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Developing your film at home is both rewarding and frustrating at the same time and to add on an extra layer of complexity there is a lot of developers out there that you can use, especially in the black & white field. While certainly not as much as there used to be, there is still an excellent selection of developers to suit almost every person’s need, without having to dive deep into building your developers from base chemicals. Ultimately every photographer has a different taste but if you’re starting out with home development the choices may seem a little overwhelming so I’ll be breaking downRead More →

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In: Optical Review Blogs
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If there is a single focal length that I rarely use, it is the 135mm focal length. I can count the number of these lenses I’ve had on a single finger. I’ve used the Minolta and Nikon ones in the past, and of those two, I only have the Nikon copy because I’ve divested from the Minolta manual focus kit. It’s not that these are bad lenses; they are a focal length that I already have covered in a zoom lens, or I prefer something shorter or longer. But I also didn’t want to spend an arm and a leg on my small FD-Mount kit,Read More →

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It should only be fair that my fiftieth lens review be of a 50mm lens, these are often the first lens that a budding photographer will pick up when getting into the wild world of film photography. And often it is the only lens that they continue to use long after. With my first two SLRs (SR-T 102 and X-7a) the 50mm lens was my go-to choice for most of the time shooting with them. I have since moved on and now am more likely to reach for a 35mm lens, the 50mms still hold a place for my work and I still grab oneRead More →

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Ha Ha, this is a pry from my dead hands camera…😀 There’s one fun part about being connected to so many amazing photographers and bloggers over the world because of the Internet. Often you come up with ideas like this, a whole series of posts on the same subject with a coordinated release. This idea comes from Jim Grey (Down the Road), from a conversation where Theo (PhotoThinking) was looking for links for his review of the Voigtlander Superb. Peggy (Camera Go Camera) suggested he give her the camera, and Theo replyed “this is a pry this from my dead hands camera.” Jim jumped onRead More →

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Writing reviews on cameras is easy; I’ve been working on those since 2015, and while the style and depth of those reviews have changed since I first started, I have also begun to include other pieces of camera kit into the cycle. One of the two newest reviews I have written is on lenses. These days, many lens reviews are out there, with most focusing on modern digital glass. Some vintage glass is starting to be reviewed online thanks to the ability to adapt these lenses to modern mirrorless cameras used in the cinematography industry. These are also the hardest reviews to write for twoRead More →

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I’m still fond of lenses with a 28mm focal length, despite having other lenses (in different systems) that are wider, but sometimes all you need to get the job done is a 28mm. The Canon FD 28/2.8 fits that bill; it is essential and no-nonsense, with nothing overly interesting about the lens or optics. The FD 28/2.8 gets the job done without any fanfare. There are two versions of this lens available in Canon’s FD-Mount: the original collar-lock version (FD) and the button-lock version (FDn), which allows for easier mounting and dismounting of the lens from the camera body. After picking up the AE-1, whichRead More →

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Regarding historically significant lenses, exact lens models like the Nikkor 85mm f/2 are abnormal. Usually, these historic lenses are designs like the Tessar, Petzval, and Planar. But in this case, this lens put Nikon on the map. Nippon Kogaku released the first 85mm f/2 as part of their original five-lens setup for the Nikon I. Although they also had versions in the LTM or M39 Mount. While Nikkor enjoyed popularity within Japan, they had yet to produce a camera that could be exported. But the lenses helped Nippon break out of the domestic market. The story goes that a chance meeting of two LIFE photographers,Read More →

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What Was I Thinking… In the world of film developers, there are many options for almost any film type and situation, and then there are the weird ones associated with closed imaging systems. And then there are developers like Formulary FX-2. I enjoy working with the strange, trying to use them to crack a tough film stock or figure out where a developer will fit within my film-developing kit. And through these reviews, I have found several that will be useful going forward. Developers like FX-39 II, Atomal 49, and R09 Spezial have now found spots in my kit as excellent film development tools. AndRead More →

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Not all my lenses are the best out there, and I have had some stinkers in the past that have come across my desk. Now in some cases, I have not reviewed these, but this time I need to get this one off my chest. Meet the Tamron 100-300mm lens; this is a budget lens in every sense. Tamron has produced some excellent optics, sometimes under their name, but quality optics are all the same. This lens is not one of them; there are a lot of issues with the build quality, optical quality, and even the features of this lens. But if you canRead More →

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When it comes to reviewing cameras, I love reviewing the cameras that have impacted photography or are relatively cool and unique. And this camera is one that I have referenced a couple of times in the past as being part of a significant stepping stone in Canon’s journey towards an autofocus camera. While autofocus first hit the markets in point-and-shoot cameras, building an AF system for an all-in-one camera is easy; putting it in an interchangeable lens SLR is another ballgame. When Minolta jumped right in with the A-Mount, Canon took a more cautious approach even before Minolta launched the Alphas. The AL-1 was aRead More →