Retro Medium Format Lo-Fi- The Samtoy – an original Diana Clone

Lomography’s launch of the Diana F+  in 2007 wasn’t a step forward in lo-fi photography. It represented a hommage to the medium format camera that would lead to the development of that movement – the original Diana camera  and its numerous clones. So how does one of these stack up to the 21st century. Continue reading Retro Medium Format Lo-Fi- The Samtoy – an original Diana Clone

A Brief History Of Photography By Objects – 3 – Chalk Drawing Circa 1800

It’s not the drawing or  artist who created it that we’re after here.  our subject is the man pictured. He is arguably the first person to create a photograph as we’d understand almost a quarter of century before the oldest surviving examples. Sadly like his photographs, he has faded into relative obscurity. Continue reading A Brief History Of Photography By Objects – 3 – Chalk Drawing Circa 1800

Nikon Budget Face off – Does the F75 make the F55 pointless ?

So I’d discussed the weakness of the F55 in the comparison review with the D50 dSLR. The F55 is arguably the cheapest Nikon film bodies you can buy but does spending a bit more snag you  a better camera in the guise of the F75. The reality is it a bit more nuanced. Continue reading Nikon Budget Face off – Does the F75 make the F55 pointless ?

A BRIEF HISTORY OF PHOTOGRAPHY BY OBJECTS – 2 – Former Windmill 1700’s

Just a few streets away from where I live sits the subject of our focus today. But why is a former windmill in  a small Scottish town listed ?

Well by 1836 it would have certain device installed in it. That device was a camera obscura which gave us the modern word ‘camera’. Continue reading A BRIEF HISTORY OF PHOTOGRAPHY BY OBJECTS – 2 – Former Windmill 1700’s

1 roll good one roll bad -Tentative Ricoh Myport 330 Super Review

This was a chance finding on eBay earlier this year and on paper what’s not to like. Also known as the RZ-3000, the Shotmaster 130Z, or the Q-130Z, this is a Ricoh compact but in zoom format.   it’s as cheap as chips and feature laden including Passive AF.  But did it live up to the promise of being a bargain for those of us who can’t afford a GR1 ?  Sadly on the 2 rolls I shot, it’s a bit of a Jekyll and Hyde number.  And that’s not just down to the optics.

Continue reading 1 roll good one roll bad -Tentative Ricoh Myport 330 Super Review