It seems clear at this point that my film camera fascination is spinning slightly out-of-control. It seems nearly justifiable that I might seek out cameras that fill a gap in the collection, like Mamiya RB67 (with its 6×7 image format), or the Mamiya Press Super 23 (with its 6×9 images). But there are already multiple 6×4.5 cameras in the house, and yet, an M645 1000S had been in the back of my mind for some time now, and one finally joined my growing family of film cameras.
Continue reading…Cameras
Tips for View Camera Newbies
While I’ve truly only just started my large format journey, it feels like I’ve made so many fundamental mistakes that it seems the perfect time to begin documenting all of them in the form of written tips before I forgot all the stumbles I’ve made. It’s my hope that if you’re new to view cameras, you’ll benefit from the effort.
Continue reading…Review: Graflex Pacemaker 45 Crown Graphic Large Format Camera
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…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…Review: Mamiya RB67 Professional S Medium Format Film Camera
One of the most glaring omissions in my camera collection was some sort of 6×7 medium format model. I’d been intrigued by what I’d heard about the Mamiya RB67, and started keeping my eyes open for one. When I saw one for sale at National Camera Exchange, I decided the time was right to jump. What I discovered in the process is without question the quirkiest camera I’ve yet had the pleasure of using.
Continue reading…The 4×5 Journey Begins
It had been my intention to explore large format photography in 2020, but it all started happening faster than I expected. First, the perfect Graflex Pacemaker 45 Crown Graphic materialized out of nowhere. Then I started meeting people on Instagram who encouraged me to just jump-in. Next thing you know, I’m getting what I needed to do just that. Now I understand why people the people who shoot it are so passionate about it.
Continue reading…Calibrating a Kalart Rangefinder (Yes, You Can DIY)
I recently acquired a Graflex Pacemaker 45 Crown Graphic camera from National Camera Exchange in Minnesota (see my Vendor Directory for a link). The camera is in really outstanding physical condition (look for a review soon), but it does (or did) have a couple of unsurprising issues.
Continue reading…Review: Kodak Duaflex II Medium Format Film Camera
It seems to me that for decades, Kodak had a successful, two-part business model.
- Sell photography itself as a lifestyle, a necessity for documenting some of life’s most important moments.
- Sell products and services that support that, ensuring a robust recurring revenue stream.
For a very long time, it worked quite well for the company.
When it came to cameras, it appears that part of Kodak’s strategy was making as many different cameras as possible, with a range of sizes, styles, feature sets, and price points. Most were centered on ease of use, as evidenced by the venerable Brownie series, or the more recent Instamatic series. An oft-forgotten family of Kodak cameras was interesting in its own right as well: the Kodak Duaflex.
Continue reading…A Big Deal: Reflecting on the Significance and History of the Rolleiflex
I originally wrote this article while working on the review of my own Rolleiflex Automat MX (a review I’ve since published). While researching the history and origins of the camera, I became fascinated with (and derailed by) some of the history of the Rolleiflex itself, and just how significant the camera actually was (and is).
Continue reading…Review: Hasselblad 503CW Medium Format Film Camera
There are just a handful of camera brands that have achieved truly legendary, truly iconic status, and for me, at least, there are just three: Rollei, Leica, and Hasselblad. Of those, only Leica doesn’t (yet) grace my camera collection; I’ve not been bitten by that bug enough yet to overcome the price points. But Hasselblad? Hasselblads have been the camera in my mind for decades, and I frankly never thought I’d be able to hold one, let alone actually use one. And now, I not only use one, I own one. So, has it lived-up to its reputation in my own mind? (Spoiler alert: Yes.)
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