Rolleiflex is a well known name among photographers, and for good reason. I look at them as the Rolls Royce of cameras, not just because of the their build quality and reliability, but because its name alone gives it widespread recognition. So when I received the Original Rolleiflex, you could imagine I was excited. My… Continue reading The Original Rolleiflex
Category: Vintage Camera Reviews
A Rolleicord III and my Grandmother
My grandmother was my best friend, and losing her has been a huge loss. Finding a Rolleicord has become a special event, and I explain why.
The Nikon F3 – Greatest Legendary Classic
As I researched the Nikon F3, right away titles with words like the greatest SLR ever made, Legendary, and Classic all jumped out at me. This was interesting to me because I'd come across similar titles when researching the F2. In my view these two cameras are very different. So I asked myself how could… Continue reading The Nikon F3 – Greatest Legendary Classic
The Nikon F2 – Best 35mm Ever?
In doing my research for this review, I ran across quite a few statements calling this the best 35mm camera ever made. I was surprised by that because I have heard the same for many other cameras I have reviewed, but never with as much gushing as I saw for this one. I'm not sure… Continue reading The Nikon F2 – Best 35mm Ever?
the Canon New F-1
The Canon New F-1 is is an expandable system camera. By expandable I mean 5 types of viewfinders, 32 different focusing screens within 13 different types to go with 3 different metering patterns, 2 motorized film advance units, and a couple of interchangeable backs. That surely gives the Nikon F3 system a run for its… Continue reading the Canon New F-1
The KMZ Start
Before World War II, 35mm cameras started to gain popularity with rangefinders like Leica and Leica copies like the Zorki. After the war, and especially into the 1950's, the SLR style cameras started to take over. One being the KMZ Start. The KMZ Start (Старт in Russian), is a professional 35mm SLR camera made in… Continue reading The KMZ Start
The Ricoh 500G – the Compact with it All
If you like rangefinders the size of a point and shoot, the Ricoh 500G is a great option. In my opinion, I think it's an under appreciated and overlooked gem.
Zeiss Ikon Nettar 515 – Medium Format in the Palm of Your Hand
Large Negatives, high resolution, the Zeiss name stamp, all in the palm of your hand. What more could you ask for? Considering todays growing desert that has become the Medium Format film camera market, these options sound like gold. While the Zeiss Ikon Nettar 515 might be just what you're looking for, there are a… Continue reading Zeiss Ikon Nettar 515 – Medium Format in the Palm of Your Hand
Kiev 4A – A Contax Clone
The Kiev 4A is the third Soviet camera that I have gotten to try. It is another camera from the extensive collection of Mike Eckman, who was nice enough to lend me this one along with the FED-2 that I previously reviewed. I don't call this camera the Contax copy. I like to call it… Continue reading Kiev 4A – A Contax Clone
The Fed-2 – A Soviet Leica
The FED factory, located in the Soviet Ukraine, started creating Leica copies in the 1930's. This was after the Soviet Union stopped importation of photographic equipment. The history of the factory leaves you with a bit of goose bumps, and not just for the poor orphans that worked there. FED was named for the initials… Continue reading The Fed-2 – A Soviet Leica