Art and Photography
Recently, I went on a Classic analog photography walk. It seemed the time for the “Land Rover” of cameras, the vintage Nikomat, yes, the Japanese name, produced between 1965 and 1978. This is a heavy body (FT-N, 67-73) with lots of metal, yet very reliable and durable. Totally mechanic with few malfunctions that could not …
In mid-2023, I was able to travel to Berlin, taking with me the Voigtlander Perkeo II vintage film camera. This is a wonderful and impressive machine. The lens is excellent. Definitely a keeper.
Days get shorter, lights go on. This is a great time to paint with the light, since the backdrop of the canvas is pitch black. So many opportunities: It is like you are given a new toy to explore your own environment. You are discovering a new way of seeing. What is happening in your …
This lovely folder was made in Freital in Saxony before the Second World War. Still fully functional, and a bit quirky. This copy comes with a Schneider-Kreuznach Xenar f/2.8 lens and speeds up to 1/500 sec. Unusual ergonomics as the camera is in a way upside down. But it does fit nicely into your hand, …
Agfa is one of the storied companies of film. Most of the time, Agfa produced affordable consumer cameras to promote its extensive line of film. This particular SLR from the early 1980s is relatively rare and was designed by a famous German design company, Schlagheck & Schultes. The body is black, but it sports the …
Like all of these pieces, I am interested in the experience of using film cameras. I like to learn about the history they represent, the age in which they were made, the effort to make them competitive. I admire the workmanship that went into these small objects. Here we have a truly small object, the …
Read More “Favorite Film Cameras: The Agfa Optima sensor electronic 1035 (1976)”
A brief stop in Berlin to survey the landscape and check out the photography stores. I visited fotoimpex, click&surr and, in a neighborhood shop selling laundry machines and other technical gear, managed to snag a perfectly working Kodak Retina IIa from the early 1950s. It was fun bargaining with the owner of the store! Great …
By the 1980s, the development of the SLR had advanced to produce solid cameras with a remarkable list of specs. Some companies lead the market by spending tons of money on commercials, magazine advertisements and endorsements, others sought to offer good value for money. Now that these bodies are affordable and collectable, it is fun …
When we change our perspective, we add another dimension to the world. The reflective mode mirrors the image in front of us. How do we perceive the world when it is upside down, on the side, or topsy-turvy? Photography is able to add a new way of seeing. Beyond the ordinary, the expected, the usual. …
Capturing movement is a challenge since the beginning of photography. Engineers perfected the shutter mechanism over the decades, allowing the camera to freeze the action. However, sometimes the “frozen” nature of an image betrays the dynamic nature of events in front of our eyes. Moving the camera intentionally adds the element of surprise again, the …
