Too close for missiles; switching to guns….
The Konica, or Konica I (also known as the Konica Standard or just Konica) is the first in a series of rangefinders that come at the beginning of a company that would go on to produce quality cameras for generations. As a mechanical 35mm film camera, the Konica I is a fine example of the … Read more
The Canon F-1 was the camera that led Canon into the professional market with a system of interchangeable lenses and accessories making it one of the best made and most versatile camera systems on the market. Unlike many cameras, the F-1 is not a derivative of another model, it was designed from the ground up … Read more
The Canon VT de luxe is a 35mm rangefinder was introduced in May of 1957 as an update to the VT which was released the previous year. The VT de luxe was produced in chrome and black, but the black ones are few and far between these days, and command a hefty price (comparatively). Lately … Read more
At this point in 1978, Canon has been making cameras for 45 years when they released the the Kwanon (pronounced kannon), named after the Buddhist bodhisattva of mercy of the same name. With the AE-1 having been introduced just two years earlier Canon was setting their sights on users that didn’t need full manual control … Read more
Introduced in 1966, the Canon FT QL is an all mechanical 35mm film camera that you’ve probably never heard of. History Canon has been in the business of making cameras since the 30’s when they released their first camera, which, like many other companies, was based on the Leica II. They really started to hit … Read more
As far as affordable Leica copies go, you have two choices; Fed and Zorki. Both FED and KMZ were making cameras in the same factory after the war and after the split, KMZ continued to make rangefinders and the Zorki 35mm Rangefinder was born. History Krasnogorsk Mechanical Works or KMZ – was founded as Krasnogorsk … Read more
The Mamiya ZM Quartz is a 35mm film camera produced in 1982 and has the distinction of being the last 35mm film camera that Mamiya made. Being part of the Z Series cameras, the ZM can use E and EF series lenses as well as a few lenses designed specifically for the ZM. Design At … Read more
It seems like everyone at one time or another has been in the 35mm business, even Hasselblad had the X-Pan. There are several Mamiya 35mm film cameras, which is no surprise. The NC, with the 1000 and 1000s is one of the most recent lines. The NC 1000 is well built with a lot of … Read more
The Olympus OM10 was the first consumer end camera of the OM series released in 1979. With many of the same design elements and features of their flagship OM-1, the OM10 is a solid performer with a lower price-point designed to get the attention of entry-level photographers. History Olympus is a Japanese company making cameras … Read more
The Konica FS-1 35mm film camera is a sturdy, well made camera. With a solid built-in metering system, a huge variety of lenses for it, and a fast motor-drive, the FS-1 is a solid performer. Perfect for photographers of any level. History Konica has been making cameras and photographic materials since 1873 and was Japan’s … Read more
Most of my cameras are manual cameras in that they don’t have auto-focus, a motor to advance the film and they don’t have a bunch of presets for sports, landscape, aperture priority, etc. Honestly, that’s by choice, but there are times that I enjoy being able to just trust the camera and worry about framing; … Read more