Too close for missiles; switching to guns….
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
Dating camera equipment is always tricky. Camera manufacturers were not as good at date codes as Zippo was, so finding a reliable way of determining when the product was produced. Starting around 1960 Canon date codes were rubber stamped on camera bodies in the film cartridge area. Unfortunately sometimes they rub off. Canon continued this … 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
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
Built by the Haking company in Hong Kong, the Halina 35X is a stout little rangefinder 35mm film camera and released in 1959. It’s smooth design and compact size make the Halina 35X an attractive film camera. History and details Founded in 1956, the W. Haking Enterprises Ltd. made film cameras and binoculars, but also … Read more
The Bolsey Model C is a curious little 35mm film camera with its TLR design and cast aluminum body. The design of the camera is unique and eye catching, one of very few 35mm film cameras that boasts a twin lens reflex system, waist level finder and, just to make it even more unique, a … Read more
Years ago I read that War Correspondent Ernie Pyle used an Argus C3, which would be a great segue into this post, but I haven’t been able to confirm it. Regardless, the C3 35mm film camera, the third in the “Brick” series was the most popular camera that Argus made selling 2 million or more … Read more
The Lordomat 35mm rangefinder camera is a 50s era film camera that has a lot going for it. With many lenses available for the camera, and other accessories it would have been a good pick. The Lordomat is easy to operate and fun to use, so the unique design is just icing on the cake. … 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
Kodak always seemed to have a firm handle on the concept of branding and how brand longevity increases the product awareness among consumers. It doesn’t really matter if it’s film or actually cameras, they named them, and kept that name through a variety of redesigns to add features, change the film format or maybe just … Read more