Dmitri

Betty

35mm rangefinder, fixed 45mm f/2.5, S, 1965 Japan, $

Canon Canonet QL-25

A Gift From a Family Friend

Canon’s series of Canonet cameras are all fixed-lens 35mm film rangefinders. They are mostly known for the sought-after QL17 GIII, though they tend to differ widely in form and function throughout the line. QL25, isn’t nearly as popular its top-of-the-line rival, GIII, due to its bulkier construction and a slower 45mm lens that opens up to 𝑓2.5.

QL25

Lee Webb

35mm AF, fixed 35mm f/4.5, auto, 1994 Japan, $

Canon Sure Shot AF-7

Part 1 of 2

Airport Square in Chongqing is probably not a place you’ll ever go to. That’s not me being an elitist travel bore. Not deliberately anyway. Airport Square is a place I found myself in due to a bonus day in Chongqing after a delayed flight caused a missed connection.

Testing the Canon Sure Shot AF-7 in Chongqing

35mm rangefinder, LSM 55mm f/2.8, M, 1977 USSR, $

FED 5b with Industar-61

Made in USSR

ФЭД 5в (Russian в is read as an English v) is a Soviet-built rangefinder film camera with a Leica screw mount lens base, which typically comes with a 𝑓2. 8 55mm Industar-61 L/D. It is a fully mechanical shooter that can fire a silk curtain shutter between 1 and 1/500th of a second.

FED 5b With Industar-61

Justino Lourenço

120 zone focus, fixed 60mm f/8, M, 1980s China, $

Holga 120GFN

My Grandfather, I, and Our Simple Medium-Format Cameras

I still remember my early days, back in 1976, when my grandfather was taking photographs with his Agfa Click. An old, simple camera that uses medium format film. Only two settings: cloudy or sunny. No flash. Just shoot and hope for the best. Grandfather was trying to document our family moments on black and white film.

Shooting Film With Holga 120GFN

Brian Purdy

35mm zone focus, fixed 35mm f/4, auto, 1980s Japan, $

Konica Pop-10

The Emergence of Konica Pop-10 From an Ancient Travel Chest

Once upon a time, photography saved my sanity… I picked up a cheap 35mm camera and found each click of the shutter could advance me across the darker places, give me something other than myself to think about. Once upon a time, photography saved my sanity.

Black Dynamite Returns

35mm zone focus, fixed 24mm/30mm f/8, M, 2007 Austria, $

Lomography Diana Mini

A Tribute to the Tiny Plastic Wonder

Diana Mini is a fixed-shutter-speed, dual-aperture viewfinder camera with plastic body and lens. It can shoot at 1/60th of a second, with a choice of 𝑓8 and 𝑓11 at 24mm focal length. The camera has a bulb setting, zone focusing switch, and allows toggling between half-frame and square format on 35mm film at any point.

35mm no focus, 4 ✕ fixed 24mm f/11, M, 2007 Austria, $

Lomography SuperSampler

For In-camera cubism

Lomography SuperSampler is a small plastic box with four 20mm fixed aperture 𝑓11 lenses. It is “in focus” from 1ft (30cm) until infinity. Its shutter fires at a fixed 1/100th of a second. There is no viewfinder. The camera accepts 35mm film and is recommended to be used with 800ISO for most situations.

35mm zone focus, fixed 35mm 𝒇4, auto, 1980s Japan, $

Olympus Supertrip

A New Old Camera in a New Old City

The Olympus Supertrip is the second of two film cameras I picked up from a charity shop in Nottingham. The other was a Canon Sure Shot AF-7. If you’ve not read it yet, I’d recommend the article I wrote about them both here. While the test run of the Canon Sure Shot AF-7 was mainly done in Chongqing, I tested the Olympus Supertrip once I’d got back to Shanghai.

Testing the Olympus Supertrip in Shanghai

35mm rangefinder, fixed 35mm f/2.8, A, 1979 Japan, $$

Olympus XA

Mini-Review

My well-used Olympus XA rangefinder had an iffy light meter needle and a loose door that kept on getting in the way. But it’s the red shutter button that pushed me to sell the little gem. Olympus XA is the smallest full-frame rangefinder camera. It comes with a fast 35mm F.

Instant 3⅛²” SLR, fixed 116mm f/8, auto, 1972 USA, $$$

Polaroid SX-70 Alpha 1

The Most Comprehensive Instant Camera and Film Guide Online

SX-70 is a stunning camera. Along with film, it is one of the most technologically advanced products ever created. This is Polaroid’s finest offering; world’s one and only foldable instant SLR. The company that built it occupied a position of respect and commercial success similar to what Apple is enjoying today.

Polaroid Land SX-70

Joy Celine Asto

Take Kayo 嘉陽宗丈

2019 Edition

Shooting analogue cameras is not difficult, as long as you have a solid idea of how to do it right, which this guide should aptly provide. If you’ve already got your film and camera, scroll down to “Photography 101,” a three-part section about key photographic concepts.

A Beginner’s Guide to Film Photography

All film camera reviews, guides, and stories ever published on Analog.Cafe. Sorted by brand then model. Listings include focusing mechanism and lens information. Primary shooting modes shown: [A]perture/[S]hutter priority, [M]anual, or auto.

All Film Cameras

Photo essays written about travel, a place or a destination. Sorted by continent then country. This collection does not include gear-centric articles — just the stories about being or going somewhere.

All Travel Essays

A collection of all the portrait photography on Analog.Cafe. Includes photo essays with human focus and/or prominent stories about the subjects. Street or event photography isn’t generally a part of this collection, unless the person(s) are at the heart of the narrative.

Portraits

For Canada, US, EU, UK, Japan, and Thailand

Shopping for new film can be challenging. Especially if it’s something new and you are looking to get a good deal. Sticker prices for fresh stock can range anywhere between two and twenty dollars per roll. And there’s plenty of choices to get lost in.

35mm Film Price Guide

Get Your Article or Essay Featured on Analog.Cafe

Analog. Cafe “A Film Photography Magazine” is a group effort. There certainly is no office; most of us never met. I’ve had an author send me submission while waiting for a delayed flight at an airport. Another came from an expat documenting his peculiar discoveries while living abroad.

Open Call

Discounts, Downloads, Bookmarks, Submissions, Newsletter, and Magic Links

On Analog. Cafe, you can do a little more than with a typical art-inclined blog. Here you get to own an account that comes with a few perks. Discounts. If you’re interested in getting deals on film, printed publications, cameras, and more, there’s always something special waiting for you on Your Account page.