The ‘ideal’ camera in this case being the Zeiss Ideal, a 9×12 model from around 1930. An interesting camera, once known as a ‘hand and stand’, and one of those that survived the 1926 merger to form Zeiss Ikon and continued into the 1930s under the Zeiss Ikon brand. It started life as a Hüttig,... The post A brief encounter with a (Zeiss) Ideal camera. appeared first on 35mmc ..read more

Hey photo makers. As part of my ongoing gas I recently acquired a MInolta 85mm Varisoft lens. Starting with a mint condition X-700/50mm f/1.7 setup gifted to me by a coworker a couple years ago I’ve now collected a decent amount of glass for it. A chance encounter with a Minolta XD at a local... The post 5 Frames with a Minolta XD, 85mm f/2.8 Varisoft lens and Ilford HP5+ appeared first on 35mmc ..read more

As users of film cameras many of us have had to master Sunny 16 and estimating distances because many of the older cameras we use lack an exposure meter or a means of setting accurate focus. This is nothing new for we older folk. Back in the day there were various calculators or the film... The post Accessory rangefinders – the Watameter and others. appeared first on 35mmc ..read more

It’s easy to overlook the beauty that surrounds us. But sometimes, all it takes is a different perspective to remind me of the magic in the mundane. Recently, I embarked on a month-long film project, armed with my trusty Pentax 645N and a roll of expired Arista 120 film. The goal was simple: Take a... The post Whole Roll of Expired Arista Through North County San Diego appeared first on 35mmc ..read more

These photographs were made on a recent trip to Saigon (Ho Chi Minh City), Vietnam’s economic metropolis and home to more than 8 million people. I first visited the city in 2003, and it had morphed into a very different beast in only two decades; somewhat of a late bloomer in the rapid development of... The post Sigh, Gone – Shooting in Ho Chi Minh City appeared first on 35mmc ..read more

Most photographers today know Foma from their black and white film but there was a time when the Czech company produced colour as well. The exact information about it is scant but one thing that’s certain is that these colour Foma stocks didn’t survive into the 1990s since they were using the old tech, cold... The post 5 frames with Fomachrom D II 20 appeared first on 35mmc ..read more

My wife is doing an open university course, so around once a month during her academic year, we end up taking a trip to the library to collect some books. It’s become a bit of a ritual where we take the kid, who has a hot chocolate from the cafe and we walk up to... The post 5 frames with a Pentax Q7 & Fisheye lens in the library appeared first on 35mmc ..read more

I have a thing for small cameras.  Well, really, I have a thing for cameras in general – but in particular, I’m sort of always on the lookout for a truly excellent compact camera.  And by compact, I mean something you can always carry with you, with little to no second thought or feeling of... The post Leica C (Typ 112) – A Capable Compact (by Panasonic) appeared first on 35mmc ..read more

It’s not the camera, it’s not because it’s square format, it’s me, or rather us, we just don’t click together. Years ago I used a Hasselblad for a long time, mostly happily, and took some decent photos. But it seems TLRs and I just don’t get on. I had the same problems with a Rolleiflex.... The post The Yashica Mat 124G and Me appeared first on 35mmc ..read more

Part four of four – the previous post can be found here I think this is the final part. I believe having crossed the point in which I have a functional film shooting/production arrangement from start to finish takes me past going analog; instead I should say I have gone analog. Semantics aside – this... The post Going Analog on Okinawa – Part IV – DSLR Scanning appeared first on 35mmc ..read more