All of Analog.Cafe, Page 6

715 Reviews, Guides, and Essays

Film and Lab Tools
A Monthly Newsletter for GOLD Members
November 22, 2024
Keeping diligent notes helps avoid disasters and improve image quality, but it can be burdensome (who wants another chore?) Film Log & Chem Log are the two sister apps that make the job easier. In this letter, I’ll introduce and explain how those apps work. Subsequent posts will explore various flows and use cases for those apps.
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A Unique Look? Harman Phoenix 200 in E-6 With Flash

November 21, 2024
Typically, Harman Phoenix is processed with C-41 chemistry, but I decided to go a different route and try E-6. Why? I was after something perhaps more unique — a shift in colour that would add extra character and depth to a project I was working on (more about that later). The idea was to use the film to make it feel less like a straightforward documentary and more like a visual statement.
Film and Darkroom Save
Chem Log
Web App 📱
November 19, 2024
Improve image quality and avoid mistakes when developing film at home. Chem Log keeps a record of all the mixing dates for your chemicals. This will help you avoid using expired chemicals. Chem Log keeps a record of films that were processed in each of your chemicals. This will help you avoid or compensate for exhausted chemicals.
GOLDApps and Downloads Save
Giveaway: A Holiday Film & Camera Pack
Ends on December 16, 2024 ☝️
November 14, 2024
I’m giving away a half-frame camera and three rolls of film to one lucky winner! Subscribe to Analog.Cafe GOLD membership before December 16 and you’ll be entered into the draw. If you are already a subscriber, you will be entered into the draw automatically. I’ll announce the winner on December 17, 2024.
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Kodak Vision 3 50D 5203/7203 Film Review
Shot as Stills and Developed in C-41
November 12, 2024
Kodak Vision 3 50D 5203/7203 colour negative film was designed for movie cameras. But in the mid-2010s, CineStill popularized its use in SLRs and rangefinders with a remjet-less version, the 50D. As the availability of ECN-2 developers increased, the original Kodak (non-CineStill) version of this film also began to gain popularity amongst us still photographers. In this review, I’ll cover all the technical specifications, share samples, and review the various ways of getting hold of and developing this film.
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Nikon Nikkor 28mm 1:3.5 AI-S Lens Review
A Sharp, Well-Made Wide-Angle Lens for Under $100
November 7, 2024
The 28mm Nikkor AI-S is sharp, relatively distortion-free, it’s a pleasure to use, and it features a close focus of .3m/1’. In this review, I’ll cover the specifics of this 28mm wide-angle lens, retell its brief history, and share plenty of high-res scans, including an image (with an enlargement) shot on the highest-resolving photographic medium ever created.
Film Cameras and Gear Save
Film Ferrania Orto 50 Film Review
High-Contrast and Orthochromaticism (With and Without a Green Filter)
November 5, 2024
Film Ferrania’s Orto 50 is a newly reissued (2023)¹ orthochromatic black-and-white film by the famous Italian film factory. It features fine grain, high contrast, and blue light sensitivity (which makes it blind to the red colours). Orto 50 shares its fine grain, strong contrast, and some development times with Film Ferrania’s first product, P30 — but it’s not the same film.
Film and Darkroom Save
Minolta MD Zoom 35-70mm 1:3.5-4.8 Macro Lens Review
October 30, 2024
This zoom glass caught my attention for its incredibly light 189g/6.7oz frame and the apparent fact that it’s optically the same as the Leica Vario-Elmar-R 35-70mm 1:3.5. There’s also a version of this lens with macro capabilities that weighs a bit more but can focus at 33cm/13” with a 0.25x magnification factor.
Film Cameras and Gear Save
Film Photography News — October 2024 Recap
No More Vision 3 Film Reels, All B&W Films Look the Same, Lomo’Instant Wide Glass, and More!
October 29, 2024
Kodak is no longer selling Vision 3 film reels for bulk loading, photographers are terrible at telling which black-and-white film a photo was shot on but we can expose it with LEGOs — which is pretty cool. Lomography released Lomo’Instant Wide Glass, “the world’s sharpest instant camera,” and a fancy version of their Lomomatic 110 camera. Jagglé’s Berlinova daylight film processing units are on Kickstarter, Polaroid’s new film is Reclaimed Green, Crown & Flint app gets an update, and Analog Sparks declares competition winners. Plus, a new guide to editing film scans.
News Save
Photographers Are Terrible at Identifying Most B&W Films
573 Participants Guessed Correctly Just 37.6% of the Time
October 28, 2024
What guides your choice of black-and-white film? Is it the contrast, the grain, or something else? Last year, I built a game, “What The Film ?!” with Daren and Yvonne. It randomized black-and-white photos and asked players to guess what film they were shot on. This weekend, I brushed through the entries and found a few interesting stats about our understanding of black-and-white films… One of which is our apparent inability to identify most of them correctly.
Film and Darkroom Save
Fine-Tuning Film Photography
A Monthly Newsletter for GOLD Members
October 25, 2024
Should you edit your scans — and if so, how would you do that, if the film was exposed with a few LEGO bricks? And what about doing that for a living? In this monthly letter for GOLD members, I’m introducing a new course on editing film photos, sharing some bonus content related to the unique and rare LEGO film camera, touching on the challenges of being a full-time creative, and setting the expectations for the next month on Analog.Cafe.
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How to Edit Film Scans
Bring the Best Out of Your Film
October 24, 2024
This course will teach you the nuances of colour balance and a few simple methods for applying colour corrections. You will learn how to get the best colours and detail out of your film scans and how to draw viewer’s attention to your photos through editing without going too far.
GOLDGuides and Tutorials Save
Accidentally Wes Anderson: Adventures
Book Review
October 22, 2024
Accidentally Wes Anderson: Adventures is the second book from the Webby Award-winning namesake team, Accidentally Wes Anderson. Like the first edition, this book contains a collection of photography created and selected for its embodiment of the filmmaker’s cinematography. Yet, I think this second book is a little better than the first.
Books Save
Nikon FE Film Camera Review
Zero Compromise for Purpose and Price
October 21, 2024
Nikon FE is an SLR with a delicate balance of features to accommodate portability, practicality, build quality, speed, and price. It is also built with exceptional attention to detail.
Film Cameras and Gear Save
Lomography Color Negative 800 Film Review
A Portra in Disguise?
October 18, 2024
Lomography Color Negative 800 film is a high-speed medium-high saturation film sold in triple packs of 35mm and 120 rolls. It features accurate colour reproduction and fine grain. Though Lomography does not reveal the exact origins of this film, it’s most likely manufactured by Kodak — but it’s not the same as Portra 800 — as the controlled experiments suggest.
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Minolta MC TELE Rokkor-X 135mm 1:2.8 Lens Review
A Beautiful, Well-Built Portrait Lens for SR Mounts, One of 16 135mm Models
October 15, 2024
Minolta MC TELE Rokkor-X 135mm 1:2.8 is an affordable, well-built manual focus lens for Minolta SLRs. It has enough speed and focal length to capture fast action at a distance and bokehlicious portraits up close. One of the nicest lenses (by feel and looks) in my collection!
Film Cameras and Gear Save
SMC Pentax-M 100mm 1:4 Macro Lens Review
October 14, 2024
SMC Pentax-M 100mm 𝒇4-32 is an affordable macro lens with 0.5x max magnification that can be converted to 1:1 with extension tubes or used as a telephoto.
Film Cameras and Gear Save
Shooting Northern Lights on Film
No Screens, No Distractions: Just You and the Nature
October 11, 2024
Learn to pick the most appropriate film cameras, lenses, and accessories for photographing northern lights, select the best films for the job, understand your exposure settings, and how to apply appropriate development and scanning techniques for the cleanest results on film.
GOLDGuides and Tutorials Save
How to Remove Remjet & Develop Cinema Film in C-41
Also, What Is Remjet?
October 10, 2024
Kodak is the world’s leading producer of colour-negative film, but not all of it is meant for still cameras. In this guide, we’ll examine Kodak’s cinema film options, what makes them unique, how to use them in still cameras (your regular rangefinder/TLR/SLR), and how to develop them at home or in a lab.
Guides and Tutorials Save
Hands-on With ZH1, a WORKING LEGO Film Camera
Made From Just the Official LEGO Components, It Takes Real Photos on Film
October 8, 2024
This August, I had the chance to interview Zung Hoang , the inventor of the first fully functioning (yet to be official) LEGO film camera over chat. A few weeks later, I met with the man to learn more about the project, see the camera stripped down, and borrow it for an entire month. This is the story of LEGO ZH-1, a fully functional film camera and its creator.
Film Cameras and Gear Save

Film and Lab Tools

A Monthly Newsletter for GOLD Members

November 22, 2024

A Unique Look? Harman Phoenix 200 in E-6 With Flash

November 21, 2024

Chem Log

Web App 📱

November 19, 2024

Giveaway: A Holiday Film & Camera Pack

Ends on December 16, 2024 ☝️

November 14, 2024

Kodak Vision 3 50D 5203/7203 Film Review

Shot as Stills and Developed in C-41

November 12, 2024

Nikon Nikkor 28mm 1:3.5 AI-S Lens Review

A Sharp, Well-Made Wide-Angle Lens for Under $100

November 7, 2024

Film Ferrania Orto 50 Film Review

High-Contrast and Orthochromaticism (With and Without a Green Filter)

November 5, 2024

Minolta MD Zoom 35-70mm 1:3.5-4.8 Macro Lens Review

October 30, 2024

Film Photography News — October 2024 Recap

No More Vision 3 Film Reels, All B&W Films Look the Same, Lomo’Instant Wide Glass, and More!

October 29, 2024

Photographers Are Terrible at Identifying Most B&W Films

573 Participants Guessed Correctly Just 37.6% of the Time

October 28, 2024

Fine-Tuning Film Photography

A Monthly Newsletter for GOLD Members

October 25, 2024

How to Edit Film Scans

Bring the Best Out of Your Film

October 24, 2024

Accidentally Wes Anderson: Adventures

Book Review

October 22, 2024

Nikon FE Film Camera Review

Zero Compromise for Purpose and Price

October 21, 2024

Lomography Color Negative 800 Film Review

A Portra in Disguise?

October 18, 2024

Minolta MC TELE Rokkor-X 135mm 1:2.8 Lens Review

A Beautiful, Well-Built Portrait Lens for SR Mounts, One of 16 135mm Models

October 15, 2024

SMC Pentax-M 100mm 1:4 Macro Lens Review

October 14, 2024

Shooting Northern Lights on Film

No Screens, No Distractions: Just You and the Nature

October 11, 2024

How to Remove Remjet & Develop Cinema Film in C-41

Also, What Is Remjet?

October 10, 2024

Hands-on With ZH1, a WORKING LEGO Film Camera

Made From Just the Official LEGO Components, It Takes Real Photos on Film

October 8, 2024