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Rank Mamiya – What’s in a name?
The Rank Mamiya, also known as the Mamiya Ruby or 4B, is a rangefinder from the 60's with an unfortunate name.
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Mamiya 7 – First Impressions
First impressions on the Mamiya 7, an extraordinary camera which came as the most luxurious birthday present.
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Kiev 4 – The Non-Clone
The Kiev 4 is a beautiful, silent and graceful camera. It has a classic rangefinder design which just makes you want to pick it up and start shooting with it. Paired up with the well regarded Jupiter 8M Contax mount lens, it forms a formidable team. Especially with a very accurate focus, achieved through one of the widest available rangefinder bases, on paper it should be a dream to use. It is unfair to call it a clone, as it was manufactured using a significant number of tools and machines the Contax originals were made with. That is because it was built with plans and equipment taken from the Carl…
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Combinations – Zorki 4 and Redscaled Film
Shooting with the Red October theme is one thing, shooting a Soviet Zorki 4 camera with redscale film is a combination that doesn’t get any more red. This ensures that the tool is red (aka Soviet), but also the result (aesthetically). The thought of this came through a suggestion from a friend on the yearly Red October theme that is shot by photographers that appreciate cameras made from former Soviet countries. They do have a reputation of quality issues, but also a fanatical following. This is sometimes attributed with the unique look the glass from the Soviet factories gives photographs. Redscale is a way of modifying how colour film is…
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Kodak Retina IIa – Coat Pocket Rocket
The Kodak Retina is a camera that holds a certain amount of mystique. It was made by a company that by the 1930s was more focussed on manufacturing film and generally created cameras to support that and the multiple formats they were introducing. Kodak never seemed to aim for or achieve anything above a second tier camera manufacturer, but the Retina was different. It was an attempt at a quality 35mm rangefinder, to compete on camera sales rather than just a supporting role. The Retina IIa is a 35mm folding rangefinder bellows camera, which fits well into a coat pocket, although it has a fairly solid, yet fiddly, construction. It…
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Combinations – Fuji GSW690iii and Kodak Ektar
Combine two classics like the Fuji GSW690III and Kodak Ektar 100 and take them out the Australian countryside. The results are sure to be good.
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Jupiter 8 – A giant amongst the stars
The Jupiter 8 lens is a cult favourite due to its distinctive rendering. This Leica Thread Mount (LTM/L39) lens has become one of my favourite lenses to use on a variety of cameras.
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Zorki 4 – Attempted equaliser
The Zorki 4 is a Soviet built rangefinder camera based on the Leica cameras. I shot with this camera to see how it peforms, especially with Soviet glass.
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Olympus XA3 – Red cameras go faster
The Olympus XA3 is a compact semi automated camera known for quality out of such a small camera. Perfect for the pocket, I use mine as much as I can.
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Watameter – What the?
Scale focus cameras can be fun. There is no precise focusing, you pre-set focus points in advance, allowing a quick “draw” approach, and the viewfinder is very uncluttered. They are also generally cheap, so a very easy way to get into film photography. There is occasion though, where some precise focusing would be helpful, which is where accessories like the Watameter come in. The Watameter is an accessory rangefinder giving you the ability to determine the distance to your subject, which you then apply to your scale focus camera and in theory gives you precise focusing ability. I enjoy using old folding cameras (folders), like the great range of Agfa…
