Looking at Cameras, Lens, Films, Development, tips, tricks, and techniques for all things related to Film Photography!
The podcast Classic Camera Revival is created by Alex Luyckx. The podcast and the artwork on this page are embedded on this page using the public podcast feed (RSS).
If you're looking for a photographer doing exciting things in the fashion field, especially with experimentation and Kodak Tri-X rolls, look no further than Ted Smith. Ted takes some time to sit down with James Lee for an interview. Together, they discuss his creative work with film, conceptual photoshoots, the creative process, his love of working with people, and portrait photography!
These days, there is a tonne of fantastic film chemistry available, but it can be hard to decide where to go next or even where to start. And while Alex has been developing his film at home for over ten years, he still hasn't touched some developers. But in today's show, he is going to break down a tonne of developers, including Kodak D-76, HC-110, Xtol, Rollei Supergrain, Rodinal, FX-39, Atomal 49, Studional/Hydrofen, Pyro developers and much more. It's a lot of information in a tiny podcast.
Joining Alex and James in the studio today is Andrew Reynolds, a fellow Canadian from the East Coast! Join the trio as they talk about the good things about limiting your camera choices, the joy of photography, Nikon, Lighthouses, and where to explore when visiting Canada's Maritime provinces.
You can check out Andrew's Work on Instagram: instagram.com/randrewreynolds
With September being back-to-school for many, the usual crowd sits down for a roundtable to talk about the lessons they have learned with photography! From handling good business practices, including getting contracts, pricing, and double-checking gear. There are also discussions about chemistry foul-ups, knowing when to give up and realising that some things a deal is too good to be true.
Joining James & Bill on today's show is noted long-time photographer and camera seller Paul RyBolt. Paul is one of several hosts on the Camerosity Podcast and is a wealth of knowledge from the camera retail world, collecting and using all sorts of cameras and film stocks. The conversation covers everything from the vast collections, including Kurt Igram's that Paul has helped sort through to shooting slide film, 6x9, Cibachrome, Corn Sweat, Stereo gear, Ansel Adams as a piano player, and single-malt scotch.
Listen to Camerosity (and even join in): mikeeckman.com/category/camerosity-podcast
Check Out Paul's eBay Store: ebay.com/str/paulkris
Instagram: instagram.com/ryboltcox
You will have to pry these cameras from our cold, dead hands! Yes, back in May, a group of bloggers released another coordinated set of blog posts outlining the five cameras you'll pry from our cold, dead hands! We thought that would be an excellent topic for CCR, so here we are! But we aren't just letting this stay in our hands; we also invited the Toronto Film Shooters Meetup group to join! And it's only fair that our first 'open source' episode includes the TFS, as that is the group that formed the foundation of this podcast! The cameras in today's episode all seem to represent the personalities of the people who shoot them!
It's been a while since we've done an entire episode dedicated to Canon cameras, and today, we have some real treats! We're discussing the earliest Canon cameras, those LTM rangefinders that put Canon on the map and, more importantly, Canon LTM glass; some talk about the AE-1 and AE-1 Programs and a little about choosing the right EOS camera for you. And if you are looking at getting into Canon's rangefinder line, Bill cannot recommend enough the wonderful book Canon Rangefinder Cameras 1933-68 by Peter Dechert! We're also welcoming a special guest who is no stranger to CCR; Alex Smith is back with his extensive collection of Canon LTM glass.
No shade on Polaroid....
Today, we have a pair of Chrises on the show; Chris Erickson is joining Chrissie! If that name isn't familiar, he's Just Another Chris who loves his instant film! He went from producing and being behind the scenes of various other YouTube channels to putting out his own content focused on instant film. He shoots everything from Instax to modern Polaroid. He produces many amazing videos and isn't afraid to present his reviews, warts and all, making his channel one of the best sources for reviews of Polaroid and other Instant products.
You can find Chris' work on the following social channels.
Instagram: instagram.com/just_anotherchris/
YouTube: youtube.com/@JustAnotherChris
Infrared photography is one of the more unique niches of the hobby and can produce some amazing and wild images using light beyond our visible spectrum. In this episode, Alex digs into black-and-white infrared photography specifically. Infrared light is part of the overall electromagnetic spectrum, which includes our human visible light spectrum, which ranges from 380nm to 700nm or violet to red. Most infrared photography uses specialised film and filters to capture light between 700nm and 900nm. Today, we don't have dedicated IR films being newly produced like Kodak HIE, Efke IR820 or Konica Infrared 750, but we do have extended red sensitive films that can get into the near IR range. These films include Rollei Retro 80s, Rollei Superpan 200, Rollei Infrared, Rollei Retro 400s and FPP Black & White Infrared. These films have sensitivities beyond 700nm and between 740 to 750nm. Pairing these films behind a deep red (092/89b) or a true IR filter like a 093, RM90, or R72 filter will produce results typical of a traditional infrared film. You will have to consider the filter factory and over-expose your metering. You can use this website: www.fineart-photography.com to get started. Be prepared to spend a bit extra on the filters as a quality filter, which is an IR filter, will run at least 200 minimum for a quality unit.
We see a little silhouetto of a roll film, and for this episode, we're a little high, a little low because Ilford matters! Yes, this episode is a rhapsody of Ilford films, and we're going from Pan F+ to Delta 3200 and everything in between to discuss what we love about Ilford films, how we use them, development, and shooting them! But why are we focusing on Ilford? Well, that's simple! Ilford has made a constant effort to support the photography community in being able to produce film at scale for the modern market and is often less likely to increase costs. They have options that cover everyone's preferences and needs with a wide range of film speeds and styles and even two amazing budget films that punch well above their weight.
There's a whole lot of nerding out happening in this episode; join Bill and special guest Dan Tamarkin of Tamarkin Camera. Dan is the second-generation owner of Tamarkin Camera. America's premiere Leica Specialist. Started by his father with a roll-top desk, the shop is now in Windy City, Chicago, Illinois. Dan is the go-to guy in the Midwest if you want an honest and real experience buying Leica. But that's not all; Dan also buys and sells a tonne of other camera gear.
Find Tamarkin Camera Online At:
Web: www.tamarkin.com/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/tamarkin_camera/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/tamarkin.camera
https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCt657edYjtaKtvtOQazmA8g
The topic of box cameras hasn't been discussed in a great deal since our first season, so Alex is back with a solo episode about his box camera collection, both his historic cameras and a few modern cameras that may not look like those simple box cameras but are in the same theme. Cameras include several Agfa cameras (Box 50, Click II, Clack and Isoly Jr), a 1915 Kodak Hawk-Eye Model C and modern options like Holga, RETO, and Lomography cameras, from the cameras themselves to having fun and choosing films.
Photography is driven by nostalgia. Photos can take you back to places where you have been; you can see people as they were or even stare into the faces of those who have passed once again. But what about places, cameras and films? Well, that is what the gang sits down to talk about in this episode, as we talk about the powerful memories connected with past cameras, film stocks, and places. Plus, there are some excellent old-fashioned discussions surrounding them.
That's right, we're doing it again with another episode about zoom lenses. While many of us are prime lens sort of people, a zoom lens can offer up a lot of versatility when we either don't want to or cannot, due to space constraints, bring a selection of prime lenses. So with this episode, each of our team members brings up a trio of zoom lenses with the following criteria, one that surprised them with how good it worked, one that they will always reach for, and finally, one that sucked so hard they wanted to toss it in the Hudson River. Please note we had some audio issues with this episode due to equipment issues.
From Plus-X to Panatomic-X and Fujifilm colour stocks, join Alex, Bill and James as they discuss their favourite discontinued film stocks and what they try and do to recreate the magic. While far from perfect, there is a lot you can do with modern emulsions to recreate those looks you enjoyed in the past. Plus, a discussion around how Alex can get that Panatomic look without paying for TMax 100 and retain a classic grain structure. Plus, there was a bit of discussion around what film we'd want to bring back, the new Ferrania P33, and some developer discussion. It's a classic CCR roundtable episode.
While we're still far from summer vacation, many people are already starting to figure out where they're going on holidays this year. As photographers, especially film photographers, it can be challenging to choose what camera(s) to bring and how to keep things to a minimum! There is a temptation to bring everything plus the kitchen sink along for the ride, and if any member of the CCR team knows this full well, it's Alex. But when space is limited, and extra bags cost airlines money, we may need to rethink and start packing a little lighter. This is a follow-up to the original episode recorded in 2015, where Alex discusses his travels in Europe from Europe. But this time around, with another ten years of experience and often some back-breaking loadout, he sits down for a solo show and discusses some ideas on how to travel lighter and get the most bang from a slimmed-down kit.
Family albums, photo projects, books and double exposures. Jess, Chrissie, and Alex all sit down with the talented local Toronto photographer Tawnya Mahoney for our ongoing interview series. If you haven't had the chance to check out Tawnya's feed, you're in for a treat, as her work is intentional, ethereal, and inspired, not to mention her inspired captions that go along with her images. There are lots of double exposures, experimental and wild. And yes, there is a lot of fanning from our host team! And, of course, the usual chat about gear, first cameras, home development, scanning and film choices.
Check out Tawnya on Socials:
Instagram: instagram.com/phototee83
Threads: threads.net/@phototee83
When it comes to Nikon, tons of cameras and lenses are available, and you might feel a bit frozen when making that choice and where to jump in. Well, we aren't going to hide that we're a bunch of Nikon fanboys, so Bill and Alex sit down for a bit of a meandering episode talking about some good places to start when buying Nikon cameras. From the original rangefinders to the mechanical and hybrid SLRs of the 1950s to 1980s. And, of course, the brilliant AF models of the 1990s and 2000s. There's something here for everyone.
Even though this year's winter has not exactly been the best so far, with the lack of snow and almost a continuation of the weather we expect through November, the CCR gang isn't letting that stop them from getting out and enjoying the weather put also preparing for when we finally do get some wonderful winter days with sun and snow. From film to cameras, clothing to best practices, James, Alex and Bill break it all down for when it's cold outside.
As part of revisiting some of our classic episode topics, this episode traces itself back to Season 2, Episode 13. The idea is that it is more important to invest in a lens system for your interchangeable lens systems; camera bodies are often cross-compatible once you're in the mount. Camera bodies come, and camera bodies go, but lenses are forever. In today's episode, each host will discuss a lens system they invested heavily in for their 35mm and 120 systems. While many of us have multiple systems, it would be an incredibly long episode if we all discussed every system. Today, we're talking about two Nikon systems, the autofocus and manual focus (mainly AI(-S)), Canon FD system, Olympus OM-System (manual focus), and in medium format, Pentax 67, Mamiya RB, Mamiya C-Series (TLR), and Mamiya m645!
We're kicking off season ten with a little game, which is much harder than it sounds! Join Alex as he sits down with Daren from Learn Film Photography, Dmitri from Analog Cafe, and Yvonne Hanson, a fashion photographer and YouTuber who are the force behind the online game "What the Film", a game that pits your knowledge of film stocks against the images created by members of the online community. The conversation also spills over into discussing everyone's plans for 2024, what got them into photography and a little tasty camera made from Gingerbread.
You can play the game at https://www.analog.cafe/app/what-the-film and see how you stack up.
You can also find a couple of demos online:
YouTube (Learn Film Photography): youtube.com/watch?v=4yVNyTqXerQ
YouTube (Yvonne): youtube.com/watch?v=VBjHHT9dI5k
Darren
Web: www.learnfilm.photography
Instagram: instagram.com/learnfilm.photography
YouTube: youtube.com/@LearnFilmPhotography
Yvonne Hanson
Web: yhansonphotography.ca/blog
Instagram: instagram.com/yhanson_photography
YouTube: youtube.com/@YvonneHansonPhotography
Dmitri
Web: www.analog.cafe
Instagram: instagram.com/analog_cafe
YouTube: youtube.com/@analog_cafe
Well, we made it to the end of another year, and the whole team is back around the table for one final episode, including a special guest, John Meadows. If you remember, at the start of the year, we all shared some of our photographic and personal goals, so we're coming back around and sharing how we all did. Not to feel guilty if we didn't make it but rather to be encouraging. The team also discusses the joy of photography and what photography can bring during the holiday season.
Here are some handy links for those new to the show this season!
CCR Episode Archive: alexluyckx.com/blog/classic-camera-revival-episode-list
CCR Facebook Page: facebook.com/classiccamerarevival
CCR Instagram: instagram.com/classiccamerarevival
Our host's Instagram Accounts
John Meadows (Emeritus): instagram.com/johngmeadows
James Lee: instagram.com/james.lee.photo
Bill Smith: instagram.com/wbsmith200
Jess Hobbs: instagram.com/jesshobbsphoto
Alex Luyckx: instagram.com/alexluyckxphoto
Chris Wu: instagram.com/wutography
The Frugal Film Project is a collective photography challenge to help reign in the cost of photography. Starting in 2018, it encourages using budget cameras, lenses, and film over a year. The framework in which those participating work includes a camera/lens that costs no more than 75$ (USD) and a relatively inexpensive film (no Portra). And shooting one roll of film a month. Bill has been participating in this for several years now. This year marked the first time Alex joined in, so we're bringing in a small cross-section of those who participated in a couple of chats on today's episode. This is the first time CCR has done a round-table 'open source' style episode, so it is split into two parts recorded on two separate days. If you want to join in on next year's FFP, you can head over to the Facebook group and join in the fun!
To Find the Frugal Film Project...
Facebook: Official FFP Facebook Group
Instagram: instagram.com/frugalfilmproject
Web: rr1photography.com
The Original 'Zine: magcloud.com
Throughout its history, Nikon cameras have been primarily aimed at the professional market, from their stunning rangefinders in the S-Range to the original Nikon F and beyond. However, the mid-century and post-war economic boom brought a new group of photographers, the advanced consumer. Now, hobbyist photographers have always been around. These new photographers want access to the same quality cameras and optics as the professionals. And while Canon and Minolta were certainly starting to fill that gap, Nikon wanted a piece of the action. While their initial offerings under the Nikkorex line fell flat, save the Nikkorex F, it was their second attempt, the Nikkormat or Nikkomat line of SLRs, that proved to be successful. And these lovely cameras make for an excellent addition to any Nikon photographer. What set these cameras apart is that Nikon went with the Copal Square shutter for each camera, starting with the Nikkorex F rather than building in-house shutters. Also, the Nikkormat EL is the first Nikon camera with a semi-automatic exposure system. Overall, the Nikkormat line was replaced by the small-form-factor SLRs of the FM and the FE.
Nikkormat FT (1965) - The Original Nikkormat body that featured a full F-Mount (Pre-AI) and a metered prisim using the same metering technology as the Nikon Photomic T metering head.
Nikkormat FS (1965) - An unmetered version of the Nikkormat FT.
Nikkormat FTn (1967) - An improved version of the Nikkormat FT, it now uses a classic 60/40 center-weighted metering. An improved match needle display in the viewfinder. The FTn underwent a number of changes over the course of the camera's production that lasted for nearly a decade.
Nikkormat EL (1972) - Uses a CdS meter cell and provides semi-automatic aperture priority auto-exposure.
Nikkormat FT2 (1975) - Rolled all the improvements of the FTn into a single camera, and changed the power source from a mercury cell to a silver oxide cell.
Nikkormat ELW (1975) - Basically the same camera as the EL, but added the contacts for the AW-1 autowinder.
Nikkormat FT3 (1977) - Basically took everything from the FT2, but updated the mount to accept the new AI lenses natively.
Nikon EL2 (1977) - An improved ELW, with a SPD metering cell, AI lens support (native).
It's been a while since we've interviewed a fellow film photographer, and today, joining Bill and Alex, is Suzanne Pedersen, a Colorado-based photographer who loves film! And you may have heard her on the Gen-X Photography Podcast! In the episode, we talk about Suzanne's journey as a photographer, a little Nikon GAS and some talk about going to a large format camera.
You can find more of Suzanne's Work Online
Web: https://www.suzannepedersen.com/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/b.roll.backup/
Gen-X Photography Podcast: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/gen-x-photography/id1494585131
In my experience, there's no such thing as luck - Obi Wan Kenobi
From an RB67 purchased behind a Tim Horton's Dumpster, a sketchy FM, endless Polaroid Cameras, and an over-engineered German Camera, the team at CCR have had some bad luck. So today, for our Friday the 13th Episode, we're digging into our unlucky cameras, films, and developers. But we're also discussing ways to make our luck through careful planning, strategic retreats and experimentation.
Everyone knows and loves the various cameras: FM, FE, FM2, FM2n, and FE2. But there are a series of cameras that are part of the minor F's that make some significant technological splashes and some belly flops that are generally not as well known or are out of reach of the average photographers. These cameras were used to experiment with new technologies before they hit the big times with professional cameras. First is the Nikon FG, produced from 1982 to 1984; it was the first camera from Nikon to have full auto-exposure and semi-automatic and metered-manual modes. The Nikon FA, released in 1983, had a new matrix-metering system that used an internal CPU to determine the exposure based on multi-pattern detection. Produced from 2001 to 2006, the FM3a is the perfect hybrid of the FE2 and FM2n; it is a fully electro-mechanical camera with semi-automatic aperture priority metering and functions as a manual camera when no battery is present. And then there is the FM10, a camera in Nikon name and mount only, aimed as back-to-basic student cameras that were contract builds from Cosina and based on the Cosina CT1 Super but with several customizations not available on the stock model. These included the Nikon F-Mount, depth-of-field preview, meter activation button, and multi-exposure override. Released in 1995, they remained on the market until 2015.
The world of SLRs changed with the release of the OM-System from Olympus. It proved you could have a professional, high-end SLR in a small package. Nikon, at the time, was producing high-end but large cameras. While the F and F2 were solid performers in the professional market, their Nikkormat line of cameras proved popular. It would make the perfect camera to scale down to produce the next generation of advanced consumer SLRs. It also helped the Nikon recently did their first update on the iconic F-Mount, introducing Automatic Indexing or AI. This mount was first introduced in the final two models of the Nikkormat line, the FT3 and EL2. Nikon released the Nikon FM in 1977, an all-mechanical, metered manual camera, and the FE, a semi-automatic aperture priority camera 1978. These were followed up by improved models, the FM2 in 1982 that upped the shutter speed to 1/4000s but retained full mechanical metered-manual operation. It was superseded in mid-1983 by the FM2n that made some minor adjustments, notably changing the sync speed from 1/200s to 1/250s. The FE2 in 1983 carried over similar specs to the FM2n but maintained the aperture-priority metering. While the FE2 ceased production in 1987, it remained on sale until 2001. The FM2n, however, did change to an aluminium shutter in the early 1990s and remained in production until 2001.
Cameras In Today's Show
While we have given cameras like the F, F2, and F3 their own separate episodes, the final three "Big F's" in Nikon's lineup were more evolutions of each other and were a radical departure from the previous manual cameras of the group. So on today's episode, we dig into the F4, F5, and the F6 to wrap this series up (finally). Like the original F, the F4 did not come out of a vacuum but rather from a combination of other cameras that acted as proof of concepts. The first is the Nikon FG which gave Nikon their first complete AE SLR, then the Nikon FA, which offered Matrix metering, and finally, the F-501, which introduced the original form of autofocus. These all culminated in 1988's Nikon F4. Again turning to the design first of Giroetto Giugiaro, the new design was big, bulky, and retained much of the manual control surfaces that many photographers were used to during this period. The camera won a design award that year, and despite being polarising, it proved that professional cameras could have full AE, integrated motor drives and, more importantly, autofocus. The F4 also has matrix metering; you could add a 250-shot magazine, use pre-AI lenses, and swap out the battery grips to add specific features and increase the frame rate in burst mode. The main weak point in the camera is the autofocus; it's far from perfect and often described as slow in a modern context. But already looking forward, in the early 1990s, Nikon was again improving their cameras. Using things like the F90(x) to move to more buttons, menus and dial-style interface and building a single unibody camera, the F5 arrived in 1998. The F5 proved to be the ultimate culmination of all the previous cameras. An improved 3D Colour Matrix Metering, limited support for manual focus lenses, but full autofocus support even for the new G-Type lenses. Plus, support for AF-S and VR-equipped lenses. The unibody design housed the 8 AA batteries. But unlike previous cameras, there were limited abilities to modify the camera. You could swap out the prism heads and add a databack (the MF-28 is the one you want), but that was about it. But the F5 left a lasting impression as the unibody design was carried over to the first pro digital SLR, the D1 and continued well into the last pro-SLR, the D5. But most pros had gone digital when the F5 ended production in 2004. But there was still a market segment that wanted to shoot 35mm. Meet the F6, a film camera born out of the digital age. With a look and feel similar to the digital SLRs of the era, the D2x and D200, this camera is chock-full of the best metering, autofocus, and other features. Plus, you could add or remove the battery grip to ensure the best use of space. And you had far better support for manual focus lenses (just not pre-AI), with full 3D Colour Matrix Metering. These days all three cameras are excellent performers; it's a matter of figuring out what you want.
This year marks the 10th anniversary of the Toronto Film Shooters Meetup. Our co-founder Alex started the initiative and noticed a post on the old APUG Toronto subforum wanting more film photography-centred meetups in the GTA. Having <a href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/axle81401/albums/72157626501869889" rel="noopener" target="_blank">co-hosted an APUG/FPP meetup</a> in May 2011, attended <a href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/axle81401/albums/72157626747162333" rel="noopener" target="_blank">another APUG event later in the month</a>. And also having attended <a href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/axle81401/albums/72157630286361848" rel="noopener" target="_blank">Photostock in 2012</a> along with a <a href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/axle81401/albums/72157633984917196" rel="noopener" target="_blank">2013 APUG events in North-East Ohio</a>. He felt ready to start organizing a large-scale regional event four times a year. So in <a href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/axle81401/sets/72157647846763420/" rel="noopener" target="_blank">July 2013, the very first TFS event</a> took place at Toronto's Evergreen Brick Works. And while the group has grown and changed and even survived a global pandemic, it is still a driving force within the film photography community through the GTA and beyond! You can check out <a href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/axle81401/sets/72177720309727854/" rel="noopener" target="_blank">Alex's photos from the event on Flickr</a>. Looking to join a future walk, or just like the idea of the TFS, you can <a href="https://www.facebook.com/groups/1111824998862507" rel="noopener" target="_blank">join our group on Facebook</a>! Or make sure to check out <a href="https://www.instagram.com/torontoanalogfriends/" rel="noopener" target="_blank">Toronto Analog Friends over on Instagram</a> and join <a href="https://discord.com/invite/q7Xxf74c2T" rel="noopener" target="_blank">their Discord</a> for meetup details.
In today's episode, we are happy to welcome Kelsey Smith to the podcast. If you haven't been paying attention to Social Media, Kelsey is a relative newcomer to the Internet and is busy outputting a tonne of online and physical content. Kelsey's work is beautiful, bordering on nostalgia, and he even recently released a new book on his hometown. So please tune in and hear about Kelsey's journey and his application of Psychology & Sociology in their photography. You can pick up a copy <a href="https://kelseysmithphotography.net/photo-books/p/please-dont-leave-me-book" rel="noopener" target="_blank">their book through the website</a>!
Web: <a href="https://kelseysmithphotography.net/" rel="noopener" target="_blank">kelseysmithphotography.net</a>
Instagram: <a href="https://www.instagram.com/kelseysmithphotography/" rel="noopener" target="_blank">instagram.com/kelseysmithphotography</a>
Facebook: <a href="https://www.facebook.com/KelseySmithPhotos/" rel="noopener" target="_blank">facebook.com/KelseySmithPhotos</a>
YouTube: <a href="https://www.youtube.com/channel/UChw7eVEUtSgLaL0VpXR_niA" rel="noopener" target="_blank">youtube.com/channel/UChw7eVEUtSgLaL0VpXR_niA</a>
Twitter: <a href="https://twitter.com/NotKelseySmith" rel="noopener" target="_blank">twitter.com/NotKelseySmith</a>
Joining Bill, James, and Alex is the dynamic duo, Jeff and Gabe, the folks behind the I Dream of Cameras podcast. Together they talk about all things gear, from the X-Pan to the rare Ilford Witness. Other head-turning cameras, even the simple Canon EF-Mount, and Nikon F-Mount. And a rant against electronic cameras. Life in Northern Ontario from Muskoka to the far north.
You can follow along IDC at the following spots.
Web: idreamofcameras.com
Instagram: instagram.com/idreamofcameras
YouTube: youtube.com/@IDreamofCameras
Twitter: twitter.com/idreamofcameras
It has been a while since we last visited the topic of film developers. So in today's episode Alex sits down to talk about some of the more exoctic developers that have poured their way through his chemistry kit recently. These include a lovely elevated general purpose developer in Fotospeed FD10, a couple of high-contrast developers with Kodak D-19 and Fomadon LQR. Then Rodinal's cousin, R09 Spezial, and even a colour developing kit, the FPP Super Colour Negative ECN-2 kit. Alex also digs into how he tests and reviews film developers, and it isn't that scientific, and you know that's okay!
FPP Super Color Negative ECN-2 Kit
Compard R09 Spezial
Purchase R09 Spezial or Hydrofen
Purchase FPP Super Color Negative ECN-2
Purchase Formulary D-19
Purchase Fomadon LQR
When it comes to photography, there's always something extra you can get, and often these accessories are also the key to getting you things from here to there, getting the shot how you visualise it, nailing that exposure, keeping camera shake down, and all that other jazz. So the whole gang is here today to discuss everything from filters to camera bags, backpacks, straps, light meters and cable releases. Today's show discusses Think Tank, Peak Design, Domke, Lowepro, MEC, Sekonic, Tiffen, Reveni Labs, Lasolite, and many more.
Today Jess and Chris sit down with renowned mid-west large format photographer Sarah Stellino. Topics include portraiture, farm work, parenthood, and being queer within the wider photography community. And, of course, a deep dive into working with large format cameras and portrait work. And a special thanks to Taylor (IG: instagram.com/taylarlar) for taking the stunning portrait of Sarah used in the banner image for the episode.
Find Sarah's work at:
Instagram: instagram.com/sarahstellinophoto
Website: sarahstellinophoto.com
Bill and Alex sit down with Molly Kate, better known online as Eclectachrome! We discuss science fiction, accounting, professional photography, film, and cameras. Also, discussing travel, pizza, the Frugal Film Project, and more. It was a lot of fun to sit down with Molly (finally) and talk about so many different things!
Facebook: facebook.com/profile.php?id=100091648621268
Instagram: instagram.com/eclectachrome
YouTube: youtube.com/@Eclectachrome
Website: eclectachrome.com
Twitter: twitter.com/eclectachrome
Substack: eclectachrome.substack.com
Everyone's photographic journey is different, but they all move around in strange and unique ways. Sometimes a new medium makes a new path clear, or you could be looping backing to rediscover an old favourite technique, medium, style or piece of kit. No matter how your journey takes you, it is your own, so on today's episode, James and Jess welcome Alex Jahr, Jamie Marcellus, and Ted Smith!
You can find our guests on social media at:
Alex: instagram.com/alex.jahr
Jamie: instagram.com/jsmarcellusphoto
Ted: instagram.com/tedsmith_photography
It's been a long time since we've had a show where we shouted into the void, so we're shouting again and going on about some of the stranger decisions of the photographic industry has taken throughout their histories. We will avoid some of the more recent news coming out of Kodak Alaris, but we will dig into some of the more interesting historical choices of companies. Join John, Bill, Jess, Alex & James as we cover things from 620 Film, 828 Film, the Mamiya Universal, strange lenses, and early tech that didn't work out or last as long as people thought! This episode also marks the final episode for our long-time co-host John Meadows. He has been a stalwart of our team since our first episode and our tireless sound engineer and editor. This is, of course, not goodbye, as he will be returning on occasion.
Matt from ReveniLabs joins Alex for an update on the latest from ReveniLabs! And things have been busy since the release of the brilliant spot meter. This time Matt is pushing a new incident and reflective meter that is unique in the sense that it is designed to slip over your fingers. It looks like a knuckleduster. The meter is designed to take both incident and reflective meter readings. It also can do flash metering, calculate flash power, and take the colour temperature. All readings are displayed on a small screen and controlled with a four-way joystick. The device is clean and well designed and fits in hand. Matt has also created a home multi-tank automated film developing system named DUNKBOT. This can run through multiple chemical tanks, complete agitation, heating, filling, and program in your favourite methods. Perfect for black & white along with colour development. If this interests you, why not head to Kickstarter and support the Dunkbot! And finally, a smaller device to help pull your film negatives into your print files without them binding or sticking.
You can find all you need from ReveniLabs in the following places.
Website: www.reveni-labs.com
Instagram: www.instagram.com/revenilabs/
Facebook: www.facebook.com/revenilabs/
In this episode, Alex sits down with James Lane, the high-priest of 510-Pyro. They discuss the starting of Zone Imaging and where 510-Pyro comes from. Dealing with Internet trolling and what's next for Zone Imaging in taking film chemistry into the 21st Century.
If you are looking for Sources for 510-Pyro and Zone Imaging Products, you can purchase them through the following retailers: Analogue Wonderland, Firstcall Photographic, Parallax Photographic, Process Supplies, Silverprint, Speed Graphic, Analog Space, Fotoimpex, Retrocamera, Sagrada Pelicula, CatLabs of JP, Freestyle, Northeast Photographic, Analogtheroom, Thuong Xanh,
Not ready to jump onto the self-development and 510-Pyro bandwagon? These labs will do the work for you!
Analogue Films, Come Through, East Coast, Leicester Lo-Fi, Silverpan, Traia, CatLabs of JP, Gelatin Labs, North East Photographic, Analog Space, Sagrada Pelicula, Analogtheroom, LLab, Thuong Xanh
Today Bill Smith sits down with Amy Jasek, better known as Texas Girl Photography across the wide Internet World and is a regular contributor to the Film Shooter Collective. Amy and Bill talk about her inspiration from her father in the wide world of photography. Her first camera and the lessons he taught her on developing and printing in a darkroom. Even if it was only hanging out with her dad and growing up with photography, her passion for the craft came in her 20s. Also, the importance of dabbling and photographing what you love and are interested in photographing. The love of cameras, printing, and the frugal film project all come up throughout the episode.
You can find Amy's work online at:
Web: texasgirlphotography.com
Instagram: instagram.com/amyjasek
As a podcast that promotes ourselves as helping to feed photographers GAS (Gear Acquisition Syndrom), it can be a breath of fresh air to help people find ways to reduce the amount of GAS that they suffer from. But in light of our previous episode and talking about keeping things simple, the team decided to sit down and discuss ways to help reduce GAS. Through everything from looking critically at your gear to determining what you needed and wanted to do with your equipment. And how to help get this gear into other people's hands who will use it rather than let it sit collecting dust. And how to still get that thrill of the purchase by spending money wisely, getting a new lens, flash, filter or a roll of your favourite film. Not always go with the cheap option just because you can, but you will miss out on the camera you want. The team then gets into a good set of roundtable questions about photography in general and getting started.
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!
Did you know our team is all on Instagram? You can follow our accounts if you like our work or want to get the inside track of our goals!
Alex Luyckx - @AlexLuyckxPhoto
John Meadows - @JohnGMeadows
Bill Smith - @wbsmith200
Jess Hobbs - @JessHobbsPhoto
James Lee - @james.lee.photo
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.
There are no saxophone solos in this episode because we aren't heading into the Danger Zone, but rather the Dangerfield Zone. Join Alex, John, and Bill as they discuss cameras and films that just get no respect! Subjects include Miranda Cameras, the Nikon FM10, Nikkormats, 200-Speed B&W films, Fomapan 100 and Fuji Superia 200!
Let’s face it; film photography can be fairly frustrating. A lot can go wrong, and some things can be more difficult when viewed through a modern context. But then there are some cameras, films, and processes that can be worth the effort as they deliver results that are something unique or special. So join Alex, John, and Bill as they discuss what they think is worth the effort!
Topics on Today's Episode Include
As a follow-up to part one, where the team tackled the black & white motion picture films that have been creeping into the still photography lane, on this episode, we're talking about the colour films that are available from the motion picture world that are becoming popular among still photographers as they are more readily available. But we are also bringing in some ringers, Bill Manning and Christina Haley from the Atlanta Film Co, to give us a breakdown and something Euphoric! The Atlanta Film Co is a collaboration between Bill Manning (formerly of the Studio C-41 1 Hour Podcast), Christian Haley (Lab Manager) and Michael Beattie of Dunwoody Photo. Dunwoody was formed out of the former Wolf Camera when that store shut down to continue a full wet lab service, including film processing and true RA4 printing. Designed to serve the Dunwoody neighbourhood of Atlanta, GA, they quickly found themselves the only lab in the area that provided this service. But like all film shops these days, they began to see a major shortage of colour negative film that had gained popularity. So the Atlanta Film Co was formed to provide a ready supply of Kodak Vision3 motion picture film and to try ECN-2 processing for those using the film in their still cameras. ECN-2 processing is provided by the nearby Kodak Motion Picture Film Lab, and AFC makes two weekly runs to and from that lab. And the best part is that they offer up their worldwide sales and services (including ECN-2 processing)! The Atlanta Film Co stocks and sells Kodak Vision3 500T, 200T and 250D as their core colour negative films. But recently, they started selling Eastman E100D Colour Reversal 7294, which sells under the Euphoric 100 name. inspired by cinematographer Marcell Rév's use of the film in the show's second season and his cross-processing 7294 in ECN-2 chemistry. This inspired the name Euphoric 100, and the response has been mind-blowing.
If you want to pick up some Euphoric 100 or other Vision3 offerings, check out the Atlanta Film Co at the following locations!
Web: atlantafilmco.com
Web: dunwoodyphoto.com
Instagram: instagram.com/dunwoodyphoto
Instagram: instagram.com/atlantafilm.co
The 1970s were weird. Polyester leisure suits, disco, drugs, and all the euphoria of the post-war boom before the crashing realisation of the 1980s. But it also was a major turning point for the photography market. You had the small form factor SLR hit the stage with the Olympus OM-1 and the beginnings of automation through electronics. Many camera makers picked a direction and went with it, but Canon, Canon had to be different. They went both ways and produced two forms of semi-automatic cameras, the EF and the A-1. So in today's episode, Bill and John decide to take these two cameras out but shoot the one they aren't used to. Bill takes on the Canon A-1 while John carries around the Canon EF.
The team here digs into the cursed cameras as we get into the spooky season. Those that never worked right or had something strange going on made us want to call in a young priest and an old priest. These cameras include the Zenit 3m that John kept trying to find a working body, but at least got that sweet Helios 44 lens (in m39 mount), and even his one working body ended up having shutter issues. Bill and the Canon F-1 with a mysterious light leak due to a bad repair job. Alex and his struggles with the iconic Argus C3 and the strange tale of Nikon's first attempt at a consumer line of cameras, the Nikkorex 35|2.
In today's episode, the team sets about discussing their favourite single malt scotches and whiskeys, well, not really. We consume some fine single-malt during our lively discussion about developing tanks and different systems for home processing, from the simple to the complex, steel, plastic, and constant rotation. In today's episode, we discuss the Hewes branded Steel reels and tanks, Paterson Super System 3 and 4, AP Processing Tanks, JOBO, AuRA and B's Processor.
We're going back to the Mystery Camera Challenge, only this time Alex is picking out cameras for the team from his collection and choosing cameras that will certainly challenge the folks who are used to certain types and styles of cameras. At the same time, Alex takes on a camera from John's collection. The team also discusses tips and techniques for photographing the fall colours that will be coming sooner rather than later.
Cameras Featured
Minolta Weathermatic 35DL, Holga 120N, Agfa Isoly Jr, Graflex Century 35
Falling for Fall
While it's only the first week of September, now is the time to prepare for those fall colours in the next couple of months. You're going to start to see the sun going down earlier, making it easier for those beautiful golden hours which light up the colours of the leaves. As for the film, you will want to choose ones with a warm colour palette; for the slide film, that is Fujifilm Provia 100F; if you want something in C-41, Kodak Gold 200 or Ultramax 400 are excellent choices. Kodak Ektachrome E100 is a good choice if you want to cool things down. If you are a sucker for intense saturation, try Fujifilm Velvia 50 and Kodak Ektar 100. Or even give the new CineStill 400D a try; that will make the reds pop and glow! When you're out, try to meter and shoot for highlights, this will help get those colours to pop and try and aim for good side light; early evening and mid-mornings are your friends at this time of year. Don't procrastinate; get out if you see that things are exactly how you want them; a delay could mean the difference between colour and nothing. And, of course, keep an eye out for those colour forecasts; they will help you plan your timeline.
While Film Photography has been around for a while, some recent developments have occurred within the hobby and community. So in today's episode, Alex, James, John, and Bill sit down to discuss the recently B&W developers they've been using and the newest photo-sharing site, Grainery!
Developers Featured
SPUR HRX
510-Pyro
Flic Film Black/White & Green
Grainery
Bill Smith - https://grainery.app/u/wbsmith200
Alex Luyckx - https://grainery.app/u/alexluyckxphoto
John Meadows - https://grainery.app/u/johnmeadows
James Lee - https://grainery.app/u/jamesleephoto
While we might be heading into the last days of Summer, that doesn't mean we can't look back and look forward to next year with the team's favourite choices for film stocks during the hot and humid days of Canadian Summer. So join Alex, James, Jess, Bill and John and beat the heat with a cold beer.
Films Featured On Today's Episode Include:
Lomography Lomochrome Purple XR
Kodak Gold 200
Rollei Retro 80s
Rollei RPX 25
CineStill 400D
Kodak TMax 100
In today's episode, joining James, Bill, and John are two fellow film photographers, podcasters, YouTubers, and generally all-around amazing people, Matt Murray and Lucy Lumen from Australia. The team talks about all things film photographers across two parts of the British Commonwealth.
You can find them if you aren't following Matt and Lucy on Socials.
Matt
Matt Loves Cameras on Apple Podcasts
Instagram @mattlovescameras
YouTube @Matt Loves Cameras
Lucy
Lucy Lumen's Podcast Adventure On Apple Podcasts
Instagram @lucy_lumen
YouTube @Lucy Lumen's Analog Adventures
One thing that always happens is that as a photographer you usually end up with a camera that belonged to a family member, or maybe a family member encouraged you through the gift of a camera and guidance with using it. So in today's episode Alex, John, and Bill each tell a short story about those special cameras that have a family connection.
Cameras Featured In Today's Episode
It's our annual episode where the entire show is taken over by an all-women team! So join Chris and Jess as they host a roundtable with a group of amazing photographers!
After a long delay, we're continuing our drive into the professional model Nikon SLRs. The third version or Nikon F3 came out in 1981 and marked a major shift both in design and internals. The Nikon F3 relied on battery power, went with a sleek new all-black design and had a proper industrial design to back up the change!
Suppose you've been living under a rock. In that case, the name Lina Bessonova may not be familiar to you, but if you're active on social media and deep in the online film photography community, then the name Lina Bessonova! And today, she sits down with the team at CCR to discuss anything from her favourite camera (the Yashica-D) to her inspirations, favourite film stocks, artistic vision, subjects, and darkroom printing.
You should check out her social media presence!
Instagram: instagram.com/linabessonova.photography
YouTube: youtube.com/c/linabessonova
In this episode, we're talking all things medium format while poking a little fun at the widespread misinterpretation of 120 film as "120mm film." We're tackling everything from cameras to negative sizes and even lenses aimed at the popular format that has been around for over 100 years now and isn't going away anytime soon. Especially with Kodak Gold 200 in 120 format and CineStill trying to bring back 220 film! In full disclosure, 120mm film did exist, but it's more closely tied to a large format as 120mm is 12cm which is about 4.5 inches. Surprisingly some films have the 120mm measurement; there are 1898’s 113 (90×120mm) and 114 (120x90mm) formats. If you're already seeing something and that these roll films are all numerical formats, with the first roll film released in 1881 being 101, going all the way to 119, which means that 120 film were first released in 1901 following the sequence already laid out.
You have to remember, when it comes to the standard 35mm film almost everyone shoots or has shot once in their life didn't start its life as a stock for still photography. It was originally designed for motion picture production by splitting 70mm film in half. While there has been a divergence between still image film and motion picture film, shooting cine film in still cameras has become a popular option for photographers. So in today's episode, we're going to be talking about the films that we at CCR love to shoot from the normal to the weird.
Let's face facts, when it comes to film photography it isn't exactly the best for the environment, between water use, packaging, and of course the chemistry there are some serious environmental impacts to consider. But what if there were some things we could do to help reduce our impact on the environment. Well, today we have Darren, a blogger who writes for learnfilm.photography who has been working hard to investigate and put into place some helpful means to reduce our environmental impacts.
Join the crew from Classic Camera Revival as we sit down to a round table episode to discuss anything and everything. We welcome Bill from Studio C-41, Gabe and Jeff from I Dream of Cameras and Andre from Negative Positives for this episode. Buckle up for an alcohol-fuelled marathon episode!
When it comes to photography, despite all the leaps and bounds forward, it has taken since the first image was recorded on a medium using exposure to light. Both the original and second methods are still being practised today in the 21st Century. And like those of the past, the means and procedures are based from magician to apprentice. And I use the term magician purposefully because if you've ever had the pleasure of watching a wet plate photographer in action, it is that, magic. We have two such photographers in today's episode, and both are returning guests to the podcast. First is Shane Balkowitsch, note wet plate photographer and incredibly humble, friendly, and always willing to pass along information, and second is Jamie Marcellus. Jamie recently travelled to Shane's natural light studio in North Dakota to learn the process. Originally invented in 1851 by Frederick Scott Archer, the collodion process improved upon the original Daguerreotype and completely overshadowed it by 1861. And while Wet Plate took a back seat to dry plates, the process is still worked today by less than 1,000 people worldwide. But through people like Shane, he hopes to teach more people and keep the process alive and the access to chemistry available to all who wish to continue the practice. The two talk about their styles throughout the episode and how Jamie has added his touch to his art and process. We also discuss Shane's fantastic work on capturing members of Dakota's indigenous population, people of note in the world today and how to get the right chemicals here in Canada (which is surprisingly easy).
We at Classic Camera Revival are horrified about the ongoing illegal and brutal invasion of Ukraine by forces directed and ordered by Russian President Vladimir Putin. Know that we at CCR stand with the brave defenders of Ukraine, those fleeing the conflict and those in Russia who are being arrested, suppressed from speaking out against their President and the illegal war he is conducting against a sovereign independent nation with its unique history and rich culture. Please consider donating time, money, and effort to support Ukraine, her defenders, and her citizens. Слава Україні!
Everyone has to start somewhere and while we do a lot of assumptions that our regular listeners have been in the game for a while, we've realised that there are probably folks out there who are just getting started. So on today's episode, the team sits down and discusses everything from starter cameras, good film stocks, excellent things to learn and ways to start home processing for those who are dipping their toes into photography and film for the first time!
The year, 1995, the shriek and howl of the dial-up modem sound through the library at Sam Sherratt Middle School in Milton, Ontario. For good or ill the Internet was here to stay. So with all the negativity that has been tossed around of late about the Internet and film photography the gang is here to talk about all the amazing things the Digital Age has to offer film photographers. From Scanning to Web 2.0, Internet Communities and Various Sharing platforms! Despite everything digital has done a lot to keep film photography alive and kicking well into the 21st Century and beyond.
There are no bad batches here, the gang sits down for a lively discussion about rebranding. Let's face it, the idea of rebranding items especially in photography is nothing new. Kodak, Fuji, and Agfa have all sold their films to resellers even putting them in custom cartridges and boxes. Even some camera manufacturers are known to build more cameras for other companies and sell under those names than under their own name. And today the trend continues, with Agfa still making films but as a contract manufacturer with names like Rollei under Maco Direct selling their product, or Fomapan producing films stocks for Kosmo Foto, New Classics, and Lomography. Plus ORWO provides the sweet motion picture film for Lomography and our friends at Cinestill and their use of Kodak Vision3 and Double-X stocks. And being able to get these in medium format! So the team sits down at the table for a lively and sometimes hard to follow the discussion about rebranding and clone products.
The winter is a good time to kick back and enjoy a good movie or TV show, so for our season 8 premiere, the gang is going to talk about our favourite shows that have some feature of photography or a photographer. As a group, our tastes are rather varied and encompasses both fiction, non-fiction and even a bit of anime. The movies and shows featured in today's episode include Blow Up, War Photographer, One Hour Photo, Life, The B-Side, and Area 88!
In our first episode, we discussed those cameras that can take any work we throw their way, and so to close off this season; we're bringing that topic back! What makes things interesting is that some of our choices have changed, and some familiar cameras are still on the table but in different people's hands! And there are no surprises in this list; we have cameras like Hasselblads, Mamiya, Olympus, Nikon, Canon, and Minolta are all in our choices. And when it comes to workhorses, these are cameras that will work in any condition and deliver solid image quality. You also need a camera that you can depend on the metering on the camera, especially if you're working with slide film! You need these cameras to get out of the way, to be not only an extension of your eye but also of your heart. Also, these cameras need to feel right, understanding a camera within your second nature without any real thought to operation. And we end the episode with an excellent discussion about when and where we shoot digital (and yes, we do shoot digital)!
When it comes to Film Photography, most of the technology behind the medium has not changed that much since its inception. But some things are still struggling and need to rest in peace, or often in pieces. The gang sits around and hashes out formats and technologies that need to be put to bed, with items like Selenium Meters, 126 formats, APS, among the things. And they also talk about new advances in film photography and technology behind them like ReveniLabs Meters. Recycling old cameras and lenses from systems that aren't too popular to formulate new cameras again. ReveniLabs and, more specifically, the Press Pan, built from dead Nikon FEs and Mamiya Press lenses.
When it comes to camera gear there are some that have the feels, and there are others that don't have the feels. So in this episode, the gang discusses the cameras that have amazing ergonomics that are a joy to use, others that we tolerate because the image quality is amazing! What cameras are on the table today, some are pretty obvious including the Nikon F4, Hasselblad V System, Olympus OM-2 and the Mamiya m645. And it cannot be an episode about ergonomics without including an Exakta.
While we love shooting and talking about our own cameras, what happens when you're thrown for a loop you can get some interesting results! So with the gang all back together in person, we decided to take this favourite format and take on another mystery camera challenge! This time around we have John, Jess, Bill, and Alex all trading cameras around the table. John takes over Alex's favourite, the Minolta Maxxum 9. Jess getting to work with a beautiful Nikon FM from John. Alex lugging around a beast, the Nikkormat FTn from Bill. And it wouldn't be an MCC without Bill ending up with a red-window medium format. Jess passes along a Halina Prefect Senior to Bill, we've always joked about having a Halina on our show and now it has actually happened.
A solo show, join Alex as he discusses the idea of downsizing a camera collection, how to go about choosing the gear that has to go and what to keep and how to avoid separation anxiety.
Join Alex and Bill as they sit Jess Hobbs in the hot seat. While Jess has been a regular guest host on many shows in the past, it's time to get to know her better! The trio sits down to talk photography, travel, BBQ Chicken, life in the Eastern Townships, and so much more! We are also pleased to welcome Jess aboard as part of the hosting team for 2022, as Alex will be taking a short break for part of next year.
It's been a long hot summer, and Alex sits down for a rare CCR Solo show to talk about his experiences with Adox. If you haven't heard of Adox, then prepare to have your introduction made to the oldest name in film photography chemistry and supplies! While the original 1860s Adox is long gone their name and experience live on with the modern form of the company started by Fotoimpex as a way to preserve not only the intellectual properties of Adox but also Agfa!
We're back on the interview circuit as Bill and Alex sit down with John Roberts a photographic retail expert at Kerrisdale Cameras on the unceded territories of the Kwikwetlem & Coast Salish nations in Coquitlam, British Columbia. John, Bill & Alex discuss the retail aspects of photography, the amazing company that is Kerrisdale Cameras and how it kept Henry's out of British Columbia. Along with SLRs versus Rangefinders, seeking inspiration, capturing family moments, family, and lenses with character.
You can find John on the following Social Media Platforms.
Instagram - instagram.com/jrphotographybc
Flickr - flickr.com/photos/jrphotographybc
Twitter - twitter.com/jrphotographybc
YouTube - youtube.com/user/highlander200107
Representation Matters, so on today's show Chris is taking the lead and bringing around the table today are six amazing photographers whom we at CCR love to see their work and are always happy to interact share and celebrate their work. But what draws all these photographers together, well they're all women and they have an amazing talent that certainly needs to be celebrated, shared, and their voices...heard.
In this episode, the gang sits down to discuss the art of Bulk Loading 35mm film. From the equipment to the techniques and the pros and cons, James, Bill, and John all share their own experiences and knowledge on the subject while Alex who has tried and disliked the process sits down and learns where he went wrong and the causes of his own frustrations.
While we are all unabashedly Nikon fans here at CCR, that doesn't mean we don't shoot other camera systems. And while we've done a bunch of deep dives on the Nikon F series, what about the other F? We're of course talking about the Canon F-1, F-1n and New F-1 because all are different, two are close, one of a radically different name. So stay tuned and join, Bill, John, Ori, and Jess as they dig into Canon's answer to the Nikon F!
If you've been around the photography community long enough certain names pop up again and again. Among them is Bill Manning, photographer, podcaster, and a great dude who is joining Alex and Bill today in the hot seat. We've been wanting to have Bill on the show since last December when Bill and Alex joining the end of year roundtable over on the Studio C-41 Video Podcast. The trio sit down to discuss photography, travel, podcasting, constant learning, and much more!
Today Bill, James, and Alex sit down with Gary Clennan from Alberta. Gary is a long time photographer, a good dude who also is a self-taught camera technician under the name LensMedic YYC. Gary has worked on a few of our cameras and provides a valuable service to Canada as the number of techs who are willing to work with film cameras is fluctuating. Gary talks about gear, repair, teaching, training, travel, and beer!
The whole gang is back together around the round table (virtually)! Back earlier in the year John was clearing out some of his boxes of strange M42 lenses and came across four 'fourth party' lenses and decided that they would make excellent fodder for a future CCR episode and handed them out through random draw to everyone. And today the episode finally hits the air! But we're not only talking about bad (but not all so bad) lenses, we're also digging into our photography book library to talk about some of our favourite books on our shelves.
James Lee sits down with former East Coaster, turned West Coast Portrait Photographer, Justen Rosenberg! Justin is primarily a portrait photographer, who also shoots corporate and commercial work with a bit of landscape thrown in for good measure. Ten Year's Sober, but he doesn't see that as a crutch but rather helps show duality within his photography, that he can be both happy and sad at the same times. But it is not only in his photography that it helps; it helps him as a human also. It isn't embarrassing, and he is open with this to help his own healing and help others who are going through the same journey as others have been with him in the past to help him out. While his corporate work is heavily structured, his portrait work is incredibly experimental and helps the models open up and feel comfortable. But he's not about only looking good and making pretty photos. There's always something more. More is a little nebulous and hard to define. But it isn't the mechanical hitting the seven 'must-have' shots; it's about getting the subject more than understanding the gear. It's about the subject, building a rapport with them rather than you (the photographer) and what you want. You have to take the ego, your ego, out of the equation. Of course, that is harder than it looks, especially when someone is willing and offering to pay for your work. And it has been a journey since then, from landscapes to horrible portraits, more and more whatever the day brings. Into shows and moved into a bit of a dark end of society. Then drugs entered into the picture, which resulted in moving to California to enter rehab; which after the rehab learned, Justin knew his way around the camera and welcomed him into the non-profit ad agency attached to the clinic, which leads him to get sober and being brought on to run the photography side of the agency. Today his style is highly experimental, with plenty of films and digital with even a mix of instant work. And the film doesn't slow him down; it actually speeds him up in the sense that he can shoot a handful of rolls and end up with only forty-odd photos to go through, which is faster to edit rather than the thousands of digital images. The two things that Justin does suggest to aspiring commercial or folks looking to get into any photography as a source of income first is to learn the business; second, learn how to be a good person and talk to people.
By the end of the episode, both James and Justin realised that they are, in fact, the same person.
No matter how you describe him, Merlin is a film photographer that gets around, he is in touch with all different aspects of the community as a whole, kind of like Kevin Bacon and today he's joining Bill, James, and Chrissie on today's episode! While he doesn't describe himself as a photographer, he feels more like an archivist, he loves using film to archive the people and places that are important to him. While traditional film is a medium he uses, his film of choice is instant and it is the community that he feels the most connected to, especially the Instant Film Society. Merlin is a west coast native but has spent the recent years here in Toronto but is now heading back out to BC. In addition to his own work, he is part of the team behind Northern Film Collective. And has recently gotten into running a series of live interviews through Instagram with a range of different photographers. Grab a coffee, this is going to be a long episode.
These cameras go by many names, Alpha, Dynax and of course, we in North American call them Maxxum. They are the first commercially successful autofocus SLRs; they changed the came, they set the trend. Today James and Alex are again joined by Marwan of Silvergrain Classics, who isn't only a Leica user. He also uses Minolta Dynax (in his case) and joins us to share his wealth of knowledge as we go from the 7000 to the 7 and almost everything in between. Plus, with the return of Marwan, Silvergrain Classics has a special offer for all our listeners; if you order a subscription or individual issue of the Silvergrain Classics Magazine, use the code CCR21 at check out for 10% off your order. Also, the first three people to email us (classiccamerarevival[at]gmail[dot]com) with your name, address, and a little note about CCR, you will receive a free copy of the latest edition of Slivergrain Classics!
On today's show, we have the amazing Becca who is the driving force behind the Northern Film Collective. She started shooting back in HS, starting with disposable cameras also dabbled with digital but found film far more fulfilling. Since starting she has focused mainly on 35mm until recently when she started working with medium format. The medium format kit she ended up getting is a Bronica SQ-Ai a solid workhorse camera. And her Canon T90 remains a long time favourite and an interesting beast within the FD system. Back in 2019, she launched an online community, the Northern Film Collective, which was launched to highlight Canadian film based photographers. And recently they published their first anthology piece earlier this year. And don't worry if you missed out on volume one, this summer they will be opening up for submissions for Volume 2.
It's been a long time coming, but we've finally reached this amazing milestone of 100 (numbered) episode. In today's episode, John, Bill, James, and Alex sit down to discuss some of our older pieces of equipment in our collections! Such as James' Kodak Autographic No. 1a and Alex's Kodak Hawk-Eye Model C. Bill discusses the awesome and hardly changed in the 100 years it has been around Kodak D-76 developer. Alex also talks about the Lomography Achromat lens, a modern SLR lens based on a lens design from 1839! John also brings us up to speed on a small project to bring modern Rasberry Pi technology into a darkroom multi-function timer device. And for the first time, we hear from you, our listeners, who speak on their favourite cameras! If there's one thing for sure, we're behind by a century.
James and John sit down with Alexandria Jahr, a brilliant Toronto photographer, for our continuing interview series.
Brandy B, whom you may know from the Film Photo Geeks podcast sits down to talk with Chrissie, Bill, and John about cameras, photography, and life.
We're back with another long episode! This time around we have Matt from Reveni Labs to talk about his new Kickstarter campaign and the Reveni Labs Spot Meter, followed by prolific photographer Anil Mistry who brings along a large pile of cameras that are among his favourites and talking about his new book based around his photos of Brighton, England. It's worth the episode length!
If you're a member of several Facebook groups connected to the film photography community such as the Toronto Film Shooters, Negative Positives, and Large Format Photography Podcast than you will have seen today's guest's excellent work. Jamie Marcellus is a recent addition to the film photography community but has jumped in with both feet shooting 35mm initially but is now getting into experimental large-format work with inexpensive film, direct positive paper and even dry plate. Alex and John sit down with Jamie to discuss his love of photography and his inspiration and what he's up to next.
Bill and Chris kick off our 7th season with a well-known photographer on Instagram, Danielle, aka TheGirlWithTooManyCameras and her mission to bring more women film photographers into the public eye! They discuss Danielle's own photography and her desire to showcase the talent that is often left outside in a primarily male-dominated hobby.
Also, we're still looking for your camera reviews, send in a short 3-5 minute clip about your favourite camera for inclusion in our 100th Episode this March! Email them to: [email protected]
We wrap up our sixth season with a fine selection of leftovers, cameras, lenses, films, and developers that we've worked with over 2020.
If you're a member of any film camera group on Facebook, you'll know our guest for today's show. The man who has a thousand camera and is rumoured to smash them all after writing a review. His reviews are the stuff of legend, today Bill and Alex sit down with the one, the only, Mr Mike Eckman!
Matt's back! Yes, local camera builder, inventor and overall mad scientist, Matt Bechberger joins John and James to discuss his process on building homebrew cameras and what bits and pieces that make the best parts from broken and non-functioning cameras that help in his methods and spare parts bin.
Comrades! It's the return of the Communist Camera Revival and we have a bit of different episode today, Alex sits down with three fellow photographers to talk about all aspects of Photographic industry that grew in the USSR and the Soviet Bloc from the 1920s to the final collapse in 1991. And more importantly what you can still get and find today from Cameras to Film. And the surprising fact that there is a lot of stuff out there that is still new in box and is not as bad as a lot of people think. Don't believe the propaganda folks, the revolution will be podcasted. If you're wondering why the October Revolution is being published in November, that's because if you look at the actual date of the October Revolution is took place on the 7th of November (one week ago) in 1917, but according to the Julian Calendar was on the 25th of October. The October Revolution or Red October marked the opening of the Russian Civil War.
Despite everything, the past couple of years have been wonderful for film photography. Both with films being reintroduced like Kodak E100 and a new version of Fuji Acros (Fuji Acros 100 II). Plus you have folks like Lomography re-rolling iconic motion picture films ORWO UN54 (Potsdam) and N74 (Berlin) and there's the new production level run of FilmFerrania P30. You have Ilford introducing Ortho Copy as Ortho Plus in 120 and 35mm formats, it's been a good year! And today we are again joined by the awesome Jess Hobbs!
While often seen as boring, generic, and nothing special, Mamiya cameras are a favourite among the entire CCR crew, especially their medium format offerings. Alex, James, John, and Bill are joined by a pair of amazing photographers and YouTubers Aly and Jess to discuss their favourite Mamiya cameras! Today's episode features, the Mamiya C220, Mamiya Universal, Mamiya RB67, Mamiya m645, Mamiya 645 Pro, and Mamiya 645 AF-D!
These days distance is the name of the game, but what lens can you slap on your camera, well we at CCR have come up with four options that will help you go long! Join John, James, Bill and Alex in the studio today as we talk about four amazing telephoto lenses! The underrated Zeiss Sonar 250mm f/5.6 for the Hasselblad V system, the iconic Nikkor 105/2.5, the mighty Micro-Nikkor 200/4 and the surprising Maxxum 100/2.8 MACRO!
It's always fun to riff off a camera after shooting with it for the first time while we've done this theme before we're now on our third part of the challenge. But this time we're adding another twist. This time the camera provider has also loaded the camera up with a specific film stock with the only thing being known to the shooter is the film speed! The cameras featured in today's episode include the Zeiss Ikon Ikonta 521, Yashica YF, Voigtlander Bessa T, and the Minolta X-570!
En liten tjänst av I'm With Friends. Finns även på engelska.