Strike Back Like the Empire! Yes folks after a long wait, the FP4Party Strikes Back! And I’m back into the groove of things. And despite it being the start of term, it gives me all the more reason to get out and give the Rolleiflex and Mamiya m645 a bit of a winter workout. Especially the poor Mamiya which has been spending much of its time as a project camera. But sometimes I have to let it out to play a little bit more! This time around I shot only three rolls of 120 film for the January Party. But to switch it up, IRead More →

When it comes to podcasts, Classic Camera Revival may not be the biggest out there, but like any Internet project, you’re sort of shouting into the void and hoping that someone might hear you. And in the case of CCR, people heard and we have a group of listeners. And a group of fans that reach from beyond Canada. Not bad. So in light of our first meet, we promised that we would host the second meetup in 2018. So, using details from my own trips into the historic downtown of Cambridge, formerly known as Galt, and from the daily walks by Tom Fournier, aRead More →

It’s been just under a year since the gang visited the Riverdale/Leslieville areas of Toronto. And again I found myself as a participant in the walk rather than the organiser. For that, I left it up to Bill Smith who knows the area like the back of his hand, though this time around we took a much different route. There’s something about getting started early as we gathered at the Rooster Coffee House for our start, after an Atomic Rooster Brew and some discussion. And of course, snapping photos with our cups of coffee and our cameras we started off. The day had promised toRead More →

The GSW690II is not a camera you need, but they sure are fun to have. Initially designed for taking group photos of Japanese tourist groups, the camera has become a bit of a cult classic among film photographers. An all-mechanical wide-angle medium format rangefinder with the appropriate nickname of Texas Leica. This camera offers a big 6×9 negative and a wide-angle lens perfect for landscape and architecture in a portable package that will work flawlessly in any weather condition and excellent optics on the front. Thanks to James Lee for loaning this beauty out for a review. Camera Specifications Make: Fuji Model: GSW690II Type: RangefinderRead More →

A wizard is never late, nor is he early. He arrives precisely when he means to. Not to say I’m a wizard or anything, but in the midst of work, paint preparation, and general pandemonium right now I genuinely forgot that there is an FP4Party still going on. Serves me right but a single roll of the stuff sitting on my film to be shot shelf taunted me on the third-to-the-end day of shoot week. Thankfully my original plans for the weekend fell through and I found myself with a free Saturday morning to get out and shoot! Not to mention I had access toRead More →

When I first discovered Kodak Plus-X I was hooked, instantly. But sadly Plus-X went away and while I still scramble to find old stock whenever I can, I can always go to Ilford FP4. Now that’s not to say FP4+ plays second fiddle to Plus-X in my book. In FP4+ I found probably the most versatile film that maintains a level of consistency across the board and formats within in the mid-speed range. Fine grain, sharp, and a contrast to die for. Not to mention a legacy that goes back to when Ilford first started producing flexible films. Film Specs Type: Panchromatic B&W Film Base:Read More →

Finally, we have snow here in Southern Ontario which for me is wonderful! The cold weather is only made bearable by the presence of the white stuff. It also makes it more fun to go out tromping in the snow! But I shot most of my FP4 back in December, and with a deep freeze settled into the area after Christmas I really didn’t want to take any chances. But the arrival of the Secret Santa gift from the Emulsive gift exchange included a roll of FP4+ in 120 and with five sheets of 4×5 I was ready to go, on a much-reduced scale. GroupRead More →

Well, looks who’s back! It’s the FP4Party! This time around I have no outstanding projects so unlike in the final FP4Party I can actually work hard on this one, unlike the last time I gave a rather lack-lustre performance. I sat down early and planned out my week, collecting five ideas of where to shoot and what I wanted to shoot with. The film, of course, a favourite of mine, Ilford FP4+. I came up with one roll of 35mm, three rolls of 120 and a box of 4×5. Now in the past, I’ve usually stuck to one day of shooting for these parties. ButRead More →

When it comes to iconic cameras, Nikon does not have a shortage in their catalogue. From the highly valued rangefinders to the game-changing Nikon F. Plus all the professional camera bodies that followed in the footsteps of the original system camera. But among the cameras that are highly sought after by many photographers still, today are the compact SLRs of the 1970s and 1980s. Among those is the Nikon FM and the electronic cousin, the Nikon FE. For me, the FE fits into that little niche between my all-mechanical Nikon F2 Photomic and the fair more automatic Nikon FA. The FE fills the gap whenRead More →

There’s a fun nature for an event that is total fiction rather than historical. It gives us a chance to play and provides us with a view of other historic sites within our province. Until this event, I had never even heard of the Bradley House. But as I took the gentle curve along Orr Road in the village of Clarkson on the border of Oakville and Mississauga I was pleasantly surprised at the industrial fences of a Suncor Petroleum plant melted away into a forest alight with fall colours. As I chatted with folks around the site, it turned out that Clarkson has aRead More →