By:
On:
In: Camera Review Blogs
With: 2 Comments

Found in a mysterious factory in Rochester, New York, the Debonair, or the FPP Plastic Filmstastic 120 Debonair is one of the strangest cameras I’ve reviewed for this blog series. But also one of the more fun ones to use. This funky toy camera is one of many Holga/Diana clones that started to pop up in the late 20th century. It uses 120 roll film in a 6×4.5 format but portrait orientation, light weight and produces actually really fun results with the nice soft plasic “Super” lens. And to make this review extra special the images shot were done on World Toy Camera Days theRead More →

By:
On:
In: Camera Review Blogs
With: 1 Comment

While many continued to use and love the all mechanical Nikon F2 the F3 was a departure of sorts for Nikon moving towards an electronic-based camera and a very stylish one at that. Designed by the noted industrial designer Giorgetto Giugiaro who introduced the red strip that still appears on Nikon SLRs today. This is the camera that got me back into semi-automatic manual focus photography after I received it as a gift from a photojournalist with a vast collection of lenses and the MD-4 motor drive. While heavily used, this camera has seen a lot of action in the past and continues to seeRead More →

By:
On:
In: Classic Camera Revival
With: 0 Comments

6×6, 2.25×2.25, square format…no matter how you cut it, everyone loves a good square format negative, you can print it three different ways, square, portrait, or landscape, it’s big, it’s beautiful and there’s lots of awesome cameras out there that shoot in that format. Cameras featured on Today’s Show… Rolleiflex 3.5E3: One of the iconic Twin Lens Reflex cameras that feature some amazing optics. And even though it’s not a Zeiss Rolleiflex the results are just as good! Make: Franke & Heidecke Model: Rolleiflex 3.5 E3 Type: Twin Lens Reflex Format: Medium Format, 120, 6×6 Dates of Manufacture: 1961-1965 Rolleiflex 3.5E – Schneider-Kreuznack Xentar 75mmRead More →

By:
On:
In: Camera Review Blogs
With: 2 Comments

It’s called “The Brick” for good reason, and was for many years the every-man camera in the United States. Aimed at the middle-income market as a solid camera with good optics that could compete with some of the higher end cameras coming out from Kodak. Special Thanks to James McFarlane for this special guest camera! Disclaimer: This is an old review, and is scheduled for an update and may look funny during that update. However, due to a large number of reviews that require this update it may take some time. Please be patient during this process as the reviews may appear incomplete and inRead More →

By:
On:
In: Photography
With: 0 Comments

“Are you going for the game?” The US Border services agent’s question jostled the brain slightly more awake. The coffee a couple of hours had helped but waking up at 4 am was certainly something I haven’t done in a while. Thankfully that wouldn’t hit me until the way home. I proceeded to explain that I was going to Ann Arbor for a photo walk; at least I didn’t say “What game?” (What shoo?). I then had to explain what a photo walk was. The day started at the local camera shop, Camera Mall who were wonderful hosts for not only opening early but providingRead More →

By:
On:
In: Camera Review Blogs
With: 2 Comments

The Nikon F5, at first glance you might mistake it for a digital SLR. I certainly have been asked ‘what sensor is in that camera’ and depending on my mood and my general view of the person asking I might reply with something a little more sarcastic, other times a simple response is “oh a 36x24mm or full-frame as it’s called in digital photography.” The F5 was my second grail camera after switching over to a Nikon system from Minolta, in fact, I picked up the battery grip for the F80 to make it look like an F5 because at the time the F5 wasRead More →

By:
On:
In: Camera Review Blogs
With: 3 Comments

The Canon EOS-1N was the second iteration of Canon’s flagship autofocus 35mm professional SLR. Replacing the earlier EOS-1 the 1N improved some of the focusing issues. While a second model the 1N RS was again an improvement the 1N continued to serve in many professional’s camera arsenal. I don’t use many Canon cameras, I’m much more of a Nikon guy, but I always love exploring new systems and cameras so when I was offered a chance to use this fine machine I was more than happy to swap my F4 for the EOS-1N for a photowalk! Special Thanks to Ori Carmona for this special guestRead More →

By:
On:
In: Project:1812
With: 0 Comments

The life blood of Upper Canada was the St. Lawrence River, long before it was the mighty seaway we know today it was just a river, often times areas of rapids and flowed past several loyalist settlements that were established following the American Revolution. The river was a link to the major centers of the colonies of British North American, the mighty fortress and administrative capital of Quebec City and the major seaport of Halifax to the smaller settlements in Upper Canada. It was also the weak point, cut off access to the river at either end and you could choke Upper Canada. In factRead More →

By:
On:
In: Classic Camera Revival
With: 0 Comments

It finally happened, we’ve gone and branched into the wonderful world of large format photography! So what is large format, well for the most part we’ve been discussing cameras that take roll film, that is 35mm and medium format, large format cameras for the most part take sheet film, measured in inches rather than millimeters or centimeters. Cameras featured on Today’s Show… Speed Graphic: the classic press camera the Speed Graphic has a focal plane shutter that allows for press photographers to shoot quickly using a film magazine. Crown Graphic: the cousin of the Speed Graphic, the only real difference is that the Crowns doRead More →

By:
On:
In: Project:1812
With: 0 Comments

A hero in his home state of North Carolina and bane to the British supply lines along the St. Lawrence River there isn’t much known about the early life of Benjamin Forsyth. What is known is passed down as family legend by his ancestors. Born around 1760 to James and Elizabeth Forsyth in either Hanover, Virginia or Stokes County, North Carolina lost his father at a young age. By 1794 Benjamin was beginning to establish himself with the purchase of some land in Stokes County near Germantown, North Carolina. He married in 1797 to Bethemia Ladd with whom he had six children. He joined theRead More →