All of Analog.Cafe, Page 5

681 Reviews, Guides, and Essays

Kosmo Foto Agent Shadow 400 Film Review
Tested at ISO 6400 and Box Speed in Various Developers, Featuring My Impossibly-Cute Puppy!
September 25, 2024
I was one of the project’s original backers, which gave me a chance to buy a “Briefcase Box” pack with five rolls and a delightful graphic novel by My Mate Does Art. Alas, by the time I got to writing this review, the film was no longer available for sale. Not even on eBay. So this review is more of a retrospective, useful to those who still have a roll somewhere. This film is said to be technically identical to Kentmere 400, so you can try the tricks in this article with that film for similar results.
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Film Photography News — September 2024 Recap
LF Camera Gear, Phoenix in 120, Daylight Enlarger, Fix Cameras, Develop C41
September 24, 2024
A new modern lens and shutter for large format cameras from Intrepid and an upcoming “hand-held” large format camera from Smartflex, Phoenix 200 in medium format, an upcoming daylight enlarger from Jagglé, a new stand-alone film inversion software from Chemvert, new guides for fixing and selling film cameras, plus a rewritten tutorial for developing colour film at home.
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Yashica T2 Film Camera Review
Carl Zeiss P&S for Less?
September 21, 2024
Yashica/Kyocera T2 is a relatively affordable point-and-shoot camera with a fantastic Carl Zeiss Tessar 3.5/35mm T* lens in a somewhat bulky but very fun package. This camera is a lot of fun to use and it can produce sharp images with unique rainbow flares.
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Fixing and Selling Film Cameras
A Monthly Newsletter for GOLD Members
September 20, 2024
This month, the focus is on maintaining, fixing, and, if you so choose, selling film cameras (as well as a few other things). I’ll also explain how I’ve been continuously improving the content on Analog.Cafe, what’s coming next, and some of the relevant industry news in this September letter for the GOLD members!
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Minolta X-700 Film Camera Review
Affordable, Fun, Beginner-Friendly Vintage SLR With a Cult Following
September 19, 2024
Minolta X-700 is one of the easiest and most fun film SLRs ever built. This vintage camera can suit almost anyone, and the expansive Rokkor lens selection is considered by many to be the best quality per dollar spent. But no gadget is perfect. In this review, I’ll cover my extensive experience with the camera on the road and in my mini-studio, its strengths and quirks.
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Home Film Camera Maintenance and Basic Repair Guide
Tools, Techniques, and Advice
September 17, 2024
How you take care of your gear should depend on the size of your collection, the shape your cameras are in, and their various ages and kinds. This guide takes a measured, customized approach that focuses on preservation and minimal meddling with the gear.
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Agfa Ortho 25 Expired B&W Film Review
Also Available Fresh as Rollei Ortho 25
September 16, 2024
Agfa Ortho 25 is the vintage predecessor to the modern Rollei Ortho 25 — a fine-grained, slow-speed orthochromatic film for black-and-white photography. In this review, I’ll share a brief history of this emulsion, explain its technical properties, and share some results along with my opinions about using and developing this film more than twenty years past expiration.
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Colour Film Got 5.6% Cheaper in 2024
Plus, Kodak Tri-X Prices Back to Pre-2022 Levels!
September 12, 2024
After years of climbing, film prices have finally levelled out. A survey of 29 popular film stocks based on data from nine prominent stores showed a sharp decline in colour film prices this August compared to its peak in January 2024.
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Rollei 35AF: About the Project & First Impressions
September 10, 2024
MiNT’s Rollei 35AF is one of the most anticipated film photography products of the year. In this article, I’ll share my initial impressions of the camera, its specs, and the project history. A premium compact film point-and-shoot in 2024 is a dream come true for the film photography community, but the camera may not be what you may’ve expected. Nor has it been built by a large company with the ‘90s tech. It’s different, and I’m here to tell you how.
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Kodak Gold 100/Kodak Bright Sun Film Review
An Affordable Expired Film Stock With Undeniably Warm Tones
September 7, 2024
Kodak Gold 100 is an affordable expired film. It features vivid, medium-saturation vintage colours with chunky grain and no significant tonal shifts despite most supplies having expired 10+ years ago.
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When Is the Best Time to Sell a Film Camera?
A Brief Data-Based Insight for the New Vintage Gear Traders
September 5, 2024
I figured out the best time to sell film cameras based on data from 43K referrals that generated $196,815 in sales from 1.2K transactions.
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Canon F-1 (Original) Film Camera Review
It Will Probably Outlive Me
September 3, 2024
Canon’s F-1 was the company’s last purely mechanical SLR design. It’s hefty, but with that heft comes reliability and durability. Even the prolonged wear looks good on the F-1. In this review, I’ll compare the F-1 to F-1n and F-1 New and go over my experience shooting it on a hectic trip across Canada. I’ll also attempt to answer a question that seems to be coming up often: is the Canon F-1 a good camera for beginners?
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Olympus Pen W Half-Frame Film Camera Review
With History Overview and High-Res Scans
August 29, 2024
Olympus PEN Wides are some of the prettiest half-frame film cameras ever made. Painted brass only looks better with wear and an all-black pocketable design is decades ahead of its time. These cameras use no batteries or depleted selenium meters, offering instead full control over the mechanical system with zone-focusing.
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Film Photography News — August 2024 Recap
Film Got Cheaper, a New LEGO Camera, Kodak Sells Alaris, and Cinema Shorts
August 27, 2024
Film prices have finally come down 🎉, a new fully functional LEGO film camera may become a thing, and Kodak sells one of its brands to a private equity firm then relaunches its colour development kit, and the first Cinema Shorts orders have now been dispatched.
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How Big Is Film Photography?
A Monthly Newsletter for GOLD Members
August 24, 2024
It’s no secret that film photography is a niche, but I’ve always wondered how niche. Unlike the digital camera sale figures, film usage and production stats are murky, and the social signals are inconsistent. In this letter, I examine the available data and make some estimates about how much film we shoot and how many of us are out there.
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Film Price Trends
Web App 📱
August 20, 2024
The Film Price Trends app is the best way to observe more than half a billion rolls of film changing hands annually since 2018. Use it to find films that cost less this year than they did previously. Compare average seller offers to get the best deal on your stock. Discover reliable emulsions impervious to inflation. You can also subscribe to bi-annual updates to be in the know and make smarter decisions when buying film.
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Canon “A”-Series SLR Comparison Guide
AE-1 (1976) vs. A-1 (1978) vs. AE-1 Program (1981)
August 12, 2024
Canon’s A-series SLRs were revolutionary for the company and the photography industry as a whole. In this article, I’ll disambiguate the differences, compare these keystone A-series SLRs, and help you pick the best camera for your photographic style.
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Testing the New Cinema Shorts 50D and 250D Films
August 8, 2024
50D and 250D are cinema’s most technologically advanced photochemical products, with ultra-fine grain and flattering, flexible colour reproduction. Cinema Shorts are these same emulsions re-packaged from movie reels (the only way Kodak distributes this film) into recycled metal 35mm film canisters. In this article, I’m sharing a few of my first Cinema Shorts test shots (all developed in standard C-41 chemicals at home).
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Lomochrome Color’92 Pushed +2 Stops to EI1600
In Sun-Drenched Montréal
August 7, 2024
In the shade, the temperature hovered at 33℃/92℉, whereas the sun-lit stone that garnished sidewalks could quickly cook an egg. It felt better to hide under a tree, underground, or under the cover of night skies. To get all that on one roll of Lomography’s new Lomochrome Color’92, I decided to push it +2 stops until it became an ISO 1600 film. These are the samples, thoughts, and advice after the fact.
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Kodak Pro Image 100 Pushed +2 Stops to EI400
While Extreme Couponing With Flair Air
August 6, 2024
Kodak Pro Image 100 was sold exclusively in Asian and South American markets until recently. It may be my favourite colour-negative film. In this article, I recall the story of my hectic trip across Canada and the learnings from developing this ISO 100 film as if it were an ISO 400 film.
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Kosmo Foto Agent Shadow 400 Film Review

Tested at ISO 6400 and Box Speed in Various Developers, Featuring My Impossibly-Cute Puppy!

September 25, 2024

Film Photography News — September 2024 Recap

LF Camera Gear, Phoenix in 120, Daylight Enlarger, Fix Cameras, Develop C41

September 24, 2024

Yashica T2 Film Camera Review

Carl Zeiss P&S for Less?

September 21, 2024

Fixing and Selling Film Cameras

A Monthly Newsletter for GOLD Members

September 20, 2024

Minolta X-700 Film Camera Review

Affordable, Fun, Beginner-Friendly Vintage SLR With a Cult Following

September 19, 2024

Home Film Camera Maintenance and Basic Repair Guide

Tools, Techniques, and Advice

September 17, 2024

Agfa Ortho 25 Expired B&W Film Review

Also Available Fresh as Rollei Ortho 25

September 16, 2024

Colour Film Got 5.6% Cheaper in 2024

Plus, Kodak Tri-X Prices Back to Pre-2022 Levels!

September 12, 2024

Rollei 35AF: About the Project & First Impressions

September 10, 2024

Kodak Gold 100/Kodak Bright Sun Film Review

An Affordable Expired Film Stock With Undeniably Warm Tones

September 7, 2024

When Is the Best Time to Sell a Film Camera?

A Brief Data-Based Insight for the New Vintage Gear Traders

September 5, 2024

Canon F-1 (Original) Film Camera Review

It Will Probably Outlive Me

September 3, 2024

Olympus Pen W Half-Frame Film Camera Review

With History Overview and High-Res Scans

August 29, 2024

Film Photography News — August 2024 Recap

Film Got Cheaper, a New LEGO Camera, Kodak Sells Alaris, and Cinema Shorts

August 27, 2024

How Big Is Film Photography?

A Monthly Newsletter for GOLD Members

August 24, 2024

Film Price Trends

Web App 📱

August 20, 2024

Canon “A”-Series SLR Comparison Guide

AE-1 (1976) vs. A-1 (1978) vs. AE-1 Program (1981)

August 12, 2024

Testing the New Cinema Shorts 50D and 250D Films

August 8, 2024

Lomochrome Color’92 Pushed +2 Stops to EI1600

In Sun-Drenched Montréal

August 7, 2024

Kodak Pro Image 100 Pushed +2 Stops to EI400

While Extreme Couponing With Flair Air

August 6, 2024