This week has been like Christmas for a film shooter & Kickstarter addict like myself. Just before the weekend the Yashica MF-1 arrived and on Monday the postie left 2 new packages for me. First up the RETO3D 3D film cameras, a 21st Century take on the Nimslo. The second box was a slightly late Ars Imago Lab Box.
Continue reading August KickStarter Madness – First Thoughts on RETO3D And MoreTag Archives: 35mm
35mm is the most widely available camera film type in the 21st century and is also used to describe cameras by the film they take
Houston We Have a Problem – The New Yashica MF-1 – First Thoughts
How bad could it be ? I mean the Y35 wasn’t that awful….
When the new start up version of Yashica launched the Y35 Digi-film camera, the knives were rapidly out before it even launched and many thought it would be sayonara once more.
But they came back promising both film and film cameras and this morning a package arrived from Hong Kong containing both. I’m rapidly wishing they hadn’t come back on the basis of the camera…
Continue reading Houston We Have a Problem – The New Yashica MF-1 – First Thoughts
Resurrection Blues- The Yashica MF-2 Super Review
As I sit and type this the first Film Camera to bear the Yashica name in over a decade is winging its way to me from Hong Kong. Whether the New MF-1 is any good or more likely not remains to be seen. But the new Yashica are also hinting at 2 new cameras. In the long term a 35mm version of the Yashica-44 TLR but perhaps more imminent is the MF-2. Turns out the MF-2 is based on the 1980’s MF-2 Super a fixed focus flash cam.
So you know, I decided to test the original.
Continue reading Resurrection Blues- The Yashica MF-2 Super Review
A Petite Love Affair – Konica EYE Review
Although Olympus dominated the Half Frame market, they didn’t have a free run. Many a Japanese rival producing their take on the format. But only one is arguably one of the most beautiful cameras ever made. And that camera was the only half frame compact of that era to be copied by the soviets
But what made the Soviets copy her ? And why has it partially usurped my PEN EE-2 from being my favourite half frame ?
Continue reading A Petite Love Affair – Konica EYE Review
You Get What You Pay for – Minolta F25 review
After a run of not so cheap cameras, I thought I’d better get back to basics with another Poundland challenge 2019 camera. In brief that challenge set out to find what you could buy for a quid and although we’ve had several high end cameras including the MZ-5 SLR, I’d rightly assumed that we’d be faced with several fixed focus plastic numbers.
But this no frill plastic flash camera doesn’t hail from Haking, Hanimex or Concord. This one’s a Minolta and it’s not good.
Continue reading You Get What You Pay for – Minolta F25 review
Prelude to the Bling Boys – Yashica T AF One roll Review
I’m not accustomed to legendary elite high end compacts. But sometimes the precursor to them fall my way such as this early Yashica T* series. Whilst it still has a cache it’s a fraction of the cost of the later models. This means it can be bought for the price of a couple of non discounted domino’s Pizzas
But was it a slice of heaven or destined to leave a bad taste in my mouth.
Continue reading Prelude to the Bling Boys – Yashica T AF One roll Review
A Quick Dirty Booty Call – The Olympus Mju Zoom 105 Review
Car boots are often is bit hit and miss for the cheap camera hunter. I’ve scored some great wee finds over the years from my £3 XA, a K1000 for a £5 that I sold on to my mint £2 Espio 120SW. But at times you find nothing but the odd instamatic and true tat. The bank holiday weekend on in Dumfries however flung up a grubby mju zoom 105(aka ∞ Stylus Zoom 105) for two quid that literally worked for one roll and then died.
Was it £2 quid well spent despite this ?
Continue reading A Quick Dirty Booty Call – The Olympus Mju Zoom 105 Review
In a Galaxy Far, Far Away The Olympus AZ-300 Superzoom
Once there was a legendary Japanese Camera maker famed for its detailed very compact cameras. But in 1988 they went very large with a camera with a passing resemblance to a star cruiser.
That camera was the Olympus AZ-300 Superzoom (aka Infinity Zoom 300 (US) and IZM-300). It would become one of the cameras that defined the term bridge.
Continue reading In a Galaxy Far, Far Away The Olympus AZ-300 Superzoom
Budget Zoom-Off – Vivitar Mega 200 Versus Ricoh RZ-728
As the Poundland Challenge 2019 has proved again you can actually buy a lot for a quid. So why don’t we take 2 AF compacts for a walk that cost around a quid and see what you get for your buck.
Continue reading Budget Zoom-Off – Vivitar Mega 200 Versus Ricoh RZ-728
The Lada of The Camera World OR NOT ?- The Halina 35X Review
“The nice thing about the Halina 35x is you’re not likely to get mugged for it and if you do you can use it as a deadly weapon.” The poor Hong Kong made 35x is the butt of many a joke and scorn in the camera world.
But this 1959 “Empire Made” viewfinder did sell rather well and has cult following amongst some. So is it really all that bad?
Continue reading The Lada of The Camera World OR NOT ?- The Halina 35X Review