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 ?
All posts by Alan D
Look What the Postie brought – New Film to Test !
Those nice folk at Analogue Wonderland a wee press sample pack arrived last week with 3 very interesting and different films in the box. I’m quite excited and 2 of the 3 are waiting the lab but the third is more of a challenge. Continue reading Look What the Postie brought – New Film to Test !
THE READING ROOM – NEWS & THINGS YOU MIGHT HAVE MISSED (WEEK 7: 7th – 13TH SEPT)
A quieter week takes us for a look at the world’s biggest camera, a music festival and some classic vintage gear. We laster wind up marvelling the coast and I pose the question of fairness in kit comparison reviews. Continue reading THE READING ROOM – NEWS & THINGS YOU MIGHT HAVE MISSED (WEEK 7: 7th – 13TH SEPT)
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
THE READING ROOM – NEWS & THINGS YOU MIGHT HAVE MISSED (WEEK 6: 31st AUG – 6th Sept)

There’s been quite a lot of good articles over the last 7 days so picking is hard. But here’s my ten best film photography reads for the week. Continue reading THE READING ROOM – NEWS & THINGS YOU MIGHT HAVE MISSED (WEEK 6: 31st AUG – 6th Sept)
A brief History of Photography by Objects – 1 – A self portrait of a Man 1839
This is my take on the history of photography from the earliest days to now. In slight hommage to Neil MacGregor’s seminal A History of the world in a 100 Objects, I’m going to do this by using actual objects that still exist in the world. We begin with the first self portrait (aka a selfie) Continue reading A brief History of Photography by Objects – 1 – A self portrait of a Man 1839
THE READING ROOM – NEWS & THINGS YOU MIGHT HAVE MISSED (WEEK 5: 24-30TH AUG)

Week 5 brings us everything from pioneering century spanning photography to one of the most sought after current films. We also head into space thanks to Kodak and if you think it’s sacrilege to chop up a folder look away now ! Plus another farewell to acros and a new Yashica ?
All this and more. Continue reading THE READING ROOM – NEWS & THINGS YOU MIGHT HAVE MISSED (WEEK 5: 24-30TH AUG)
99p SLR v bargain bucket dSLR challenge – Nikon F55 v Nikon D50
In both film and digital land there’s some bargains to be had in the second hand market. This blog like many has focused on the bargains to be had in the analogue world but few discuss older digital cameras in the same way (a notable exception being our sometimes guest writer Dan James over at his 35hunter blog). But can you make a real comparison ?
Continue reading 99p SLR v bargain bucket dSLR challenge – Nikon F55 v Nikon D50
THE READING ROOM – NEWS & THINGS YOU MIGHT HAVE MISSED (WEEK 4: 17-24th AUG)

A short list this week as the blogs sphere has been fairly quiet. But come as we step back in time to look at the birth of those lo-fi plastic pushing Austrians, Walk through the streets of Paris and discover more about quartz date. We even manage to see 127 film in action and learn how to load a Paterson tank. And is the new Polaroid as good as the old Polaroid ?
Continue reading THE READING ROOM – NEWS & THINGS YOU MIGHT HAVE MISSED (WEEK 4: 17-24th AUG)