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In: Optical Review Blogs
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When it comes to Minolta and Konica, both had terrific optical quality throughout their run as separate companies, but at some point in the merger is where they started to lose a little steam. And while there were still some winners, there were also some troublesome lenses. No company can be 100% perfect all the time when it comes to optics. Sure, the Nikon Series E had some winning glass, but that line also had some bad lenses. This is the second Konica-Minolta lens I’ve reviewed, and it is not what I was expecting, and that’s not a good thing. I got this lens asRead More →

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We’re at the start of a new Season! And why not have a trip around the table to discuss our team’s goals, resolutions, projects and other photographic things we’re each looking forward to through 2023? The common theme throughout our goals is to work on our physical and mental health. Also, working through backlogs, various group projects and getting more work in physical form! James Instead of resolving, James is planning on making a couple of changes! He wants to focus on himself first; everyone has had a rough few years. And for James, he’s started back into a journey of health after some difficultRead More →

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Established in 2013 by MainStreetHost and taken on by Alex Luyckx Photography in 2015, #photochat is a community of photography professionals and enthusiasts who congregate to talk shop and discuss anything and everything photography. To participate in our weekly chat (every Thursday at 1:00 pm), search the #photochat hashtag on either Twitter or Counter.Social to see the conversation, or find me at @AlexLuyckxPhoto on Twitter and Counter.Social @AlexLuyckxPhoto for more info. Include the hashtag in your tweets to answer the questions and talk with the other participants. If there’s a topic, you’d like to see covered in #photochat, hop onto Facebook, Twitter, or good oldRead More →

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In: Houses of Holy
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If there is one church that surprised me in this project, it is Palermo United Church, not because it is still active, but of the various churches in this project, this one is the oldest. If you have never heard of or even seen this church, entirely wholly understandable, as it is a bit hidden, set a bit east of the major intersection of Bronte and Dundas. The village known as Palermo was first settled in 1806 a mainly agricultural settlement on Dundas Road. The earliest recorded visits by Methodist saddlebag preachers came in 1808. The settlement soon became a regular stop on the AncasterRead More →

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In: Film Review Blogs
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I’m not often excited about a colour film hitting the market. As someone who primarily shoots B&W, another colour stock isn’t much to get excited about. But as a part of the film community, I know that getting your hands on fresh colour film has been difficult for the past several months. So when CineStill dropped the news of a new colour film stock, I was excited for all my fellow photographers who gobble the stuff up. Plus, I always like to expand my horizons regarding photography. And CineStill has done so much good for the community by sourcing and modifying film stocks, releasing easy-to-workRead More →

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In: Houses of Holy
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With apologies to Led Zeppelin, this is not a project about classic rock but rather churches. The Church has been a major part of my life; I grew up at Knox Presbyterian Church, was baptised, attended Sunday School and Vacation Bible School, and was a part of youth groups both at Knox and other churches around my home town of Milton. I was a part of the Presbyterian Young People Society and helped run the group for several years. I met my lovely wife Heather through a Bible Study, we got married at Knox Milton, and I watched my nieces baptise in the same fontRead More →

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In: Camera Review Blogs
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The return of the 1990s classic trashcam that, despite being what it was, the Vivitar Ultra Wide & Slim became a cult classic in the rise of the toy camera movement. And while the original Vivitar run ended, and the Sproketheadz version had some serious troubles, in 2022, a new version came to the market. Produced by Hong Kong firm RETO, the RETO Ultra Wide & Slim rebirthed the classic and is probably one of the closest versions of the original. It’s all plastic, light, and has a particular flare for the strange. But if you missed the boat on the original, this camera mightRead More →

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In: Classic Camera Revival
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We’ve made it here to the end of another year and another season of the Classic Camera Revival! So why not join the whole team, John, Jess, Chris, Bill and Alex, as we talk about everything we have been using and working with throughout 2022? It’s a classic round table to round out the year. Cheap & Cheerful – 90s/00s SLRs If there’s one thing that Alex found a soft spot in 2022 is the entry-level SLR from the late 1990s to early 2000s, and this year he branched out from his usual taste for professional line cameras, adding simple entry-level options for his mainRead More →

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In: A Faded Glory
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I never expected this project to take such a dark turn overall. This project grew out of a larger project about the forces that drove the Canadian Confederation and is one of two such ‘short history’ projects. I have now realised that there is no such thing as a brief history. History is a messy business, no matter how much you might want to think otherwise. My ancestors were not part of Canada’s colonial history as someone of Dutch descent. I cannot deny that my ancestors were colonials all the same but in a different part of the world. As colonials, we have two choices;Read More →

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In: Developer Review Blogs
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There have been a lot of great releases of developers onto the market of late, including refreshes and clones of some of my favourites. And this won’t be the last time you see a clone of a beloved developer in this series. But with the dull grey days of winter starting to pile on, now is the time to begin using developers designed to help push development and ensure your fast films keep their fine grain. But there’s something that sets Bellini EcoFilm developer apart from other Xtol clones, such as Adox XT-3, which is that the concentrate comes in liquid form rather than powder.Read More →