When it comes to Nikon, you know most of the cameras in their catalogue, especially their professional offerings. But there are plenty of hidden gems in their camera line as well. Some even have a cult following, I’m thinking of course of their Nikkormat cameras. But what about the Nikon FG? Like many Nikon cameras of the 1980s, it’s often overlooked in favour of the semi-pro FE2/FM2(n) and for a good reason. The FE/FM series attracts a massive following because it followed the original Nikon design ethos of uncompromised industrial design and quality. But the late 1970s and into the 1980s brought a lot ofRead More →

It’s the summer and what’s the best thing to do in the summer but travel, so with the gang on Summer vacation Classic Camera Revival host Alex Luyckx is coming to you live across the pond from the sun dappled French country side just outside of Vimy in France! Cameras featured on Today’s Show… Contax G2 – The only autofocus rangefinder out there, and one of Alex’s personal favourite cameras. While the autofocus is a bit iffy even manual focus is next to impossible, the camera makes up for it in being an easy to carry camera with great lenses to back it up! PhotosRead More →

Wars are won often through sheer force of arms, then a treaty is signed or just a cease fire put in place controlled by the side who holds the upper hand. And while the real war continued to rage across the Atlantic Ocean, both sides began to open up a new campaign, one to end the war in the ancient Flemish town of Ghent in the Kingdom of the Netherlands (today part of Belgium). The Americans sent John Qunicy Adams, Henry Clay, James A. Bayard, and Jonathan Russell. The British party was much smaller, Vice-Admiral James the Lord Gambier, Admiral of the Red, Under SecretaryRead More →

When you first lay eyes on the Contax G series of cameras you’re going to wonder to yourself, what sort of camera are these? Are they rangefinders? Are they some kind of digital camera? A dressed-up point and shoot? Well the G Series is sort of both, well it certainly is not a digital camera. But it’s a rangefinder and a dressed-up point-and-shoot, in reality, it’s a camera that’s in a class all of its own, the Autofocus Rangefinder (AFRF). I don’t remember exactly what drew me to the G2 when I first got my hands on the camera back at the end of theRead More →

We’re switching away from our usual format and making like Paddington Bear and doing it ourselves! And there’s plenty out there from making your own developer, mounting old lenses on modern cameras, even some basic repairs you can do yourself at home. As always, we be held responsible if things mess up, we’re not professionals or trained in this matter, please do these at your own risk. Kodak Hawkeye Lens Flip Discussed back in Episode 2, it is possible to flip the lenses on the Kodak Hawkeye and Hawkeye Flash models of the iconic 1950s snapshot camera. Being a single element lens, this only exaggeratesRead More →

When it comes to 35mm SLRs I’m solidly in the Nikon camp. Yet, Canon had something that could be considered an equal, if not a stronger camera for the 1970s than the Nikon offering of the time. That being the Canon F-1, Canon’s answer to the Nikon F2. Sadly the F-1 only lived a short time in my collection before going to a good friend who had a larger selection of Canon lenses. I know it went to a good home. But as a camera, the F-1 is an amazing performer and if I had more lenses it would have been a strong addition toRead More →

When it comes to fixed lens rangefinders, these cameras were what got me into photography with my very first camera, the Hi-Matic 7s. But these cameras are usually fixed on having f/2.8 or f/1.8 lenses due to the shutters available. Yashica decided to go bigger and often faster with their Lynx line of cameras. So when I had the chance to get my hands on the fixed lens rangefinder with the fastest lens available among these cameras (there are no others with an f/1.4 lens according to all of us in the Alliance), I had to take it out for review. But when it comesRead More →

Okay so that’s not the official name of the building but rather the park lands surrounding the Legislative Assembly of Ontario, but for the most part it’s what everyone calls it. While I have visited the the Assembly before the access I had this time around was incredible. From the speaker’s office to the Legislature, and even the Lieutenant-Governor’s suite. And say what you will about provincial politics, the building they work in is truly a gem in the city. Sony a6000 – Sony E PZ 16-50mm 1:3.5-5.6 OSSRead More →

One of the more interesting aspects of working with old Polaroid stock is that sometimes you get duds. While this past Saturday I wanted to get some cameras shot for the next three camera review blogs so that I can have them up before heading to Europe in three weeks, I also decided to take the rest of my 1997 expired Polaroid Type 55 4×5 stock along to shoot while on the road. Despite having a lot left, the stock being nearly twenty years out of date, there were a lot of duds, not enough chemistry spread, or none at all. But when all wasRead More →

Comrades! Welcome to Communist Camera Revival. Don’t get the (red) scare, we’re just covering Communist Cameras this month as the 1st of May marks International Communist Camera Day! So why was the 1st ICCD? Because the day was a major holiday in the Soviet Union. So let’s get our lomo on and explore the wondrous cameras that have come out of Communist countries. But where did these cameras come from, many look like top end German cameras? Well the simple fact is that they came from Germany, when the Red Army overran Germany they carried away parts, tools, and employees that worked for the majorRead More →