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

When I first started with film development, my world consisted of Kodak products, D-76 and HC-110. The only other developer I used outside of Kodak was Rodinal and Ilfosol 3 (at least at first). Then in 2015, I started reviewing cameras and decided at the same time to explore Ilford more both in film stocks and developers. I stumbled upon two developers that soon became favourites, one of them is Perceptol (which I will review next month) the second is Microphen. While not a developer I use often, it offers fine grain, neutral contrast, and works for both push and pull processing. Technical Details Manufacturer:Read More →

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

When I started building my Minolta A-Mount kit, the Maxxum 100/2.8 Macro was not the first choice for a short telephoto lens. Instead, I was more drawn to the 135mm f/2.8 lens, only because Minolta did not have a 105, which has always been my preferred short telephoto prime lens. It wouldn’t be until a Toronto Film Shooters event last year hosted by Burlington Camera that I had the chance to try out the 100mm macro for the first time care of my good friend James McFarlane. While I wasn’t completely sold at that point, I wasn’t completely turned off the lens either. That lovelyRead More →

By:
On:
In: Film Review Blogs
With: 0 Comments

When it comes to 200-Speed films, I don’t have the best view, and usually end up with decent results (Rollei Superpan 200), other times I dislike them entirely. When it comes to Ilford’s offering, SFX 200, it goes in a slightly different direction. See, I have shot SFX a lot more than I initially thought, but it never stuck too much into my film supply mostly because if I need to shoot a 200-Speed film, I’m more likely to pull a 400-Speed film (Tri-X or Fomapan 400) or push a 100-Speed film (TMax 100). See, SFX is fun in the sense that it has anRead More →

By:
On:
In: Film Review Blogs
With: 0 Comments

While Ortho 80 Plus might appear to be a new film, it isn’t a new film. I’m surprised I missed reviewing the film earlier in this series. I skipped over a film I had shot in the past for a good two years. And thinking back that doesn’t surprise me; the film never made much of an impact. But also the film was, until recently, only available in 4×5. But I also only shot a single box of the stuff back in 2014. The results were excellent, and it was the first time shooting an ultra-low ISO film and one that had no set filmRead More →

By:
On:
In: Optical Review Blogs
With: 0 Comments

I first saw this lens mounted on the front of a Nikon F3 with an MD-4 motor drive attached and I can honestly say it would be the first time I ever saw f/1.4 glass. Most of my past 50mm lenses were either f/1.7 or f/1.8. And while it’s not too much difference between the two apertures, there is plenty different between the two lenses. The AI-S Nikkor 50/1.4 carries forward the tradition of the fast Nikon 50 Nikon would be the first camera company to introduce such a lens back in 1950. And while optically, the formula has changed, the AI-S version is theRead More →

By:
On:
In: Optical Review Blogs
With: 0 Comments

The first SLR camera I owned, a Minolta SR-T 102, came with the non-X version of this lens. Aside from a Kiron zoom lens, the Rokkor PF 50/1.7, was the lens that lived on that camera. And when I got the newer version, I made sure that even though I gave up my Minolta bodies, I kept a lot of my good Rokkor glass. And I’m glad I did, while these days I use the 45/2 pancake more, I make sure never to let this general-purpose, everyday use, fast prime that will never let you down. Lens Specifications Make: Minolta Model: MC Rokkor-X PF 1:1.7Read More →

By:
On:
In: Photography
With: 0 Comments

Statistically, the last week of January is the coldest of the year. But if there’s one thing for sure these days, things aren’t exactly what they’re supposed to be in the world. But like anything connected to the Toronto Film Shooters, sometimes things aren’t exactly right in our own heads either. We tend to head out rain, snow, and even the deep cold. So of course on what is supposed to be the coldest day of the year, TFS Super Friend, Toni, organised a photo walk in downtown Burlington, Ontario. Now Burlington is no stranger to the Toronto Film Shooters, our pinhole event took placeRead More →

By:
On:
In: Photography
With: 0 Comments

I’m a fan of public transit. Especially unique transit options. Think the wild noise and general grime of the NYC subway. The PCC like cars that still run as subways in Boston. Or the Toronto Streetcar network. A call back to the early days of the city’s transit system and one of the only major streetcar networks left running in North America. And on the 29th of December 2019 marked both an anniversary and the end of an era. For that day marked not only the first time the Canadian Light Rail Vehicle first rode on the networks for the Toronto Transit Commission back inRead More →

By:
On:
In: Project:1867
With: 0 Comments

The sheer amount of aid rendered to the Canadian Rebels and the fact that many raids by the rebels came from the United States again proved that Canada remained open to invasion as it always had before the rebellions and even before the War of 1812. It also showed that the post-war practice of reducing colonial garrisons as a cost-saving measure might not have been the best option indicated in the fact that Bond-Head sent all the regular troops in Upper Canada to shore up Colborne in Lower Canada. While the militia enjoyed many victories in 1837 but these were against poorly armed and leadRead More →

By:
On:
In: Project:1867
With: 0 Comments

The rebellion was over, long live the rebellion. The one thing that surprised me that even after the failures of Duncombe and MacKenzie at London and Toronto and after they had fled to the United States and MacKenzie had set up his dream state, the Republic of Canada the violence did not end there and nor did the rebellion. But was the violence that made up the grossly over-named Patriot War part of the Rebellion or was it something else. The troubles that continued throughout all of 1838; I have chosen to split the troubles into three parts all held together by a common theme,Read More →