Shooting X-ray films has been relatively niche in the still photography field, but it can often be a lower cost per shot when shooting sheet film. This isn’t the first time I’ve reviewed or used a former medical X-ray film stock; the first was Washi F, which produced some magical results. The second was a non-medical X-Ray film, Washi I. So when I was offered a chance to try out the FPP X-ray film in 35mm, I wasn’t about to say no. This is a reasonably fast film for what it is, rated at ASA-200 but can be shot up to ASA-400. It is uniqueRead More →

I first discovered a package of Kodak Microdol-X in the back of an old camera shop in Pittsburg, PA. Microdol-X was Kodak’s original fine-grain developer before being supplanted by Kodak Xtol. Although both But Microdol-X was much loved by those who used it and I’ll admit, it’s an excellent developer. Thankfully as a powder developer even those old pouches have a long shelf life, but the supply is limited. Thankfully the fine folks at LegacyPro have an answer, Mic-X, a complete clone of the original Microdol-X that uses all the original times and dilutions. Technical Details Manufacturer: LegacyPro Name: Mic-X Primary Developer: Metol Type: Reusable/One-ShotRead More →

While every type of review I write comes with unique problems, nothing is more challenging than writing a film review. Film reviews have been done for years, mostly in dusty photographic journals and magazines and reviewed under exact conditions and in large quantities. If I tried to follow these methods, it would take me years to complete and require a large volume of films, cameras, lenses, and equipment I need more room for. Like all my reviews, I set out my method to work within the realms of what I wanted these reviews to cover: the basics. I’ve aimed these at beginner and intermediate photographersRead More →

Hot show based lightmeters are nothing new, one of the first accessories I got for my Barnack Leica was a Voitlander VCII and even before that Leitz released their own dedicated shoe mounted meter for the M-Series of rangefinders. But ever since the release of the Reveni Labs LM-1, there has been a massive upsurge of similar OLED based shoe meters. So when I was contacted by AstriHori if I wanted to review their newest shoe meter, the Lightmeter II or XH-2 I jumped at the chance. I had heard of AstriHori in passing mostly through ads on my social media feeds but also withRead More →

Have you ever wanted to see outside of our visual spectrum? Well then maybe infrared photography is for you! While true Infrared films are long gone, these days we have a tonne of films that can, when properly filtered expose the infrared light. Among these films sits FPP Infrared B&W, the original film stock is unknown, but it does do exactly what it says on the tin, it is a film that can be shot both filtered and unfiltered and produces images that can only be described as magic! For this review, I went with a mixed approach to filtration, shooting the first roll withoutRead More →

Like the legend of the phoenix, huh All ends with beginnings What keeps the planet spinning, ah The force from the beginning, hm, look Get Lucky – Daft Punk ft. Pharrell Williams, Nile Rodgers If there was one thing I did not have on my 2023 Bingo card was the release of a brand new colour film, at least not from Harman Photo. Harman Photo is under the same umbrella of Ilford Photo, but is colour film side of Harman Technologies. Now, you’re probably wondering why I waited until the spring of 2024 to review the film? The reason is simple, the first several monthsRead More →

What was I thinking…. If there is one negative size format that I have been actively ignoring since I started to review cameras is half-frame. And there is a good reason for this, I struggle to finish off a roll of 36-exposures. And when it comes to half-frame in the realm of 35mm, 36 exposures turns into 72-exposures on a roll, even if I got a 24-exposure roll I’m still staring down the barrel of 48-frames. But it seems that half-frame has gotten a bit of a revival with more people wanting to increase the number of shots on a roll especially with the costRead More →

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 →

It has been some time since I wrote a verse post, so it’s time I tried this again. But rather than pitting cameras against each other, I will be pitting developers against each other. The idea behind this came from my good friend James Lee, who loves to show off the power of the Fuji Acros 100 when it is slightly overexposed and developed in Ilford Perceptol. I’ve worked with this combination, and it is impressive. Recently, James has also been working with 510-Pyro. I asked myself which is better, namely when put head-to-head, Perceptol and 510-Pyro? The setup is a simple one, I haveRead More →

Everyone needs a space where they can escape to, get out of the grind that is work. For me that spot is close to where I work, and some parts are technically still on the Sheridan Campus. I’m talking of the McCraney Valley. This little trail takes the name of one of the early families that settled in the Trafalgar Township in the area that would become part of the modern town of Oakville, Ontario. While mostly I only frequent a small part of the trail, today I’m going to go along the entire length of the trail from where it starts at Upper MiddleRead More →