Analog.Cafe

682 Reviews, Guides, and Essays

Micro-Nikkor 200mm 1:4 AI-S Lens Review
Affordable, Sharp, Versatile, Compact
July 2, 2025
The 200mm Micro-Nikkor AI-S 1:4 IF is a telephoto lens that can focus as close as 2⅓ feet (61cm) while reproducing a 1:2 image on film or a full-frame sensor. In this review, I’ll explain what this lens is for, how it came to be, and what its modern analog is. Expect lots of samples, a full recollection of what it’s like to shoot, and whether you should get one, too.
New!Film Cameras and Gear Save
Film Photography News — June 2025 Recap
Leica’s First Film, Portra in Bulk?, Fancy Lenses, New Film, and a Podcast
June 24, 2025
New film: Leica’s first 35mm black-and-white Monopan 50, Harman’s Red in 120, Ilfocolor 400 Cine Tone. Plus, CineStill teases several new products, set to launch this summer. Light Lens Lab shares samples of their soon-to-ship black-and-white emulsion, along with very ambitious goals. Meanwhile, Kodak ditches remjet from their Vision 3 films, throwing CineStill’s halation products into question. Omnar announces Bertle 50mm 𝒇2 MC FLB, and Jollylook makes affordable no-batteries-needed Instax film backs for Mamiya RB67/RZ67 MF cameras.
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RETO Pano Reusable 35mm Film Camera Review
With a See-Through Plastic Shell
June 23, 2025
RETO Pano is a new, affordable, reusable compact camera with an ultra-wide 22mm lens and an optional panoramic mask. Having put several rolls of film through the see-through plastic model, I am genuinely impressed with the value it delivers. In this review, I’m sharing all that is good, a few issues, and a shooting guide for better photos.
Film Cameras and Gear Save
A Podcast, Polaroid Film Test, Reviews, Guides, Apps
A Monthly Newsletter for GOLD Members
June 20, 2025
“A Beginner’s Guide to Film Photography” is now live on Analog.Cafe! I am also working on the audiobook version. Plus: upcoming film tests (including a well-documented DIY pre-processing attempt with local photographers), several camera reviews, article and app updates, and a new survey of the film price landscape.
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A Beginner’s Guide to Film Photography
2nd, “200 Years of Film Photography!” Edition
June 17, 2025
Film photography is easy, but it’s more fun if you know what you’re doing! This beginner-friendly guide goes beyond the basics and is available as an illustrated read and a 73-page printable PDF book. The guide covers everything you need to get started and excel with a film camera in a digital world. Including the historical context, current culture, money-saving advice, and tips for better results with modern tools.
GOLDGuides and Tutorials Save
All Photographic Film Sold Today
Sortable, Searchable List With Real-Time Updates
June 7, 2025
This page sources the incredibly comprehensive list of film stocks currently in production from Wikipedia and arranges it in an easy-to-parse table with real-time updates, a compact layout, sortable columns, and a search field.
Guides and Tutorials Save
Welcome to Karmir Film Lab in Yerevan!
A Creative Stronghold for Film Photographers in the Caucasus
June 4, 2025
An article about a film lab and a creative hub in Yerevan.
Film and Darkroom Save
How Photography Helped My Mental Health
Especially Analogue
June 2, 2025
I had depression. After over two years of therapy, I can happily say — ‘had’. Let me start by saying that help is available everywhere; no matter how dark it may seem around you, you are never alone! Taking photos has always inspired me. This is a story of photography, especially film photography, helping me find a way.
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Film Photography News — May 2025 Recap
New Film, Free Film, New Camera, Exposure Tips, App Updates
May 27, 2025
Ilford launches Kentmere 200 black-and-white film and begins offering Delta 3200 in bulk rolls, RETO makes a new panoramic film camera, and Jolylook makes a new hand-crankable Instax Wide back for DIY cameras. This month’s winner of 3 FREE Cinema Shorts 50D/500T rolls announced (if it’s not you, you still have several chances). Plus, updates to the only web-based fully-featured film inversion tool, overexposure guides, and community submissions!
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Overexposure, TIFFs, and the Giftable Guide to Film
A Monthly Newsletter for GOLD Members
May 23, 2025
Thank you ❤️ for supporting this independent, ad-free review, guide, app, and community publication for and by film photographers! Your contributions give me the time and the opportunity to work on projects like film Q, which is the only web-based negative film inversion tool with full 16-bit TIFF and camera RAW support. This newsletter covers app updates, community submissions, FREE film, and the upcoming articles on Analog.Cafe.
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Are TIFF Scans Worth It?
May 22, 2025
TIFF files are much larger than JPEGs. They often cost more if you scan your film at a lab. But are they worth all that extra storage and dollars? This guide features a simple-to-follow decision tree and an in-depth explanation of the popular digital image formats.
Guides and Tutorials Save
How to Overexpose Film
Pick the Right Film, Meter for (Over)Exposure, and Fix Colour Shifts
May 20, 2025
This guide will help you understand why and when overexposure is appropriate, which films to overexpose, how to overexpose your photos without destroying them, and how to scan and edit overexposed frames.
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The Kubrick Code
In Praise of Knowing How Things Work
May 19, 2025
This article explores the balance between technique and artistry, as the London exhibition showed it in Kubrick’s work. It is not a review of the exhibition—there are plenty of those—but a reflection on what it takes to create something well.
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Lucky Mistakes
A Few Words About Accidents on Film and the Workings of the Universe
May 15, 2025
Among all the lucky mistakes I’ve managed to make in the years I’ve been doing film, some of which ended up being exhibition-worthy with a little help from the mysteries of the Universe; the ones that surprised me the most were the double or triple exposures... Oh, those rare lucid moments when you are so grateful you didn’t get what you thought you wanted…
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Film Notes & Metadata With Frames
Modern Metadata Management for Film Photographers
May 13, 2025
Frames is a one-man project born out of a passion for film photography and meticulous documentation. The apps are free (paid in-app upgrades available), ad-free, and respectful of your privacy.
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Where to Develop, Scan, and Print Film in Bangkok
May 12, 2025
Finding the film you want in Bangkok can be a huge challenge, and if you want your transparencies or negatives scanned on something higher-end than a Noritsu or Fuji Frontier, most people will tell you it’s impossible. (Fortunately, they’re wrong!) This article covers a wide range of services: film labs for E-6, ECN-2, B&W, and C41 processing, as well as places to buy film and get film scanned.
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Free Film
Win 3 Rolls of Premium Film Every Month Until September 2025!
May 6, 2025
I have a limited hand-rolled batch of Kodak Vision 3 film, branded with the new signature dark Cinema Shorts design, packed in threes with a signed, updated development guide. If you are a new or existing Analog.Cafe GOLD member, you’ll have a chance to win one of these boxes every month until September 2025!
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Kodak Vision 3 500T 5219/7219 Film Review
Shot as Stills and Developed in C-41
May 5, 2025
Though it has been designed for movies, this film sees strong popularity amongst still photographers for its tungsten-balanced colour palette, fine grain, high ISO, wide dynamic range, and great response to cross-processing. In this review, I’ll cover all the technical properties and creative possibilities of using the Kodak Vision 3 500T, compare it to CineStill 800T, and explain Kodak’s recent crackdown on the sales of this film to individual photographers.
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Where to Develop, Scan, and Print Film in Bali
May 2, 2025
Bali has quite a few film labs with a large variety of services offered by each. Here’s a non-exhaustive summary of the options, locations, prices, and notes of the labs we tried.
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Film Photography News — April 2025 Recap
New Polaroid Camera, Fujifilm Prices, Sissi Lu, Greenscale Aerochrome, 420
April 29, 2025
The new Polaroid Flip instant film camera makes its debut, Fujifilm announces price hikes, I interview Sissi Lu about her DO NOT X-RAY pouch, Bad Film Simulator and cannabis-based film developers exist, a new article series about redscaling/bluescaling/greenscaling colour film, spring photo dump, and software updates to Analog.Cafe’s negative inversion tool — film Q. Plus, ORWO may be releasing multiple new films this year.
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