June ended up being a pretty big month, with the 80th anniversary of D-Day, some good content across my Blog and YouTube feeds, but the biggest news is that Ricoh/Pentax which has been talking about bringing about a new film camera did so on the 17th. You can find three articles from fellow film bloggers in this post. And a note to my readers, this will be the final entry in the series. I’ve been finding them incredibly difficult to put together, so I’ve made the choice to end this particular monthly feature.
35mmc – Pentax 645 – A Review of a Budget Medium Format Workhorse
One of my first experiences with the 6×4.5 format was the Pentax 645, this was a simple nearly point-and-shoot camera that took out a lot of the guess work with unmetered cameras. And mine served me well for several years before I went in a different direction with my Mamiya m645. And this review brings back all the things that I loved about the camera. But also reminds me of why I gave it up. Read More over at www.35mmc.com!
Casual Photophile – Five Cheap (but Very Good) Film Cameras You Can Buy Today
Photography has always been expensive. While there are many expensive and amazing cameras on the market today especially in the 35mm market, you can still find some excellent bargins out there that are often overlooked. James put together a list of five excellent options that won’t break the bank. And I can say that both the Canon EOS Rebels and the N65 (F65) are great places to start. And there are even affordable lens options for these cameras. Take in the whole list over at casualphotophile.com!
Canny Cameras – A brief history of Photography By Objects – 15 – Photograph of a Prince, 1869
The first thing that drew me into this post is the Rifle Brigade uniform. As a military history nerd as much as a photography nerd I love seeing the combination of these two things. Alan dives into the history of photography through this wet plate image of H.R.H Prince Arthur. Also of note, Prince Arthur was also Governor-General of Canada! Read on at austerityphoto.co.uk!
Ricoh/Pentax 17
I will admit, I was a little hesitant when I started to hear about news about a new Pentax film camera. Mainly because all the new film cameras of late have been simple, plastic, fixed everything cameras. Think the Apparat, RETO Ultra-Wide & Slim, and Ektar H35, and H35N. And then on the 17th, the Pentax 17 hit the market with mixed results. But let’s be honest, if you dig into the specs of the Pentax 17, it offers up something that only a full camera manufacturer can do. The ’17 has full auto-exposure, a three-element lens, metal shell, and so much more in the way of build quality. I honestly hope I can get my hands on this thing to give it a full review, because my hesitation has turned to excitment. Anyways, check out the following articles from Kosmo Foto, 35mmc, and Casual Photophile.
Kosmo Foto – Pentax 17: First impressions
35mmc – Pentax 17 Comprehensive Review – The New Half-Frame Point & Shoot
Casual Photophile – Hands On with the Pentax 17 – the New Film Camera from Pentax
Down the Road – Why you should be happy about the new Pentax 17 film camera
One thing that struck me as interesting in this whole release of the Pentax 17 is the amount of polarisation that has happened around the camera. There are a lot of people who are so hyped up that it filled my social feeds for about a week, but on the same theme, there is a lot of hatred towards this camera. Personally, I’m excited for new 35mm cameras in the 21st century, and even if the camera isn’t for you, there’s no reason to dump on it. But Jim puts is all down nicely why you should at least be happy, read more at: blog.jimgrey.net
Trains.com – Michigan Central Station opens its doors
As someone who used to explore a lot, one place I never got to and with good reason is the former Michigan Central Station in Detroit. This is a stunning piece of grand railway architecture from the golden age of passenger rail. And after its closure a target for not only explorers with only the documentation and enjoyment of the abandonment in their minds but also those with vandalism in mind. So when I learned that it was being restored I was happy, the work was slow but it has now reopened with a public space which traces the history of hte station but also use by the Ford Motor Company as an inovation centre. You can see photos and read more over at: www.trains.com!
World War Two in Real Time – D-Day
June marked the 80th Anniversary of the Normandy Landings that saw the eventual end of the Nazi occupation of Europe. While there are a tonne of videos out there about the lands, not to mention plenty of other media that depicts the landing, the channel WW2 in Real Time did an amazing three-part series that covered the twenty-four hours. You may need to be signed into your Google Account to view some of the videos below. They’re well worth a watch.