All of Film Cameras and Gear, Page 2

147 Lens, Accessory, and Camera Reviews

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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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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Canon A-1 Film Camera Review
The Most Capable “A”-Series Canon SLR
July 27, 2024
The A-1 film SLR was a technological and design philosophy leap for Canon. Introduced in 1978, it was the first SLR to automatically select aperture and shutter speeds using onboard electronics. While helpful for beginners, this new feature also gave proficient photographers a useful advantage.
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Canon FD 24mm 1:2.8 Ultrawide Lens Review
Sharp, Wide, Resistant to Flaring, Affordable — My Favourite Canon FD Lens!
July 12, 2024
Canon FD 24mm 1:2.8 is an ultra-wide¹ lens for vintage Canon SLRs like the Canon AE-1 Program. It’s sharp, renders nice bokeh, does the job, and it can still be found for less than $100.
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Ricoh Auto Half E2 Film Camera Review
A Fully-Mechanical Point-and-Shoot Half-Frame Film Camera!
June 28, 2024
Ricoh Auto Half E2 is a 35mm half-frame film camera with a unique combination of features that make it one of the few full-fledged point-and-shoot film cameras that don’t need any batteries.This camera will set the exposure and advance the film for you, once you wind it like an old toy.
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10 Half-Frame Film Cameras for Under $500
June 24, 2024
You can save lots of money on film with a half-frame camera, but why stop there and not save on the camera itself? This overview lists nine better-than-good vintage cameras and a brand-new one for less than $100!
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Asahi Pentax K1000 Film Camera Review
With the Kit SMC Pentax-a 1:1.7 50mm Lens
June 19, 2024
Asahi Pentax K1000 is one of the most popular vintage film SLRs today. It’s still used in classrooms around the world and there are tons of great lens options.
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Kyocera/Yashica Samurai x3.0 Film Camera Review
A Camcorder-Looking Half-Frame Point-and-Shoot SLR With Motorized Zoom
June 13, 2024
Kyocera/Yashica Samurai x3.0 half-frame 35mm film SLR is one of the strangest-looking cameras ever made. It looks like an old-school video recorder (it is not); it’s bulky (even though it makes tiny frames); and it doesn’t have manual overrides — but it’s actually quite good!
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Nikonos “V” Underwater Film Camera Review
Underwater or on Dry Land; Dust, Sand, Mud, Rain — All Good With Nikonos V
May 18, 2024
Nikonos V might be the best underwater film camera money can buy. It may even be the best way to get into full-frame marine photography — period. The Nikonos system has an outstanding range of lenses, some made exclusively for underwater photography, yielding minimal distortion and superb contrast/colour reproduction. This review covers my experience with the 28mm UW-Nikkor 𝒇3.5 and the amphibious 35mm W-Nikkor 𝒇2.5 on Nikonos V.
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Canon AE-1 (Original) Film Camera Review
The Most Popular Film SLR Ever Made
May 4, 2024
As soon as it hit the store shelves, Canon AE-1 changed the photographic industry forever. In this review, I’ll cover the build quality, share sample photos, and give you my overview of the ergonomics and technical specifications of this historical milestone.
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Pentax 6x7 Panoramas of Germany’s Northern Sea
With Pro Image 100 and 3D-Printed Spool Extenders
April 27, 2024
I shot wide and tall panoramas on 35mm film in my Pentax 6x7 medium format camera. It took some taping, cutting, and improvisation in the field. Still, I’m quite happy with the results, despite the slight mishaps. This article includes a link to a tutorial where you can learn how to do it yourself.
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Olympus XA2 Compact 35mm Film Camera Review
You May Not Like This
April 16, 2024
I’ve tried multiple Olympus XA cameras over the years because they’re cute, pocketable, and have an excellent lens. And yet, I found them hard to love and frustrating to use. Each time, I hoped that my previous experience would be somehow irrelevant, and each time I felt disappointed. XA2 is not an exception. I didn’t like using this camera; I’ll explain why, and I’ll also share the things I did like about this camera. This way, you can decide whether it’s just me or if this camera is overhyped.
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Polaroid Go Gen 2 Camera Review
The Cutest Polaroid Ever, Refreshed
April 9, 2024
Polaroid Go is the world’s smallest instant film camera and it costs less than $100 (with film). In this review, I compare Generation 2 to its predecessor side-by-side and explain the new miniature photography format.
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Konica Recorder Half-Frame Point-and-Shoot Review
Everything-Auto (With Flash) Pocketable W/ Ultrawide Lens in Three Colours
March 19, 2024
Konica Recorder (same as Konica AA-35) is a Japanese half-frame point-and-shoot that features an ultrawide 24mm 𝒇4 lens with an electronic 60-250ths shutter. It’s pocketable and comes in three colours: solid red, gold, and black. This camera introduces a combination of modern features in the half-frame format not found on any other camera, such as autofocus, motorized film transport, and built-in flash.
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Canon FD 28mm 1:3.5 S.C. Lens Review
More Fun Up-Close
March 12, 2024
Canon FD 28mm 𝒇3.5 S.C. is an affordable wide-angle lens for a very popular film SLR system. It features a close focusing distance of 40cm/16”, medium-high contrast, and minimal distortions across the frame. In this review, I’ll explain what S.C. stands for, share plentiful samples, and discuss this lens’ strengths and weaknesses in terms of image quality and user experience.
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Pentacon Penti II, a Cheap Golden Half-Frame Camera
With Agfa Rapid/SL ORWO NP20 Film
March 2, 2024
Pentacon Penti II is a tiny, mechanical half-frame camera with a gold-anodized aluminum shell, a unique film advance lever, decent lens, and a match-needle light meter. All for about $50! But it needs special film cartridges.
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Canon AE-1 Program Film Camera Review
Iconic, Polarizing, Trail-Blazing SLR of the 1970s and 1980s
February 6, 2024
Canon’s AE-1 Program is one of the most popular film SLRs ever sold. In this review, I’ll share my thoughts about the build quality, usability, and my overall impression of the camera that moved over 3.3 million units and was an inspiration for the Mac and iPhone shutter camera sounds.
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Canon FD 50mm 1:1.4 S.S.C. Lens Review
A Special Look; an Affordable Cult-Classic!
January 25, 2024
Canon FD 50mm 𝒇1.4 S.S.C. are the second-generation breech-lock mount “normal” lenses for the popular Canon AE-1 35mm film SLRs and FD-mount cameras. Their glass renders distinct bokeh, has decent flare resistance, comes with plenty of contrast, and is quite sharp when stopped down. The S.S.C.-marked lenses are the relatively rare and typically cost more than the standard “new FD” (sometimes marked as nFD) 50mm 𝒇1.4 lenses. But not all S.S.C. lenses are “chrome nose.”
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Olympus Trip 35 Film Camera Review
A Cult Classic, an Engineering Marvel, and an Excellent Value for a Modern Film Photographer
December 29, 2023
Olympus Trip 35 is one of the most popular 35mm film cameras ever produced — and for a good reason. Its battery-free light meter is reliable, the lens is surprisingly sharp, the body is nearly pocketable, and the price is right. This review is a deep dive into the world of this small, mighty camera.
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