Vintage lenses are more popular than ever, thanks in large part to the mirrorless revolution as well as affordable, high-quality cinema and hybrid video cameras. These lenses are regularly “cine modded” for video use due to their unique character and less clinical rendering, (sometimes) affordable prices compared to cine lenses, helicoid-driven focus with hard stops, and physical aperture rings (which are often de-clicked).
The past decade has seen an explosion of film users. Whether this is driven by a sense of nostalgia, or a desire to experience the past (for those too young to have shot film earlier in their life), for the simplicity, or perhaps because some celebrities have taken to shooting film, it doesn’t really matter. The reality is likely a combination of many factors.
Film has experienced a bit of a resurgence in the past decade and we've seen a proliferation of never-before-made film stocks and even brought some back from the dead. But if you want to get started in film photography now, you'll need a camera. So where should you start?
Through the history of camera development, thousands and thousands of different types of lenses have been designed and produced. Some did not advance beyond the prototype stage, some were privately commissioned, and naturally many were mass-produced to one degree or another. Of these, some are particularly rare.
In late December, PetaPixel published an article asking if it was a good idea to buy used. There were mixed responses, but if KEH's data is to be believed, far more people support buying used than you might think. For KEH, 2020 was a "banner year."
We interrupt this regular news day to bring you a short, oddly satisfying recording of classic camera shutter sounds. Created by photographer Ace Noguera, he wanted to share a showcase of vintage cameras that was both visually and aurally satisfying. Thus was born The Evolution Of Camera Shutter Sounds.
A Japanese "machine gun" camera has popped on eBay. The camera, which was used in war-time during the World War II era, can be yours for a price of $4,499.
Minolta has quietly released a trio of digital cameras. This is apparently the first camera product releases under the brand name since it went out of business in 2003.
Back in 1984, Minolta launched a camera called the Minolta AF-S V. Marketed in the United States as the "Minolta Talker," the camera would actually speak to the photographer using it.
Getting into analog photography can be an exciting proposition; maybe you find the medium more delightful, or you just want to learn more about the times of yesteryear. Either way, we have assembled a list of some of our favorite rangefinder-style analog cameras, ranging from the friendly and affordable Canonet QL 17 GII to the pricey yet exuberant Contax G2. We know that we may not have everyone’s personal favorites, but the list below is filled with cameras we know you’ll enjoy.
If you shoot film, you know how difficult it can be to properly organize your photographs once they have been digitized to your computer. Modern digital cameras allow easy organization with built in metadata that provides every bit of information you could ever need; however, digitally scanned photos contain no such data. Promote Systems has introduced the Meta35, a device to easily import and sync your film camera’s metadata.
Bear with me now. I promise there are photos after all this preamble. I’m going to try to keep the camera talk to a dull roar on this post even though it is principally about lenses.
Over the last 6 weeks, I’ve had a fever… a fever that has but one cure… more old Minolta lenses!
Check out this blast from the past: it’s a 1986 commercial for the Minolta Maxxum 7000. The Minolta 7000 …