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  • Cameras,  Medium Format Reviews,  Reviews

    Kodak Brownie Six-20 Model D – Beauty is box

    March 2, 2018 /

    Box cameras are without a single doubt the longest line of a particular type of camera ever produced.  It can be argued that they ran for 140 years, possibly longer depending on how loose the interpretation is.  There is even a new one being produced now in 2018! The Kodak Brownie Six-20 Model D is considered one of the more modern box cameras, and as such has been styled to look wonderful, while still aimed at the lower end.  It has minimal controls, but with a promised frame size of 6x9cm, it is intriguing to see what quality a simple contraption like this can produce. Other box cameras have been…

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    Kodak Retinette 1B Type 037 – Fat Boy

    February 9, 2017

    Pigeonflex – Bird of a feather

    September 15, 2017

    Pinhole 4×5 – Lower than low-tech

    December 20, 2016
  • Cameras,  Medium Format Reviews,  Reviews

    Ferrania Rondine – Little Italian Bird

    January 20, 2018 /

    Box cameras are boxes with a lens.  Simple.  In Italy, Ferrania had other ideas and created one which just oozes style.  The Ferrania Rondine was created when workmanship was still a priority, and even tools like a camera had to have a great aesthetic to them. In the wild, this camera brings out comments from “Isn’t that so cute!!” to “That is a beautiful camera”.  Make no mistake though, this is not a high-end camera, but a camera aimed at the lower end of the market, but Italian products seem to have a very sophisticated look to them. Box cameras have featured here before, including the Ensign Ful-Vue (another gorgeous…

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    Canon Sure Shot A1 – Summer Love

    April 6, 2018
    Leica M3

    Leica M3 – Double stroke of genius

    May 14, 2020

    Voigtländer Perkeo I

    August 17, 2016
  • Cameras,  Medium Format Reviews,  Reviews

    Kodak No. 2 Brownie Model E – Photographing outside of the box

    November 18, 2017 /

    There is a saying that a camera is just a light tight box to capture the image.  Box cameras are the best example of this, only one step more technologically advanced from a pinhole camera.  In the early 1900s Kodak was introducing box cameras in all shapes and sizes for a range of different film sizes.  The Kodak No. 2 Brownie thankfully uses one of the more common film formats, and in-fact introduced 120 film to the world, which is still the standard size for medium format photography. Every so often, after using a variety of cameras, it is cathartic to get back to basics and box cameras are perfect…

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    Minox 35 GT – Little Big Camera

    February 16, 2018

    Yashica Electro 35 GL

    August 31, 2016

    Werra 2 – Oh Carl, Werra art thou?

    June 1, 2018
  • Cameras,  Medium Format Reviews,  Reviews

    Pigeonflex – Bird of a feather

    September 15, 2017 /

    A camera to allow your photography to take flight?  To release your creativity free as a bird? Probably enough bird puns for now.  So, was the Pigeonflex a camera to set the cat amongst the Pigeons? Ok that was one more. Twin Lens Reflex (TLR) cameras are an interesting type of camera.  They have a history in street photography, especially the Rolleiflex, yet they are designed quite different from the rangefinders which are generally thought of as street cameras.  They shoot in square format, like well-known Hasselblad studio cameras, but are designed to be used mobile.  You look through the viewfinder, with the image reflected by a mirror, like a…

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    Minolta 110 Zoom SLR – The flat wonder

    August 31, 2018
    Agfa Karat 36

    AGFA Karat 36 v3 – 36 Carat Camera

    January 17, 2020

    Polaroid Sun 660 Autofocus Land Camera – Instant gratification

    January 12, 2018
  • Cameras,  Medium Format Reviews,  Reviews

    Agfa Jsolette 4.5 – When J is not a J

    September 5, 2017 /

    The Agfa Isolette range of cameras have a cult following.  That includes me as I own both Isolette and Jsolette labelled cameras.  The ability to shoot medium format, especially 6×6, with a camera that is small and at a stretch pocketable, is very enticing.  Throw in the fact that they look lovely, and you can understand the popularity.  I personally like quite a few different “folders” as you can see by another review of the Voigtlander Perkeo I. This model is the Agfa Jsolette 4.5.  Agfa has used the names Jsolette and Isolette interchangeably, as the letter J referred to an I in German.  There is a misconception that the…

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    Yashica Electro 35 GL

    August 31, 2016
    LOMO LC-A

    LOMO LC-A – The lomography machine

    July 5, 2022

    Pinhole 4×5 – Lower than low-tech

    December 20, 2016
  • Cameras,  Medium Format Reviews,  Reviews

    Ensign Ful-Vue – Is it really the full view?

    July 9, 2017 /

      When does a box camera not look like a box camera?  When it is the Ensign Ful-Vue from 1946.  Until then most were basically a box with a lens on the front.  There were a few variants, including box cameras that had better viewing lenses and looked more like Twin Lens Reflex cameras, but still generally had a box shape.  When Ensign released the Ful-Vue they moved to a very modern shape for the period, and I think created one of the most striking looking box cameras ever. I picked this camera up when I was living in London around 1999 and promptly put it on a shelf.  While…

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    Kodak Brownie Six-20 Model D – Beauty is box

    March 2, 2018
    Agfa Optima-Parat

    Agfa Optima-Parat – Half Frame Jewel

    December 16, 2020
    Lomography Fisheye 2

    Lomography Fisheye 2 – Fishbowl world

    October 8, 2020
  • Cameras,  Medium Format Reviews,  Reviews

    Kodak No. 1 Pocket Autographic – The Original with EXIF Data

    May 27, 2017 /

    It’s 1926, you want to record details about your photo and don’t want to carry a notebook, enter the Kodak No. 1 Pocket Autographic.  It might not be automatically recorded, but considering this was 91 years ago, that is quite progressive. Kodak folding cameras had been introduced just over 30 years earlier in 1895 and had slowly been progressing during that period.  The other major line of cameras from Kodak at the time was the box cameras which were very basic.  You can read more about one of them here. We owe a lot to both cameras, especially the folding Pocket cameras, which introduced the real concept of not only…

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    Mamiya Press Super 23

    Mamiya Press Super 23 – Frustratingly Good

    July 4, 2021
    Yashica 44A

    Yashica 44A – Twin in small package

    January 25, 2019
    Walzflex

    Walzflex – The slow dance

    August 16, 2019
  • Cameras,  Medium Format Reviews,  Rangefinder Reviews,  Reviews

    Fuji GS645S – Camera with a Roo Bar

    March 2, 2017 /

    The Fuji GS645S is a medium format fixed lens rangefinder camera shooting in 6x4.5 format. With a great exposure meter and lightweight, ticks all the boxes.

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    Nikon F100

    Nikon F100 – The smaller professional

    May 20, 2021
    Nikkenflex

    Nikkenflex – Twin focus

    February 2, 2022
    Prakti

    Prakti – Early prakticalities

    June 14, 2019
  • Cameras,  Medium Format Reviews,  Rangefinder Reviews,  Reviews

    Fuji GSW690III Professional – The Texas Leica

    October 11, 2016 /

    There is a saying that “everything in Texas is bigger”.  So, let’s take the svelte Leica M camera, and visualise what it would look like if it came from Texas, but to add a twist, has the build from Japan.  We have just described the Fuji GSW690III Professional camera.  This is a camera capable of some amazing results, has an extremely sharp lens and is quite mobile.  It also shoots big 6×9 negatives with so much detail that suck you into the picture.  Not a street shooter, but a great companion for travel photography. Specifically, the GSW690III, is the third generation of a successful line for Fuji, and as per…

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    Minox 35 GT – Little Big Camera

    February 16, 2018

    Pinhole 4×5 – Lower than low-tech

    December 20, 2016

    Pigeonflex – Bird of a feather

    September 15, 2017
  • Cameras,  Medium Format Reviews,  Reviews

    Kodak No. 0 Brownie Model A – Shooting at over 100 years strong

    September 7, 2016 /

    Sometimes there is a real sense of clarity by stripping back to basics.  There are of-course basics and then there are real basics.  That is what using a camera that is one-hundred years old and is effectively designed as a box brings us.  The Kodak No. 0 Brownie Model A is a camera which helped introduce photography to the people, but how is it to use in the modern age? History Kodak has a long and very focused history, of which is well known and too long to include in this article.  The Brownie history is also a very long one, starting in 1900 until the final model being produced…

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    Olympus XA3 – Red cameras go faster

    November 5, 2017
    Prakti

    Prakti – Early prakticalities

    June 14, 2019
    Nikon F4s

    Nikon F4 – Evolution of the legend

    April 1, 2022
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