more specifically, the Press Pan,Read More →

And now for something completely different. I know I’m better known for my reviews of film-based cameras, but I have reviewed a digital camera here before, back when I got the camera that this one replaced. In fact, the Nikon D750 marks two, not three things. First, it marks a return to an SLR as my digital camera; second, it marks the return to the Nikon Digital system. And finally, a digital camera that I like using a lot. It’s not to say the a6000 was an unenjoyable camera to operate; the only complaint was that the system continued to be limited. Yes, I couldRead More →

Ever since the invention of the automobile and aeroplane, the way people moved changed rapidly. Henry Ford’s Model T put the dream of a personal car within reach; improvements in planes through the inter-war period into World War Two and the post-war period allowed long-distance travel at an even faster rate. While steam motive power continued to drive many railroad operators through the war, the rise of diesel began to reshape even the train industry. Through the war, fuel and material shortages spiked passenger train services, but even now, those were starting to decline. It became clear that the golden age of rail had comeRead More →

When it comes to camera gear there are some that have the feels, and there are others that don’t have the feels. So in this episode, the gang discusses the cameras that have amazing ergonomics that are a joy to use, others that we tolerate because the image quality is amazing! What cameras are on the table today, some are pretty obvious including the Nikon F4, Hasselblad V System, Olympus OM-2 and the Mamiya m645. And it cannot be an episode about ergonomics without including an Exakta. Want a subscription to SilverGrain Classics and are a fan of Classic Camera Revival? Visit their shop onlineRead More →

It has been far too long since I got together with this amazing group of people in-person since all of this started in March 2020. And while I was unable to make it out to the first meetup since our last meetup in February 2020 (at least it was the largest meetup to date). And through early 2021 there were some attempts at virtual meetups, the fact of the matter is that the TFS group is best served with in-person meetings. Thankfully with things looking far better real meetups kicked off in October with a second meetup taking place at the beginning of the month.Read More →

Being in North America and raised on Kodak and Ilford developers, I did not even know that Atomal existed, other than seeing it listed on the Massive Dev chart and just passing it by as another European developer. But when I was hunting for more Rollei developers at Freestyle, I came across Atomal 49 as an ‘other people purchased’ listing. I was excited to give this a shot, and after mixing it up, I posted in a Film Photography Chat group on Facebook and asked if anyone else had used the stuff. The response was overwhelming how many people used the stuff. However, the bestRead More →

The late 19th century brought the final push to extend out the transcontinental line. The arrival of the 20th century, the Canadian Pacific Railway was the only line that extended across Canada, at least from Vancouver to Montreal. In Ontario, Grand Trunk managed to secure itself as the big player in the province by absorbing all the competition but could not do that with Canadian Pacific finding itself against a competitor that it simply could not buy out. This was the golden age of rail travel when mighty steam locomotives travelled across the country; rail networks connected people and places, mail and cargo were easilyRead More →

It is always a good idea to future proof your lenses, especially when working with the Minolta manual focus cameras. I say that because, like Nikon, while the original 1958 SR-Mount is basically the same as 1977 SR-Mount, there are subtle differences, like the Nikon F-Mount. I first picked up this lens as part of a drive to get better glass for my Minolta X-7a, my second Minolta SLR. While I could go with MC variant lenses, I went with the MD variant. The reason being that if I had updated my X-7a to an X-700, I needed lenses that would work with all theRead More →