There are a great many cameras that could arguably be considered “iconic.” Ones that come to my mind right off are the Hasselblad 500 series (also known as the V-System) across its many models. The Rolleiflex TLRs. Certain Leicas. And then there’s the Graflex Graphic cameras, which have appeared often enough in movies from the 1940s and 1950s (and more modern movies and TV shows set in those decades) that it’s practically an amusing stereotype at this point.
Continue reading…June 2020
My First Foray Into C-41: Success!
A few months ago, before the COVID-19 pandemic dug its claws fully into the United States, I finally decided it was time to open-up the box of CineStill C-41 chemistry that had been sitting on a shelf since December, and set about processing the pile of color negative film that had been accumulating up to now. I have to confess: I’d been dragging my feet, fearful of this moment — worried whether I’d end-up simply ruining some film and losing shots I’d worked so hard to capture. As it turns out, the worries were unnecessary.
Continue reading…Review: Mamiya Press Super 23 Medium Format Film Camera
One camera series that you just don’t hear much about, or see very often in North America is the Mamiya Press. Like the Mamiya RB67, the Mamiya Press cameras are big, funky, strange-looking, quirky, and a lot of fun to shoot. They also provide some really nice images. It all added-up to the camera being an ideal candidate for a comprehensive review.
I’ll caution readers that this is the longest camera review I’ve ever written, in large part because the back story is itself incredibly long. That story starts in late January 2020, but I didn’t have a fully working, usable camera in my hands until nearly four months later — mid May 2020.
Continue reading…