All posts by Alan D

Poundland Camera Challenge Xmas Special – The 99p Nikon SLR

I’d effectively stopped looking for Poundland cameras (any that I could buy a quid or less) some time ago but this camera body came up as a you might like too when browsing eBay.

Yuletide F55
Nikon F55 Film SLR with AF-D 35-80mm 1:4-5.6 lens. Our Festive & 20th Poundland Camera

So welcome to Our 20th Poundland Camera and the last for 2015 – a Nikon F55 SLR body. Continue reading Poundland Camera Challenge Xmas Special – The 99p Nikon SLR

Samsung AF 105 XL – Shape of things to come

In 1998 Samsung weren’t exactly the obvious name for a camera.  Whereas these days Samsung and Japanese competitors Panasonic & Sony are often top dogs at photoshows, back in ’98 they were better known for non camera stuff.  Samsung’s modest range of compact point and shoots including this one were hardly stars of 1998 Photokina show in an era still dominated by Japanese marquees.

Samsung AF 105XL
Samsung AF 105XL late 90’s AF 35mm compact

But the AF 105 XL (aka Fino 105 AF) perhaps illustrate why the sands were shifting Continue reading Samsung AF 105 XL – Shape of things to come

The spy who blurred me – Beier Beirette K100 Review

This is my second dalliance with this East German camera. This series of basic viewfinders have a sound a like name to Bond’s original firearm before Fleming gave him the  Walther PKK and like its namesakes compact and stylish. But is this camera worth taking on her majesty’s secret service or has been a Quantum of Solace ?

Beirette K100 35mm Soviet era DDR zone focus simple camera. #film
Beirette K100 35mm simple compact from 70’s East Germany

Continue reading The spy who blurred me – Beier Beirette K100 Review

Halina Viceroy Review – Diplomatic Fixed Focus Fun

This gorgeously styled 120 shooter hails from  around 1960 with pretty impressive retro styling this camera looks like a classsic TLR (Twin Lens Reflex) camera

Halina Viceroy Pseudo TLR
Halina Viceroy Pseudo TLR for 120 film. Ironically shot via instagram

Infact it is little more than a fixed focus box camera with a large brilliant viewfinder. Continue reading Halina Viceroy Review – Diplomatic Fixed Focus Fun

Conway Popular Model – Poundland Camera Challenge No 19

And finally we get to a true British camera the Conway Popular. Made from around 1931 it was produced until the 1950’s but despite some innovations this box camera was actually less flexible than the Kodak Brownie No 2. It is however the oldest camera for a quid or less I own

Conway Camera Popular model
Conway Popular Model . British made 1930’s box camera for 120 film

Continue reading Conway Popular Model – Poundland Camera Challenge No 19

20th Century in Film by 9 Point & Shot Cameras

The last Century saw the rise of the average man as a photographer. We now think that we’re in era with mobile phone cameras of being ever-ready shooters but we forget that by 2000 most of us would carry some form of film camera to almost every leisure event we did. Point and shoot cameras (P&S) have little in the ways of user controls and just either fixed, basic scale/zone focus or later AF.

These 9 cameras for me chart the people’s choice of Cameras and not necessarily what are now deemed classics Continue reading 20th Century in Film by 9 Point & Shot Cameras

Panorama Wide Pic Camera : Poundland Camera Challenge No 18

This lump of plastic arrived in 2 of the Poundland job lots. It’s providence is unknown  but eBay seems awash with them. However there is a reason – they’re Rubbish.

Panorama Wide Pic 35mm Plastic Camera
Panorama Wide Pic 35mm Plastic Camera. Fixed focus shutter and aperture.

Continue reading Panorama Wide Pic Camera : Poundland Camera Challenge No 18

FED Mikron Camera 1 roll Review

Since I got my Olympus PEN EE-2, I’ve been seeking out a more focusable Half frame camera. As well as the obvious EES-2, one camera caught my attention from the Old USSR, the ФЭД Микро or in English  the FED Mikron/micron sometime dubbed the Soviet PEN.

FED Mikron (ФЭД Микро) half frame 35mm soviet camera
FED Mikron (ФЭД Микро) half frame 35mm soviet camera

So when I finally got a working one I headed out with a roll of trusty Kodak BW400CN.

Continue reading FED Mikron Camera 1 roll Review

New hand at Ilford – What does this mean for the future of C-41 B&W ?

In the last few weeks, Harman Technologies (aka Ilford and Kentmere) has been taken over by a venture capital group.

Unattended Kids
Carlisle, UK, April 2014. Olympus XA1 with Ilford XP2

But what does this hold for the C-41 B&W market especially as Ilford are the last makers ? Continue reading New hand at Ilford – What does this mean for the future of C-41 B&W ?