By:
On:
In: Photography
With: 0 Comments

When it comes to the Winter meetups, the weather is always a crapshoot. But unlike last year, we were blessed with beautiful blue skies, bright sun, and temperatures above zero. I think that helped bring out a dozen shooters to invade the historic downtown of Unionville, Ontario. I had first discovered Unionville thanks to one of my co-workers who mentioned that he and this girlfriend enjoyed the historic downtown. So last summer I hit it up on what turned into a hot summer’s day and I saw why. And the group that showed up completely agreed. The small size of the downtown, about a five-minuteRead More →

By:
On:
In: Film Review Blogs
With: 3 Comments

The name Bergger has been until recently been relatively unknown here in North America (at least to me) until recently when I learned that they were planning on introducing a new film stock, Pancro 400. While, Pancro 400 is the only offering from the company, and while you might still find their older BRF400+ film stock, Pancro 400 is a beautiful classic film emulsion. When I heard about the film through the Film Photography Project when they were just releasing the stock, I made a point to pick it up. I found a surprisingly beautiful film, despite the increased amount of grain. I would wagerRead More →

By:
On:
In: Film Review Blogs
With: 3 Comments

I first came across Retro 400s at Downtown Camera, I had just been on a Toronto Film Shooters meetup and had some time to kill before meeting up with a friend to catch a show at the Dakota Tavern and had the hankering for some street photography. So I picked up a roll and went out and I found a wonderfully sharp, contrasty film that just sings in the low hazy light. Retro 400s is a film that is designed for the hybrid era, with a polyester base that lays flat on a scanner, strong contrast and fine grain it will sign viewed on aRead More →

By:
On:
In: Classic Camera Revival
With: 0 Comments

Today we talk about those great little cameras that may not hit the professional mark, but instead take on a more plastic approach. That’s right we’re talking consumer cameras this episode we also have a great new film stock to talk about, that’s right the first film out of Kosmo Foto, Mono 100! Cameras in Today’s Show… Nikon F90 Don’t let this camera fool you, the Nikon F90 is a solid piece of engineering often overshadowed by the Nikon F4, but for John and Alex, it is their camera of choice when they want an SLR, without having to carry around a massive camera. Make:Read More →

By:
On:
In: Photography
With: 0 Comments

A wizard is never late, nor is he early. He arrives precisely when he means to. Not to say I’m a wizard or anything, but in the midst of work, paint preparation, and general pandemonium right now I genuinely forgot that there is an FP4Party still going on. Serves me right but a single roll of the stuff sitting on my film to be shot shelf taunted me on the third-to-the-end day of shoot week. Thankfully my original plans for the weekend fell through and I found myself with a free Saturday morning to get out and shoot! Not to mention I had access toRead More →

By:
On:
In: Film Review Blogs
With: 1 Comment

When I first discovered Kodak Plus-X I was hooked, instantly. But sadly Plus-X went away and while I still scramble to find old stock whenever I can, I can always go to Ilford FP4. Now that’s not to say FP4+ plays second fiddle to Plus-X in my book. In FP4+ I found probably the most versatile film that maintains a level of consistency across the board and formats within in the mid-speed range. Fine grain, sharp, and a contrast to die for. Not to mention a legacy that goes back to when Ilford first started producing flexible films. Film Specs Type: Panchromatic B&W Film Base:Read More →

By:
On:
In: Camera Review Blogs
With: 0 Comments

It only makes sense that the iconic Mamiya m645 grew up, and ended up being a perfect camera that blends the traditional film and modern digital photographic market. I am of course talking about the Mamiya 645 AF-D III. The AF-D III is by far the newest and most advanced camera I’ve had a chance to review in these blogs and well worth the wait. The camera is the medium format camera for the 21st-Century hybrid shooter as it can accept both traditional medium format film and digital backs. The penultimate iteration of the classic wedding photographer workhorse that will pay for itself if youRead More →

By:
On:
In: Film Review Blogs
With: 1 Comment

When it comes to T-Grained (modern films like TMax and Delta) I can be fairly picky, the 100-speed ones I tend to like while the faster 400-speed ones I can be overly critical about. That being said I’ve found that recently I’ve been warming up to these faster emulsions the more I experiment with them. As with Delta 400, I’ve warmed up a little to TMax 400. Oddly, TMax 400 was the first roll of film I processed on my own under the watchful eye of Julie Douglas back in 2010. Film Specs Type: Panchromatic B&W, T-Grain Film Base: Acetate Film Speed: ASA-400, Latitude: 50-3200Read More →

By:
On:
In: Camera Review Blogs
With: 1 Comment

In the past, I’ve described the Bronica SQ-Am as the camera used by Darth Vader, I’d like to revise that statement, the Leicaflex SL2 is the camera of choice for the Dark Lord of the Sith. While my previous experience with Leica SLRs has been lacklustre, the SL2 makes up for that experience without question. The camera is a mechanical beast and shows off exactly what makes a Leica, a Leica. From amazing optics to precision mechanics. And yet of all the Leica cameras, I’ve used the SL2 is the first one I’ve picked up that felt instantly familiar I didn’t even have to checkRead More →

By:
On:
In: Classic Camera Revival
With: 0 Comments

We’re in the midst of a cold snap here in Ontario but that’s no reason to always stay inside. So the gang brings up their best and worst choices for cameras out in the cold weather! We also discuss the weird things we do to film in shooting and processing. Cold Weather Cameras – The Best What are our cameras of choice when out in the cold? Well everyone has a different approach to why they pick certain cameras when heading out for some cold weather shooting. Mamiya m645 – When it comes to usability outside, a camera that relies on a battery and electronicsRead More →