Camerosity

Episode 104: Cheap Modern Lenses

Sat, 07 Feb 2026 10:30:55 -0600

We are back with Episode 104 of the Camerosity Podcast. Unlike the last few shows where we didn't come prepared with a topic to discuss, this time we took a suggestion from our Discord server listeners and attempted to tackle all the new lenses that keep appearing from Chinese companies, With ever faster maximum apertures and wider lenses selling for insanely cheap prices, are these lenses any good, and why suddenly is the market flooded with them?

Joining Anthony, Paul, Stephen, and Mike are callers Andy Howarth, Brendon Wilson, Fernando Villava, Mark "Cletus" Widhalm, Martin Olsen, Norris Liu, Pat Casey, Robert Rotoloni, and Will Pinkham. We start off the show with a quick announcement that Fernando has started a Spanish language version of the Camerosity Podcast called "Camerosity in Spanish". They've already recorded two episodes, and if you speak Spanish, it is worth checking out what him and his guests are talking about!

For this show, we briefly start off our lens episode talking about Retina Reflexes, but thankfully we don't stay distracted long as we move into the wonderful world of modern Chinese lenses. We attempt to cover different brands of lenses and what kinds of options there are out there and which ones we've personally had experience with.

Stephen and Norris have a wealth of technical knowledge and historical perspective for how the Chinese manufacturing industry works, and we get into a bit of why you're seeing so many options these days. While many of the new ultra-fast lenses are extremely affordable, they are built to be disposable and likely won't last nearly as long as the classic lenses many of us collect. Paul shares with us one (non-Chinese) brand that he doesn't like and Stephen tells us what "onion ring bokeh" is.

Eventually we do move off from Chinese lenses to talk about extremely wide angle fisheye lenses and Stephen tells us about a clever use of his Olympus Air A01 and we briefly mention strange cameras like the Nikon KeyMission 360 Double Fisheye lens.

With Bob Rotoloni on, Paul asks about a Nikon M he is interested in buying and we get into a discussion about the Nikon M and different variants of that particular camera. We keep meandering topics before finally ending up Mike's first purchase on the Japanese auction site, buyee.jp.

Come See Mike at the Chicago Camera Show: I will be heading up to the Sheraton Suites Chicago Elk Grove hotel for a camera show on Sunday, February 22nd. At this show will be several callers from this episode, Bob Rotoloni, Norris Liu, Mark Widhalm, and past Camerosity guests like Vlad Kern and possibly others. Mike won't have a table at this one, but I'll be walking around chatting with people so if you're near the area and want to stop by, come see us!

As always, the topics we discuss on the Camerosity Podcast are influenced by you! Please don’t feel like you have to be an expert on a specific type of camera, or have the level of knowledge on par with other people on the show. We LOVE people who are into shooting or collecting cameras, no matter how long you’ve been doing it, so please don’t consider your knowledge level to be a prerequisite for joining!

The guys and I rarely know where each episode is going to go until it happens, so if you’d like to join us on a future episode, be sure to look out for our show announcements on our Camerosity Podcast Facebook page, the Camerosity Discord server, and right here on mikeeckman.com. We usually record every other Monday and announcements, along with the Zoom link are typically shared 2-3 days in advance.

We don't have a topic for our next show, but we at least know it will be Episode 105 and we will record it on Monday, February 23rd at 7pm Central Standard Time and 8pm Eastern Standard Time. Make sure you set your calendars and look out for the show announcement at the usual locations and be prepared to join us!

In This Episode

The Spanish version of Camerosity Hosted by Fernando Villava / Cletus and His Broken Retina Reflex IV
Repairing Retina Reflexes / The Risk of Testing an Unserviced Camera / Leaf Shutter SLRs Are Very Complicated
Modern Lenses Have Combinations of Focal Lengths and Speed Unheard of in the Classic Era
How We Got to Today / Cheap Chinese Lenses Started with Low Quality C-Mount Lenses
The Legalities of Making Third Party Lenses / Why is Nikon Going After Viltrox?
Who Are the Most Respected of the Current Third Party Lens Makers? / Different Priorities for Film vs Digital
Some Third Party Lenses Require You to Calibrate Your Lens to Your Own Camera
What is the Difference between 7Artisans and TTArtisans? / DJ Optical
Voigtänder Cosina Lenses Are Less Expensive Alternatives to Genuine German Lenses
Some Chinese Lenses Feel Nicer Than They Really Are / Excessive Lubricants
The Chinese Make a Lot of Their Own Glass / Mike Has No Idea How Glass is Made
Leica No Longer Makes Their Own Glass but they Polish It / Onion Ring Bokeh
Are There Any Companies to Stay Away From / Paul Doesn't Like MS-Optics Lenses
Differences Between Western and Chinese Manufacturing Philosophies
Chinese Manufacturers Typically Didn't Offer After Sale Support or Warranties
China's Manufacturing Today is Far More Advanced Than Anywhere Else in the World
Norris Goes to CES and Admires Hair Dryers / 40% of Exhibitors at CES are Chinese
For Vintage Camera Users You Don't Always Want a Technically Perfect Lens
Stephen's Olympus Air A01 and a 220 Degree Circular Fisheye Lens
Nikon KeyMission 360 Double Fisheye Cameras / Go Pro / Ricoh Theta Camera
Brandon Jumped into the Nikon Zf Using Chinese Lenses / Nikon Z-Mount Adapters
Fernando Adapted Leica R Lenses to Leica M and the Results are Great
Leica SLRs and Alpas are Almost Always Sold Without Lenses on eBay
Come See Mike, Bob, Norris, Vlad, and Cletus at the Chicago Camera Show on February 22nd
Paul Wants to Buy a Nikon M / The Three Different Types of Nikon M Rangefinders
Mike Made His First Ever Purchase on Buyee of 5 Cameras

Links

The Camerosity Podcast is now on Discord! Join Anthony, Paul, Theo, Stephen, and Mike on our very own Discord Server. Share your GAS and photography with other listeners in the Lounge or in our dedicated forums. If you have questions for myself or the other guys, we have an “Ask the Hosts” section as well where you can get your question answered on a future show! Check it out! https://discord.gg/PZVN2VBJvm.

If you would like to offer feedback or contact us with questions or ideas for future episodes, please contact us in the Comments Section below, our Camerosity Facebook Group, Instagram page, or Discord server.

Order Your Very Own Camerosity Podcast T-Shirt! - https://www.zazzle.com/z/tbykl0hg

Chicago Camera Show on Sunday February 22 - https://www.facebook.com/events/sheraton-suites-chicago-elk-grove/chicago-camera-show/774123451683491/

Camerosity in Spanish - https://camerosity.es/

The Official Camerosity Facebook Group - https://www.facebook.com/groups/camerositypodcast

Camerosity Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/camerosity_podcast/

Theo Panagopoulos - https://www.photothinking.com/

Paul Rybolt - https://www.ebay.com/usr/paulkris - https://thisoldcamera.net/

Anthony Rue - https://www.instagram.com/kino_pravda/

Episode 103: Don't Snort Your Lenses

Thu, 22 Jan 2026 10:32:59 -0600

In what turned out to be one of the more unhinged episodes of the Camerosity Podcast, for Episode 103 the gang didn't get the show announcement out until the day of the recording, but that resulted in a near record number of participants, and without a dedicated topic to discuss, we ran the gamut of topics from Theo's recent acquisition of a local lab's Fuji Frontier Scanner, to a very lively discussion about radioactive lenses and why you should not grind up lens glass and snort it.

Joining Anthony, Paul, Stephen, Theo, and Mike on this episode were A.J. Gentile, Dan Cuny, Doug Doyle, Fernando Villava, Greg McCreash, Ira Cohen, Jeremy Scott, Mario Piper, Norris Liu, Pat Casey, Ron Gee, Vlad Kern, Will Pinkham, plus a few others who didn't say anything.

The show starts off with Theo telling the tale of how a Frontier scanner is coming to him and that turned into a very lively discussion about all scanning options from using professional scanners, flatbed scanners, and then eventually to digitizing with a digital camera.

Returning guest Dan Cuny shares some vintage digital cameras he's been working on reviews for including the 0.3 megapixel Canon PowerShot 350 and the floppy disc Sony Mavica! Continuing on the vintage digital discussion was the revelation that three of the five Camerosity hosts all have the 1990s Minolta RD-175 DSLR!

Vlad Kern from ussrphoto.com comes on and shares his recent pickup of a spy camera from a shot down Russian drone found in Ukraine which he recently acquired. Vlad's crazy spy camera looks straight out of a science fiction movie and the hosts wonder how he managed to get that past European and American customs!

Of course, we get into a bit of GAS including a follow up to Episode 102 where Ron Gee had ordered an Aero-Liberator camera from John Minnicks, Ron came back to talk about receiving the camera and his initial impressions of it. Other cameras discussed are the Tele and Wide Rolleiflexes, a rare Foth TLR, the 16mm KMZ Narciss SLR, a very strange and rare American camera called the Millfred Cand-O-Matic and I give an update on some leather I purchased for a Leica IIIa that needed to be recovered.

For our next show, Theo will be vacationing in Japan, so he won't be joining us, and there still isn't a topic yet, but Episode 104 will be recorded on Monday, February 2nd at 7pm Central Standard Time and 8pm Eastern Standard Time. Make sure you set your calendars and look out for the show announcement at the usual locations and be prepared to join us!

In This Episode

Theo’s big piece of GAS… where will it fit? / Fujifilm Frontier SP-2000
Doug Doyle is excited for the Knokke film scanner
Mario Piper gets advice on dealing with spots and dust on negatives
Kodak Photo-Flo and Edwal LFN Wetting Agents / Ilford Antistaticum Anti-Static Cloth / PEC-12 Photographic Emulsion Cleaner / ADOX Film Cleaner
Add Humidity to your Darkroom to Reduce Dust
Epson Flatbed Scanners / Nikon Coolscan Scanners / Camera Scanning with Negative Lab Pro / Romanian Lobster People
A good reason to not worry about scanning resolution
Dan Cuny is reviewing vintage digital cameras like the Canon PowerShot 350, the Sony Mavica, and the Nikon Coolpix 100
The hosts have way too many Minolta RD-175 DSLRs
Scanning Kodak Disc Film and Sawyer's View-Master weddings
Vlad Kern Discusses Soviet Film Formats / Russian Drone Cameras
Fernando’s KMZ Narciss / Homebrew Photosnipers
Ron Gee’s Aero-Liberator / Everyone shares their big Radioactive Aero Ektars
Vlad has an aerial camera that’s just missing the MiG-21 fighter jet
Jeremy Scott tests his Canon FD concave 35mm f/2 with a Geiger counter / De-Yellowing Radioactive Lenses
Foth-Flex and Foth Derby / Tele Rolleiflex / Soligor and Sears 55m f/2.8 macro Lenses / MIOJ Nikkor 13.5cm f/4 version
Norris Liu shows off a Millfred Cand-O-Matic made by a Hollywood movie producer
Mike reskinned a Barnack Leica with Leather from cameraleather.com
Jeremy brings us back around to the start with his bellows film scanning setup

Links

Order Your Very Own Camerosity Podcast T-Shirt! - https://www.zazzle.com/z/tbykl0hg

The Official Camerosity Facebook Group - https://www.facebook.com/groups/camerositypodcast

Camerosity Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/camerosity_podcast/

Theo Panagopoulos - https://www.photothinking.com/

Paul Rybolt - https://www.ebay.com/usr/paulkris - https://thisoldcamera.net/

Anthony Rue - https://www.instagram.com/kino_pravda/

Episode 102: Eggnog Manatees and Opportunistic GAS

Wed, 31 Dec 2025 12:57:15 -0600

The end of the year has come. As is the case every year, 2025 was filled with some ups and downs. For the Camerosity Podcast, we reached the 100 episode milestone, saw a huge influx of Miranda cameras re-enter the used camera market, and a whole lotta pictures of manatees.

For Episode 102, the gang got together with some holiday themed alcoholic beverages and discussed what last minute bouts of GAS we had, and other bits of nonsense we were up to. Joining Anthony, Paul, Stephen and Mike were returning callers A.J. Gentile, Leon Blankenhorn, Pat Casey, Will Pinkham, William Ponder, and first time callers Joao Gomes and Ron Gee.

In this episode we start right off with recent pickups, Paul is enamored with his Hasselblad digital back which he has almost permanently mounted to his 907x, calling it the best digital camera he's ever shot. A recent pickup of a Hassy 65mm f/2.8 lens further cemented it for him. Pat Casey talks about his love for 3x4 Graflexes and first time caller Ron Gee is excited for his new Aero Liberator camera he ordered from John Minnicks.

We discuss the shift of German cameras being made in countries other than Germany, why West German companies made so many leaf shutters and seemed to be reluctant to adopt focal plane shutters, and Mike (poorly) attempts to explain the confusing history of the Voigtländer Bessaflex, Zeiss-Ikon Icarex and SL706, Voigtländer VSL series and Rollei SL35 series SLRs.

Mike shares his two most recent pickups, the first is the brand new and recently released LOMO MC-A which is an impressive premium point and shoot camera and he feels is the best example we've seen so far of what a brand new premium 35mm camera should be. His other pickup is a rather ordinary Vivitar XC-3 with the unordinary XC-A accessory which kinda sorta adds Aperture Priority Automatic Exposure to a camera which wasn't built with it.

Anthony talks about a $25 Nikonos III he recently picked up and used to take some of the best photos he's ever taken of manatees in the spring by his house. He also shares with us his oddest camera, the Kirka Electronik Auto Hobby Emergency Car Camera Kit.

And right before we were about to sign off, Ron Gee drops not one but two of the largest 6x17 and 6x24 3D printed cameras any of us have seen. With names like Sasquatch and Kracken, these large beasts are not to be taken lightly!

We don't yet have a topic for our first episode of the new year, but whatever it is, Episode 103 will be recorded on Monday, January 12th, 2026 at 7pm Central Standard Time and 8pm Eastern Standard Time. Make sure you set your calendars and look out for the show announcement at the usual locations and be prepared to join us!

In This Episode

Pork Tenderloin Sandwiches / Ron and Joao are Both First Time Callers Long Time Paul Customers
Zeiss-Ikon Contax S / Everyone Needs a Praktica
Different Types of GAS / Hasselblad 907 w/ Digital Back
Pat Casey's 3x4 Graflex Infatuation / Ron Gee is Getting an Aero Liberator from John Minnicks
Kodak Aero Ektar Lenses / Gowlandflex TLR
Ifbaflex M102 / Voigtländer VSL1 / Zeiss-Ikon SL706
The Shift of German Cameras Being Made in Countries Other than Germany
Why Did Zeiss-Ikon and Other West German Camera Makers Make So Many Cameras with Leaf Shutters?
The Technical Limitations of Leaf Shutter SLRs Compared to Focal Plane Shutter SLRs
Kirka Electronik Auto Hobby Emergency Car Camera Kit
Anthony's $25 Nikonos III Find / Anthony Rue: Manatee Belly Scratcher
Sea & Sea Cameras Lenses and Housings / Canon Aqua Snappy / Stay Away from the Nikonos IV
Olympus G.Zuiko 42mm f/1.2 C-Mount Lens
Check out the Camerosity Discord Server, It Is Way Better than Facebook
Olympus Accura View 90 Point and Shoot
Mike's Thoughts on the LOMO MC-A Premium Point and Shoot
Comparing the LOMO to other New Premium Film Cameras like the Rollei 35 AF and Pentax 17
The Camerosity Podcast Still Likes the Chuzhao Three Months In
Vivitar XC-3 w/ XC-A AE Module / Will Picks Up a Zorki 4
What Kind of Camera Would You Like to See Come to Market?
Epson RD-1 / Zeiss-Ikon ZM Rangefinders
We Need to Do a Lomography Show / LOMO Spinner
William Asks for an Update on the Zeiss-Ikon Contaflex TLR Review
Sasquatch 617 3D Printed Camera / Kracken 624 3D Printed Camera

Links

Order Your Very Own Camerosity Podcast T-Shirt! - https://www.zazzle.com/z/tbykl0hg

The Official Camerosity Facebook Group - https://www.facebook.com/groups/camerositypodcast

Camerosity Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/camerosity_podcast/

Theo Panagopoulos - https://www.photothinking.com/

Paul Rybolt - https://www.ebay.com/usr/paulkris - https://thisoldcamera.net/

Anthony Rue - https://www.instagram.com/kino_pravda/

Episode 101: Mike Eckman Man of Mystery

Wed, 17 Dec 2025 15:22:13 -0600

When it came time to decide what to follow up our 100th episode, the guys made a comment that we should interview a prominent podcaster and blogger in the vintage camera realm. With a long list of guests already, we thought hard about who we've missed, who is one person who has helped grow GAS as much as any one single person can? Anthony spoke up and said, "Hey, it should be Mike"! While I had my doubts about how interesting a whole episode about me could be, I thought that I do like to tell stories, why why not?!

Joining Anthony, Paul, Stephen, Theo, and Mike this, our 101st episode are returning callers A.J. Gentile, David Palumbo, Fernando Villava, Ira Cohen, Mark Faulkner, Pat Casey, Rob Lattimer, William Ponder, and Will Pinkham.

Over the course of the episode, I field a variety of questions from how I got started, what is my while whale camera, what cameras never clicked for me, what was an example of a camera that I felt overwhelmed trying to shoot. Paul gets me to revisit my 2023 trip to Los Angeles when I went through the collection of Kurt Ingham and what it was like going through such a large collection.

We get into camera accessories, especially how difficult it is to adapt Kilfitt lenses and that the "Rear Window" Kilfitt lens was never made specifically with an Exakta mount, we talk about what is a good first camera is, and we get into how I am resisting the urge to collect carbon filament light bulbs and Nixie Tubes.

Amazingly, we make it through the nearly 2 hour run time without repeating too much of what's been covered before, and while doing so managed to cover a whole lot of GAS!

We will be back shortly with our next episode, which is going to be two days before Christmas. We'll call this one our "holiday eggnog episode" where we recap the year and open up the call in lines for whatever you all want to talk about. Episode 102 will be recorded on Tuesday, December 23rd at 7pm Central Standard Time and 8pm Eastern Standard Time. Make sure you set your calendars and look out for the show announcement at the usual locations and be prepared to join us!

In This Episode

Mike’s T-shirt Sorting Techniques / It was Anthony’s Idea to Interrogate Mike
How did Mike get started? One night on eBay… He shares the cameras he used, and the ones that started his collection
The origins of MikeEckman.com
It all started with a Nikon EL2, then a Kodak No.1 Autographic Special, Model A
An avalanche begins: Argus C3, FED-2, Konica Auto S2
The Meeting of the Bloggers / White Whales Just Keep Coming
‘What the hell is this?” The Hasselblad XPan
Mike Damaged a Pentacon Six TL That Was Loaned to Him
Flying to LA: Kurt Ingham’s Collection
Mike’s Camera room (Cave? Bunker? Subterranean lair?)
Cameras that didn’t click for Mike / Konica AiBORG / Leia R8
Continuation/knock-off/replica cameras… Kiev vs FED and Zorki, Minolta Auto Press vs Plaubel Makina, Contax vs Nikon Rangefinders
Hidden histories Clarus MS-35, Vokar II, thousands of 6x6 TLRs, and the King Regula
Fernando Villava asks Mike about His Favorite Film / Anthony shares his bulk film lucky find
William Ponder wants to know if finding accessories leads to discovering cameras
The Kilfitt Konundrum that Mike created for Paul / Mark Faulkner’s Rear Window Lens / Paul’s NASA Lens
Will Pinkham wants to know what rarities are on Mike’s Wish List
Rob Latimer wants to know Mike’s Favorite Cameras
Vinyl Records, Carbon Filament Bulbs, and Nixie Tubes / Theo wants to know Mike’s other interests
Cameras that can start a collection, and a good first rangefinder for the SLR shooter
Is Mike a foodie? A coffee connoisseur? A traveler?
The importance of keeping photography knowledge alive
Could there be a Camerosity spin-off some day?

Links

Order Your Very Own Camerosity Podcast T-Shirt! - https://www.zazzle.com/z/tbykl0hg

The Official Camerosity Facebook Group - https://www.facebook.com/groups/camerositypodcast

Camerosity Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/camerosity_podcast/

Theo Panagopoulos - https://www.photothinking.com/

Paul Rybolt - https://www.ebay.com/usr/paulkris - https://thisoldcamera.net/

Anthony Rue - https://www.instagram.com/kino_pravda/

Episode 100: Camerosity Centennial

Fri, 07 Nov 2025 13:47:44 -0600

Can you believe it? The Camerosity Podcast is back with Episode 100! From what started out as a spontaneous Zoom call on a random May evening during the midst of a global pandemic has turned into one of the most popular and still only open source film and digital photography podcasts! While the hosts have changed since we started, its not really the hosts that make this show what it is, it is the guests and callers we have each episode which keep us on our toes with new and interesting topics.

For our centennial episode, the hosts sent out invites to some of our favorite guests and also kept the call in lines open for anyone to join us. We received responses from Todd Gustavson from the George Eastman Museum, Dan Tamarkin from Tamarkin Camera and Auctions in Chicago, Marwan El Mozayen from Silvergrain Classics, Robert Rotoloni from the Nikon Historical Society, and returning for the first time in 50 episodes, Johnny Sisson from Central Camera in Chicago. Joining these esteemed guests were callers A.J. Gentile, Alex Luyckx, Eric Risse, Greg McCreash, Nick Marshall, Pat Casey, Patrick Rapps, Wayne Scheipers, Will Pinkham, and William Ponder. It was a star studded cast if I ever saw one!

We get things started out with Marwan giving us an update on the all new Widelux-X panoramic camera prototype and where there at in its ultimate release. While we don't expect to see the new model this year, its release is coming soon! Todd chimes in with updates from the George Eastman Museum and what's new in their collection. He shares what he knows about Eastman Kodak's recent announcement of them distributing their own film again and the new Kodak 100 and 200 films and a project to document the most important historical cameras in history. Dan Tamarkin discusses getting married and the upcoming Tamarkin Camera Auction and gives us a preview of a couple cool Leicas which will appear in the show.

Robert gives an update on the state of the NHS Journey and Alex shares what he's working on for his site and an upcoming review of EFKE KB50 film. Johnny Sisson is back at Central Camera and he shares some updates about what's going on there and what's new in his life. While we don't expect to see Johnny resuming his hosting responsibilities, he should be more present in the camera collector community.

In addition to the guests already mentioned, other callers chime in with their favorite developers for black and white film, Will Pinkham opens Pandora's Box by asking for recommendations for a good rangefinder to use, and Mike shares his thoughts on the Nikon S3 re-release from 2000 and William Ponder shares his love for the Welta Weltini.

As we hit this milestone 100th episode, we are taking a short break before our next recording. As of this post, we don't yet have a date or a topic for Episode 101, but rest assured, once we know, it will be communicated via the normal channels!

In This Episode

Dan Tamarkin Got Married! / Dan's New Wife is a Leica DLux Shooter
Marwan from Silvergrain Classics Discusses the Widelux-X Prototype's Debut
Why is it Called the Widelux-X? / A Little Background
The Prorotype's Black and Brass Body / Comparing the Widelux Lens to that of the Hasselblad XPan
Todd Gustavson Joins Us and Talks Recent Kodak Film Announcements
Whats New at the Eastman Museum? / Most Influential Cameras of All Time
Alex is Working on an Article about EFKE 50 Black and White Film
John(ny) Sisson Returns / An Update About the Management of Central Camera in Chicago
After 41 Years the Nikon Historical Society Newsletter is Now Digital / No More Printed Copies
Mike Shoots a Brand New Nikon S3 2000 Rangefinder
Johnny Sets up Bargain Bins at Central Camera / People Dropping Off Collections of Cameras
The Eastman Museum Has the Rowe Collection Including a Huge Custom Squirrel Cage Flash
Jim McKeown's Camera Guide / No One Writes Camera History Books Anymore / Shutterbug Magazine
The Tamarkin Auction is Coming Up in November / Dr. Paul Wolf's Leica
Paul and Dan's Thoughts on Light Lens Labs Lenses / LLL Peel Apart Instant Film
Slow Black and White Films / More People Should Shoot Ilford Pan F 50
Eric's Corfield 66 SLR / Chinese Great Wall SLR
Will Asks for Recommendations on a Rangefinder / Nikon S2
Petri Green-O-Matic / Canon VT Deluxe / Canon P / Olympus 35 RC
Eric's Strange Wind Up Generator Flashgun
Do Any Professional Photographers Shoot Alpas?
Welta Weltini / Welta Perfekta / Welta Superfekta
Email Todd if You Want a Tour of the Eastman Museum

Links

Order Your Very Own Camerosity Podcast T-Shirt! - https://www.zazzle.com/z/tbykl0hg

Official Widelux-X Website - https://wideluxx.com/

Tamarkin Camera Auctions - https://www.tamarkinauctions.com/

George Eastman Museum - https://www.eastman.org/

Central Camera - https://centralcameraco.bigcartel.com/visit

Alex Luyckx Blog - http://www.alexluyckx.com/blog/

The Official Camerosity Facebook Group - https://www.facebook.com/groups/camerositypodcast

Camerosity Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/camerosity_podcast/

Theo Panagopoulos - https://www.photothinking.com/

Paul Rybolt - https://www.ebay.com/usr/paulkris - https://thisoldcamera.net/

Anthony Rue - https://www.instagram.com/kino_pravda/

Episode 99: Sanibel Island

Thu, 16 Oct 2025 08:47:00 -0500

For the past several episodes, the Camerosity Podcast has covered a wide range of topics from tiny digital TLRs, to Exaktas, to death and while these were all riveting conversations, we realized it had been a while since the hosts could just talk about what we've been up to. Camera shows, tropical vacations, and recent GAS abound, we decided to not advertise the recording of Episode 99. Although this show was mostly about the hosts, that didn't stop two additional guests, first time caller Douglas Willoughby and returning caller William Ponder from jumping in!

We get things started with Paul's introduction to Doug who repaired his Nikon F4 and explains what went wrong. William follows with a discussion regarding Miranda cameras and the tale of a Miranda Automex III that he bought from Mike. We continue on with more Miranda discussion then pivot to Zeiss-Ikon Contax SLRs and other cameras from the Texas collection such as the KW Praktiflex and later Praktica cameras. Mike professes his love for the Contax SLRs shutter and the strange noises it makes.

Later we pivot to traveling with cameras, and Anthony, Theo, and Paul all give their tips and shared experiences traveling with cameras and how to get your film hand checked at the airport. We talk about camera batteries, Stephen's journey of modifying his LEGO camera to look like a Leica which then of course turns into a discussion about actual Leicas including Anthony's crazy tale of how he acquired a Leica M2.

Finally, we chat about recent GAS pickups, Theo brings up the Mamiya 7 AGAIN and then Stephen shows off a very strange camera called the Olympus Air A01 which is the same size as a teleconverter, but is an entirely self contained micro 4/3s interchangeable lens mirrorless digital camera.

Can you believe it? The next episode will be number 100! Since May 2021, the Camerosity Podcast has proclaimed to be the world's first and only, open source film and digital podcast. Our show has kept that theme through most of those 100 episodes and the amount of feedback and engagement you all have shared with the hosts is humbling.

For this, our centennial episode, we are opening the doors for anyone to call in, but we've extended invites to some of our favorite previous guests. I'd won't give out any names here, but I would be willing to bet if you were to guess, you'd get at least a couple right! We will record Episode 100 on Monday, October 20th at 7pm Central Daylight Time and 8pm Eastern Daylight Time. Be sure you mark your calendars and hit up the Zoom link when it is posted and join us!

In This Episode

Paul Bought some Brand New Nikon F4s That Didn't Work and Doug Fixed Them / Common F4 Issues
William Ponder Got a Miranda Automex III From Mike After Episode 97
Black Paint Mirandas / Theo Likes the Miranda Automex III
Soligor Lenses / Many Were Made by Kowa / Anscomark M
AIC Was Miranda's Importer in the United States
Paul's Haul from the Texas Collection
Early Contax SLRs / Black Biotars
The Contax SLR Shutter is not Like Other SLRs
The Sounds of the Contax Shutter
Pentacon SLRs / The Zeiss-Ikon East and West German Lawsuit
Theo's Choices for Japan / Mamiya 7 and Nikon AF600
Horseman Convertible 852 / Horseman Field Cameras / Horseman Stereo 3D Camera
Anthony's Trip to Mexico / XRay Machine Toasts Anthony's Film
XRay Shield Bags / TSA Tips
Traveling Camera First Aid Kits / Other Travel Tips
Challenges with Batteries on Film and Digital Cameras
Stephen Turned a LEGO Creator Camera Into a Leica
Anthony's Quest to Own a Leica M2
Reskinning and Repainting Cameras
Doug Discusses the Weaknesses of the Pentax LX and Kowa Six
Black Paint KW Praktiflex / Mamiya 7 with Pano Kit
Minolta Maxxum 5000 and 650si
KMZ Zenit 16 / Red Olympus XA2 and other XA Cameras
Stephen Shows off the Tiny and Strange Olympus Air A01

Links

Order Your Very Own Camerosity Podcast T-Shirt! - https://www.zazzle.com/z/tbykl0hg

The Official Camerosity Facebook Group - https://www.facebook.com/groups/camerositypodcast

Camerosity Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/camerosity_podcast/

Theo Panagopoulos - https://www.photothinking.com/

Paul Rybolt - https://www.ebay.com/usr/paulkris - https://thisoldcamera.net/

Anthony Rue - https://www.instagram.com/kino_pravda/

Episode 98: The Exakta Episode

Sat, 27 Sep 2025 16:16:57 -0500

It has been a couple of weeks but the gang finally got back together to devote an entire episode to one of our favorite, and longest lived camera brands, the Ihagee Exakta. If you are familiar with the Exakta name, you probably know them as a maker of high end, but very quirky 35mm SLRs, however there were far more Exaktas produced in the 20th century using three different forms of film and nine different lens mounts. In Episode 98, the Camerosity Podcast hosts do their best to try and corral all those models and history into a single episode.

Joining Anthony, Stephen, Paul, and Mike are returning and first time callers Daniel from Chicago, Eric Lorenz, Fernando Villava, Howard Sandler, Ira Cohen, Michael Boudreau, Mike Toppo, Pat Casey, and Phil Clark.

We were unable to find an expert who could speak intelligently on the history and wide range of Exakta models made, so Mike did his best to cover the history, starting with how the company formed, and we go (mostly) in chronological order from the first 127 Vest Pocket Exaktas, the Night Exaktas, the early Kine Exaktas, into the Varex models, the redesigned VX1000 and Elbaflex models, and into the weeds with uncommon cameras like the Exakta Real, Exakta Twin TL, and some other Japanese and Chinese made models.

In addition to the Ihagee Exakta, we also dedicate a bit of time to the Exakta's little brother, the Exa, covering that models strengths and weaknesses. We attempt to explain how the shutter on early Exas work, and Mike tells a story of a hard to find "System Exa" that's not even made by Ihagee at all.

Many questions were asked with varying levels of good answers, including how many lens mounts can be found on an Exakta camera, how many different companies produced Exakta cameras, what is the best introduction to the Exakta lineup, and whether or not Exaktas are good for shooting or just for collecting. We even spend some time on the infamous Exaka with 400mm Kilfitt lens found in the Hollywood classic movie, Rear Window.

And just to round it all off, we spend the end of the episode on the Topcon SLRs which use the Exakta mount, including whether all lenses are fully compatible between the two company's models.

The last several episodes of the show have been wonderfully exciting and informational. We've had a huge number of guests, many of whom are first time callers who joined a long list of people who have contributed to this show. And while all the hosts enjoy chatting with all of you, we haven't had an episode to ourselves in a while, so for Episode 99, we are not taking any callers. We want to spend this time to get caught up on what we've been doing, share with you some of the private discussions we have behind closed doors, but mostly, we're looking for an episode that's easier to edit.

Don't worry though, for the next, next episode, we hit triple digits, episode number 100. It gives me chills just typing that here. We will be looking for something special for our centennial episode and once we know what that is, and what date we are recording it, we will be sure to let you all know! Until then, Episode 99 will be recorded sometime in early October.

In This Episode

Exaktas Are an Accidental Collection / Mike Had Wanted to Do an Exakta Show with Hugo Ruys
Did Ihagee Ever Make Their Own Lenses? / Canon Once Made a Lens Using the Exakta Mount
Did Other Companies Make Cameras that Use the Exakta Mount?
Topcon R / Mamiya Prismat / Tokiwa Seiki Firstflex 35
Differences Between a Night Exakta and a Regular Vest Pocket Exakta
What is a "Kine Exakta"? / Identifying All the Different Exaktas / Mike Mirrors wrotniak.net
Captain Jack's Exakta Website / Exakta Books and other Sites
What is the Difference between Varex, VX, and non Varex?
Paul's Tip for Cleaning an Exakta Ground Glass
The Exakta VX1000 Signaled a Big Change in Exakta Design / Mike Thinks the VX1000 Is the Perfect First Exakta
A Kickstarter to Revive the Elbaflex / The Real Elbaflex
Using the Exakta's Film Cutter / Cassette to Cassette Film Transport / Exakta and Exa Take Up Spools
Differences Between Exaktas and Exas
The Ihagee Exa that Wasn't Made By Ihagee / System Exa / How Does the Shutter Work on the Exa?
How Likely Are you to Find Working Exaktas and Exas? / Cloth Shutter Curtains
What was the Lens and Camera Used in the Movie Rear Window? / Kilfitt Lenses / Adapting Exakta Lenses
Olympus Made a 4cm f/3.5 Zuiko Lens in Exakta Mount / Exa and Exaktas Advance Film Opposite of Each Other
It's Spelled Ihagee, not Jhagee or Thagee
The Horizontal and Vertical Exakta 66 Medium Format SLRs
The Exakta Real Was an Attempt to Re-Launch the Exakta With More Modern Features
Exakta Twin TL and Twin TL 42 / How Many Lens Mounts Can Be Found on Exakta Cameras?
Are Exaktas Good for Shooting or Just for Collectors? / The Exakta Self-Timer and Slow Speed Escapement
Do Topcon SLRs Have the Same Mount as the Exakta? / Lens Compatibility

Links

Order Your Very Own Camerosity Podcast T-Shirt! - https://www.zazzle.com/z/tbykl0hg

The Official Camerosity Facebook Group - https://www.facebook.com/groups/camerositypodcast

Camerosity Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/camerosity_podcast/

Theo Panagopoulos - https://www.photothinking.com/

Paul Rybolt - https://www.ebay.com/usr/paulkris - https://thisoldcamera.net/

Anthony Rue - https://www.instagram.com/kino_pravda/

Episode 97: Everybody Chuzhao Tonight

Thu, 28 Aug 2025 09:35:29 -0500

An epidemic has swept Camerosity HQ along with a large swath of the camera collector groups. It seems a cheap Chinese toy camera has made its way into the homes of all of us and resulted in us sharing images from it online. Have we gone mad? Do you dream of tiny TLRs at night?

In Episode 97 we tackle the controversial Chuzhao mini-TLR digital camera. This $35 camera available worldwide through Amazon and Alibaba is selling like crazy now and each of the hosts ask our listeners what their thoughts are on it.

In addition to Chuzhao talk, we spend a good portion of the show on a completely unrelated topic, which is what to do with your cameras when you die. Mike and Paul both share their stories of picking up large estates of vintage cameras and what we ended up doing with them. If you think the prospect of being asked to tackle a 4500 piece collection sounds awesome, you should definitely listen to this episode as we have some thoughts on what its like.

Joining Anthony, Paul, Stephen, Theo, and Mike are returning callers A.J. Gentile, Ed Gabe, Greg McCreash, Ira Cohen, Larry Effler, Pat Casey, Phil Clark, Will Pinkham, and first time callers Doug Doyle, Rob Latimer, and William Ponder.

In addition to Chuzhao and Camera Estate talk, Ira shares some selections from his tiny TLR collection including a couple rare Hit film models, Paul shares his thoughts on what you should do in preparation for what happens to your collection after you die, Mike briefly talks about an uncommon 1950s 35mm SLR called the Tokiwa Seiki Pentaflex, and Rob shares his thoughts on the Zeiss-Ikon Super Nettar.

Meet Paul and Mike: If you are in the vicinity of Cincinnati, Ohio on Saturday, September 6th, come to the Ohio Camera Swap at the Hilton Garden Inn Cincinnati/West Chester and say hi to us. Both Paul and I will have a lot of Miranda cameras to sell! Who knows, maybe even some other Camerosity Podcast regulars will show up as well. While you’re there, maybe you can buy something from us!

For our next episode we are devoting a whole show to the Ihagee Exakta and Exa cameras. As one of the earliest 35mm SLRs and also one of the most successful, millions of Exakta cameras were made over several decades of the 20th century, so there are a great deal of them to talk about. As usual, we'll cover some history about the brand, go over their use, and cover some of the more interesting or collectible models. If we have time, we will even cover the "other" Exaktas like the Exakta Real and the Pentacon produced RTL1000. Will we stay on track or end up finally discussing large format? You'll only know if you turn into Episode 98 which will be recorded on Monday, September 8th at 7pm Central Daylight Time and 8pm Eastern Daylight Time.

In This Episode

Everyone Lost their Minds and Bought a Chuzhao / Many Chuzhao Resellers are Scams / Beware Where You Buy!
The Chuzhao is Only Worth it if You get it for the Equivalent of USD$40 or Less / Hacking the Chuzhao
Blown Out Highlights / The Chuzhao Is Great for Children or for Having Fun / Battery Life
Small Cameras Like the Chuzhao Break Down Barriers when Photographing People
Ira Cohen Has Many Other Really Small TLRs / Babyflex, Museflex, and Gemflex / Japanese Hit Film Cameras
Constructor and Blackbird Camera / Other Toy Cameras / Lego 3-in-1 Camera
5 Years Ago, Paul Picked Up a 4500 Piece Collection
Why Do Some Collectors Have Multiples of the Same Camera
Mike Goes to Texas to Get a Large Miranda Collection
The Many Variations of the Vest Pocket Kodak Camera / World War I Soldier's Camera
Ira Has Negative Niches in His Collection
Inheriting a Large Collection is Fun But Overwhelming
Advice On What Should Happen With Your Collection After You Die / Tell Someone / Keep Records / Don't Lie
How Do You Sell High Value Cameras from a Collection?
Mike Recommends Shipping Large Collections with U-Haul U-Boxes
Packing Cameras / Estimating the Value of a Collection
More Tips for Preparing Your Collection For After Your Demise
Tokiwa Seiki Pentaflex / Zeiss-Ikon Super-Nettel / Donating Cameras
Yashicaflex TLRs / Do You Get More Satisfaction Getting an Image from a More Difficult Camera?
Coated vs Uncoated Lenses / The Non-Rangefinder Version of the Kodak 35 / Canon VI-T

Links

Order Your Very Own Camerosity Podcast T-Shirt! - https://www.zazzle.com/z/tbykl0hg

The Official Camerosity Facebook Group - https://www.facebook.com/groups/camerositypodcast

Camerosity Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/camerosity_podcast/

Theo Panagopoulos - https://www.photothinking.com/

Paul Rybolt - https://www.ebay.com/usr/paulkris - https://thisoldcamera.net/

Anthony Rue - https://www.instagram.com/kino_pravda/

Episode 96: The AGFA Episode with Very Little AGFA

Thu, 07 Aug 2025 10:24:30 -0500

If there ever was an episode that epitomizes the concept of the "first and only open source film and digital photography podcast" it is this episode! We started off with the idea of devoting a large part of it to AGFA, makers of Rodinal, Karat film, and a large number of really cool cameras from the mid 20th century. From the moment we got started, we immediately got off topic and wouldn't come back to AGA until an hour into the recording. Never fret, but in the shortened time we covered Germany's version of Kodak, we covered a lot of ground.

Joining Anthony, Paul, Stephen, Theo, and Mike are returning callers A.J. Gentile, Fernando Villava from Germany, Mike Litwin, Pat Casey, Will Pinkham, and first time callers David Palumbo and Zack Lothamer.

From the moment the show got started, we feel down the Kodak Instamatic (type 126) wormhole, discussing a large number of Instamatic cameras, what kinds of films can be used in 126 cameras today, the Fakmatic 3D printed adapter, and other oddball cameras. We meander around, somehow winding up on the Ricoh GXR Interchangeable module digital camera, and Anthony's love for Kodak 5220XT Film.

When we finally get into the world of AGFA, we discuss some of the group's favorite films like AGFA Professional Pan 25, APX25, HDC 100, Scala, and AGFA's original AGFAColor film from the 1930s. Eventually, we get into AGFA GAS with some really cool cameras like the Parat and Optima Parat half frame cameras, the cool twin lens Flexilette and Optima Reflex, the large orange button AGFAs like the Optima 1035 and 1535, the Optima Electronic Flash, Ambi Silette, and the Selectaflex SLR. By far, the most time is dedicated to the postwar AGFA Karat rangefinder with the split image viewfinder, which Mike says is the best rangefinder camera for people with terrible vision.

Sprinkled throughout the show we answer questions about how long expired film can be used when refrigerated, what is a recommendation for a good entry into 6x9 cameras, and some warnings about not trying to repair the Zeiss-Ikon Contaflex SLR.

For our next episode, the entire Camerosity Podcast crew went crazy over a $35 Chinese digital camera. Each of us bought the same camera and played with it for a couple of weeks in an effort to see what happens if expectations are low enough, can you really enjoy a toy camera? In addition, Mike has now gone on two treks across the country to move large collections of cameras, and he has some thoughts (here is a preview, if you are a collector, don't die!) Of course, if anything is certain, is that nothing is certain and Episode 96 is a perfect example where we might plan on talking about one thing and end up on something else. Will we stay on track or end up finally discussing large format? You'll only know if you turn into Episode 97 which will be recorded on Monday, August 18th at 7pm Central Daylight Time and 8pm Eastern Daylight Time.

In This Episode

Asking David About the Mysterious Curtain on Bronica S2 Backs / Other Cameras with Curtain Dark Slides / Mamiya Six
Koni-Omega Rapids / Bronica Lenses / Dave Ditched His Bronica for a Hasselblad 500CM
Kodak Instamatic Type 126 Cameras / Olympus Quickmatic / Bell & Howell Autoload 342
Fakmatic 126 Adapter / Using 35mm Film in Instamatic Cameras
Magic Cubes vs Flash Cubes / Motor Driven Instamatic Cameras
Verichrome Pan is Your Best Bet for Using Original 126 Film Today / Rolleiflex SL26 SLR
Theo Wants an "I'm Back" for 126 Cameras / Ricoh GXR Interchangeable Sensor Digital Camera / Horseman Convertible
How Long Can Expired Film Be Stored Frozen or Refrigerated? / Does Slower Film Last Longer?
Anthony Loves Shooting Expired Eastman 5220XT Film
Slide Film Ages Poorly / Some Films Degrade Even After Being Developed
Anthony Loves AGFA HDC 100 Color Film / AGFA Pan Professional 25 / APX25
AGFAColor Color Film from the 1930s / Other AGFA Films / Ultra 50 and Scala
Developing Early Slide Film Required You to Expose the Developing Film to Light
What is Stand Developing? / Benzotriazole / Mike Has Tried All Kinds of HC-110
We Finally Talk About AGFA Cameras / Anthony only Has an AGFA Pioneer
The AGFA Optima 1535 Looks Kinda Like the Plaubel Makina 67 / Optima Sensor
AGFA Flexilettte and Optima Reflex 35mm TLRs
Some AGFA Cameras Using the Film Advance Lever to Rewind the Film
More About the Flexilette / Mike Loves the AGFA Selectaflex
Don't Bother Trying to Repair the Zeiss-Ikon Contaflex SLR
AGFA Ambi Silette / AGFA Parat I / Mike Raves About the AGFA Karat
The 6x6 AGFA Isolette and Ansco Speedexes are Great Affordable Medium Format Folders
What is a Recommendation for a Good 6x9 Folder? / Voigtländer Bessa
The AGFA Compact Electronic Was the Last AGFA Camera Made in Germany

Links

The Camerosity Podcast is now on Discord! Join Anthony, Paul, Theo, and Mike on our very own Discord Server. Share your GAS and photography with other listeners in the Lounge or in our dedicated forums. If you have questions for myself or the other guys, we have an “Ask the Hosts” section as well where you can get your question answered on a future show! Check it out! https://discord.gg/PZVN2VBJvm.

Order Your Very Own Camerosity Podcast T-Shirt! - https://www.zazzle.com/z/tbykl0hg

The Official Camerosity Facebook Group - https://www.facebook.com/groups/camerositypodcast

Camerosity Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/camerosity_podcast/

Reloading 126 Instamatic Film - https://mikeeckman.com/2020/03/reloading-instamatic-film-the-better-way/

Theo Panagopoulos - https://www.photothinking.com/

Paul Rybolt - https://www.ebay.com/usr/paulkris - https://thisoldcamera.net/

Anthony Rue - https://www.instagram.com/kino_pravda/

Episode 95: Let's Wing It!

Fri, 18 Jul 2025 11:03:49 -0500

Over the past several episodes. we've covered a wide range of topics and had some excellent guests on the show. While we love predetermined topics, the original concept of the Camerosity Podcast was that any topic is always on the table, so from time to time, we like to "wing it" and start recording without any idea of what we're talking about.

Episode 95 was one such episode where Anthony, Paul, Stephen, and Mike logged into Zoom, hit record and let everyone in! As always seems to happen, the show fills up quickly with GAS discussion. Guests sharing their recent pickups and anything they're shooting now. For this episode, we were joined by AJ Gentile, Darin Cozine, Jeremy Scott, Kyle Liu, Nick Marshall, Robert Coates, Shane Pacheco and Will Pinkham.

We start out the GAS discussion covering Bronica and Mamiya SLRs and TLRs. A discussion about the S2 and S2A and issues with foam seals which need to be replaced on pretty much all Bronica S-series cameras. Anthony shares his experience on a new (to him) Contax D SLR he picked up and that spawned a lengthy discussion on the Contax SLR's shutter and the unique sounds it makes.

Jeremy shares the pickup of a lifetime at a recent estate sale in rural Oklahoma where he bought a Zeiss-Ikon Hologon Ultrawide, Canon f/0.95 "Dream Lens", and other highly sought after wide angle lenses.

Mike discusses an upcoming storage locker of cameras in Texas he will be picking up soon, along with his pickup of a very early Contax S and an Orion Miranda T with the rare Zunow lens.

For our next episode, we are going to cover AGFA. As the German equivalent of Kodak, AGFA has a long history of making both cameras and film stocks, so our intent is to do their history some justice and cover their most memorable models and emulsions. We will record Episode 96 on Monday, July 28th at 7pm Central Daylight Time and 8pm Eastern Daylight Time.

In This Episode

Jumping Straight into GAS / Bronica S2 vs S2A / Mamiya C33 Professional / Who Used the Mamiya TLRs?
Anthony Buys a Murder Scene Camera / Paul Sold Cameras to Coroners
Bronica vs Hasselblad / Nikkor Lenses on Medium Format Cameras
All Bronica S/S2/S2A Cameras Will Need Their Foam Replaced or Images Will Be Out of Focus
Anthony Receives and Shoots a Zeiss-Ikon Contax D SLR
Mike Gives a Very Poor Explanation for Why 100 and 125 are the Safest Shutter Speeds
The Contax SLR and KW Praktina Have a Similar Design Language / Contax vs Pentax?
Asahi Pentax ES II and It's Horrible Battery Compartment
Why Are Black Cameras Often Worth More than Chrome Cameras?
LOMO LCA Wide 120 / Hasselblad SWC
Jeremy Scores Big at an Estate Sale / Zeiss-Ikon Hologon Ultrawide / Canon 0.95 Dream Lens / Canon 7SZ
The Voigtländer Bessa L is an Economic Alternative to the Hologon Ultrawide / Bessa R Series
Everyone Talks About Ultrawide Lenses / Voigtländer 12mm and Canon 19mm Lenses
Reveni Labs Lumo Incident and Direct Light Meter
Mike's GAS / Contax S SLR / Orion Miranda T with Zunow Lens
AJ Buys Himself a Minox B for his Birthday
Many Young People Associate the Film Look with Degraded Photos from When They Were Younger
Stephen Sold All His Nikon F Cameras and Lenses Then Bought New Ones / Everyone's First Nikon

Links

Order Your Very Own Camerosity Podcast T-Shirt! - https://www.zazzle.com/z/tbykl0hg

The Official Camerosity Facebook Group - https://www.facebook.com/groups/camerositypodcast

Camerosity Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/camerosity_podcast/

Reveni Labs Lumo - https://www.reveni-labs.com/reveni-labs-lumo

Theo Panagopoulos - https://www.photothinking.com/

Paul Rybolt - https://www.ebay.com/usr/paulkris - https://thisoldcamera.net/

Anthony Rue - https://www.instagram.com/kino_pravda/

Episode 94: Camera Shopping at Roberts Camera and Blue Moon

Tue, 24 Jun 2025 09:25:41 -0500

We are back with Episode 94 of the Camerosity Podcast. For this episode, we decided to revisit a topic we covered all the way back in Episode 30, which is talking about camera stores with people who work in camera stores.

Joining us for the discussion are Meredith and Corey Reinker from Roberts Camera (aka UsedPhotoPro) in Indianapolis, Indiana and Zeb Andrews from Blue Moon Camera and Machine in Portland, Oregon. Of course, two of the Camerosity hosts, Paul and Stephen both used to work in camera stores too, so between those four, we were well represented.

Much has changed in the photography space since we did our last camera store episode. Releases of new cameras like the Pentax 17, Rollei 35 AF, and recent announcements of a new "film like" digital Yashica SLR have caused a lot of ruckus and it will be interesting to hear how actual camera store people see these latest developments.

Joining Paul, Stephen, Theo, Mike, and our special guests was a long list of callers including A.J. Gentile, Betty Ann Cochrane, Brad, Dan Hausman, Hong Lee, Howard Sandler, Larry Effler, Miles Libak, Pat Casey, Shane from Discord, and Will Pinkham.

During the show we ask Meredith, Corey, and Zeb a wide range of questions ranging from what differentiates their stores which has allowed them to remain successful well into the era of digital photography. We cover what the modern camera store customer looks like today and what makes photography appealing to a younger crowd. We cover both lab and home developing, what one camera both camera stores wish there was an unlimited amount of, how they acquire their inventory of used cameras, and Zeb shares a cool story about how Blue Moon developed a roll of film which had images of Mount St. Helens erupting.

Mike gets excited that he received a bottle of the new Adox Syrup 110 developer and attempts to break down the myth that C41 home developing is difficult. Theo and Zeb counter that you shouldn't be shamed into developing your own film and that the consistency of a professional lab is worth it.

While most episodes are a lot of fun to record, while doing this one, it was amazing how fast the two hours went, and I wish we could have talked to Meredith, Corey, and Zeb longer. Who knows, maybe we'll return for a third Camera Store episode some day!

For our next episode, we don't have a dedicated topic and will open up the Zoom recording to anything you'd like to discuss. If there have been any questions or topics from previous shows you'd like to revisit, or share with us your latest camera GAS pick up, we'd love to hear from you! This next one will be a free for all! We will record Episode 95 on Monday, July 7th at 7pm Central Daylight Time and 8pm Eastern Daylight Time.

In This Episode

Introducing Roberts Camera / They Used to Sell Jewelry
UsedPhotoPro Was Started with Corey and Nelson Kopech in 2011
Blue Moon's Origin Story / Blue Moon's Owner Jake Has a Passion for Vintage Typewriters
Blue Moon Slits Their Own Minox Film / They Source New Cartridges Direct from Minox
What Does the Typical Camera Store Customer Look Like Today?
What Inspires the 18-24 Crowd to Buy a Particular Camera? / Is there an Upgrade Path to a Leica?
Mike Breaks Down All Film Shooters into One of Three Broad Categories
How Were Roberts and Blue Moon Able to Navigate the Film to Digital Switch When Others Failed?
Blue Moon Developed Film from an Argus C3 Showing Mount St. Helens Erupting
Robert's Early Experience with Mail Order Helped them be Successful Selling Online
How Does Roberts Get Their Used Inventory / Burgess Auction in Carmel, Indiana
Recommendations for Local Camera Stores
How Hard is it to Get Film Processing Labs Repaired?
Everyone Talks About Developing Machines
How Common is it For People to Develop Film at Home?
Mike Gets a Bottle of the New Adox Syrup 110
Overcoming the Myth that Developing C41 Film at Home is Difficult
How Do you Handle Developing So Many Different B&W Films at the Same Time?
Camera Stories that Depended on Development and Services Struggled the Most
What Camera Do Roberts and Blue Moon Wish they had Unlimited Supply Of?
Upcoming Roberts and Blue Moon Events

Links

Order Your Very Own Camerosity Podcast T-Shirt! - https://www.zazzle.com/z/tbykl0hg

The Official Camerosity Facebook Group - https://www.facebook.com/groups/camerositypodcast

Camerosity Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/camerosity_podcast/

Roberts Camera - https://robertscamera.com/

Used Photo Pro - https://usedphotopro.com/

Blue Moon Camera and Machine - https://bluemooncamera.com/

Theo Panagopoulos - https://www.photothinking.com/

Paul Rybolt - https://www.ebay.com/usr/paulkris - https://thisoldcamera.net/

Anthony Rue - https://www.instagram.com/kino_pravda/

Episode 93: John Wade, Wrayflex and Clockwork Cameras

Wed, 11 Jun 2025 11:29:00 -0500

We're back with Episode 93 of the Camerosity Podcast! This time, we've altered our recording time to better suit those of our listeners across the pond who are normally sleeping when we record at our usual time. For this 'European time zone friendly' episode, we welcome special guest, collector, and author John Wade who has written or contributed to more than 30 books, including a couple which I have relied on for several of my camera reviews.

In addition to John, we were joined by callers Brian MacDomhnaill from Ireland, Fernando Villava from Germany, Guy from Germany, Leon Blankenhorn from Germany, and domestic callers Miles Libak and Andrew Madsen.

And of course we had our regular hosts, Anthony Rue, Stephen Strangways, and our time zone friendly recording time also allowed Paul Rybolt to join us who has been vacationing in Ireland for the past month. As this episode was recorded at 4am in Sydney, we gave Theo the day off.

With John's expertise, we spent a lot of time talking about Britain's only 35mm SLR, the Wrayflex. As the author of the only specialized book on the Wrayflex and the company who made it, John has a fascinating level of knowledge on this attractive and quirky camera.

In addition to Wray, we spent a lot of time talking about clockwork cameras, you know, those cameras that have a spring tensioned wind up film advance mechanism. We discussed a wide variety of models from the very first wind up camera, the Japy Le Pascal, Ansco No.1A Automatic Ansco, and later cameras like the Debrie Sept, Bell & Howell Foton, Canon Dial, Ansco Auto Half, GOMZ Leningrad, and others.

We briefly talk about the British Leica copy, the Reid and Sigrist Reid camera and the American equivalent the Premiere Instrument Kardon, among other popular British cameras.

In addition to John's contributions, Paul shares with us another 617 camera he's got his eye on, Brian tells a tale about lenses he thinks he needs and never uses, Mike shares an uncommon German camera he recently GASsed over, Guy brags about all his working Rollei A110s, the brightness of the Olympus Pen F's viewfinder, and we go around the room asking which cameras each of us have the most duplicates of.

For our next episode, we are going back to our regular recording time and will be welcoming Meredith and Corey Reinker from Roberts Camera/Used Photo Pro in Indianapolis, Indiana to share with us their stories selling vintage cameras on eBay and in a well established retail environment. We may welcome some callers from other camera stores too, but you'll just have to join us to see who calls in! We will record Episode 94 on Monday, June 16th at 7pm Central Daylight Time and 8pm Eastern Daylight Time.

In This Episode

Henry Scherer Passed Away / Mike Doesn't Know the Difference Between Ireland and Scotland
Retro Cameras / What Motivated John Wade to Start Writing About Cameras
John Wade's A Wrayflex Story / John Researched That Book by Interviewing People Who Used to Work There
Early Wrayflex Prototypes / John Does YouTube Videos on Amateur Photographer's Channel
Reid and Sigrist Leica Copies / Premier Instrument Kardon Leica Copy
Kodak Brownies and Instamatics Were as Ubiquitous in England as in the US
Many British Kodak Cameras Looked Different Than Their US Counterparts / 120 vs 620
Miles Had GAS for a Rectaflex / Wrayflex Viewfinders / Differences Between the Models
Britain's Role in WWII / Cameras Made in the Allied Occupation Zone in Germany
Hand Assembling Cameras and Lens Bubbles
Clockwork Wind Up Cameras / Japy Le Pascal Wind Up Camera
Ansco No.1A Automatic Ansco and Semi-Automatic Anscos
Bell & Howell Foton / AGFA Moto-Rapid C
Andrew Asks for Advice on a Reliable and Repairable Clockwork Camera to Buy
Canon Dial 35 / Mike's Tip for Using Alkaline Batteries in Cameras Designed for Mercury Batteries
KW Praktina with Auxiliary Motor Drive / Kodak Motormatic 35 / Ricoh Auto Half
Olympus Pen EM / GOMZ Leningrad / The Debrie Sept Will Break Your Wrists
The First British SLR Might Have Been Made by Two Germans
Brian's Thoughts on Italy and Buying Lenses He Doesn't Need
Popular Telephoto Lenses / Nikkor 105mm f/2.5 / Nikkor 180mm f/2.8
Guy Has Working Rollei A110 Cameras and He Loves Them
Dr. Wohler Saar Favor II / Rollei SL66 Repair / Paul Wants Another 617 Camera
Which Cameras Do Each of Us Have the Most Duplicates of?
Viewfinder Brightness Between Olympus Pen F and FT

Links

Order Your Very Own Camerosity Podcast T-Shirt! - https://www.zazzle.com/z/tbykl0hg

The Official Camerosity Facebook Group - https://www.facebook.com/groups/camerositypodcast

Camerosity Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/camerosity_podcast/

John Wade's The Wrayflex Story - https://www.johnwade.org/the-wrayflex-story

John's Youtube Videos for Amateur Photography - https://youtube.com/playlist?list=PLM3_2GF5hWAA2Bt0qqVYNPR6yclCxEV_j&si=8FkUfnSBA3ys_eUc

Theo Panagopoulos - https://www.photothinking.com/

Paul Rybolt - https://www.ebay.com/usr/paulkris - https://thisoldcamera.net/

Anthony Rue - https://www.instagram.com/kino_pravda/

Episode 92: Apparecchi Fotografici Italiani

Sat, 24 May 2025 07:35:57 -0500

In Episode 92 of the Camerosity Podcast, we needed to promote every caller to "host status" to tackle the topic of the Italian camera industry. While a huge number of cameras were made in Germany, Japan, the United States and the Soviet Union, many were made in other countries like Italy, France, England, and Czechoslovakia yet far less is talked about these countries.

We attempt to do some justice to cameras from this boot shaped peninsula, spreading some (very expensive) GAS for models like the Rectaflex, Ducati Sogno, and Gamma II. In an episode where everyone was a host, Mike, Theo, AJ Gentile, Miles Libak, Robert Rotoloni and Will Pinkham share our thoughts on a variety of models.

Mike's best reference is an out of print book called Made in Italy: Apparecchi Fotografici Italiani by Marco Antonetto and Mario Malavolti. This 1983 book is the best reference any of us have found covering the Italian camera industry. Featuring images and short descriptions for over 150 Italian cameras, this book, plus our assessment of a few models we're familiar with, prove that the Italian camera industry is far deeper than many realize.

In addition to a whole lot of Italian GAS, we go over the many different film sizes and formats used by Bencini cameras, Robert spends some time with his favorite Italian subminiature camera, the Gami 16, Mike struggles to explain how the metering system on the Durst Automatica works, he spends a great deal of time professing his love for the Ducati Sogno, and shares with us the wild operation of the very interesting Industria Scientifica Ottica Super Duplex 120, a strange stereo camera that shoots 24mm x 24mm stereo pairs on 120 format roll film.

In addition to talking about Italian cameras, we get side tracked and talk about the new upcoming Yashica FX-D digital camera and Mike shares his thoughts on these "so-called" hybrid film and digital cameras and where he thinks the film industry will be in 50 years. Will Pinkham asks about new 3D printed cameras like the Superflex and the Alfie Tych.

For our next episode, we are recording at a special time to allow for our European and South African listeners to join us. We don't have a specific topic selected for this show as these "Euro Time Zone Friendly" episodes generally are open to anything, so if you've always wanted to join us, but couldn't because we recorded in the middle of the night, this is your chance to call in! We will record Episode 93 on Tuesday, June 3rd at 1pm Central Daylight Time, 2pm Eastern Daylight Time, 7pm British Summer Time, 8pm Central European Summer Time, and at 4am Wednesday, June 4th Australian Eastern Standard Time.

In This Episode

Italian Camera Book / Italy's Camera History is Deeper Than You'd Think
Bencini Comet III / Bencini Koroll II and Koroll S / 127 Size Images on 120
Italy's Camera Industry is Similar to France's
Ferrania Also Released Cameras / Ferrania Rondine / The Ferrania Condor is Not a Leica Copy
The Rectaflex Was Very Pretty and Innovative / Rectaflex Lichtenstein
Mike Apologizes for the Expensive GAS From This Episode
Theo Loves His Closter Camera
Durst Made Four Cameras, the Duca, Automatica, 66, and the Gil
Mike Fumbles His Way Through Explaining how the Durst Automatica Works
Theo Lusts Over a Gold Plated Half Frame Italian Camera
SSR Ducati Sogno is a Half Frame Super Camera
Gamma Officine Meccaniche de Precisione Gamma II
Phototeknica Eaglet Box Camera / What if Italian Companies Still Made Cameras?
Bob Heaps Praise on the Unique Gami 16 Submini
ISO Super Duplex 120 / Forty-Eight 24mm x 24mm Images on a Single Roll
The Italian Camera Indusry is Very Deep / Bob is All Done Writing Books
Italian Cars Are Unique Too / Theo and Bob Both Owned Fiats
What Ended Camera Production in Italy? / The Rise of Japanese Industry
Miles is GASing for a Rectaflex / Mike's Warning About the Viewfinder
Get Yourself a Camerosity Podcast T-Shirt!!!
Yashica FX-D: Your First Digital Film Simulation Camera / SOC Cameras
Will 3D Printed Cameras like the Superflex and Alfie Tych Ever Become Collectible?
Mike Doesn't think New 3D Printed Cameras Appeal to Too Many Collectors
Film Cameras Will Outlive the Production of Film

Links

Order Your Very Own Camerosity Podcast T-Shirt! - https://www.zazzle.com/z/tbykl0hg

The Official Camerosity Facebook Group - https://www.facebook.com/groups/camerositypodcast

Camerosity Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/camerosity_podcast/

Theo Panagopoulos - https://www.photothinking.com/

Paul Rybolt - https://www.ebay.com/usr/paulkris - https://thisoldcamera.net/

Anthony Rue - https://www.instagram.com/kino_pravda/

Episode 91: Smells Like Cameras of the 90s

Tue, 13 May 2025 08:13:05 -0500

Like the saying goes, "better late than never", the Camerosity Podcast is back with Episode 91, which is dedicated to cameras of the 90s. Which 90s you prefer, 1890s or 1990s, all 90s cameras are welcome!

Joining Anthony, Paul, Theo, Stephen, and Mike are returning callers, AJ Gentile, Ira Cohen, Miles Libak, Nick Marshall, Robert Rotoloni, and Will Pinkham and we cover a wide range of 1990s cameras and technologies. Paul starts off with some stories about mini labs and how single use cameras became a big thing. We dive into bridge cameras, including the Olympus IS-2 which Mike gave rave remarks to.

We discuss a large number of point and shoot cameras including premium models by Nikon and Konica, and ponder why the Olympus Stylus Epic is so popular today. We talk about some dead end technologies from the 90s such as Minolta's ill fated Creative Expansion and Canon's obscure barcode scanner for the EOS 10S.

Not all technologies from the 1990s were failures though as the 1990s was the first decade of digital cameras. Models like the floppy disc Sony Mavica and Nikon D1 were great cameras with a historical significance which helped prove that digital photography had arrived.

We round out the discussion with why Theo loves the Mamiya 7 so much and how it compares to the Mamiya 6, Robert shares some info on the development of the Nikon S3 2000 edition, and we have a thorough discussion on Kyocera's Contax SLRs.

For our next episode, we decided to explore the Italian camera industry as its not often discussed in camera collector circles. While Germany, Japan, the Soviet Union, and the United States were well known as makers of fine cameras, a great number of really cool cameras were made in Italy such as the Rectaflex, Ducati Sogno, Gamma II, and other models by Bencini, Durst, and Ferrania. Join us if you're a fan of cameras from this "boot shaped" country, and see if we can manage to fill an entire episode without getting distracted! We will record Episode 92 on Monday, May 19th at 7pm Central Daylight Time and 8pm Eastern Daylight Time.

In This Episode

Jeff and Gabe Can't Pronounce French Names / Alan Peres Sends Us Emails Now
Sometimes Its Hard to Remember That We Like Cameras from the 1990s
The 1990s Was the Decade of the MiniLab and Single Use Disposable Cameras
Olympus Invested Heavily in Point and Shoots in the late 1980s
In the 1990s, Olympus Gave Up on Traditional SLRs and Created the IS-Series
Olympus IS-2 / In the 90s Zoom Reach was Over Valued By Novices
Why Are the Olympus Stylus Epics so Expensive? / µ[mju:]-II
Nikon F5 Improvements Over the F4 / Paul Really Hates the Nikon N70
The Nikon N90/F90 Was Nikons Best Semi-Pro SLR of the 1990s
Broken Battery and Film Doors Were a Huge Problem Back Then
The Nikon 28Ti and 35Ti Are Impressive Cameras but Terrible Investments
1990s Underwater Cameras / How Many People Kept Shooting 80s Cameras in the 90s?
Contax S2 and Other 1990s Contax SLRs / Contax S2 and ST
Mike Likes the Contax RTS II and the Contax RX / Large Contaxes Like the N1 and AX
The Minolta Maxxum 600si/650si Has Mechanical Knobs and is Awesome / Minolta Maxxum 9xi
Minolta's Horrible Creative Expansion Cards / Disabling Features on Consumer SLRs / Canon Barcode Scanning System
The Canon EOS-1n RS / Pellicle Mirrors / Canon EOS A2E / Canon's Eye Control System
Premium Point and Shoots / Konica Hexar AF / Canon Elph
Theo Loves the Mamiya 7 / Mamiya 6 / Everyone's First 110 Camera
Nikon Started Working on the S3 2000 in the 1990s / Differences Between the 2000 and Original S3
Sony Floppy Mavica Cameras / Nikon D1
Alfred C. Kemper Kombi from the 1890s / Theo's 1890s Australian Studio Cameras
Advanced Photo System (APS) Film and Cameras / Kodak Advantix Preview

Links

The Official Camerosity Facebook Group - https://www.facebook.com/groups/camerositypodcast

Camerosity Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/camerosity_podcast/

Keppler's Vault 101: Advanced Photo System - https://mikeeckman.com/2022/03/kepplers-vault-101-advanced-photo-system/

Theo Panagopoulos - https://www.photothinking.com/

Paul Rybolt - https://www.ebay.com/usr/paulkris - https://thisoldcamera.net/

Anthony Rue - https://www.instagram.com/kino_pravda/

Episode 90: Camerosity and the Rich Coastal Elites

Wed, 30 Apr 2025 07:48:19 -0500

As sometimes happens in the wonderful world of social media content creation, "the best laid plans of mice and men often go astray" we had plans to record Episode 90 back in March, but a variety of unfortunate and unrelated happenstances occurred which resulted in a short hiatus for recording. We had planned on making Episode 90 a show all about Cameras of the 90s, but we had also wanted Episode 91 to be recorded with two special guests, so we were forced to do things out of order.

Thankfully, the obstacles which caused our six week break didn't interfere with us sitting down with Jeff Greenstein and Gabe Sachs from the I Dream of Cameras podcast. For those of you who are familiar with their show, you'll know that Jeff has a fondness for Alpa cameras, so this unofficially doubles as our first and probably only Alpa episode.

After some short introductions, we refer back to a fun comparison between the two podcasts written by listener John Kelly and both hosts give our reactions to some of his funny answers. We cover a variety of cameras that we all love and shoot, along with Jeff's deep dive into why he loves the Alpa 11si so much.

Gabe shares a story of how he's had to rebuild his camera collection from scratch after losing it when his home burned down in the Palisades wild fires that ravaged Los Angeles earlier this year. We ponder why the Hasselblad XPan can't get repaired anymore and what other cameras are on the verge of being unrepairable. Mike shares three very different Alpas in his collection and shares what he likes and doesn't like about all three, Anthony shares his thoughts on a new (to him) Fuji camera he recently bought, and Paul talks about his plans for traveling to Ireland later this spring.

As promised two episodes ago, we still want to do a Cameras of the 90s episode, but this time it will have to be Episode 91. Finally, Theo will get a chance to talk about his beloved Mamiya 7, but in addition to that there were many other terrific cameras from that decade like the Nikon N90s and the premium 28Ti and 35Ti point and shoots, the Contax AX, and the Olympus µ[mju:]-II. In addition to terrific film cameras, the 1990s was the first decade with a large number of digital cameras like the Minolta RD-175 and Nikon D1. We will record Episode 91 on Monday, May 5th at 7pm Central Daylight Time and 8pm Eastern Daylight Time.

In This Episode

Jeff Greenstein and Gabe Sachs from I Dream of Cameras / Episode Numbers
John Kelly Compares Camerosity and IDOC Podcasts: A Rebuttal
Rich Coastal Elites vs Salt of the Earth Midwesterners / So Good
Camerosity Yellow and Red is the Same as Kodak Yellow and Red
Mamiya 7, Alpa 10s, Pentax 17, and Hasselblad 500
Why Can't Anyone Repair the Hasselblad XPan? / Unrepairable Cameras
Paul Doesn't Know what Neon Genesis Evangelion Is
Anthony and Paul Trade a Leica M2 for a Rolleiflex 3.5F
Gabe Talks About Losing His House and Entire Camera Collection in the LA Wild Fires
Limiting a Collection to 30 Cameras / Olympus Pen FT
Jeff Handles an Ilford Witness / Anthony Much Prefers the Bell & Howell Foton
Is there any Alpa Heritage in Bolex Cameras? / Kern Lenses / Kilfitt Makro Kilar Lenses
Mike and Jeff Both See the World in 40mm / The Konica AR 40mm f/1.8 Lens is the Best Value in 40mm
The Original Alpa Reflex is a Hybrid SLR and a Rangefinder
Mike Had an M42 Alpa Lens with No Body So He Bought an Alpa Si2000 / Chinon CE-II Memotron
Jeff's Rhapsody for the Alpa 11si / The Weirdest Motor Drive Ever / Engraved Cameras
Jeff Goes to Paris Fashion Shows / Cincinnati Camera Show Update / Sydney Show Update
Anthony Picks Up a Fuji GS645W Professional / Fuji's Barcode Film System
More Recap of the Cincinnati Show
Stephen Gets a Pentax 110 Auto / Theo Gets a Light Meter that Measures in Foot Lamberts
Jeff Wants to Get a Pentax MX / He Has a Medical Camera Called the Pentax MF
Jeff Also Got a Zeiss Taxona and a Mamiya Sketch
Mike Picks Up a Minolta 35 Model IIB and an Original Argus C with the F/S Switch

Links

The Official Camerosity Facebook Group - https://www.facebook.com/groups/camerositypodcast

Camerosity Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/camerosity_podcast/

Jeff Greenstein and Gabe Sachs - I Dream of Cameras - https://www.idreamofcameras.com/

Theo Panagopoulos - https://www.photothinking.com/

Paul Rybolt - https://www.ebay.com/usr/paulkris - https://thisoldcamera.net/

Anthony Rue - https://www.instagram.com/kino_pravda/

Episode 89: Camera Cleaning, Maintenance, and Repairs

Wed, 19 Mar 2025 07:52:39 -0500

A topic that we've lightly touched upon in previous episode, but never dared devote an entire episode to is the taboo subject of repairing your own cameras. There are those who firmly believe all repairs should be left to the capable hands of professionals, but there are others who have no problem with opening their own cameras and trying it out themselves.

If you're in the latter group and are interested to hear some tips and tricks from those of us who have been brave/foolish enough to try it, Episode 89 is all about repairing your own cameras. Joining Paul, Stephen, Theo, and Mike are returning callers A.J. Gentile, Alyssa Micha, Andrew Reynolds, Christopher Wells, John Michael Mendizza, Keir Frei, Larry Effler, Pat Casey, Rafael Espinoza, Ray Nason, Wayne Scheipers, and Will Pinkham who all share their own experiences.

We cover a wide range of topics, starting with what you can and cannot repair on a Kodak Medalist and whether you can still send your Leicas to the factory in Wetzlar to get repaired. Hear who we think makes a good set of JIS screwdrivers, lens spanners, and Mike recommends a rubber grippy tool. We share our recommendations for cleaning cameras, getting sticky residue off film doors, replacing mirror bumpers and foam light seals, how not to clean a reflex mirror, what works on lenses and what not to use. We even cover the taboo topic of washing your camera in the dishwasher!

Although there is very little GAS in this episode, we do get into a few model specific camera repairs. Alyssa Micha shares with us her beautiful 1903 Kodak camera which had moldy bellows and what she needed to do to replace them. We talk about how to and how not to fix the infamous Canon Squeal of the Canon AE-1 and A-1 cameras, along with how to deal with the sticky backs of the Nikon N80 and N90, Mike talks about a product he used to mold a custom hand grip for his Minolta 650si.

We talk about various cleaners, when and when not to use lighter fluid, acetone, glass cleaner, and for the love of God, please never use WD-40 on any camera! Although this whole episode is about home repairs and cleaning, we end the show talking about how best to take care of your camera to minimize its chances of never needing to be repaired, how to deal with humidity, and whether or not to store your cameras in their original leather cases.

Meet Anthony, Paul, and Mike: If you are in the vicinity of Cincinnati, Ohio on Saturday, March 22nd, come to the Ohio Camera Swap at the Hilton Garden Inn Cincinnati/West Chester and say hi to us. Who knows, maybe even some other Camerosity Podcast regulars will show up as well. While you’re there, maybe you can buy something from us!

Our next episode will be number 90, and like we've done for episodes 70 and 80, we will be devoting the show to cameras of that decade. For Episode 90, we will discuss cameras of the 1990s (or 1890s for that matter)! Finally, Theo will get a chance to talk about his beloved Mamiya 7, but in addition to that there were many other terrific cameras from that decade like the Nikon N90s and the premium 28Ti and 35Ti point and shoots, the Contax AX, and the Olympus µ[mju:]-II. In addition to terrific film cameras, the 1990s was the first decade with a large number of digital cameras like the Minolta RD-175 and Nikon D1. We will record Episode 90 on Monday, March 24th at 7pm Central Daylight Time and 8pm Eastern Daylight Time.

(Note that Daylight Savings Time started in North America on Sunday, March 9th, so be sure to check your local time if you plan on joining the show!)

In This Episode

Disclaimer: A Proper CLA is Always the Best Way to Get Your Camera Working / Technicians for Some Models Are Retiring
You Don't Have to Use The Most Popular Technicians to Repair Leicas / Does Leitz in Wetzlar Still CLA Cameras?
Larry Wants to Repair His Kodak Medalist / Mike Offers Tips on Cleaning the Medalist Rangefinder
Rerolling 620 / Larry Reload 828 Film Using Unperforated 35mm Film
3D Printing Battery Holders for Nikon SLRs / 3D Printing for Analog Photography Facebook Group
Cleaning Corroded Battery Compartments / Removing Stuck Pentax Spotmatic Battery Compartment Covers
Eyeglass Screwdrivers Are Not Good Enough / Japanese Cameras Use JIS Screws
Get Good Spanners / SK Grimes Spanners Are Very Good / Micro-Tools
Mike Recommends Getting a Set of Rubber Grips for Removing Lens Rings
How to Remove Stuck Filters Due to a Damaged Filter Ring
How Do You Know Whether You Should Fix It or Live With It?
Beware of Sellers Claiming a Camera Was CLAd If They Did It Themselves
Repairing the Canon AE-1 / Canon Squeaky Shutters / Never Use WD-40!
Using Ronsonol and Lighter Fluid / Naphtha Oil
Use Caution When Cleaning a Reflex Mirror / What is a Front Surface Mirror? / ROR Solution
Replacing Light Seals is a Good DIY Repair / Mirror Bumpers
Do Not Shoot a Camera with Compromised Light Seals / Cleaning the Old Stuff Out First
Are PEC Pads Recommended for Cleaning Cameras? / Kimwipes and Baby Wipes
A Old Toothbrush and a Tiny Drop of Soap is Good for Cleaning Crevasses and other Tight Spots
Cleaning and Conditioning Rubber Grips on Lenses / Shrinking Rubber Grips
Cleaning Sticky Rubber Surfaces / The Nikon N80 and N90 Have Horribly Sticky Backs
Making a Hand Grip for a Minolta 650si Using Sugru
How Do You Know When a Shutter Needs to Be Serviced?
Beware of Self-Timers on Old Cameras / What does "V" Mean on German Shutters?
Tips for Keeping Your Camera Working / Use It / Remove the Batteries
Controlling Humidity / Using Silica Gel Packets and Desiccants / Damp Rid
Getting Rid of Ever Ready Cases / Are There Any Cases Worth Saving?
An Easier to Remember Join Link - join.camerositypodcast.com

Links

The Official Camerosity Facebook Group - https://www.facebook.com/groups/camerositypodcast

Camerosity Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/camerosity_podcast/

Theo Panagopoulos - https://www.photothinking.com/

Paul Rybolt - https://www.ebay.com/usr/paulkris - https://thisoldcamera.net/

Anthony Rue - https://www.instagram.com/kino_pravda/

Episode 88: Desert Island Cameras Part 2

Fri, 07 Mar 2025 08:31:27 -0600

Way back in Episode 27, the Camerosity gang went on a three hour tour to a tropical paradise and asked everyone what would be their idea of three "desert island" cameras that they would want to be stranded with if they couldn't have anything else. That discussion proved to be a fun one and something we had wanted to revisit again. It would take us all the way to Episode 88 when we would finally put out the call for another Desert Island episode.

Joining Anthony, Paul, Mike and our new regular host Stephen Strangways, are returning callers A.J. Gentile, Andrew and Christopher Wells, Ira Cohen, Will Pinkham, and first time caller Robin Stone.

Starting with this episode, we are welcoming Stephen as one of the regular hosts to the show. His presence and knowledge on many previous episodes has impressed us, and after considering regular scheduling conflicts with the four regular hosts, we thought it was time to add a fifth person. Although Theo has missed the last two episodes, he is still very much apart of the show and will return soon. With a fifth host, in the event one of the "original four" have a scheduling issue, we can continue without hesitation.

On this episode, we go through a tremendous amount of GAS, covering many unexpected models including multiple Horseman cameras, a Fuji G617, Argus Brick, Nikon F2, Leica CL, Zeiss-Ikon Tenax II, and many, many others.

In addition to commercially available cameras, both Andrew and Christopher Wells share with us their own home made 3D printed large format creations. Custom cameras built to use any combination of lenses, shutters, and film backs in a million different combinations are truly one of the more fascinating aspects of this hobby. And if 3D printing your own camera isn't cool enough, Andrew took it a step further and even made his own bellows!

In addition to tropical island GAS, we answer the question of why the Nikon F mount is backwards of almost every other interchangeable lens system and the Wells brothers give us a quick update of the state of current Polaroid Originals instant film.

For our next episode, we will be discussing camera failures and home repairs. What are some of the most common problems vintage cameras face and what can you do to get them back up and working? While the Camerosity Podcast fully recommends professional CLAs to keep vintage cameras going as long as possible, we understand that a full service on every vintage camera is impractical, so sometimes you have to take matters in your own hands. If you aren't afraid to go inside a camera and possibly make it worse, the next episode may be for you! We will record Episode 89 on Monday, March 10th at 7pm Central Daylight Time and 8pm Eastern Daylight Time.

(Note that Daylight Savings Time starts in North America on Sunday, March 9th, so be sure to check your local time if you plan on joining the show!)

In This Episode

All Aboard the Second Ever Camerosity Desert Island Cruise!
Robin Starts Us Off with the Horseman VH / AJ is Bringing His Kodak Retina IIIc and Kodak Tourist
Anthony Brings a Fuji G617 with an Unlimited Supply of 220 Film
Ira Brings the Nikon F2 / Why is the Nikon F-Mount Backwards from Most Other SLRs?
Andrew Brings a Rolleiflex SL66 / Another Horseman Makes It to the Island / Horseman Convertible
Will Brings Brings A Balda Rigona 127 Camera / Mike Recommends Other Cool 127 Cameras
Paul Has a Case of Cheap Plastic Pocket Cameras
Mike's First Camera is the Folding Mamiya Six
Stephen Brings the Nikon FM2 or Maybe the Pentax MX
Pentax MZ-S / The Entire Pentax MZ-Series Had Weak Plastic Gears But They Can Be Replaced
Mike Still Loves the Pentax LX / The Pentax LX Has a Geared Exposure Counter
Robin Brings His Argus C3 / Andrew and Chris Wells Both 3D Printed Their Own Cameras
Chris Brings the first Canon, a Canon F-1 / Ira Brings a Nikonos 4 for Underwater Fun
Anthony Has Experience with Nikonos and O-Rings / More Large Format Discussion
Stephen Goes Small with the Olympus XA / Anthony Goes Prewar with the Voigtländer Bergheil
Paul Loves his Canon G10 / Digital Cameras with Optical Viewfinders
Anthony is Bringing His Recent Favorite, the Zeiss-Ikon Tenax II
Chris Suggests the Olympus 35 RC / Mike Picks the First Leica, the Leica CL / 40mm Lenses
Will Pinkham Brings a Konica I Rangefinder / Minolta 24 Rapid
Paul's Third Camera is the Nikon F
Andrew Loves the Polaroid SX-70 So Is Bringing Some on the Boat
Stephen Appreciates a compact Auto Focus SLR, the Pentax MZ-3
Minox 35 GL / Bel Air Plastic Camera / Graflex Norita 66 / Akameter / Akarex / Akarelle
We Have No Clue What Episode 89 Will Be About

Links

The Camerosity Podcast is now on BlueSky @camerosity.bsky.social. This modern, and clean replacement for Twitter is a nice alternative to cluttered social networks out there. Follow us there for show announcements and other content.

The Official Camerosity Facebook Group - https://www.facebook.com/groups/camerositypodcast

Camerosity Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/camerosity_podcast/

Theo Panagopoulos - https://www.photothinking.com/

Paul Rybolt - https://www.ebay.com/usr/paulkris - https://thisoldcamera.net/

Anthony Rue - https://www.instagram.com/kino_pravda/

Episode 87: Dr. David Jentz and the Kodak Retina

Sun, 23 Feb 2025 10:57:16 -0600

In yet another request from our listeners for topics you wanted to hear, for Episode 88, you can include me as someone whose been interested in hearing an episode about the Kodak Retina and other German Kodaks.

For many years, whenever I needed to write something about the Retina, the person I always reached out to was Dr. David Jentz. David is not only the founder of the Historical Society for Retina Cameras, but also has published multiple written works about the Retina and its history.

In addition to his knowledge about the Retina, David frequently collaborates with historian Klaus Schicht who has studied the man who created the Retina, Dr. August Nagel. Although Klaus does not appear on the show, David was able to quote some information regarding topics we discussed on this show.

If one Kodak historian was not enough, we also invited Todd Gustavson from the George Eastman Museum to be on the show to fill in the blanks for any other Kodak related questions which came up.

This was a closed episode, so we did not have any callers, and both Paul and Theo weren't able to make it, but what we lacked in callers, we more than made up for in fascinating Kodak, Nagel, and Retina history.

Listen to Episode 87 to get a background on who Dr. August Nagel was, how he became a doctor, brief histories of his time working for Contessa Nettel, Zeiss-Ikon, and Nagel Kamerwerke prior to joining Kodak. Did you know that before Kodak AG made cameras, they made film in Germany?

We discuss other German Kodaks such as the Recomar, Pupille, Kodak Duo Six-20, and the mysterious Kodak Regent. We get into the differences between the use of "Nr." and "Type" when referring to prewar and postwar cameras, and finally solve the mystery of Paul's Retinette Angenieux lens.

In addition to camera history, we also take a deep dive into Kodak's introduction to making 35mm film. While Kodak's type 135 daylight loading cassette was their most notable contribution to 35mm film in the 1930s, did you know they made 35mm film for the Leica and Contax before that? David shares with us information about Kodaks original 35mm film, along with some detailed patent information about the Retina, and much more!

For our next episode, we are getting on a boat and heading on a "Three Hour Tour" for our second Desert Island episode. If you were stranded on a desert island with only three cameras, which three would they be? Will a high spec but fragile electronic camera make the cut, or will people choose less technically impressive models built to withstand a lot more abuse? Let us know what you’d choose! We will record Episode 88 on Monday, February 24th at 7pm Central Standard Time and 8pm Eastern Standard Time.

In This Episode

David's Origin Story / His First Camera was a Kodak Retina IIIS
Kodak Used to Have a Camera Museum in Stuttgart
David Jentz Formed with Peter Tosh the Historical Society of Retina Cameras
HSRC Received Permission from Kodak and the Rights to use the Actual Retina Logo
Are the Retinas Separated in the George Eastman Museum? / There Are 22,000 Items in the Eastman Museum Collection
Who was Dr. August Nagel? / Nagel Started Contessa Nettel and Merged with Zeiss-Ikon in 1926
Nagel Worked for Zeiss-Ikon for About 18 Months and then Formed His Own Nagel Werke
Nagels First Cameras were the Recomar, Vollenda, and Pupille
Kodak Gave Nagel Very Little Direction, He Was Free to Do What He Wanted
Kodak And Nagel Both Benefited from the Two Companies Working Together
If You Ship a Camera and Lens Separately, There are No Tariffs
Nagel was Most Famously Known as a Great Designer
Kodak's Design of the New Daylight Loading 35mm Cassette
Kodak Made 35mm Film for Leicas and Contaxes Before the Release of Type 135 Film
Was the Retina an Immediate Success? / Why Were the Nr. 117, 118, and 119 Released So Quickly
Kodak Duo Six-20 and Other Nagel Designed Cameras
Mike Has Questions About Nagel's Role in Making the Kodak Regent / Kodak Regent II
Kodak's Transition During World War II / Early Post War Retinas Used Steel in Their Construction
Are Retinas with the f/2 Ektar Lenses Worth Paying a Premium / 47mm f/2 Kodak Ektars Were Also on the Premier Instrument Kardon
Kodak's CAMEROSITY Date Codes / Many Retinas Were Sold through US PX Stores / Identifying PX Retinas
David Jentz Dispels Some of the Myths Mike Got Wrong in His Reviews
Dr. August Nagel Never Once Used the Word "Type" to Identify Different Cameras He Made
The Mystery of Paul's Angenieux Lens / French Kodak Retinettes

Links

David Jentz - https://www.blurb.com/user/hsrc028N

The Historical Society for Retina Cameras - https://www.hsrcretina.org/

HSRC Publications - https://www.hsrcretina.org/hsrc-publications

The Official Camerosity Facebook Group - https://www.facebook.com/groups/camerositypodcast

Camerosity Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/camerosity_podcast/

Theo Panagopoulos - https://www.photothinking.com/

Paul Rybolt - https://www.ebay.com/usr/paulkris - https://thisoldcamera.net/

Anthony Rue - https://www.instagram.com/kino_pravda/

Episode 86: Adapting Vintage Lenses

Sat, 15 Feb 2025 10:17:14 -0600

We return with yet another exciting episode of the Camerosity Podcast. For Episode 86, we dip into the listener mailbag and select a topic you all have told us you wanted to hear about, adapting vintage lenses. Taking an old film camera lens and mounting it to a modern digital camera isn't exactly anything new, as adapting lenses from one mount to another camera has been done since the early 20th century.

But what about the crazy number of lenses that weren't meant to be adapted? How about uncommon Angenieux lenses from French Kodak Retinettes, photocopier lenses, or astronomy telescopes? If it has glass and it focuses light, it can be adapted, and that's what got us going on this episode.

Joining Anthony, Paul, Theo, and Mike are returning callers, AJ Gentile, Miles Libak, Nick Marshall, Pat Casey, Patrick Rapps, Ray Nason, Stephen Strangeway, Will Pinkham, and first time callers Alyssa Micha, David Jentz, and Rollin Banderob.

On this episode, we talk about a huge number of lenses we mount to various digital and film cameras, but Alyssa starts us off with an ambitious project of adapting 35mm lenses to a Crown Graphic Graflex press camera, Stephen gives us some education on flange distance, why the Nikon Z mirrorless camera is ideally suited for adapting lenses, and Theo gives us his thoughts on how well a Mamiya press lens performs on micro 4/3rds.

We discuss whether it is wise to spend extra money on premium adapters vs the cheap Chinese ones you can find on eBay, David Jentz talks about adapting DKL mount lenses and the struggles to find a good DKL adapter, and why you need to be concerned with image circle size when picking lenses from differing formats.

Miles Libak shares with us a purchase he just made of a Contarex lens mount converted Canon F-1, and Paul talks about the best adapters to use for adapting Nikon rangefinder lenses to modern digital cameras.

This episode proved that a relatively simple topic of adapting lenses included a deep wormhole into a huge amount of combinations of lenses including Paul's tip on how to remove a stuck Leica M to LTM adapter.

For those of you who can't get enough of the Camerosity Podcast and would like the chance to meet 3/4 of the hosts, Anthony, Paul, and Mike will be at the Cincinnati Camera show in West Chester, Ohio on Saturday, March 22nd! If you have nothing going on that day and can make it to the Cincinnati area, come and join us!

For our next episode, we are are taking another suggestion from you all and dedicating a whole show to the Kodak Retina and other cameras made by Kodak AG, the German arm of Kodak in Stuttgart, Germany. We will be welcoming author and Kodak Retina expert David Jentz, along with Kodak historian from the Eastman Kodak Museum, Todd Gustavson to talk with us. This will be a closed episode, so we won't be taking any callers for this one, but rest assured, the Camerosity gang has a long list of great questions to ask our esteemed guests. Episode 87 will be recorded soon and should be available by the end of February.

In This Episode

Ramir's Rare Adapters / Argus Brick to Micro 4/3s
Adapting 35mm SLR Lenses to a Crown Graphic Graflex / Learning About Image Circle Size
Flange Distance and Why it is Important When Adapting Lenses
Adapting DKL Lenses to Nikon DSLRs and Z-Mirrorless Cameras / DKL Adapters are Finicky
Nikon Z Cameras have the Narrowest Flange Distance and a Very Narrow Sensor Stack
More Love for Ramir Rare Adapters Sold on eBay
Adapting Nikon Rangefinder Adapters / Amedeo Adapters / Wide and Telephoto Lenses Only Need the External Bayonet
Paul's Adapted Angenieux 45mm Lens from a Retinette / David Jentz explains the origin of French Lenses on German Kodaks
The Reason You Should Adapt Lenses is Because They're Imperfect / Perfection is Boring
Adapting Lenses from Projectors and Photo Copiers / Enlarging Lenses
Theo Has Adapters for Mamiya Press Lenses and Pentacon Six to Micro 4/3rds
Adapting Lenses Intended for the Visoflex is Great on Digital
PC-Nikkor 28mm and 35mm Lenses Are Great for Pseudo-Panoramics
Pentax Q Lenses / Akarelle Lenses / Auto Focus Lens Adapters
Third Party Licenses for the Nikon Z Mount / Nikon AF Teleconverters
Miles Bought a Canon F-1 Modified to Accept Contarex Lenses / Zeiss Lens Separation
DAG Modified Color-Minotar Converted to LTM and Mounted to a Corfield Periflex
Shooting Macro on a Yashica-Mat / Rollei Bay Filters / Parallax Correction on TLRs
Is it Worth Spending More Money on Premium Adapters? / What Brands Should You Avoid?
Do All LTM to Leica-M Adapters Work on Every Camera? / Removing Stuck LTM Adapters With a Lens Cap
Adapting Telescopes to Cameras / Nikon F Mount Telescopes
Lenses with Floating Elements Can Sometimes Not Focus Correctly When Adapted

Links

David Jentz - https://www.blurb.com/user/hsrc028N

Amedeo Lens Adapters - https://www.ebay.com/usr/amedeo.m

The Official Camerosity Facebook Group - https://www.facebook.com/groups/camerositypodcast

Camerosity Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/camerosity_podcast/

Theo Panagopoulos - https://www.photothinking.com/

Paul Rybolt - https://www.ebay.com/usr/paulkris - https://thisoldcamera.net/

Anthony Rue - https://www.instagram.com/kino_pravda/

Episode 85: Mint and Rare Cameras with Jo Geier

Fri, 31 Jan 2025 12:07:02 -0600

The Camerosity Podcast returns with Episode 85 where we wander back into the wonderful world of high end camera auctions. For this episode, we went all the way to Vienna, Austria and invited Jo Geier from Mint and Rare Cameras and the Wetzlar Camera Auctions. In addition to Jo, we also welcomed back Dan Tamarkin from Tamarkin Camera and Auctions.

Joining Anthony, Paul, Theo, Mike, and our two special guests are returning callers Brian McDomnhaill, Dan Cuny, Fernando Villava, Gheerwijn Clicque, Ira Cohen, Wes Loder, Miles Libak, Tom Zoss, and Wayne Scheipers,

As you might expect when you have two of the world's most respected camera auctioneers on the same episode, we talk about a lot of super rare and collectible cameras. Everything from the original Ur-Leica to rare cameras like the Carl Zeiss Jena Contax, the Australian Snider 35 rangefinder, and Luxus Leicas. In addition to some pretty deep GAS, some love is given to several more affordable cameras like the Canon P, Tower/Nicca rangefinders, and the Nikon F4.

In addition to GAS, several great questions were raised including whether or not the definition of 'rare' has changed over the years, whether or not finding collectible cameras is getting harder to find, and why there aren't more younger people collecting cameras.

Jo tells us his origin story to how he started both companies and shares with us what his 'white whale' camera would be, Dan and Jo show appreciation for each other and talk about how they have collaborated in the past, including a very special Leica which Dan found at a Pennsylvania garage sale. We revisit the need to get old cameras repaired sooner than later and how quickly experts in certain cameras are disappearing, tips and tricks for new collectors, and Jo proposes a $10 "ugly" camera challenge for anyone going to a camera show.

For our next episode, we are are going to the suggestion box and covering a topic that you all have told us you wanted to learn more about, adapting lenses. There are many people in this hobby who love cameras, but love the lenses more. While an old Kodak Ektra might be pretty to sit on the shelf, it is more practical to adapt that lens to a modern digital camera and see what kinds of results you can get from it. Episode 86 will be dedicated to the hobby of using old lenses on modern digital cameras. We will record Episode 86 at our regular time on Monday, February 10th at 7pm Central Standard Time and 8pm Eastern Standard Time. If you live in a different time zone and would like to participate, be sure to check your favorite time zone calculator to find out the exact time in your region.

In This Episode

Jo Geier's Origin Story / Shooting a Yashica FX-D with No Film
Wetzlar Auctions Runs One Auction a Year / Jo Doesn't Keep Too Many Cameras
Dan Loves Wetzlar Auctions and Has Worked with them Many Times
How Jo Determines What Goes to Auction and What Goes to Retail
Auctions Set a Benchmark for What Things Are Worth / Collectiblend
Has the Definition of "Rare" Changed? / What is the White Whale that Has Never Shown Up?
Sometimes a Pristine and Truly Mint Camera is More Rare Than a Collectible
Are Certain Things More Common in the US compared to Europe and Vice Versa?
Most Collectible Cameras are no Longer Owned by their Original Owners / Large Collectors
Zeiss Prototypes and Oddities are Far More Difficult to Come By than Leicas
Paul's Story About a Guy Buying a Luxus Leica in 1984
The Rarest Cameras Need to be Handled in Person to Fully Authenticate
Post War Carl Zeiss Jena Contaxes / Does Jo Sell Rare Japanese Cameras
Jeicy 35 Rangefinder / Leotax A / Minolta Sky / Konica FR / Konica F / Canon Standard and Hansa Canons
What Are the Most Surprisingly Beautiful Cameras Jo and Dan Has Ever Handled?
Theo is Still Looking for a Snider 35 Camera / Bell & Howell Foton
Everyone Lists Off Cameras They Think Are Pretty
Is it Getting Harder to Find Rare Cameras to Sell?
Gheerwijn Wants to Know Why There Aren't More Younger Collectors
Anthony and Paul Just Bought an Unused, New in Box Nikon F4 and It Don't Work
Getting Old Cameras Repaired Today / It's Already Too Late for Some Models
Other Great Japanese Cameras / Tower Rangefinders
How Often is the Same Camera Sold More than Once?
Tips for Getting into Collecting For Those New to the Hobby
Do the $10 Camera Contest / Buy the Worst Camera You Can Find and See What You Can Get

Links

Jo Geier - https://www.jogeier.com/ and https://www.wetzlarcameraauctions.com/

Dan Tamarkin - https://www.tamarkin.com/ and https://www.tamarkinauctions.com/

The Official Camerosity Facebook Group - https://www.facebook.com/groups/camerositypodcast

Camerosity Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/camerosity_podcast/

Theo Panagopoulos - https://www.photothinking.com/

Paul Rybolt - https://www.ebay.com/usr/paulkris - https://thisoldcamera.net/

Anthony Rue - https://www.instagram.com/kino_pravda/

Episode 84: Hip to Be Square

Tue, 21 Jan 2025 10:17:08 -0600

We are back with the first new episode of 2025! The Camerosity crew hopes you had a good start to the new year. Unfortunately, the episode we had planned to have Jeff and Gabe from the I Dream of Cameras podcast had to be postponed due to the wildfires in Los Angeles. Instead, we went to the Camerosity mailbox (aka Facebook) and did an episode about square format cameras. We had intended to cover all cameras that shoot square format, but found so much to talk about with 35mm and 127, we didn't have much time for 120 6x6 cameras, so we can save that for a future show!

Whenever you talk about square format 35mm, one of the more popular ones for collectors is the Zeiss-Ikon Tenax II, and whenever you mention the Tenax II, the Wes Loder's "Spidey Sense" starts tingling, so we were happy to welcome back Michael Wescott Loder for the first time since Episode 74!

Joining Wes, Anthony, Paul, Theo, and Mike on this episode were A.J. Gentile, Ira Cohen, Miles Libak, Mina Saleeb, Robert Coates, and Will Pinkham where they all shared their favorite square format cameras.

We attempt to start off the list of square format cameras in alphabetical order with the Altix and quickly move into the Berning Robot and Bilora Radix, but our plan quickly goes off the rails as we jump around the alphabet with cameras like the Akarette (which isn't even square format), Metz Mecaflex, Yashica 44, and the Purma Special. We also cover the popularity of square format Rapid film cameras from Japan like the Minolta 24 Rapid, Canon Dial Rapid, and Fujica Rapid S2.

One of the more sought after square format cameras is the Mamiya Sketch, a camera that Mike has previously reviewed, but Theo desperately wants to acquire to round out his Mamiya collection.

Mike shares his tips on rolling your own 127 film using bulk 46mm film, and Will asks for recommendations on affordable entries into square format 35mm. Although the group is initially stumped, Mike comes up with an off the wall solution that is quite affordable!

For our next episode, we are excited to revisit a topic that we love to talk about, Camera Auctions, specifically high dollar auctions. Our special guest for the next episode will be Jo Geier from Wetzlar Camera Auctions. In addition to Jo, we will be welcoming back Dan Tamarkin from Tamarkin Auctions in Chicago. In order to accommodate Jo's time zone, this will be a "European Friendly Time Zone" episode. We will record Episode 85 on Monday, January 27th at 1pm Central Standard Time, 2pm Eastern Standard Time, 7pm Greenwich Mean Time, and 8pm Central European Time. For Theo, and those of you in Australia, this will be very early in the morning on Tuesday the 28th. Please check your favorite time zone calculator to find out the exact time in your region if you'd like to participate.

In This Episode

Square Cameras Come in All Format / Using TLRs Over Your Head or Around Walls
Eho-Altissa Altix / Altix I Through III Shoot 24mm x 24mm
Berning Robots / 90 Degree Viewfinder / Robot Junior
Large Wind Knob Robots / Loading a Robot Camera / Accidental Redscale Surprise
Anthony and West Love the Zeiss-Ikon Tenax II
Lenses Used by the Navy Required Lens Coatings
35mm Square Format Was Driven by the Technology of the Time
Aka Akarette / AGFA Square Format Cameras Usually Shot Rapid Film
Japanese Rapid Cameras / Fujica Rapid S2 / Minolta 24 Rapid / Canon Dial Rapid
AGFA Karat Film and Bilora Radix Cameras
Japanese Bolta Cameras / Sida Extra and Bolta Photavit
The Mamiya Sketch is a Sought After Square Format Camera
Metz Mecaflex is the only 24mm x 24mm SLR
Quite a Few 127 TLRs Shoot 4x4 / Many Called Baby or '44' Cameras
Yashica 44 / Adapting to Use 35mm Film
Purma Special Shoots 4x4 and has a Gravity Shutter
Kodak Vest Pocket / Other Vest Pocket Cameras
Super Flex Baby / Karmaflex / There Were a Lot of Japanese 4x4 Cameras
Bencini Comet 44 / Czech Kola Camera
The Doris 3a probably had a 1a and a 2a / Diana Mini
Super Slides Were Popular For a While / Reloading 127 with 46mm Bulk Film
Photo Labs Hated Non-Standard Film Formats
Chroma Cube / Stereo Cameras are a Cost Effective Way to Shoot Square Format 35mm

Links

The Official Camerosity Facebook Group - https://www.facebook.com/groups/camerositypodcast

Camerosity Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/camerosity_podcast/

Theo Panagopoulos - https://www.photothinking.com/

Paul Rybolt - https://www.ebay.com/usr/paulkris - https://thisoldcamera.net/

Anthony Rue - https://www.instagram.com/kino_pravda/

Episode 83: Spontaneous Contax

Tue, 31 Dec 2024 13:33:46 -0600

The end of the year is almost here, and the guys and I were getting that itch to record something, so on a dreary Boxing Day, we all got together for a spontaneous episode to catch up on what we've been doing. We did not post the join link this time, but we managed to coerce our friends Dan Cuny and Ray Nason to join us for some post-Christmas camera discussion.

To help us find things to talk about, we decided to tackle a request made earlier this month in the Camerosity Facebook group, asking for more detail about Contax cameras which we were happy to do. We get into some history, some real world reviews, advice, and other Contax nonsense. Everything from the pre and post war Contax rangefinders, the East German Contax SLRs, and the Yashica/Kyocera Contax cameras were discussed.

In addition to Contax discussion, Mike gives an update on what became of the Detrola 400 he "borrowed" from Roberts Camera, Dan shares his thoughts on his most recent review of the Ansco Memo and we talk about Memo cameras. Anthony shares his photographic adventures he went on traveling to New Zealand, and Paul confesses his love for adapting Contaflex 126 lenses!

We will welcome in the new year with Episode 84 in which we will be inviting Jeff and Gabe from I Dream of Cameras. There is a high chance we will spend some time on Alpa SLRs, but there's no telling where the discussion will go with what will effectively two podcasts recording at the same time! If you've ever wondered what it is like to have "too many cooks in the kitchen", this is the episode for you! We will record on Monday, January 13th 7pm Central Standard Time and 8pm Eastern Standard Time.

In This Episode

Mike's Update on the Detrola 400 / Other Premium American Rangefinders / Ektra, Bell & Howell Foton, Clarus, Perfex
Allen Wade is Ray, Paul, and Mike's Source for Camera Repair
Mr Zhang Modifies Hasselblad Backs / Mike Didn't Like the Hasselblad SWC
Paul Wishes for a 6x9 Mamiya 7 / Fuji 6x9s / Texas Leicas
Dan Cuny Talks About His Review Process / Ansco Memo and Agfa Memo Cameras
Dan is Curious About the Beier Beira / Voigtländer Prominent
Paul's Friend Made a 240 Degree Panoramic Mamiya RB67
Tim Floyd is Contax Curious / Camerosity Presents: Everything You Ever Wanted to Know About Contax Cameras
- Pre-War Contax I
- Pre-War Contax II and III
- Post-War Contax IIa and IIIa
- East German Contax SLRs
- Yashica / Kyocera Contax SLRs and Other Cameras
Comparing Shooting a Contax and Nikon Rangefinder / Dan Has Never Liked Shooting Contax Rangefinders
What are the Differences Between a Contax / Pentacon / Hexacon SLRs
Preset Lenses / Contarex Bullseye and non-Bullseye
Contaflex 126 / Instamatic Cameras
How Did Yashica Come to Use the Contax Name?
Kyocera Made Great Knives and Golf Clubs / Contax T and G Series Cameras
Theo is Shooting a Pentacon Six, KMZ Horizont, and Canon 7
Gallus Derlux and Foth Derby / Theo Has a Jolly Look from Antony Hands
Mike Picks Up a Taron Supra V18 / Ray Picks Up an Exakta with an Ansco TLR Lens on It
Anthony Just Got Back from New Zealand / Voigtländer Bessa and Perkeo II / Anthony Gets a Clip-On Meter
Zeiss-Ikon Ikoflex TLRs / What's Next

Links

The Official Camerosity Facebook Group - https://www.facebook.com/groups/camerositypodcast

Camerosity Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/camerosity_podcast/

Theo Panagopoulos - https://www.photothinking.com/

Paul Rybolt - https://www.ebay.com/usr/paulkris - https://thisoldcamera.net/

Anthony Rue - https://www.instagram.com/kino_pravda/

Episode 82: The Coolest Digital Cameras

Sat, 30 Nov 2024 11:20:34 -0600

When you collect vintage film cameras, if they don't work, just send it out for a CLA and some technician will take it apart, clean it up, lube what needs lubing, calibrate the shutter and it is ready to go, good as new! How boring! If the simplicity of CLAing a film camera is not enough of a challenge for you, perhaps you should consider collecting vintage digital cameras. Incompatible memory cards, legacy file systems, unsupported USB cables, and batteries which no longer hold a charge are all the rage!

Although the era of digital cameras barely exceeds three decades, the earliest days of digital saw a tremendous amount of innovation and strange designs because camera makers were still trying to figure out what and how a digital camera should look and work like.

In this episode, the Camerosity crew (minus Anthony) go over this early innovative era of digital camera design and pick out some of the coolest cameras of the era. Many of these cameras have early sensors which do not stand up to the quality of modern designs, but that's not why we collect them,

Joining Paul, Theo, and Mike are returning callers AJ Gentile, Larry Effler, Mark Faulkner, Miles Libak, Pat Casey, Stephen Strangways, and Will Pinkham and we cover a great deal of history regarding the earliest and most important digital cameras like the Kodak DCS-100, Nikon E2Ns, and Minolta RD-175. We declare two cameras from the late 1990s to be historically significant moments in camera design, on par with that of the Leica and Nikon F.

Stephen Strangways shares with us his wide depth of knowledge about camera sensors. We discuss the differences between CCD and CMOS sensors, why companies made the switch between the two, motivations of Live View, and why DSLRs eventually gave way to digital mirrorless cameras.

We discuss the limitations of early CCD sensors, what are hot mirror filters, why we think Nikon missed the mark on mirrorless, plus we cover a great deal of cool digital cameras, some of which have features cameras today don't have, like the Sony Cybershot DSC-F828, Olympus E-100 RS, Panasonic GF1, and the Ricoh G900.

In addition, Mike shares his large collection of 17 Pentax Q-series cameras, plus a very strange "camera coffin", a wooden Nikon rangefinder camera that has the guts of a Sony alpha mirrorless inside.

As it is officially the holiday season and each of our schedules has gotten increasingly complicated, we do not yet know when the next show will be, or what we will discuss. Rest assured, that once we know, you'll know. Be sure to follow us on our Camerosity Podcast Facebook page, the Camerosity Discord server, our new BlueSky page, and right here on mikeeckman.com.

In This Episode

What Exactly is 'Vintage Digital'? / Differences Between Still Video and Digital Cameras
Kodak Had the Most to Lose with Digital But Pioneered it Anyway
Apple Quicktake 100 / The Kodak DCS-100 Was Used in the Gulf War
Did Kodak's Involvement in APS Impact Their Role in Developing Digital Cameras?
Early CCD Sensors Were Extremely Difficult to Make, Resulting in Smaller Sensors
The Sony Digital Mavica Was the Beginning of the End for Polaroid
The Digital Mavica Was Also the Introduction of Digital to Many People
Floppy Discs Gave Way to PCMCIA Cards and Eventually Flash Cards
So Many Different Formats, MemoryStick, SmartMedia 3v and 5v, Compact Flash, etc
Minolta RD-175 DSLR / Early Digitals Didn't Write JPGs / Converting Extinct Formats
Sony Cybershot DSC-F828 / Sony's Night Shot Feature and How it Worked / Digital IR Photography
Early Digital Cameras Had Weak IR Filtration, Throwing a Color Cast on Images / Hot Mirror Filters
Why Did Digital Cameras Switch from CCD to CMOS Sensors? / Live View and Video Recording
Problems with Sony Sensors / Canon and Fuji FinePix Pro SLRs / Leica M9 Sensor Problems
Early Live View Sensors Would Overheat / Externally Cooling Camera Sensors
What Drives the Popularity of CCD Sensors Today?
Larry and Paul Love the Canon G-Series / Canon Color Science / Olympus E-100 RS
Sigma Foveon Sensors / Foveon Merrills and Quattro Cameras
The Nikon D1 Was the Watershed Moment for DSLRs / Nikon E2Ns
Canon Did Well with the Digital Rebel and 18-55mm Kit Lens
Kodak DCS Pro SLR/14 Was the First Full Frame DSLR In a Nikon Body and Mount
Polaroid Polachrome Instant Slide Films
The Switch from DSLR to Mirrorless / Panasonic GF1 / Sony SLT Cameras
Nikon One and Pentax Q-Series Mirrorless Cameras / Nikon Missed the Mark On Mirrorless
"No one will ever shoot the Superbowl with a smartphone"...or Will They?
Digital Mirrorless Cameras Generally Have Poorer Battery Life Compared to DSLRs
Most Camera Makers Never Made a Profit off Making Digital Cameras
In February 1986 Herbert Keppler Made Several Predictions About Electronic Cameras
Leica M11 / Pentax W90 / Canon Digital Rebel / Epson R-D1 / Pentax 645 Digital / Ricoh G900
Kurt's Strange Nikon Rangefinder Wooden Sony Digital Camera / Hasselblad Lunar and Stellar Digicams

Links

The Official Camerosity Facebook Group - https://www.facebook.com/groups/camerositypodcast

Camerosity Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/camerosity_podcast/

Keppler's Vault 86: Electronic Still Photography - https://mikeeckman.com/2021/03/kepplers-vault-86-electronic-still-photography/

Theo Panagopoulos - https://www.photothinking.com/

Paul Rybolt - https://www.ebay.com/usr/paulkris - https://thisoldcamera.net/

Anthony Rue - https://www.instagram.com/kino_pravda/

Episode 81: No One Is Immune to GAS

Sat, 23 Nov 2024 11:22:38 -0600

At the end of Episode 80, we promised an entire show dedicated to Zeiss-Ikon. Unfortunately, things got in the way of us being able to dedicate the necessary time to prepare to cover such a complex and important company, so we decided to pivot and do another GAS episode.

Anthony and Theo were only able to make brief appearances, but joining Paul and Mike on this show was a well rounded cast of callers including AJ Gentile, Antony Hands, Fernando from Germany, Rafael E, Wannes Scheipers, Will Pinkham, and first time callers, Andrew Curley, Charles Lawson, and Jem!

A large number of Zeiss-Ikon cameras were discussed including the Contax rangefinders, Contarex, folding Nettars, Contina, Contaflex, and the square format Tenax and Taxonas. AJ shares his thoughts on his recent pickups of a Aires 35-V and Rolleiflex SL35, Wannes picks up an interesting book about the Kodak Vest Pocket, and Charles shares a story of how he gets his Kiev cameras repaired by a Ukrainian war hero.

Mike talks about a very rare camera he was able to "borrow" from Used Photo Pro in Indianapolis, along with some recommendations on the most innovative and best user American rangefinders and medium format cameras, and a very well done book about the career of Heinz Waaske. We also cover a very strange 1980s Fisher-Price video camera that records video onto standard audio cassettes, the I'm Back Digital Camera back, why auto focus lens adapters all suck, and Antony shares his love for the JollyLook foldable instant camera and pinhole camera.

This was a wide ranging episode with a huge number of different cameras and topics covered, so rather than continue to promote it here, I recommend you hit the play button below, or on whatever your favorite podcast player is and enjoy!

For Episode 82 we are going back to digital....waaay back and going to attempt to cover some early digital cameras. While everyone knows that digicams are seeing a resurgence of interest, what were some of the earlier models that are worth checking out! Are there any undiscovered gems out there? Even I don't know the answer to that one! We will record Episode 82 on Monday, November 25th at 7pm Central Standard Time and 8pm Eastern Standard Time.

In This Episode

Mike Fell for GAS After the 80s Episode / Pentax ME-F with AF 35-70 f/2.8 Lens
Mike Convinces Roberts Camera to Loan him a Detrola 400 / The Tamarkin Auction Was Last Saturday
What Were the Best American Cameras Ever Made? / Bell & Howell Foton / Kodak Ektra / Kodak Signet Series
Kodak 35 / Military Kodaks / All of the Signets are Good Except the Kodak Signet 80
Bridge Cameras / Ricoh Mirai / Olympus IS-Series / Canon Photura
Wayne Picks Up a Book About the Kodak Vest Pocket Cameras in World War I
Kameras für Millionen - Heinz Waaske, Konstrukteur / Will Gets a Ricoh 500 and Ricoh-Matic / Zorki 10 and 11
Fisher-Price PXL2000 Video Camera / Recording Videos of Punk Rock Shows on Cassette Tapes
Zeiss-Ikon Contarex Bullseye / Zeiss-Ikon Taxona / Tenax Cameras / Contarex Lenses
Rafael's Favorite Camera is the Zeiss-Ikon Contina / Contaflex and Magazine Film Backs
Hasselblad XPan and SWCs / Converting Hassy 500 Backs to Shoot 35mm / Horseman 3D
Folding Zeiss Nettars and Ikontas / Zeiss Made Great Triplets
Paul Bought a Graflex XLSW From Tom Zoss / Steve Grimes Modified Cameras
Is the Zeiss-Ikon Contax IIIa a Good User Camera? / Adapting Contax Lenses
Charles Gets His Kiev and Contaxes Repaired by a Ukrainian War Hero
AJ Shot Mike's Gifted Kodak Tourist and Picked up a Rolleiflex SL35 and an Aires 35-V
Aires Made Lots of Good Cameras / Aires III-C
Sending Cameras to Canada May Get Rejected if You say its a Camera on the Customs Form
Kowa SW Wide Angle Camera / Kepler Telescope Viewfinders
Why Did Nikon and Others Have Different Names for the Same Cameras?
Minolta Dynax 7s Are Great, But.... / 3D Printing Replacement Camera Parts
Jollylook Instant Camera / Jollylook Pinhole Camera
Another Underappreciated American Camera is the Argus Argoflex Forty
Canon P and IVS Rangefinders / Horseman Convertible / Viewfinder Photography
I'm Back Digital Adapter for Film Cameras / Other Film to Digital Adapters
Contax Rangefinder Adapters to Nikon Z Mount / Autofocus Adapters Suck

Links

The Official Camerosity Facebook Group - https://www.facebook.com/groups/camerositypodcast

Camerosity Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/camerosity_podcast/

Used Photo Pro (Robert's Camera) - https://usedphotopro.com/

JollyLook - https://jollylook.com/

Theo Panagopoulos - https://www.photothinking.com/

Paul Rybolt - https://www.ebay.com/usr/paulkris - https://thisoldcamera.net/

Anthony Rue - https://www.instagram.com/kino_pravda/

Episode 80: Totally 80s

Thu, 07 Nov 2024 08:56:04 -0600

Everyone get out your Aqua Net hair spray and G.I. Joe lunchboxes because it is time to hop in the Hot Tub Time Machine and go back to the 80s! In this, the 80th episode of the Camerosity Podcast, we revisit the decade where Michael Jackson and Madonna reigned supreme, taking a look at everyone's favorite cameras from that decade. The Nikon F3, Minolta Maxxum 7000, Olympus XA2, the Minox 35 series, Contax RTS II, and many, many more.

Joining Anthony, Paul, Theo, and Mike on this show are returning callers AJ Gentile, Mark Faulkner, Miles Libak, Mina Saleeb, Pat Casey, Patrick Rapps, Will Pinkham, and first time caller Christopher Wells.

Each person shares stories of the cameras they used during the 1980s, but Patrick Rapps didn't get the message about the 20th century and went back all the way to 1889 with his beautiful and fully functioning Kodak No.2 String Set. This camera was the follow-up to the original 1888 Kodak and shares many of the same design features, including that camera's distinct round film gate!

We get into a little bit of history of early point and shoot cameras and how their autofocus systems work and why so many of these early cameras consistently have such high image quality. We discuss the history and merits of Kodak's Disc film cameras and two features of those cameras that influenced cameras that would come later. We revisit the era of electronic still video cameras like the Canon Xap Shop and the original Sony Mavica. We talk about focusing auto focus cameras and reflect back on how focus screens work from the Rick Oleson episode. Theo shares with us a strange 3 lens 110 film camera, and finally, we answer a question asked in the Camerosity Facebook page about a recommendation of a compact SLR for a 10 year old.

Our next episode will be Episode 81 and we are planning on tackling the complex and wonderful world of Zeiss-Ikon. Since the recording of Episode 80 however, some scheduling conflicts have come up which may require us to pivot this show and postpone it. We won't know until we get closer to the show date, so if Episode 81 comes and it is not about Zeiss, we didn't forget, we just had to change at the last minute. As of right now however, it is still on. We will record Episode 81 on Monday, November 11th at 7pm Central Standard Time and 8pm Eastern Standard Time.

In This Episode

Mike Forgets How Long Ago the 1980s Was / The Leica M6 Was Popular with Hobbyists
Minolta Maxxum 7000 and Nikon N2020 Were Popular for the Every Man
Nikon 4004 and 5005s Were Dogs, but the 6006 and 8008/8008s Were Very Nice
Pininfarina Designed Nikon SLRs in the 80s and Created the Red Stripe
Anthony's Go To 80s Nikon is the Nikon FM2 / FM2 Motor Drives
Converting Non-Ai Lenses to Ai / Theo Loves the Nikon FA
Paul Loves the Nikon F3 / HP Finders / Nikon F3P / Nikon FM3a
Nikon L35AF "Pikaichi" / Nikon OneTouch AF3 / Pikaichi 46mm Lens Filters
Olympus XA Series / Minox 35 Series / Agat 18K / Mamiya U
Early Point and Shoots Had Superior Image Quality Due to Single Focal Length Lenses
Canon MC / Plaubel 67W and 670
Fuji Brought Back the Folding Camera with the GS645 / GS645W / GA645
Patrick Rapps and His Kodak No.2 String Set from 1889 / The Original 1888 Kodak
Don Goldberg Still Services the Minox 35 Series / Chinon Bellami / Canon Snappy S
Canon Aqua Snappy and Minolta Weathermatic Underwater Cameras / Ricoh 500 ME / Yashica T-Series
Mike and Mina Both Love the Contax RTS II / Contax RTS III / Repairing Contax SLRs
Autofocus SLRs Were Not Meant to Be Manually Focused / A Nod Back to the Rick Oleson Episode
Manual Focus SLRs with Focus Confirmation / Canon AL-1 / Minolta X-600 / Pentax ME-F
Cameras Supporting External Autofocus Lenses / Canon T80 / Revue AC3 w/ Revuenon AF Lens / Nikon F3AF
Olympus and Konica Both Gave up on Interchangeable Lens SLRs in the 1980s / Konica Tomato and Konica Recorder
Trivia: Name a Rangefinder Camera with Leica Thread Mount You Could Still Buy New in the 1980s
Kodak Disc Film / T-Grain Film / Scanning Disc Film
Mike Forgets What Decade He's In And Talks about APS Film
Tasco Binoculars Camera / Canon Xap-Shot and Still Video Cameras / Sony Mavicas / Bronica GS-1
Mark Picked Up a Pentax 17 / Film for Classics 620 Spools / Theo Gets a Rollei 35AF
Listener Question: What Small Form Factor SLR Would You Recommend for a 10 Year Old?

Links

The Official Camerosity Facebook Group - https://www.facebook.com/groups/camerositypodcast

Camerosity Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/camerosity_podcast/

Theo Panagopoulos - https://www.photothinking.com/

Paul Rybolt - https://www.ebay.com/usr/paulkris - https://thisoldcamera.net/

Anthony Rue - https://www.instagram.com/kino_pravda/

Episode 79: Medium Format SLRs

Mon, 21 Oct 2024 08:38:58 -0500

On this episode of the Camerosity Podcast, the guys took a suggestion off the top of the Camerosity Suggestion Box™ and dedicated this episode to medium format SLRs. That's right, finally, an entire episode dedicated to Bronica, Mamiya, Rolleiflex, Kiev, and Norita SLRs (but not that H-brand).

Joining Anthony, Paul, Theo, and Mike on this show are returning callers A.J. Gentile, Brian Zeman, Miles Libak, Will Pinkham, and first time callers Andrew Wells, Fernando from Germany, Henry Blanton, Robert Wawrzinek, and Tom Zoss.

The show gets off to a quick start with the Bronica system, one that Mike has limited experience with, but the listeners make quick work out of recommending an accessory that Mike immediately decided he needed. Our love for this Japanese SLR starts with the early S-series, moves into the GS, and finally ETRS series, but one is a clear favorite.

Another well received SLR is the Kowa Six which Mike has been tirelessly shooting in the weeks prior to this show, ready to share his thoughts. Anthony and Andrew both share their strong desires to own a Rolleiflex SL66, and Fernando shares his love for Soviet and East German medium format SLRs.

A huge number of "less common" cameras like the KW Reflex Box, VEB WEFO Master Reflex, Fujita Six, Folmer-Graflex National Graflex, and both the horizontal and vertical versions of the Ihagee Exakta 66 get their mentions. We point out the 6x6 SLR with the fastest medium format lens ever made, who is best to repair Mamiya SLRs, and ponder the age old question, "Why didn't anyone ever make a 6x9 SLR?"

We get a little off topic, discussing John Minnick's Aero-Liberator SLRs used by Graham Burnett, Graflex's "Stove Top" SLRs, and Tom Zoss's custom Graflex XL with a very wide Rodenstock lens on it. Plus, as an added bonus, we cover the only 16mm SLR in any of our collections, the KMZ Narciss SLR!

Our next episode will be Episode 80 and we're taking the opportunity to dedicated this episode to cameras of the 80s (you get to pick the century). The 1980s saw a huge advancement in auto focus SLRs, the use of lightweight plastics, and the beginning of the "bridge camera" era. If you're fans of gems like the Nikon FM2, Minolta X-700, Leica M6, or the Yashica Samurai, this is the episode for you! We will record Episode 80 on Monday, October 28th at 7pm Central Daylight Time and 8pm Eastern Daylight Time.

In This Episode

Mike Owns Two Bronica SLRs / Bronica S2 / Bronica GS-1
Kiev-60 SLR w/ Screw Lens Mount Adapter / ARAX Repaired and Upgraded Cameras
Order Matters on the Kiev Cameras / Repairing Kiev SLRs / Kievs with Pentacon Six Mount
Paul Declares the Bronica and Kowas to Be Value Leaders / Early Bronica S-Series
Bronica S2 Has a Removable Helicoid Which Adds Flexibility / Adapting Other Lenses to Bronicas
Mike's Early Review of the Kowa Six / Kowa 66
Fujita 66 / Kalimar Six / Kodak Duo Six-20
John Minnick and Graham Burnett's Aero-Liberator SLR / Stove Top Graflex SLRs
Mike is Working on a Review for the Folmer-Graflex National Graflex
KW Reflex-Box is a Box Camera That's Also an SLR
Brian GASses Mike into Buying a Winder Grip for the Bronica GS-1
Anthony's Favorite Medium Format SLR is the Rolleiflex SL66 / The Scheimpflug Effect
Ihagee Exakta 66 Horizontal and Vertical Cameras
Kochmann Reflex-Korelle / Master Reflex
Norita 66 and Pentacon Six / The Noritar 80mm f/2 Lens is Faster than Most Medium Format SLR Lenses
Repairing the Rolleiflex SL66 / Watching Watch Repair Videos on YouTube / Chris Sherlock's Camera Repair Videos
Bill Rogers is a Great Resource for Mamiya SLR Repair / Mirror Stop on the Mamiya 645s
How Many People Shoot Both Medium Format Rangefinders and SLRs?
Nobody Made a 6x9 SLR / The Fuji 690 Rangefinder Series is as Close as You'll Get
Two Huge Cameras are the Gowland Flex and Fuji GX680
What is the Difference Between the Mamiya RB67 and RZ67?
KW Pilot 6 / Chinese Great Wall DF Series
Tom Zoss's Custom Graflex XL with Rodenstock Wide Angle Lens
Mike Likes Vignetting / Bill Rogers for Mamiya Repair / Who is Repairing Retinas Now
The Only 16mm SLR We Know About / KMZ Narciss

Links

The Official Camerosity Facebook Group - https://www.facebook.com/groups/camerositypodcast

Camerosity Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/camerosity_podcast/

Theo Panagopoulos - https://www.photothinking.com/

Paul Rybolt - https://www.ebay.com/usr/paulkris - https://thisoldcamera.net/

Anthony Rue - https://www.instagram.com/kino_pravda/

Episode 78: Super Ikontas, Pearls, and No Anthony!

Mon, 07 Oct 2024 10:39:40 -0500

One of the benefits to having four hosts is that if something comes up and someone can't be on a recording, the show can go on. For Episode 78, we were short Anthony, so what did the guys decide to talk about while he wasn't there? One of Anthony's favorite cameras of course! The Zeiss-Ikon Super Ikonta 532/16 is a medium format folding camera that shoots 6cm x 6cm images and is one of the very few medium format folding cameras with both a rangefinder and fast f/2.8 lens.

In addition to it being one of Anthony's favorite cameras, it is also a favorite of professional photographer Johnny Martyr who, along with a stable of vintage Leicas, shoots his Super Ikonta professionally, offering medium format prints to his clientele. On this episode, Johnny shares with us his motivation on why he incorporated medium format into his business and why he chose this specific camera.

Episode 78 was light on guests as Paul, Theo, and Mike were also joined by returning callers AJ Gentile and Miles Libak, but we made up for it with a nice discussion of GAS! The conversation eventually moved from 6x6 folders to 4.5x6 folders and Mike gave his recommendation on one of the best Japanese 4.5x6 folding rangefinder cameras, the Konica Pearl IV. In addition, Mike also recommended an unlikely 6x9 folding camera as a value champion that still punches above its weight with a great lens.

Paul shares some recent cameras he's dug out of his crypt and Theo talks about his recent adventures with a Nikon S2 and Olympus Pen FT and how he accidentally redscaled some film without knowing it. We briefly discuss the merits of prism based viewfinders and what would happen if you purposely loaded black and white film backwards.

Episode 79 will be all about medium format SLRs. If you're interested in Bronica, Mamiya, Kowa, Norita, Praktisix, (but hot Hasselblad) SLRs, this is the episode for you! We will record on Monday, October 14th at 7pm Central Daylight Time and 8pm Eastern Daylight Time.

In This Episode

Only Three Hosts / AJ Working on His New Blog / Paul is Still Doing Long Trips for Cameras
Johnny Martyr is Exploring Medium Format / Voigtländer Perkeo Inspired Him
Welta Weltur / Zeiss Super Ikonta B and Fast f/2.8 Lenses
Paul’s Loves the Plaubel Makina 6x7
Viewfinders Made with Prisms vs Beamsplitters / Kodak Medalist has a bright viewfinder
Mike Randomly Sends Cameras to Johnny / Miles Had an Ensign Selfix 820 Special
Super Ikonta 6x4.5 / Strap Lugs / Paper Thickness Can Cause Transport Issues in Some Cameras
Welta Weltini is Too Complex / Semi Leotax
Konica Pearl II, III, or IV Are All Great 4.5x6 Cameras
The Voigtlander Bessa 66 is Nice / Gallus Delux is a French Foth Derby / Voigtländer Perkeo 127
Kodak Tourist / Voigtländer Bessa III 667 / Fujifilm GF670 Professional / Balda Super Baldax
Theo has been shooting the Nikon S2 and the Olympus Pen FT
Highlight is the Robot II which accidentally used to red scale film
Does anyone know what happens in putting B&W film backwards?
Very Easy to Put Film Backwards in a Mamiya RB67
Mike got a Zeiss-Ikon Hexacon / Pentacon FM
The Mamiya 6 is Just As Good as the Mamiya 7
Mike Wants to Shoot Cameras to Just Enjoy Them Now
Miles is Testing an Uncoated Biogon on a Prewar Contax
A Brief History of the Contax and Why We've Never Done a Zeiss-Ikon Episode

Links

The Official Camerosity Facebook Group - https://www.facebook.com/groups/camerositypodcast

Camerosity Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/camerosity_podcast/

Johnny Martyr - https://johnnymartyr.wordpress.com/

Theo Panagopoulos - https://www.photothinking.com/

Paul Rybolt - https://www.ebay.com/usr/paulkris - https://thisoldcamera.net/

Anthony Rue - https://www.instagram.com/kino_pravda/

Episode 77: Camerosity Blogging

Tue, 01 Oct 2024 09:14:58 -0500

In what is a record for the longest time between recording and release, Episode 77 is finally here! Recorded more than 2 weeks ago, in this episode we follow up Episode 76 with a second episode about "stuff we know". Before they were podcast superstars, Theo, Mike, and Paul have blogs and we wanted to share some behind the scenes secrets of the wonderful world of blogging.

Joining us are fellow bloggers, Peggy Marsh, Alex Luyckx, Eric Jason, Dan Cuny, and Jim Grey who tell us their origin stories, what their process is for how they choose what to write about, and what's next for their blogs. Joining us are non bloggers, A.J. Gentile and Will Pinkham who get inspired and consider making their own blog!

As a group, we also discuss the state of blogging, has the luster of long form reviews been replaced by byte sized content from TikTok and Instagram Reels? Alex discusses his experiences with Adox Scala and black and white reversal developers, Dan Cuny talks about his collection of vintage film negatives that he scans and posts online, and Paul reveals a guy he found in China that can modify standard Hasselblad backs, turning them into Hasselblad XPan sized panoramic backs.

Because of a combination of regular delays along with a laptop crash which required this episode to be edited from beginning to end twice, Episode 78 has already been recorded before Episode 77 was ready for release. Paul, Theo, and Mike had an intimate discussion with Johnny Martyr, A.J. Gentile, and Miles Libak about shooting medium format, Mike's favorite Japanese 4.5x6 folding camera, and how the process of professionally shooting film in the digital age has changed from before.

In This Episode

How Blogging Relates to This Podcast / A Private Blogger Facebook Chat Has Improve All Our Sites
Will There Ever Be a Video Version of the Camerosity Podcast?
Peggy Marsh from Camera Go Camera / Do Not Reverse Her Blog's Name / Argus C3 / Purma Special / Photavit 828 / Agilux Agimatic
Alex Luyckx and His Origin Story / Alex Loves Seeing How Different Developers Can Change How a Film Looks
Developing Adox Scala Film / Black & White Reversal
Set a Realistic Time Table for New Articles to Maintain Excitement and Quality
Paul Has a Blog and He Reviews One Camera Every Decade!
Eric Jason from Aperture Preview / Samoca 35 II / Perfex Cameras / Radio Companies That Also Made Cameras / Clarus MS-35
Eric Works for Retrospekt Repairing Polaroids
Has Blogging Lost Its Luster? / How Much Readership Is There? / TikTok and Reels Byte Sized Content / Mr. Beast
Dan Cuny Gives Mike a Run for His Rare Camera Review Money / Inoca Six Stereo Camera
Mike Has No Idea How Many Cameras He Has / Cornu Ontoflex TLR
Dan Loves to Digitize Old Negatives and Plates / Old Images Tell A Great Story / Mike Doesn't Like Ansel Adams
Jim Grey Joins the Show and Talks about Down the Road / Operation Thin the Herd
Reply to Every Comment / Jim Acquires a Camera For the Purpose of Reviewing It
AJ Started a Youtube Channel During the Pandemic to Stay Busy
Tips For Starting a Photo Blog or Podcast / Do What You Love / Your Voice Matters / Have a Thick Skin / If You Want to Make a Blog, Do It!
Perhaps the Greatest Thing About Blogging is the Content is Searchable / Sticky Content
The Wayback Machine is Great for Web 1.0, But Not So Much for Current Gen Blogs
Paul Found a Guy in China Who Can Modify Hasselblad Backs to Shoot XPan Format
Theo's Mamiya 7 Habit is Driving Mike to Drink / Extinct Blogs
Mike is Sending Anthony a Leonardo Pinhole Camera

Links

The Official Camerosity Facebook Group - https://www.facebook.com/groups/camerositypodcast

Camerosity Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/camerosity_podcast/

Peggy Marsh - Camera Go Camera - https://cameragocamera.com/

Alex Luyckx - https://www.alexluyckx.com/blog/

Eric Jason - Aperture Preview - https://www.aperturepreview.com/

Dan Cuny - https://www.dancuny.com/camera-collecting-blog

Jim Grey - Down the Road - https://blog.jimgrey.net/

Theo Panagopoulos - https://www.photothinking.com/

Paul Rybolt - https://www.ebay.com/usr/paulkris - https://thisoldcamera.net/

Anthony Rue - https://www.instagram.com/kino_pravda/

Episode 76: Buying and Selling Cameras

Wed, 11 Sep 2024 08:04:54 -0500

For most episodes of this show, we rely on experts to come and talk to us about a specific topic. We value the experiences and knowledges of people who know a lot about a brand or a style of camera to teach us something that we didn't already know. For Episode 76 however, we decided to go with something the Camerosity hosts are already experts on, which is buying and selling cameras.

You don't get to have the experiences between the four hosts without access to a great deal of hardware, so we thought for this episode we would share some stories of how we all got to where we are at today. In addition to our personal experiences, Anthony, Paul, Theo, and Mike share their best tips and tricks not only for buying cameras but also when it comes time to sell something.

Joining us on this episode are returning callers, Mark Faulkner, Mike Litwin, Will Pinkham, and first time caller Cody Yoder. We cover the basics of buying and selling on eBay but also ways in which we've accumulated gear through estate sales, Facebook Marketplace, and through good old human interaction. Paul shares his thoughts on the state of buying and selling, Mike discusses one of his favorite eBay sellers and why he doesn't buy from them anymore, and Anthony shares his story for how he met one of the most eccentric camera collectors in Florida.

In addition to buying and selling, Cody tells us a story about how he literally walked into a garage full of Hasselblads, Theo gives us an update on what it was like shooting and developing film while on vacation in Vietnam and Paul answers a question for how he decides how much to offer a seller when buying a large collection.

For the next episode, we are sticking with topics we know well and will dedicate Episode 77 entirely to blogging. This podcast wouldn't exist if Mike had never started mikeeckman.com and met Anthony, Paul, and Theo through his site, so if you've ever been interested into the behind the scenes of researching and reviewing cameras for a website, this is the episode for you. In addition to Mike and Theo's thoughts, we are going to solicit some of your other favorite bloggers and get their thoughts as well. Episode 77 will be recorded on Monday, September 16th at 7pm Central Daylight Time and 8pm Eastern Daylight Time.

In This Episode

How is the eBay Camera Selling Market Going? / Paul Buys Cameras from Cody Yoder
Cody's Camera Garage Find / Hasselblads / Paul Stays Away from Facebook Marketplace
The First Wave of Vintage Cameras Have Already Been Sold By Their Original Owners
The Bottom of the Box is Where the Fun Stuff Is
Mike's Biggest Missed Opportunity Came When He Just First Started Collecting.
Anthony's Friend's Big Rollei Haul / Rolleiflex SLX / Paul's 800 Mile Day
How Do You Calculate What You'll Pay When Buying a Large Collection?
Selling on eBay Sucks Right Now / Paul Got in Trouble with eBay
Anthony's Perspective on Old Cameras in Florida / How Anthony Met Bernard Danenberg
Kurt Ingham's Collection / Buying Used Cameras in Australia
Mike Litwin Has Been Buying Several Camera Books / Larry Gubas's Zeiss Book
The Current State of Camera Repairs
Cameras That Often Don't Work: Pentax ES II and Konica FT-1 Motor
Mark's Bad Experience Selling His Leica M3
Tips for Buying on eBay: Be Patient, Use Wishlists, Build a Network of Other Collectors, Common Misspellings
Mike's Favorite eBay Seller Used to be Tictocnmore / Buying from Antique Malls
Tips for Selling on eBay: Take Good Pictures, Put Effort Into Your Description, Require Signature on International Buyers
Theo's Experiences Shooting and Developing Film in Vietnam
Mike Still Doesn't Like Shooting 58mm Lenses

Links

The Official Camerosity Facebook Group - https://www.facebook.com/groups/camerositypodcast

Camerosity Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/camerosity_podcast/

Mike's Guide to Buying and Selling Cameras on eBay - https://mikeeckman.com/2019/04/gas-attack-buying-cameras-on-ebay/

Theo Panagopoulos - https://www.photothinking.com/

Paul Rybolt - https://www.ebay.com/usr/paulkris

Anthony Rue - https://www.instagram.com/kino_pravda/

Episode 75: The Definitive Pentax Podcast with Gerjan van Oosten

Thu, 15 Aug 2024 12:51:46 -0500

A brand of camera that we've talked quite a bit about on this show is Pentax, but in every episode where this brand came up, the same book and author gets brought up as a great resource for screw mount Pentax and Takumar lenses, which is "The Ultimate/Definitive Asahi Pentax Collector's Guide 1952-1977" by Gerjan van Oosten. While this is a great book to read, this is a podcast, so we like to talk to people, so for Episode 75, rather than continue to talk about a book, we went straight to the source and got the book's author, Gerjan van Oosten to join us!

For this episode, we were missing Theo, but joining Anthony, Paul, Mike, and Gerjan are returning callers Patrick Casey and Wannes Scheipers. Gerjan discusses some of his least favorite Takumar lenses, backwards compatibility of Takumar lenses, what's so special about the 8-element Super Takumar 50mm f/1.4 lenses, why the Spotmatic doesn't actually have a spot meter, what Honeywell had to do with Pentax, export market cameras like the Asahiflex H2 and Asahi Pentar, and a fun discussion about a prototype camera called the Pentax Metalica.

In addition to Pentax camera and lens GAS, we get into discussions about why so many early SLRs had 58mm lenses, a little bit of Nikon history, Anthony's recent habit of breaking into churches, shooting the Horseman Convertible, and Mike's thoughts on the Leica M5.

Gerjan covers his book and that there's three editions of the camera, all with significant changes from the earlier versions. Only the latest 2023 edition is currently for sale direct from him, so if you're interested in buying this excellent book straight from him, he sells them direct on eBay at the following link:

https://www.ebay.com/itm/335212596808

We had a lot of fun recording this episode, but we will be taking a break from new shows for a little while. Although we have some ideas for future shows, nothing is planned at the moment, nor do we know when the next episode will be recorded, so be sure to look out for our show announcements on our Camerosity Podcast Facebook page, the Camerosity Discord server, and right here on mikeeckman.com. We usually record every other Monday and announcements, along with the Zoom link are typically shared 2-3 days in advance.

In This Episode

Introducing Gerjan van Oosten / Pentax ES II
Recommendations for Takumar Lenses for Someone Getting Started / Gerjan Won't Recommend These Three Lenses
Takumar 17mm and 20mm Fisheyes Are "Art Lenses"
The Mystique of the Takumar 50mm f/1.4 8-Element Lens
Asahi Started making cameras with a 35mm SLR / Mike Loves the Asahiflex / Are the Earlier Cameras Built Better?
M42 Version of the Takumar 58mm f/2.4 Lens / Mike Doesn't Love the 58mm Focal Length
Paul Made Mike Buy a Nikkor 5.8cm f/1.4 Lens / Why Did Early SLRs Often Have 58mm Lenses?
Gerjan Has 3 Versions of His Book, from 1999, 2021, and 2023 and They're All Different Inside
Did Pentax Ever Try to Make a 35mm Rangefinder?
The Beatles Loved the Asahi Pentax Sv
Asahu Pentaxes and Honeywell Pentaxes / Pentaxes for Different Markets
There Was Going to be a Pentax H4 But the Name Sounds like Death in Japanese
What is the Difference Between Preset and Automatic Lenses?
Early Yashica Yashinon and Asahi Takumar SLR Lenses Look Remarkably Similar
Many 50mm Lenses Aren't Actually 50mm
Pentax Rarities: Asahiflex H2 / Asahi Pentar / Pentaxes Sold in Export Markets
Are All Iterations of M42 Takumar Lenses Backwards Compatible?
Are K-Mount Pentax Lenses Inferior to M42 Takumars? / De-yellowing Radioactive Lenses
The Pentax Metalica Could Have Been a Game Changer
Why Did Asahi Sell Pentaxes in the US Under the Honeywell Name?
Herbert Keppler's Influence on Pentax / The Pentax Spotmatic Doesn't Have a Spot Meter
What is in the Future for Pentax?
Anthony Loves the Horseman Convertible and Paul's Leica M4-2
Anthony Breaks into Historic Churches to Take Photos
The Leica M5 Has One of the Slowest Meters Ever Made
Zeiss-Ikon Super Ikontas / Anthony Loaned Three Different Models to Mike

Links

The Official Camerosity Facebook Group - https://www.facebook.com/groups/camerositypodcast

Gerjan van Oosten - https://www.facebook.com/groups/1088887718612334

Camerosity Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/camerosity_podcast/

Theo Panagopoulos - https://www.photothinking.com/

Paul Rybolt - https://www.ebay.com/usr/paulkris

Anthony Rue - https://www.instagram.com/kino_pravda/

Episode 74: Third Party Lenses and Home Developing Hacks

Thu, 25 Jul 2024 16:00:49 -0500

As the world's first, number one, and only open source film photography podcast, we take pride in that in each episode you all get to influence the discussions we have. For Episode 74, we decided to take it a step farther and dedicate the entire episode to two broad topics that listeners of this show have suggested to us. The first is to cover the confusing and wide array of third party lenses and the second to go over some tips and tricks for home film development. Never ones to disappoint our listeners, the gang took your suggestions to heart and turned both into a whole episode...mostly!

Joining Anthony, Paul, Theo, and Mike was a full house of returning callers A.J. Gentile, Dan Cuny, Dan Hausman, Mario Piper, Michael Wescott (Wes) Loder, Miles Libak, Ray Nason, Robert Coates, Will Pinkham, and Mark (sorry, Mark, we didn't get your last name!)

We quickly jump into a lens discussion first clarifying what exactly is considered a Third Party Lens maker? From there the wormhole quickly opens as we bounce around with discussions regarding Asanuma, Vivitar, Kiron, and what Mike calls the "German B-List Lens Makers" like Steinheil, A.Schacht, Staeble, Enna-Werk, and many others. Wes jumps in and pivots the discussion to the vast array of lenses available for the Akarette/Akarelle and Lordomat systems, and then Mike quickly gets back on track professing his love for the Wirgin Edixa.

We cover the Voigtländer Zoomar and the rash of very good Chinese lens makers like TTArtisan, 7Artisans, Light Lens Labs, and the obscure Japanese lens maker MS-Optics.

For home development, we cover a whole host of hacks from doubling up on rolls of 120 on a single spool, how Mike pushes HC-110 to the absolute limit when developing black and white and Anthony chimes in with his suggestions for how to make shooting a Minox camera the most affordable way possible. We get into other things like tips for flatbed scanning and what everyone thinks about digitizing. It was certainly a live discussion, but I should probably stop typing here and encourage you to listen to the episode.

For the next episode, we are revisiting one of our favorite brands of camera, Pentax! Although we have dedicated multiple whole episodes to Pentax, this time we have Pentax historian Gerjan van Oosten who authored "The Ultimate Asahi Pentax Screw Mount Guide 1952 - 1977" which I consider to be one of the most definitive Pentax resources ever written. The amount of info that Gerjan has about Pentax, Takumars, and everything relating to screw mounts is far more than we can ever hope to capture in a single episode, but we will certainly try! To accommodate Gerjan's European time zone, Episode 75 will be recorded on Monday, August 5th at the special time of 2pm Central Daylight Time, 3pm Eastern Daylight Time, and 9pm Central European Time.

In This Episode

Clarification on the Ricoh Singlex and the Nikon F Mount / Recommendations for PASM Manual Focus Cameras
What is a Third Party Lens Maker? / Almost Every Japanese Camera Company Started Off Making Lenses
Asanuma Was One of the First Good Third Party Lens Makers / Later Became Kiron
Vivitar Was a Marketing Company But Was Instrumental in Developing Computer Designed Lenses
Vivitar Serial Numbers / Ponder & Best / Vivitar Flash Units
What are T-Mount Lenses? / T-Mount vs Adaptall
How Did Sears Become Such a Big Camera Distributor? / Focal, Photo-Quelle, Revue, Hanimex
The Beginning of Zoom Lenses / Nikkor 43-86 Zoom / TV Lenses
Akarelle, Akarette, and Arakrex / German "B-List" Lens Makers / Lordomat Lenses
Mike Really Likes the Steinheil Quinon Lens / Wirgin Edixa SLR Lenses Are Not the Same As Regular M42 Lenses
Voigtländer Zoomar 36-82mm f/2.8 Lens / The Beauty of Imperfect Lenses / Some Lenses Can Be Too Perfect
Chinese Lenses / Light Lens Labs, TTArtisan, 7Artisans Lenses / MS-Optics Lenses
Voigtländer Cosina Lenses / Super-Nokton 28mm f/0.8 / Paul Loves the Nikkor 58mm f/1.4
Tricks for Loading Film on Paterson Reels / Loading Robot and Photavit Cassettes
Developing Your Own Film Saves a Ton of Money / High Upfront Cost to Get Started
Scanning with a Flatbed vs Digitizing / Negative Lab Pro / Building a Home Development Kit
Loading Two Rolls of 120 Onto the Same Reel / Mike Prefers the Unicolor C41 Kit
Monobaths / Scanning vs Digitizing / Kodak TMax Kills Fixer
A Flatbed Scanner is More than Adequate for 90% of Film Scanning
Avoiding Newton Rings / A&R Glass / Target Photo Frames
Anthony Economizes Shooting Minox Cameras By Cutting His Own Film
Nikon S Rangefinder Lenses / Compatibility Between Nikon and Contax Lenses

Links

The Official Camerosity Facebook Group - https://www.facebook.com/groups/camerositypodcast

Dan Cuny - https://www.dancuny.com/camera-collecting-blog

Wes Loder - https://wesloderandnikon.blogspot.com/

Camerosity Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/camerosity_podcast/

Theo Panagopoulos - https://www.photothinking.com/

Paul Rybolt - https://www.ebay.com/usr/paulkris

Anthony Rue - https://www.instagram.com/kino_pravda/

Episode 73: Fuji and Ricoh

Sat, 20 Jul 2024 05:14:46 -0500

For the second episode in a row, we promised to deliver a thrilling discussion about two brands of Japanese cameras that have more in common than you might think. Fuji and Ricoh both started making products for the photography industry right before the war, but originally started out in different industries, for Fuji, it was celluloid plastics and Ricoh (then called Riken) it was as a chemicals research company. Each took a path making lenses and cameras, but in both instances photography was never each company's main focus. Both Fuji and Ricoh invested heavily in the photocopier industry in the later part of the 20th century, and both successfully made the jump into the digital camera world. Both companies continue to make new cameras today, Fuji with their excellent lineup of X-Series digital mirrorless, and Ricoh with their GR point and shoots and their ownership of the Pentax brand.

In this episode, Anthony, Paul, Theo, and Mike are joined by Paul's personal Fuji rep, Bob Grzesiak, returning callers Brad Swain, Howard Sandler, Mark Faulkner, Miles Libak, and first time caller, Dan Cuny.

We extensively cover many of Fuji's medium format cameras from the Texas Leica, their variety of 4.5x6, 6x7, 6x8, 6x9, and even their lone 6x17 model, plus the company's mid century rangefinders, the extremely compact and very quirky Fujica Mini, their entry into SLRs with the Fujicarex, the Fuji ST-series, and the unloved Fuji AX-series. For Ricoh, time is spent on their Auto-Half series and Hi-Color 35, along with some of Ricoh's screw mount SLRs and Mike's favorite Ricoh, the Anscomark M interchangeable lens rangefinder camera.

In addition, we get to hear which of these two companies used to throw the best parties for camera dealers, a little bit of history regarding the Fuji Finepix S-Series DSLRs, a bit about the Ricoh GR-series, plus a strange digital camera that had not only interchangeable lenses, but also interchangeable sensors, plus some bonus discussion about Mamiya Prismat "bastard cameras" like the original Ricoh Singlex with the "sorta" Nikon F-mount, and a strange Tower branded camera made by Mamiya with an Ihagee Exakta lens mount and a Canon lens.

This proved to be a very lively discussion, covering a huge amount of different camera models from two brands that don't get discussed nearly as often as others. If you find that your collection is thin on cameras by either of these manufacturers, this is the episode that will surely flare up a case of GAS. Get ready to open your wallet!

For the next episode, we will be exploring the world of third party lens makers like Vivitar, Sigma, Tamron, Spiratone and many others, plus we hope to revisit a topic that started in a thread on the Camerosity Podcast Facebook group regarding home processing. Episode 74 will be recorded on Monday, July 22nd at 7pm Central Daylight Time and 8pm Eastern Daylight Time.

In This Episode

Fuji and Ricoh Have Remarkably Similar Histories / Roico 127 Camera
Fuji Made LTM Lenses and One Nikon S-Mount Lens in the 50s
Fuji Made the Hasselblad XPan / Fuji Large Format Lenses
Fujica ST-801 and ST-901 / Fuji's f/1.6 and f/2.2 Lenses and 1/700 Shutter Speeds
Fujica 35SE Rangefinder and Other Fixed Lens Rangefinders / Fujicarex II SLR
A Change of Priorities Caused Fuji To Change Their Lineup in the Mid 1960s
Rapid Cassette Fujis and the Half Frame Fujica Mini
The Fujica V2 and Compact Deluxe Rangefinders Are Excellent
Fuji GF670 and Other Folding Cameras / Fujicaflex Automat TLR
Bob Loans a Fuji G617 to Car & Driver and They Destroy It
The Fujita 66SL (Kalimar 66) is Not a Real Fuji
The Fuji GX680 is Massive and Difficult to Sell
Fujifilm FinePix S-Pro Series DSLRs / Super CCD Sensors
Fuji Ignored Their AX SLRs / Fujica AX-5
The Ricoh TLS-401 Has a Useless Waist Level Finder
Paul Used to Party Hard With the President of Ricoh / Ricoh Solar Powered Cameras
Ricoh Made the Anscomark M in Exchange for Photo Copier Technology from GAF
The Ricoh Singlex Uses a Variation of the Nikon F-Mount But it is Not the Same
Mamiya Made Prismat Cameras That Are the Basis for the Nippon Kogaku Nikkorex, Ricoh Singlex, and Many Others
Other Bastard Mamiya Cameras / Canon Canonex / Mamiya Prismat and Tower Cameras with Canon Exakta Mount Lenses
Ricoh GR-Series Compact Digital Cameras / Ricoh GXR Interchangeable Sensor Cameras
Ricoh Diacord / Ricoh 500 and 519M / Ricoh Hi-Color 35
Mark Faulkner Sells his Leica M3 / The Mystique of the M3 / X-Raying Boxes at Bowling Alleys
Kenneth Panda Sells Kits to Adapt Fuji Ace Instant Cameras to Use Instax Film
Lightning Round: Which Cameras Do You Regret Not Taking Out More Often?
Shooting IR and Full Spectrum Through Modified Digital Cameras / Sony DSC-F828
Kodak Bantam Special / The Canon 7 is Still the Best Value in LTM 35mm Rangefinders

Links

The Official Camerosity Facebook Group - https://www.facebook.com/groups/camerositypodcast

Mark Faulkner - https://thegashaus.com/

Dan Cuny - https://www.dancuny.com/camera-collecting-blog

Camerosity Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/camerosity_podcast/

Theo Panagopoulos - https://www.photothinking.com/

Paul Rybolt - https://www.ebay.com/usr/paulkris

Anthony Rue - https://www.instagram.com/kino_pravda/

Episode 72: Pentax 17, Rollei 35 AF, and Widelux-X OH MY!!!

Fri, 28 Jun 2024 08:52:03 -0500

We return with the first episode with all four hosts in nearly two months with a great show. We had plans to discuss Fuji and Ricoh on this episode, but like our reputation as the first and only open source film photography podcast, sometimes things don't go as planned.

Recorded within a week of the release of the new half-frame Pentax 17 and a video preview of the upcoming Rollei 35 AF, the gang and I just knew we had to share our thoughts on these two new cameras. But since none of us have actually seen either camera, we called someone who we knew would have some insight into what it is like to make a new camera in 2024, Marwan El Mozayen from Silvergrain Classics. As you remember, in Episode 52, Marwan came on the show and talked about his project re-releasing the Widelux panoramic camera, along with the support of none other than Jeff Bridges.

Joining Marwan, Anthony, Paul, Theo, and Mike on this episode are returning callers AJ Gentile, Daniel Bemes, Patrick Casey, Patrick Rapps, Skip Williams, William Pinkham, and first time callers Antony Hands, John Frank, and Brad (we never did get Brad's last name!)

We extensively cover the Pentax 17 and the announcement of the Rollei 35 AF with some behind the scenes thoughts on the development of both cameras, but after covering those two models, Marwan shares with us what's new with the new Widelux, where in development it is at, and possible futures for the camera.

Beyond that, we discuss other swing lens cameras like the Noblex and Viscawide 16, and after that we finally manage to get into Fuji a bit, mainly with their instant film cameras, we cover models like the FP-1, the merits of Instax Wide, and even a brief mention of Fuji's Integral film, called Fuji Ace. Antony shares with us his love for the Fuji GF670 and GF670W, and Mike promotes a new Argus book that was recently released.

This was a very fun episode chock full of great discussion and interesting information. As always, the topics we discuss on the Camerosity Podcast are influenced by you! Please don’t feel like you have to be an expert on a specific type of camera, or have the level of knowledge on par with other people on the show. We LOVE people who are into shooting or collecting cameras, no matter how long you've been doing it, so please don’t consider your knowledge level to be a prerequisite for joining!

Silvergrain Classics Discount Code: During the show, Marwan El Mozayen mentioned that listeners of this show get a discount when ordering a copy of issue #23 of their magazine. To receive this discount, use code: CAMER24510 when ordering.

For the next episode, since we barely scratched the surface of Fuji and never got to Ricoh like we had planned, maybe we'll do that...or maybe we'll do something else. WHO KNOWS?! All I can tell you is that we are back to our regular 2 week cadence of recording new episodes, so whatever we end up talking about, Episode 73 will be recorded on Monday, July 8th at 7pm Central Daylight Time and 8pm Eastern Daylight Time.

In This Episode

Guess Who's Back? Marwan's Back! / A Brief Intro
Introducing the Pentax 17 / Marwan Had an NDA Early in the Process of Making the Pentax 17
Pentax Chose Half Frame to Appeal to Those Used to Smartphones / Many Style Cues Taken from Classic Pentaxes
Zone Focusing is Ideal for the Type of Lens in the Pentax 17 / What Kind of Shutter Does it Have?
The Rollei 35 AF is Made By a Company More Known for Instant Film Cameras
The Rollei Name Today Has Nothing to do with the Original Rolleiflex Name
Antony Had to Sell Many Cameras to Afford His Leica M7 / The Leica M7 is Awesome
Pentax is Planning More Cameras, Possibly a Mechanical SLR
New Electronic Cameras from Pentax and Mint Restart the Clock on Failing Electronic Cameras
Younger Generations Are Much More Portrait Ratio Oriented
Silver Bridges is Making the Widelux-X
The Original Wideluxes Were Never Completely Reliable, the Widelux-X Has to be Better
Some Parts for the Widelux-X Can Be Used as Replacements for Parts in Original Wideluxes
Priming the Widelux Lens Before Shooting it Can Help Reduce Uneven Exposures
Electronic Noblex vs Mechanical Widelux (and Horizont)
There is No Release Date for the Widelux-X, It Will Be Ready When It Is Ready
The Viscawide 16 is the Ultimate Swing Lens Camera!
The Fuji FP-1 Was Made in the 1980s for Peel Apart Instant Pack Film and Was Awesome!
Fuji Peel Apart Film Was Everyone's Favorite Instant Film
The Fuji FP-100C Color Film Survives Much Better than the FP-3000B
There is Zero Chance That Fuji or Polaroid Will Ever Bring Back Peel Apart Instant Film
LomoGraflok Backs / Adapting 4x5 Cameras to Shoot Instax Wide / Polaroid 110 Cameras
Fuji Ace Instant Film and Cameras Was Their Version of Integral Instant Film
Instax Wide / What is the Future for Instax Wide? / Instax Wide 400
Mike Wishes Fuji Had Made a Semi-Pro Instax Wide Camera
Other Options for Shooting Instax Wide on Other Sheet Film Cameras
Mike Promotes the new Book, Argus: Fine American Cameras by Phil Sterritt and Mike Reitsma
Q&A From the Camerosity Discord / Ninja Star Bokeh / Konica Hexar AF
Fuji GF670 and GF670W Folding Camera / Get the New SilverGrain Classics Issue

Links

Japan Camera Hunter's Live Preview of the Rollei 35 AF - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rWz7A2e05Xc

Argus: Fine American Cameras - https://argusinfo.net/argusbook/ArgusBookMain.htm

Silvergrain Classics - https://shop.silvergrainclassics.com/detail/index/sArticle/42181/sCategory/92

The Official Camerosity Facebook Group - https://www.facebook.com/groups/camerositypodcast

Camerosity Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/camerosity_podcast/

Theo Panagopoulos - https://www.photothinking.com/

Paul Rybolt - https://www.ebay.com/usr/paulkris

Anthony Rue - https://www.instagram.com/kino_pravda/

Episode 71 Part 2: The Second Part

Thu, 20 Jun 2024 08:00:01 -0500

As promised, here is the second half of the first ever two part episode in the Camerosity Podcast's history!

This one features your two favorite Camerosity hosts Theo and Mike, but unlike in the first half, we had the call in lines open. Joining us are returning callers Brian Howard, Ira Cohen, Mark Faulkner, Patrick Casey, Will Pinkham, and first time caller Erik Geiger.

In this episode we get into a variety of topics such as the effects World War II had on the production of cameras during and after the war, Mark admits that he doesn't like his Leica M3 and wishes he had an M2 instead, how Ira ended up with two Ensign Multexes with no lenses, Theo's recent pickup of a Balda Super Baldinette, Mike's "reverse GAS" pickup of a Canon A1 and his recent test of a Super Pentacon 35mm SLR, and how much everyone loves the Pentax Q series for shooting C and D-Mount lenses.

If two Camerosity Podcast releases in the same week isn't enough to satisfy your "nerdy podcast cravings", look for our upcoming announcement for Episode 72 on Friday. We will record this episode on Monday, June 24th at our regular time of 7pm Central and 8pm Eastern. We are going to get back to what we do best and talk about cameras! For this episode, we have chosen the one-two punch of Fujica and Ricoh cameras.

Links

The Official Camerosity Facebook Group - https://www.facebook.com/groups/camerositypodcast

Camerosity Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/camerosity_podcast/

Theo Panagopoulos - https://www.photothinking.com/

Paul Rybolt - https://www.ebay.com/usr/paulkris

Anthony Rue - https://www.instagram.com/kino_pravda/

Episode 71 Part 1: Our First Two Parter!

Tue, 18 Jun 2024 08:32:45 -0500

In what has been the most hectic period of the podcasts history, Paul went on a month's long vacation to Ireland, Theo became the most important man in Corporate Australia, Anthony's personal life dialed it up a notch, and Mike became Mr. Soccer Tournament Man so the scheduling of four hosts in three different time zones, two continents, and one podcast became difficult.

Not wanting to deprive you all of more of the nerdiest film photography discussion, we decided to throw caution to the wind and record separately, first with Anthony, Paul, and Mike, and then again with Theo, Mike, and you all. The original plan was to edit these two separate recordings together, but even that became too difficult, so we decided to break up both recordings into two halves of Episode 71...our first Two Parter!

In this episode, Anthony tells us about alligator mating calls and how he's thinking of selling his collection to buy a Leica M2, Paul meets up with Brian MacDomhnaill and then convinces another site listener to buy a Nikon point and shoot, and Mike tells us about a rare camera he was loaned by a reader of his site. We cover a great deal of other topics as well, but unlike most episodes where I painstakingly type up an index of topics, for this one, you'll just have to listen and discover whatever nonsense we discuss, on your own!

As always, the topics we discuss on the Camerosity Podcast are influenced by you! Please don’t feel like you have to be an expert on a specific type of camera, or have the level of knowledge on par with other people on the show. We LOVE people who are into shooting or collecting cameras, no matter how long you've been doing it, so please don’t consider your knowledge level to be a prerequisite for joining!

You won't have to wait long for the next episode as Episode 71 Part 2 will be just around the corner, but after that, we are planning Episode 72 to be recorded on Monday, June 24th at our regular time of 7pm Central and 8pm Eastern. We are going to get back to what we do best and talk about cameras! For this episode, we have chosen the one-two punch of Fujica and Ricoh cameras.

Links

The Official Camerosity Facebook Group - https://www.facebook.com/groups/camerositypodcast

Camerosity Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/camerosity_podcast/

Theo Panagopoulos - https://www.photothinking.com/

Paul Rybolt - https://www.ebay.com/usr/paulkris

Anthony Rue - https://www.instagram.com/kino_pravda/

Episode 70: The Best of the 1970s

Sat, 04 May 2024 07:43:52 -0500

Is it a coincidence or did we plan it all along? Episode 70 of the Camerosity Podcast is all about the 70s! In this episode, the gang does our best to fit the best, the worst, and other noteworthy camera and photographic advancements of an entire decade into a 104 minute podcast!

Joining Anthony, Paul, Theo, and Mike on this episode are returning callers Daniel Belmes, Jordan Berube, Patrick Casey, Tim Peters, and first time callers Gheerwijn Clicque and Will Pinkham.

We start off this episode dedicated to the 1970s, discussing a camera from...the 1960s! As we often do, the show gets off topic quickly and we end up discussing the merits of the Canon Pellix and pellicle mirrors, but we get back on track with other Canon SLRs like the Canon AE-1 and A-1.

We discuss the beginning of the auto focus era, and cover the first ever auto focus SLR. In addition, the topic of everyone's favorite 1970s film, Pocket Instamatic Type 110 is discussed, why it was invented, notable cameras that used it, and some tips and tricks to home developing and scanning your own 110 film.

We declare the two companies who we think were the most and least innovative camera makers of the 1970s. Can you guess who they are? I'll give you a hint, one of them rhymes with "Schmoloroid"!

Realizing that we made it more than halfway through the show without discussing too many cameras, we did a lightning round asking everyone to share their favorite, least favorite, and at least one noteworthy camera from the 1970s. Be sure to listen to the show and see if your 1970s camera was mentioned.

As always, the topics we discuss on the Camerosity Podcast are influenced by you! Please don’t feel like you have to be an expert on a specific type of camera, or have the level of knowledge on par with other people on the show. We LOVE people who are into shooting or collecting cameras, no matter how long you've been doing it, so please don’t consider your knowledge level to be a prerequisite for joining!

For the next episode, we are taking a break from our regular two week recording cadence as both Paul and Theo have some vacations coming up. We will definitely return soon for Episode 71, but as of right now, we do not have a date or a topic set. As mentioned in this episode, we teased an upcoming Zeiss-Ikon episode, but so far, that's still to be determined...

In This Episode

Camera Collectors vs Camera Photographers / What Do People Like to Collect?
Canon Aspherical 35mm f/2 Lens / De-Yellowing Lenses Using UV Lights
Two of the Most Reliable and Under Appreciated Canon SLRs of the 70s are the TLb and FTb
Canon Pellix and the Virtues of Pellicle Mirrors / Canon and Nikon Both Made Other SLRs with Pellicle Mirrors
Anthony Was in His Prime in the 70s / Shooting Concerts / Anthony and Ken Rockwell Love the Olympus RC / Other Olympus Rangefinders
The Canon A-1 is Great When They Work But Haven't Proved to be Too Reliable Anymore
The Canon AE-1 Was Very Popular and Easier to Fix / Squeaky Shutter Gearing
Did the Canon AE-1 Motivate Nikon to Make the FM and FE?
Polaroid Was the Most Innovative Camera Company in the 1970s / Polaroid Big Shot
Polaroid Made the First Auto Focus SLR / Polaroid SX-70 OneStep Sonar / Polaroid Put Batteries in their Film / Tips for Owning a Polaroid SX-70
110 Film Was One of the Great Advancements of the 1970s!
Pentax Auto 110 / Canon 110ED / Why Did Kodak Switch from 126 to 110?
Kodak's Smaller Film Formats Forced Them to Make Better Film
Home Developing 110 Film Using 16mm Reels / How to Scan 110 Film Using Picture Frames
Cameras We Love, Hate, and Think are Special
Nikonos III, Canon AE-1, Konica Auto-Reflex / Yashica Electro 35 GSN / Rolleiflex 3.5F / Nikon FE, Minolta XE-5, Canon AE-1, Nikon EM
Rollei 35 T, Olympus Trip 35, Peafowl DF-1 / Nikon F2, Olympus OM-1, Canon A1, Alpa 11 / Bronica S2A, Mamiya 1000DTL
Mamiya Press 23, Mamiya RB67 / Nikon F2, Nikon EL2, Miranda dx-3 / Pentax K1000 / Leicaflex SL2
Leica R-Mount SLRs / Brian Long's Leica R-Series Book / Leica R-Mount Lenses Are Getting More Expensive

Links

The Official Camerosity Facebook Group - https://www.facebook.com/groups/camerositypodcast

Camerosity Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/camerosity_podcast/

Theo Panagopoulos - https://www.photothinking.com/

Paul Rybolt - https://www.ebay.com/usr/paulkris and https://www.etsy.com/shop/Camerasandpictures

Anthony Rue - https://www.instagram.com/kino_pravda/ and https://www.facebook.com/VoltaGNV/

Episode 69: Mike Butkus, King of Camera Manuals

Fri, 19 Apr 2024 08:00:10 -0500

In the 68 previous episodes of the Camerosity Podcast, we've had the pleasure of talking to a wide variety of fascinating guests. We've had collectors, historians, former Kodak employees, camera repair technicians, and a variety of other bloggers and other assorted people in the industry. Each of those people were fascinating guests, but each had a special niche where their skill and experience fit in and not every listener of this might would have known who they were.

In this episode however, our special guest is Mike Butkus, someone whose name should ring a bell to anyone who has ever picked up an old camera and searched for information on it online. It is impossible to collect cameras and never have stumbled upon the massive collection of cameras manuals at Mike's site. His site has over 6000 high resolution scans of manuals for film and digital cameras, flashes, exposure meters, and much more, available for everyone to view and download for free. Mike's site is not only big, but it has been around for over a quarter of a century, making it one of the oldest still operating film and digital photography sites out there.

Be sure to check out Episode 69 where Anthony, Paul, Theo and Mike are joined by returning callers Ray Nason, Howard Sandler, and first time callers Brian Zeman and Jordan Berube.

In addition to hearing Mike's origin story and getting a glimpse into what goes on behind the scenes at the world's largest depot of camera manuals, we venture into a wide variety of other topics, such as tips and tricks to selling a large camera collection, what is everyone's favorite 6 x 9 camera, and how heavy is a Koni-Omegaflex M TLR.

Theo shares a story about a camera he bought, then returned, and may one day buy again, Mike gets yelled at by a site reader for mistaking a 2¼ x 3¼ camera for a 6 x 9 camera, and Howard asks why old folding Kodaks aren't valued by collectors.

Donate to Mike Butkus: For the past 25 years, Mike Butkus has run his camera manual website by himself. He buys all of the manuals he scans with his own money, he pays the hosting and domain registration fees with his own money, and he does all the scanning in his free time. All of this on a site with no ads. If you have ever found any useful information on his site, we encourage you to send him a couple bucks through PayPal.

https://www.paypal.com/paypalme/butkus

As always, the topics we discuss on the Camerosity Podcast are influenced by you! Please don’t feel like you have to be an expert on a specific type of camera, or have the level of knowledge on par with other people on the show. We LOVE people who are into shooting or collecting cameras, no matter how long you've been doing it, so please don’t consider your knowledge level to be a prerequisite for joining!

We had originally planned on doing a "Cameras of the 1970s" episode for number 69, but with the availability of Mike Butkus, we bumped it by one episode, so for Episode 70, we are definitely getting our disco balls out and putting our bell bottoms on and will be going over the best, the worst, and everything in between from everyone's favorite film camera decade.

We will record Episode 70 on Monday, April 29th at 7pm Central Daylight Time (-5 UTC), 8pm Eastern Daylight Time (-4 UTC), and Tuesday at 10am Australian Eastern Standard Time (+10 UTC). We look forward to hearing from you!

In This Episode

2024 is the Year of Solar Eclipses, New Jersey Earthquakes, 17 Year Cicadas, and a US Election / Mike Has a Yashica Dental-Eye
Mike Butkus's Origin Story / First Scans Were Made in 1999 of Chinon K-Mount SLRs
The First Scans Were Done in Word Format Using OCR
Mike Uses Google Analytics to See Which Manuals are Searched for the Most / Mike Has Over 6000 Original Manuals
How Can We Help Mike? / Donate Manuals He Doesn't Have
Camera Collectors are Lucky to Have Access to So Many Manuals / Preserving Mike's Website Online / Money Donations
Mike Does Not Collect Cameras, He Has About 20 Cameras and That's All
We Tried to Play "Stump Butkus" But Couldn't Find Enough Cameras to Stump Him
Eckman's Tip on Finding a Manual On Butkus's Site
Jordan Loves the Mamiya 6 But Mike Doesn't Have a Manual for the One He Has / There are Many Different Mamiya 6 Models
Wooden Leicas / Mike Bought a Leica IIIa From Ray and Had it CLA'd by Allen Wade
Butlus and Eckman are Both Verbs / Mike Butkus Also Has Flash and Light Meter Manuals Too
Mike Eckman Wants More Camera Catalogs / A Shout Out to Pacific Rim's Reference Library
Collecting Magazines, National Geographic, Modern Photography, Popular Photography
Tips for Selling Off Large Collections of Cameras / The First Question is How Fast? / Dealers Selling to Other Dealers
Selling Things on eBay Not as Described / Theo Returns a Telka III
People Donating Cameras to Us as "The Camera Guy"
What is Everyone's Favorite 6 x 9 Camera? / Century Graphic / Zeiss-Ikon Nettar / KMZ Moskva
Some 6 x 9 Cameras are Actually 2¼ x 3¼ / Kodak Medalist
Fujica GL690 "Texas Leica" / Fujica GSW690III / Zeiss-Ikon Super Ikonta / Voigtländer Bessa I / Plaubel Makina / Horseman Convertible
Theo Bought a Red Bellows AGFA Record III From Mike / Folding Kodak 2¼ x 3¼ Cameras
Mamiya Super 23 / Kodak Monitor Six-20 / No. 1A Speed Kodak 116 Camera
The Koni-Omega Users Group / Simmons Omega 120 / Koni-Omegaflex M
They Shoot Kodak Hawkeye Brownies in the Amazon Show Fallout
What Are the Best Bargains People Have Collected?

Links

The Official Camerosity Facebook Group - https://www.facebook.com/groups/camerositypodcast

Mike Butkus - https://butkus.org/chinon/index.html

Donate to Mike Butkus - https://www.paypal.com/paypalme/butkus

Camerosity Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/camerosity_podcast/

Theo Panagopoulos - https://www.photothinking.com/

Paul Rybolt - https://www.ebay.com/usr/paulkris and https://www.etsy.com/shop/Camerasandpictures

Anthony Rue - https://www.instagram.com/kino_pravda/ and https://www.facebook.com/VoltaGNV/

Episode 68: April Fool's Day with Johnny and Dan

Sun, 07 Apr 2024 06:32:08 -0500

For this, the 68th episode of the World's Number One Open Source Film Photography Podcast, the gang invited our friend and film photographer Johnny Martyr to share with us his love of Leicas. As is the case any time the topic of cameras made by everyone's favorite Wetzlar based company is mentioned, the Force™ beckons our own resident Leica Master, Dan Tamarkin, who also joins us on our first ever April Fool's Day episode!

What is real and what is fake?! Are Johnny and Dan really here or did Mike just find a really convincing AI voice generator?! NO ONE KNOWS!

Helping Anthony, Paul, Theo, and Mike differentiate between reality and imagination, are returning callers Bob Rotoloni, Mark Faulkner, Patrick Casey, Raymond Nason, and first time callers Alan Peres, and Brock's Garage!

Starting off the episode, Johnny talks a bit about his business, shooting film and digital with his wife and what kinds of customers would hire a film photographer. Of all the reasons someone might want a professional photographer, there is one type of gig that people tend to favor film more, but what is it? Johnny also talks about how when he first got started, his customers struggled to differentiate his film shots from his wife's digital shots, so he sought out ways to come up with his own style.

For the second episode in a row, Leica R SLRs have captivated the Camerosity Crew, and Paul, Mike, and Dan discuss all of Leicas different SLRs, and what they like about each one. Mike recently shot three different Leica SLRs and clearly loved one over the others, but which one was it?

Have you ever struggled loading film into bottom loading Leica screw mount (and similar) cameras? Does trimming the leader to the necessary length cause you heartache and slow you down too much? If so, Johnny has found a new type of take up spool that works in most screw mount Leicas (and copies) that greatly simplifies loading film into these cameras without having to trim the leader. Enter Ausgeknipst, a small German company who 3D printed a new design that both Johnny and Mike have tested.

Finally, Mike shares his thoughts on a camera he thought would make a good April Fool's Discussion because of how well it "fooled" the community upon its release, but strangely, he ended up liking it way more than he thought he would. But what was it?

As always, the topics we discuss on the Camerosity Podcast are influenced by you! Please don’t feel like you have to be an expert on a specific type of camera, or have the level of knowledge on par with other people on the show. We LOVE people who are into shooting or collecting cameras, no matter how long you've been doing it, so please don’t consider your knowledge level to be a prerequisite for joining!

For our next episode, rather than discuss a certain brand or type of camera, we thought it would be fun to discuss an entire decade worth of cameras, and what better decade to start in, but the 1970s! Get out your hair picks, put on your bell bottoms, and spin up some Kiss records and call in to share with us your favorite 1970s cameras!

We will record Episode 69 on Monday, April 15th at 7pm Central Daylight Time (-5 UTC), 8pm Eastern Daylight Time (-4 UTC), and Tuesday at 10am Australian Eastern Standard Time (+10 UTC). We look forward to hearing from you!

In This Episode

Johnny uses a converted 1930 Leica Model C converted to a III / Mostly uses the Leica M6 TTLs for most shooting in low light
Shooting the Leica M6 With and Without a Meter / Paul does not like the Leica M3
Johnny and Mike met over a Konica III article, while he got noticed on a humorous M6 article
People should shoot their own way and not try and impose on others
Dan subscribes to Johnny’s blog / Dan and a few others do not like the M3 viewfinder
Paul prefers the M6 over the M6 TTL as it has more diodes
Johnny also shoots with a Nikon FM2n and F2SB, but does not like the F3 / Anthony loves his FM2n
Johnny had a shoot with Bill Clinton while he was working hybrid
Clients don’t really care if shooting film or not, they like the photos
There is a market for film shooters / Mark had hired Johnny for his wedding
Johnny moved to black and white to distinguish from digital / The has been more interest in film at weddings
Dan has seen more people wanting to get in film / Most people won’t know a Leica from a ratty old camera
Wedding photographers get nervous seeing a Leica shooter
Anthony wishes Johnny had shot his wedding / Theo’s wedding photographer ran out of film
Alan brought his Leica IIIf to Dan to have it CLA’d
The Leica R virus has spread through the Camerosity hosts / Dan rarely sells R cameras but the lenses are in demand
Dan caused Paul to buy 2 M10s / The M10 might be the last great Leica
Paul tested the 7Artisans lens and it surprised him in quality
People should like lenses because of their “flavor” / Each of the older Leica lenses is unique
Paul suggests the Leica SL2 is a good starter in the SLR range
Mike has fallen in love with the SL2 in 5 hours, didn’t take to the R8
Theo though thinks the R8 is his favourite SLR he shoots
Dan thinks the R8 is ungainly, the R3 is good for pounding nails
The R6.2 is the pinnacle of the R series / Paul got a great haul of R equipment
Some people wanted the Camerosity shirts off Mike and Paul’s back!
Johnny and Mike Promote New 3D Printed Quick Load Spools for Bottom Loading Leicas
Simple accessories can make using vintage cameras much easier
Both Paul and Mike missed a rare Argus lens at the camera show
Was the Yashica Y35 an April Fools Joke? / Yashica name is being used with I’m Back micro 4/3 camera
We don’t appreciate sometimes the technology and effort to bring a product to market
Mint is doing some cool work / The panel goes 110 crazy

Links

The Official Camerosity Facebook Group - https://www.facebook.com/groups/camerositypodcast

Johnny Martyr - https://johnnymartyr.wordpress.com/

Dan Tamarkin - https://www.tamarkin.com/

Ausgeknipst Film Spools - https://petapixel.com/2024/04/01/a-new-quick-load-spool-for-barnack-leica-and-similar-cameras/

Camerosity Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/camerosity_podcast/

Theo Panagopoulos - https://www.photothinking.com/

Paul Rybolt - https://www.ebay.com/usr/paulkris and https://www.etsy.com/shop/Camerasandpictures

Anthony Rue - https://www.instagram.com/kino_pravda/ and https://www.facebook.com/VoltaGNV/

Episode 67: The Return of Rick Oleson

Fri, 22 Mar 2024 07:22:45 -0500

There's the old saying "If you're going to shoot the king, don't miss..."

In a recent episode of a rival podcast, shots were fired at the Camerosity crew, especially Mike for a perceived slight given by us. War was declared and many casualties were sure to ensue. Would the world's first and only open source photography podcast respond? Of course we would!

In this, the 67th episode of the Camerosity Podcast, Anthony, Paul, Theo, and Mike have some good natured fun at the expense of Jeff Greenstein and Gabe Sachs of the I Dream of Cameras podcast. Throughout the episode we make repeated jabs at them, some obvious, some very subtle, can you spot them all?

Of course, this IS the number one open source film photography podcast, so we did eventually get on track with the exciting return of Mr. Rick Oleson, which we haven't seen since way back in Episode 2. Rick is a master repair technician, who most recently became well known in the film community for a line of improved Bright Screens which can be adapted to a wide variety of medium format SLR and TLR cameras.

Joining Rick and the Gang are returning callers, A.J Gentile, Eric Jason, Ray Nason, and Tim Peters. During the show we spend a great deal of time learning about Rick and his history repairing cameras and how he got into making the Bright Screens. If you thought you knew everything there was to know about focusing screens, you really need to listen to this episode as Rick puts on his cap and gown and schools us on how focusing screens work, why the Bright Screens are better than the stock screens, why you cannot simply cut down his screens to 35mm, and why focusing screens in the auto focus era were brighter than in the past. We talk about Fresnel patterns and the advancements made throughout the 20th century to make your viewfinders brighter, and how to install a new screen in large format cameras.

In addition to everything you didn't know you needed to know about focusing screens, Rick raves about a strange camera called the Continental TXL which he was amazed both at how simple it is, yet how good it is. Paul and Mike talk more about the upcoming Cincinnati camera show and how Mike is bringing over 13 boxes of cameras to sell and Paul has at least another 10 or so more. Mike talks about a recent trade with a UK camera blogger, and Rick talks about restoring a classic Mercedes Benz 450SL.

This was definitely an odd episode, produced during the stress of an ongoing war with another podcast, yet we managed to squeeze in a huge amount of information you won't find on any other podcast out there! Even if learning more about focusing screens doesn't sound like a great way to spend 90+ minutes, you'd be surprised at how interesting it all is.

Meet Paul and Mike: If you are in the vicinity of Cincinnati, Ohio on Saturday, March 23rd, come to the Ohio Camera Swap at the Hilton Garden Inn Cincinnati/West Chester and say hi to Paul and Mike. While you're there, maybe you can buy something from us!

As always, the topics we discuss on the Camerosity Podcast are influenced by you! Please don’t feel like you have to be an expert on a specific type of camera, or have the level of knowledge on par with other people on the show. We LOVE people who are into shooting or collecting cameras, no matter how long you've been doing it, so please don’t consider your knowledge level to be a prerequisite for joining!

The next episode of the Camerosity Podcast will be recorded on April 1st, aka April Fool's Day, so if you thought episode 67 had a lot of silliness, wait until you see what we have in store for the next episode... To be perfectly honest, we have no idea what we're going to talk about, but hey, it's a made up holiday dedicated to pranks, so we are sure to have some fun!

We will record Episode 68 on Monday, April 1st at 7pm Central Daylight Time (-5 UTC), 8pm Eastern Daylight Time (-4 UTC), and Tuesday at 11am Australian Eastern Daylight Time (+11 UTC). We look forward to hearing from you!

In This Episode

Rick Introduces Himself / The Bright Screens Originated From a Pentacon Six Screen
Rick Handed Over Production of the Screens Two Years Ago / New Improvements to the Hasselblad Screens
How Do Focus Screens Work? / Why Do Fresnel Patterns Make Focusing Screens Brighter?
Bright Screens Will Not Work on 35mm Cameras / Installing Screens on Large Format Cameras is Difficult
Why Are SLRs from the 80s and 90s So Much Brighter Than Older SLRs?
Focus Screens Were Changed in the Auto Focus Era / Bright Screens are Based off the Manual Focus Era
Newer Focus Screens Maximize Brightness for Slower Lenses like Kit Zooms
Manually Focusing a Fast Lens on an Auto Focus Camera is Best Done with the Lens Stopped Down
Struggling to Manual Focus Fast Lenses on the Leica M10R / Fast Chinese Lenses Often Need Calibration
When Will Rick's Screen Molds Need to be Replaced? / Marking Up a Leica M8's Screen with a Wax Pencil
Rick Is Currently Attempting to Restore a 50 Year old Mercedes 450SL and Learn Watch Repair / Rotary Aircraft Engines
Rick's Website is Old But Still Has a Lot of Great Info / Old Camera Websites are Disappearing Online
Is There a Bright Screen for the Kiev 88 with a 45 Degree Split Focus Aide?
Mike and Paul are Bringing Nearly 20 Boxes of Cameras to the Cincinnati Show
Premier Instrument Civilian Kardon / Konica Koniflex TLR / Many Voigtländer Brillants
Mike Doubles Down on Vivian Maier Again / Mike and Paul Want to Give Rick Their Broken Cameras
Kalimar Reflex / Fujita 66 Medium Format SLR / Adapting Miranda M44 Lenses to the Kalimar
Theo Wants to Do a King Regula Episode
Rick is Mystified by the Hong Kong Continental TXL / Fujica ST-F
More Camera Shows in Montreal and Sydney Are Coming in April
Mike Traded Some Cool Cameras with Cees-Jan de Hoog from CJ's Classic Cameras / Agilux Agimatic / Photavit 36
Would It Be Feasible to Make a Ground Glass with a Built In Rollei Style Bubble Level
What Was the Hardest Camera Rick Ever Worked On?

Links

The Official Camerosity Facebook Group - https://www.facebook.com/groups/camerositypodcast

Camerosity Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/camerosity_podcast/

Rick Oleson's Bright Screens - https://bright-screen.com/

How a Fresnel Lens Makes a Screen Brighter - https://www.flickr.com/photos/rick_oleson/51876542662/in/album-72157706989069321/

Focusing Screen with Microlenses for AF - https://www.flickr.com/photos/rick_oleson/49279918017/in/album-72157706989069321/

Eric Jason - Aperture Preview - https://www.aperturepreview.com/

CJ's Classic Cameras - http://www.cjs-classic-cameras.co.uk/

I Dream of Cameras Podcast - https://www.idreamofcameras.com/

Theo Panagopoulos - https://www.photothinking.com/

Paul Rybolt - https://www.ebay.com/usr/paulkris and https://www.etsy.com/shop/Camerasandpictures

Anthony Rue - https://www.instagram.com/kino_pravda/ and https://www.facebook.com/VoltaGNV/

Episode 66: Ask Us Anything

Sat, 09 Mar 2024 04:43:50 -0600

The Camerosity Podcast goes full Reddit with our first ever Ask Me Anything, or more appropriately, Ask Us Anything. Over the week prior to the recording, the guys solicited questions from our listeners through our official Facebook and Instagram sites and our Discord server. The questions could truly be anything, so while we expected to get a lot of camera and photography related questions, nothing was off the table.

Joining Anthony, Paul, Theo and Mike on this one were returning callers A.J. Gentile, Mark Faulkner, Miles Libak, Patrick Rapps, Ray Nason, and Stephen Strangways where we field questions submitted by our listeners and by the live guests on the show.

If you've ever wanted to know what Anthony's favorite Elvis Presley movie is, or why Paul Rybolt had at one time one of the most notorious mugshots, or what each of our wives think of our collections, this is an episode you won't want to miss. In addition to these compelling questions, we also hit the hard topics like what kinds of camera ephemera we have, what alternatives to eBay are there for buying and selling cameras, and what kinds of things besides cameras do we collect.

As you might imagine, this was not a typical Camerosity Podcast episode. This one was light on GAS, but heavy on discussions you won't hear anywhere else!

As always, the topics we discuss on the Camerosity Podcast are influenced by you! Please don’t feel like you have to be an expert on a specific type of camera, or have the level of knowledge on par with other people on the show. We LOVE people who are into shooting or collecting cameras, no matter how long you've been doing it, so please don’t consider your knowledge level to be a prerequisite for joining!

For our next episode, we expect to have the return of Rick Oleson. For those of you who have been collecting cameras for a long time, you've almost certainly run across Rick's name either by his excellent repair website or through one of his very popular SLR and TLR Bright Screens. Rick was one of this show's earliest guests, last appearing in Episode 2, so it will be great to hear what he's been up to lately.

We will record Episode 67 on Monday, March 18th at 7pm Central Daylight Time (-5 UTC), 8pm Eastern Daylight Time (-4 UTC), and Tuesday at 11am Australian Eastern Daylight Time (+11 UTC). We look forward to hearing from you!

In This Episode

Mike Had Failed GAS and Couldn't Buy a Meopta Opema / Theo GASsed a Telka III
Cameras Engraved with Names and Social Security Numbers / Brinks Security Markers
Patrick is Shooting a Keystone F8 Aircraft Camera
Mike, Paul, and Ray Will Be At the Cincinnati Camera Show on March 23rd / Paul's eBay Story
Why Would the Lord 4D Have a Film Cutter? / What Would it be Used for?
Will There Ever Be Camerosity Merch or a Patreon Page?
What Does Anthony Think Was Elvis Presley's Best Movie?
Tracking Movies Using Letterboxd / Mike Recommends 'The Bear'
What Photography Ephemera Does Everyone Collect, and What is Our Favorite? / Mike Has a Kodak Lamp
Making Lamp Shades Using Old Film Slides and Kodachrome Film
If Not eBay, What Alternatives Are There for Buying and Selling Cameras? / Yahoo.jp / ZenMarket / Fred Miranda
Most Collectible Cameras Are No Longer Owned by Their Original Owners
What's the Deal with Paul's Prison Mugshot?
What Store Brands Are Good to Look For? / Sears TLS
Third Party Lens Makers / Tomioka / Komine / Hanimex
What Do All of Our Wives Think About Our Camera Hobbies?
When Will Dan Tamarkin Come Back on the Show? / Paul Got in Trouble on Reddit
The Excitement Around Ricoh's New Half Frame Camera
Who Develops Their Own Film? / Anthony's 59 Minute Photo Lab
What Other Things Do You Collect Besides Cameras? / Dan Cuny Collects Glass Plates
What Was Your First Camera and if You Had to Start Over, What Would You Start Over With?
Name a Camera That Everyone Else Loves But You Don't

Links

The Official Camerosity Facebook Group - https://www.facebook.com/groups/camerositypodcast

Camerosity Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/camerosity_podcast/

Theo Panagopoulos - https://www.photothinking.com/

Paul Rybolt - https://www.ebay.com/usr/paulkris and https://www.etsy.com/shop/Camerasandpictures

Anthony Rue - https://www.instagram.com/kino_pravda/ and https://www.facebook.com/VoltaGNV/

Episode 65: The One with All the Europeans

Sat, 24 Feb 2024 07:15:42 -0600

For regular listeners of this show, the gang usually records each episode during the evening for listeners in the United States. For those of you on Theo's side of the planet, it is either late morning or midday the next day, but this time slot is not good for listeners in Europe or Africa. While we've had some graveyard shifters call us, we like to sometimes have episodes at an hour which is more time-zone friendly to our listeners in those areas of the world.

It has been longer than we'd care to admit, but for this the 65th episode of the Camerosity Podcast, the gang invites our European friends for nearly 2 hours of non-stop Camerosity discussion! Joining Anthony, Paul, Theo, and Mike are returning callers Alan Duncan, Brian MacDomhnaill, Frederico Quaglino, John-Michael Mendizza, Tim Peters, Wannes Scheipers and first time callers Adrian Cullen, Jeremy Scott, John Kelly, Stuart Pratt, and from Prague, Czech Republic, Tadeas Plachy.

The conversations in this episode ranged all the way from Arsenic to Zeiss, hear about some of the groups favorite cameras from the Hungary, Italy, France, Czechoslovakia, England, Austria, and even Germany! For those of you with access, what can Uranium and Mercury do for your film photography. Who is still shooting Kodak Ektachrome IR film, and what is everyone's favorite method for removing Remjet? When you invite such a wide variety of people from so many countries, you're bound to come up with some interesting conversation and boy did we ever!

As always, the topics we discuss on the Camerosity Podcast are influenced by you! Please don’t feel like you have to be an expert on a specific type of camera, or have the level of knowledge on par with other people on the show. We LOVE people who are new to shooting and are interested in having an episode dedicated to people new to the hobby, so please don’t consider your knowledge level to be a prerequisite for joining!

Our next episode is going to be a little different. It will be our first ever Camerosity AMA (Ask Me Anything) episode. All episodes of the show have an open discussion format, but for this one we are soliciting questions on ANY TOPIC for Anthony, Paul, Theo, and Mike. Want to know something about either Theo or Mike's blogs, or any stories about Paul's days owning his own camera story, or Anthony's tips and tricks about underwater cave diving or running your own coffee shop? Literally no topic is off the table (except politics). Like all episodes, we encourage people to join us, but if you have a question you'd like to be read on air, please submit them to us through Facebook, Instagram, or Discord before the show airs.

We will record Episode 66 on Monday, March 4th at 7pm Central Standard Time (-6 UTC), 8pm Eastern Standard Time (-5 UTC), and Tuesday at Noon Australian Eastern Daylight Time (+11 UTC). We look forward to hearing from you!

In This Episode

Tadeas Hates Flexarets / Meopta Opema
Soviet Countries were Allocated Camera Types for Manufacturing
Paul has a Fokaflex / Meopta Enlargers are well respected
The Czech press agency bought Nikon Fs in 1970 and 80s
Tadeas loves his Nikon FM2 / Canon 25mm LTM Lenses / Minolta SRT-101 and Prakticas / Zeiss-Ikon Taxona and Tenax II
35mm Cassette Shapes Have Changed / East Europe 35mm Reloads Used Paper Wrapped Film
Kodak Ektachrome Infrared Film / Full Spectrum and IR Digital Cameras / Shooting IR in a Movie Theater / Sony CyberShot DSC-F828
Using Expired Film and Cinema Films / Removing Remjet
Uranium to Increase Contrast on Prints / Mercury to Increase the Speed of your Film / Kodachrome is Bad for the Earth / Arsenic Covered Books
Minox 35ML / Chinon Made some AGFA Cameras / AGFA Optima Parat and the AGFA Parat I
Brian MacDomhnaill's Football Squad Camera Lineup / Pentax IQ Zooms (Espio) / Voigtländer Perkeo II and Zeiss Ikon Super Ikonta
Nikonos III is a simpler camera than the Nikonos V / Fuji Super Fujica-6 / Voigtländer Rollfilm / Ensign Autorange 620 / Royer Teleroy
Demaria Lapierre Telka III / Greek cameras / Sabina 127 and the Piccopoulos Picca
The Hungarian Mometta III / Gallus Derby-Lux and Foth Derby
French Rex Reflex TLR / Complicated Italian Cameras / Rectaflex / Ducati / Bencini / Ferrania
Ilford Advocate and Witness / Scale Focus is Faster for Candid Photography
Mike Needs a Take Up Spool for the Ducati
Only Service a Camera if it Needs It

Links

The Official Camerosity Facebook Group - https://www.facebook.com/groups/camerositypodcast

Camerosity Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/camerosity_podcast/

Theo Panagopoulos - https://www.photothinking.com/

Paul Rybolt - https://www.ebay.com/usr/paulkris and https://www.etsy.com/shop/Camerasandpictures

Anthony Rue - https://www.instagram.com/kino_pravda/ and https://www.facebook.com/VoltaGNV/

Episode 64: Rollei Rollei Rollei

Thu, 01 Feb 2024 07:26:39 -0600

For this, the 64th episode of the Camerosity Podcast, the gang finally devotes our full attention to one of the most popular brands of cameras ever made. A camera brand that was so popular, they named the entire company after it, the Rolleiflex!

Originally founded by two ex Voigtländer employees who had an idea on how to build a better soldier's camera, a new company called Franke & Heidecke was created, and from there, a whole legacy of twin lens, and eventual single lens reflexes was born.

Joining Anthony, Paul, Theo, and Mike are returning callers Bill Smith, John Roberts, Marc Gordon, Patrick Casey, Rafael Espinosa, Tim Peters, and first time callers Dean Robinson and Steve "Johnny Appleseed" Lederman.

In this episode, we will cover the early history of the company, how Paul Franke and Reinhold Heidecke first got started, the early and later Rolleiflex and Rolleicord TLRs. We also cover their transition into both medium format and 35mm SLRs, the compact Rollei 35, the Cosina made Rollei 35 RF, and a few other Rollei models.

We ask the tough questions like what is the difference between a Rolleiflex and Rolleicord, are the triplet lenses really that much worse than the Tessars, are German Rolleis better than Singapore Rolleis, and what are everyone's favorite models. In addition to Rollei GAS, we briefly discuss a strange Japanese Rollei copy, why people tend to blend in better using cameras with waist level vs eye level viewfinders, the confusing transition from Voigtländer, Zeiss-Ikon to Rollei, and whether or not Vivian Maier was creepy.

As always, the topics we discuss on the Camerosity Podcast are influenced by you! Please don’t feel like you have to be an expert on a specific type of camera, or have the level of knowledge on par with other people on the show. We LOVE people who are new to shooting and are interested in having an episode dedicated to people new to the hobby, so please don’t consider your knowledge level to be a prerequisite for joining!

For our next episode, we are finally going across the pond for another European time zone friendly episode. If you are a fan of the show but are asleep or otherwise unable to join us for our regular recordings, this is the episode for you! We will record Episode 65 on Monday, February 12th at Noon Central Standard Time (-6 UTC), 1pm Eastern Standard Time (-5 UTC), 6pm Greenwich Mean Time (+0 UTC), 7pm Central European Time (+1 UTC), and 5am Tuesday morning Australian Eastern Daylight Time (+11 UTC). We look forward to hearing from you!

In This Episode

Rollei Almost Didn't Exist / Paul Franke and Reinhold Heidecke Originally Worked for Voigtländer
The Original Idea for the Rolleiflex Was to Be an Improved Vest Pocket Camera
Franke & Heidecke Heidscop / Rolleidoscop
The Rolleiflex First Went on Sale in 1929 / It Is Difficult to Tell Every Rollei Apart
Early Rolleiflexes Were Designed for 117 Film / Some Were Modified to Use 620 Film
Differences Between Rolleiflex and Rolleicords / Dim Viewfinders
Was the 1950s the "Golden Era of Rollei"? / Triplet Lenses Can Sometimes Be Very Sharp
Mike's First Attempt at Repairing a Rolleiflex Old Standard
Rolleiflex T and Rolleimagic / TLRs with Interchangeable Lenses / Bay Filter Mounts
Japanese Rollei Copy, the Rollekonter / Meopta Flexaret TLRs
Rolleiflexes Are Precision Machines That Require Regular Service and Cleaning
Honeywell Distributed Rolleiflexes in the US For a While
Heinrich Peesel / Rollei 35 / Rolleiflex SLRs / Ifbaflex SLR
Rolleiflex SL66 Medium Format SLR / Rolleiflex SL26 Instamatic / Rollei A110 and E110
The Confusing Transition from Voigtländer to Zeiss-Ikon to Rollei
German Made Rolleis vs Singapore Made Rolleis / Triplets vs Better Lenses
Cropping 6x6 Images / TLRs Are Great for Street Photography
Vivian Maier / Being Confronted While Out Photographing People
Mike Loves Vivian Maier's Work But Thinks She Was Probably a Little Creepy
Cosina Made Rollei 35 RF is Based off the Bessa R2

Links

The Official Camerosity Facebook Group - https://www.facebook.com/groups/camerositypodcast

Camerosity Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/camerosity_podcast/

Theo Panagopoulos - https://www.photothinking.com/

Paul Rybolt - https://www.ebay.com/usr/paulkris and https://www.etsy.com/shop/Camerasandpictures

Anthony Rue - https://www.instagram.com/kino_pravda/ and https://www.facebook.com/VoltaGNV/

Episode 63: Mount Olympus

Sat, 13 Jan 2024 06:40:48 -0600

In Greek mythology, Mount Olympus was the home of the Twelve Olympian Gods, Zeus, Hera, Apollo, Athena, and others looked upon the mortals of the world and accepted their worship. In modern times, Mount Olympus is also home to the Camerosity Podcast where Anthony, Paul, Theo, and Mike gaze down upon their followers, accepting tributes and praise.

No, just kidding, none of us are that egomaniacal, no, the real Mount Olympus is in modern day Greece on the border between Thessaly and Macedonia near the Aegean Sea. It was the inspiration for a small Japanese company formed on October 12, 1919 as K.K. Takachiho Seisakusho, or Takachiho Works Co., Ltd. in English. The company would originally make microscopes, one of which was branded the "Olympus". A series of cameras would come next with the same name, and in 1949, the entire company would then become known as the Olympus Corporation.

In the years since, Olympus has created some of the best lenses and cameras the Japanese photo industry ever produced. In the time doing this show, we've mentioned a variety of Olympus cameras here and there, but we had never dedicated an entire episode to them, until now.

Tune in to Episode 63 where Anthony, Paul, Theo, and Mike are joined by returning callers A.J. Gentile, Howard Sandler, Mark Faulkner, Matt Murray, Patrick Casey, Patrick Rapps, Robert Coates, Tim Peters, and first time callers Josh Barker, Stephen Strangway, and Tony Plescia discuss their favorite Olympus models, some tips and tricks to using them, and a little bit of history.

The episode barely gets started before we go down the academia route and debate what the plural form of "Olympus" is, but then we get to other questions such as why half frame was so popular in Japan, when did Olympus become a point and shoot company, and what are some tips and tricks to get an Olympus OM-2 or OM-4 cheaply at a thrift shop.

As always, the topics we discuss on the Camerosity Podcast are influenced by you! Please don’t feel like you have to be an expert on a specific type of camera, or have the level of knowledge on par with other people on the show. We LOVE people who are new to shooting and are interested in having an episode dedicated to people new to the hobby, so please don’t consider your knowledge level to be a prerequisite for joining!

We will return with Episode 64 which will be dedicated to Rollei. We will discuss all of the early Franke & Heidecke Rolleiflex and Rolleicord TLRs, plus their later SLRs, point and shoots, and maybe even an interchangeable lens rangefinder, digital camera or two. We will record on a special night, on Thursday, January 25th at 7pm Central Standard Time, 8pm Eastern Standard Time. We look forward to hearing from you!

In This Episode

What Is the Plurality of Olympus? / Was Olympus Famous for Their Lenses First?
Olympus's Early History / Zuiko Lenses Made for Other People / Zuiko Leica Thread Mount 40mm f/2.8
Olympus Pen and Trip 35 / The Pen Re-Started Half Frame Popularity in the 1960s
Why Was Half Frame 35mm So Popular in Japan? / Maitani Designed to Pen to Be Inexpensive Yet Still Capable of Great Photos
Half Frame Was Single Frame Before the Pen / What Is Everyone's Favorite Pen? / Olympus Pen EE and D Series
Zuiko Lenses and The Letter Code Indicates How Many Elements / The Original OM-1 Was Called the M-1
Olympus FTL Was the First Full Frame Olympus SLR / No One Knows Who Made the FTL
Anthony Loves the Pen F and FT / The Pen F SLR is a Marvel of Miniaturization
Olympus Ace, Ace-E, and Tower 19 Rangefinders / Anthony's Olympus SP and EC Fixed Lens Rangefinders
All the Olympus Fixed Lens Rangefinders / The Olympus 35 LC is the Same as the 35 SP but Without the Advanced Electronics
Anthony Also Loves the Olympus XA4 / Maitani Created The Olympus XA / Reverse Retrofocus Lenses
Olympus OM-Series / OM-SLRS Shutter Speed Selector is Around the Lens Mount to Help Shrink the Camera
Maitani Signature Cameras / OM-2 and 4 Shutters Will Lock Up if Batteries are Dead / How to Test Them
When Did Olympus Become a Point and Shoot Company?
Olympus Stylus and mju Cameras / Olympus LT-1 / Olympus O-Product / Goofy Special Edition Cameras
Olympus iS-Series SLRs / SP-330 Bridge Camera
Olympus Jumped into Micro 4/3rds for the Consumer Market / Olympus OM-D E M1X and other OM-D Mirrorlesses
Olympus Really Likes to Recycle Model Numbers and Names / Olympus Pen Digitals / 4:3 vs 3:2 Ratios
Mike's Update on His Contax N1 from the Last Episode
Theo Loves the Olympus XZ-1 Digicam
Lightning Round: If You Could Only Keep One Olympus Camera, What Would it Be?

Links

The Official Camerosity Facebook Group - https://www.facebook.com/groups/camerositypodcast

Camerosity Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/camerosity_podcast/

Mark Faulkner - https://thegashaus.com/

Matt Murray - Matt Loves Cameras - https://mattlovescameras.com/

Theo Panagopoulos - https://www.photothinking.com/

Paul Rybolt - https://www.ebay.com/usr/paulkris and https://www.etsy.com/shop/Camerasandpictures

Anthony Rue - https://www.instagram.com/kino_pravda/ and https://www.facebook.com/VoltaGNV/

Episode 62: Camerosity Live!

Sat, 30 Dec 2023 12:57:01 -0600

In the spirit of the earliest episodes of this show, as the last days of 2023 were winding down, the Camerosity gang found themselves with nothing to do on a Friday night and thought, "Hey! Lets do a Live show!"

Podbean, the service that hosts and distributes this show has a feature called Live Streams in which you can create a live podcast, where it goes out as you record. Everything is done on the fly, no editing, just people talking about whatever. We thought this might be a fun experiment to get the four of us together one last time in 2023 and see what a live Camerosity show might be like...

Unfortunately, we couldn't make it work. Apparently, Podbean has some requirements for more than one person to be able to talk during a live stream, and while it probably wouldn't have been too difficult to figure out, we just decided to go back to Zoom and record a quick episode as we usually do, except we'd keep the "live" spirit and do little to no editing.

Episode 62 was not planned, we went into it with no idea of what we'd talk about, or for how long. We stuck to our guns and left in all the pauses, uuummmmsss, and all the talking over each other heard in live recordings. There are no guests, no show notes, no Instagram roll calls of all the cameras we talk about, just roughly two hours of raw audio of us chatting. As I type this, I haven't even listened to the whole show myself, so I guess I should apologize now...

We will be back with regular episodes in January and as always, we want to hear from you! The topics we discuss on the Camerosity Podcast are influenced by our listeners! Please don’t feel like you have to be an expert on a specific type of camera, or have the level of knowledge on par with other people on the show. We LOVE people who are new to shooting and are interested in having an episode dedicated to people new to the hobby, so please don’t consider your knowledge level to be a prerequisite for joining!

We will record Episode 63 on Monday, January 8, 2024 at 7pm Central Standard Time, 8pm Eastern Standard Time, and 12 Noon on Jan 9th in Australian Eastern Daylight Time. Our topic of discussion will more than likely be Olympus cameras, so get out your OM-series SLRs and Olympus Sixes and stay tuned!

Links

If you would like to offer feedback or contact us with questions or ideas for future episodes, please contact us in the Comments Section below, our Camerosity Facebook Group, Discord, or Instagram pages.

The Official Camerosity Facebook Group - https://www.facebook.com/groups/camerositypodcast

Camerosity Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/camerosity_podcast/

Theo Panagopoulos - https://www.photothinking.com/

Paul Rybolt - https://www.ebay.com/usr/paulkris and https://www.etsy.com/shop/Camerasandpictures

Anthony Rue - https://www.instagram.com/kino_pravda/ and https://www.facebook.com/VoltaGNV/

Episode 61: Pointing and Shooting

Mon, 18 Dec 2023 11:56:39 -0600

It took us a couple of tries. but the Camerosity crew finally managed to put together an episode dedicated to the best selling, widely used, and most accessible type of camera ever, the point and shoot.

The great thing about the point and shoot segment, is that apart from being easy enough to literally "point and shoot", there was a lot of flexibility in design, features, ergonomics, and usability, with many camera makers free to do something different from established norms, adding things like solar panels, dedicated panoramic modes, and even speech capability to otherwise mundane cameras.

In Episode 61, Paul, Theo, and Mike chatted with Andrew Smith. Matt Murray, Tim Peters, Kyle Lu, AJ Gentile, and first time caller Rafael Espinosa to share with us their favorite point and shoot models, how they like to use them, and their own tips and tricks to getting the most from these cameras.

Addressing the biggest debate right at the top of the show, we discuss what exactly is a point a shoot. Not everyone agrees where this era exactly begins and ends as something as simple as the 1888 Kodak could technically be considered a point and shoot as you literally press the button and Kodak does the rest, but we decide to cap it to simple auto exposure models from the 1960s and on.

We talk about replacing rotted light seals, battery compatibility, which models are more likely to fail than others, underwater point and shoots, disposable point and shoots, and some premium point and shoots. Will this episode give you GAS like some of our others? I guess that depends on what style of photography you prefer, but you'll never know for sure if you don't listen in!

As always, the topics we discuss on the Camerosity Podcast are influenced by you! Please don’t feel like you have to be an expert on a specific type of camera, or have the level of knowledge on par with other people on the show. We LOVE people who are new to shooting and are interested in having an episode dedicated to people new to the hobby, so please don’t consider your knowledge level to be a prerequisite for joining!

This will be our last episode of 2023 as the guys and I will take a short break before coming back in January. We may have something special planned for the week after Christmas, but as always, we need to flesh out ideas and make sure that if we do record something it is worth listening to, but even if we don't manage to get something out, we will be sure to return in January with Episode 62. As always, stay tuned and keep a look out for the show announcement!

In This Episode

We define what a Point and Shoot is / Theo suggests it might be a box camera
Kodak made simple cameras to sell more film / Point and Shoots are perfect for the zoo
Andrew’s first was a Ricoh TF500 / Canon QL17 GIII
Old P&S cameras often need foam replacement
Yashica Electros are also a good option / Olympus XA
The Mamiya 7 is the best camera in the world, even as a P&S
The Fuji GA645 is a true medium format P&S
Fuji has a DX type coding for medium format films
Matt Loves Cameras loves the Contax T3, his has only one tooth!
Canon SureShot/Autoshot P&S are a great range of cameras / Canon A1 / Aqua Snappy 6 / Prima / Nikon Action Touch
Matt’s Fuji Natura has a fast lens but only with fast film
The Canon SureShot Series Are All Great
Fuji TW-3 / Solar Powered Canon del Sol / Nikon Lite Touch Zoom 140
Autofocus technology was important for zoom lens advancement
Mike Raves About the Olympus IS Range / Canon MC Inspired by the Olympus XA
Paul loves the Samsung AF Slim / Samsung made the Rollei Prego
Konica Hexar / Konica Genba Kantoku Rugged Cameras
Everyone likes the Nikon L35AF / The Kodak Ektar 35 is surprisingly good / GOKO Macromax is Fantastic for Macro Photography
Paul finds an Agfa Optima Flash / Tim’s first compact was a Konica MR70, But Enjoys the Olympus Pen S
Tim also believes the Nikon EM SLR is a P&S / Backlight button on a camera is a great feature
Theo has been using the Pentax PC35AF / Mike played the Minolta Talker/AFS-V / Minolta Vista/Ps is a Panoramic Compact
Premium Nikon P&S are the 35Ti and 28Ti / Premium Compacts are Starting to Fail / Kyle has found repairers in China that can fix them
Pentax Espio Range are Great Value / Olympus mju / Ricoh FF series / Chinon Auto 3001 / Kodak VR35 K12 and K14
Disposables have always been popular / The Cat Camera is a weird camera / Mamiya U and U AF / Hand Sam
mikeeckman.com is 9 years old!

Links

If you would like to offer feedback or contact us with questions or ideas for future episodes, please contact us in the Comments Section below, our Camerosity Facebook Group or Instagram page, or email us at camerosity.podcast@gmail.com.

The Official Camerosity Facebook Group - https://www.facebook.com/groups/camerositypodcast

Camerosity Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/camerosity_podcast/

Matt Murray - Matt Loves Cameras - https://mattlovescameras.com/

Theo Panagopoulos - https://www.photothinking.com/

Paul Rybolt - https://www.ebay.com/usr/paulkris and https://www.etsy.com/shop/Camerasandpictures

Anthony Rue - https://www.instagram.com/kino_pravda/ and https://www.facebook.com/VoltaGNV/

Episode 60: The Listener’s Choice Episode

Tue, 05 Dec 2023 22:17:19 -0600

As we begin episodes numbered in the sixties, the Camerosity crew decided we haven't heard enough from our listeners, so rather than devote Episode 60 to one specific brand, style, or region of cameras, we decided to put out the call for a Listener's Choice episode!

Messages were plastered all over social media, Facebook, our new Discord server asking you all to join us, share with us what you've been shooting lately, any recent GAS you've picked up or are thinking of picking up, ask any questions of the hosts or other guests, whatever you wanted.

And boy, did you all respond! With a total of 18 participants on this show, Anthony, Paul, Theo, and Mike were joined by returning callers Patrick Rapps, Andrew Smith, Mario and Julienne Piper, Greg McCreash, Marcy Merrill, Marc Gordon, Kyle Liu, and first time callers, AJ Gentile, Bill Chou, Bill Vitiello, Joseph Schallmo, Sam Kellett, and Tim Peters!

We went around the room and asked each caller what they've been up to, and if you were to have asked me and the other hosts what types of cameras would be discussed, none of us would have predicted the number of early 20th century box cameras, large Graflex SLRs, military cameras, and other oddball stuff that camera geeks like us love! Of course, there was plenty of love for Rolleis, the Nikon S2, the Minolta X-700, Argus C3, Voigtländer Bessa, Yashica 44 and many more. In addition to camera GAS, Julienne Piper shares with us her method for making 122 size roll film out of computer paper, shooting dry plates, making your own bellows, how Mike once used a garbage bag to keep light out of a camera, and much, MUCH more!

As always, the topics we discuss on the Camerosity Podcast are influenced by you! Please don’t feel like you have to be an expert on a specific type of camera, or have the level of knowledge on par with other people on the show. We LOVE people who are new to shooting and are interested in having an episode dedicated to people new to the hobby, so please don’t consider your knowledge level to be a prerequisite for joining!

For the next episode of the show, we would like to focus on a subset of cameras that get mentioned often, but we rarely spend more than a short passing moment on them, compact point and shoots. For many, point and shoot cameras represent the cheapest and simplest entry into film photography, but therein lies their strengths. With a good number of point and shoots featuring a high quality lens, a point and shoot offers a level of convenience and spontaneity that larger, more feature rich cameras can't match. If you've ever tried capturing a fleeting moment of a child playing with a puppy using a falling plate camera or an early roll film camera you'll know that perhaps that Nikon L35AF is just what the doctor ordered! We will record Episode 61 on Monday, December 11th so be sure to look out for the show announcement 2-3 days before then!

In This Episode

Patrick Rapps has Panoramic GAS and Figured Out How to Repair a No. 1 Panoram-Kodak
Everyone Has a Panoram-Kodak / 105 Roll Film Compared to 120
Marcy Bought a Novelty Yashica MF-1 in Japan and Then Ruined An Entire Roll of Film
Anthony Only Found the Super Expensive Camera Stores in Japan / Mamiya U Repair / Bill Rogers
Andrew Smith is Trying Not to Buy New Stuff / Chinese Light Lens Labs ELCAN 50/2 Collapsible Lens
Ricoh 500 and Bottom Trigger Cameras / Leicavit / Canon VT Rangefinders / Riken Lenses
Mario Piper Gets a Beautiful Spotmatic SP / Spotmatic ES and ESII / Nikon EL2
No 3A ANSCO Postcard Camera / Julienne Makes Her Own 122 Size Photographic Paper / Kodak Bullseye Falling Plate Camera / Empire State No. 2 Studio Camera
Printer Paper is Not Light Tight / Shooting Cameras in Garbage Bags / Making Your Own Bellows
Bill Loves the Bronica ETRC / Bronicas Are Very Sensitive to Degraded Foam Light Seals / Bronica S2
More Love for the Chinese ELCAM Lens
Tim Shows Off His Kodak No.2 Bullseye Special / Folmer & Schwing Home Portrait Graflex
Other Companies Made Zeiss Lenses in the Early 20th Century / Nikon S2 / UsedPhotoPro in Indianapolis / Nikon F with Selenium Meter
Bill Vitiello Loves Every TLR / What is the Difference Between a Rolleiflex and Rolleicord? / Rolleiflex T
The Camerosity Podcast Saves Lives! / Minolta X-700 / Argus C3 with Sandmar 35mm Lens
Adapting DKL Mount Lenses / Most DKL Adapters Suck / A Brief History of the Deckel Mount
Wet Plate Collodion Process / AJ's Nagaoka 5x7 Field Camera / Where to Get 2x3 Sheet Film
Voigtländer Bessa I / Ilford's Special Order Film / Leica IIIF
Shooting Dry Plates / Some Guy Built a Camera Into His Van / Making Positives from Negatives
Yashica 44 / 127 Film / Adapting to 35mm
Rerapan and Shanghai 127 Film / Cutting Bulk 46mm Film to 127 / Imperial 127 Delta
Paul Loves his Polaroid Snap Touch Instant Camera / Paul Sends Greg a Box o' Stuff
Greg McCreash Loves Military Cameras / Combat Graflex / The US Military Often Used Bronica Cameras
Mike's Recent GAS / National Graflex / Yashica YF

Links

The Official Camerosity Facebook Group - https://www.facebook.com/groups/camerositypodcast

Camerosity Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/camerosity_podcast/

Mario and Julienne Piper - https://www.instagram.com/genxphotogpod/

Marcy Merrill - https://junkstorecameras.com/

Theo Panagopoulos - https://www.photothinking.com/

Paul Rybolt - https://www.ebay.com/usr/paulkris and https://www.etsy.com/shop/Camerasandpictures

Anthony Rue - https://www.instagram.com/kino_pravda/ and https://www.facebook.com/VoltaGNV/

Episode 59: Cameras of East Germany

Fri, 17 Nov 2023 07:31:40 -0600

A couple episodes ago, the gang discussed cameras of the Soviet Union to give some attention to lesser known Soviet cameras, and the histories behind them, so for episode 59, we devoted the entire show to the East German camera industries, primarily those around the Dresden area.

There were perhaps more companies making cameras in this area than anywhere else in the world, so making a single episode that could cover them all would be impossible, but we certainly tried. In the end, we discussed the fascinating histories of Ihagee and how Dutchman Johan Steenbergen split up the assets of his company into two to protect it from the Germans, how two Jewish businessmen formed KW in the early 20th century to become one of Germany's most successful camera makers, and how an eventual American entrepreneur took over the company and created the world's first modern 35mm SLR.

We devote some time to the Carl Zeiss Jena Werras, the Praktina, the battery driven Prakti, East German TLRs, and because we can't control ourselves, we even crossed international borders and discussed Japanese cameras with Exakta lens mounts.

It was a crazy episode that started out with some technical difficulties resulting in Paul losing power, Anthony's keyboard dying, and Theo needing to find a new job, but we persisted and delivered what I think is a fascinating, albeit abbreviated look at one of the most elaborate camera histories out there.

This episode also marks the official debut of the Camerosity Discord server, which is where Anthony, Paul, Theo, and Mike are ready and waiting to share in all of our tomfoolery, GAS, and a place for you to share what you've been shooting lately. Be sure to check it out!

As always, the topics we discuss on the Camerosity Podcast are influenced by you! Please don’t feel like you have to be an expert on a specific type of camera, or have the level of knowledge on par with other people on the show. We LOVE people who are new to shooting and are interested in having an episode dedicated to people new to the hobby, so please don’t consider your knowledge level to be a prerequisite for joining!

The guys and I rarely know where each episode is going to go until it happens, so if you’d like to join us on a future episode, be sure to look out for our show announcements on our Camerosity Podcast Facebook page, and right here on mikeeckman.com. We usually record every other Monday and announcements, along with the Zoom link are typically shared 2-3 days in advance.

Our next episode will be number 60, and I am extremely excited to invite a special guest who I've been yearning to speak to for years. My desire to speak to this person goes back even farther than the start of this show, and they are someone I REALLY think you will all enjoy talking to. I can't say their name yet, but I can say they are one of the most well known Camera Collectors, and that before they became Popular, in their early career, they were very Modern. So stay tuned for the recording of Episode 60 on Monday, November 27th!

In This Episode

Dresden Was a Central Manufacturing Hub for All German Industry, Including Cameras / The Feb 1945 Bombing of Dresden
Carl Zeiss Jena Werras / Differences Between the Various Werras
KW Praktiflex and the M40 Lens Mount / Paul Loves Biotars of Every Size and Lens Mount
Kamera-Werkstätten Has a Very Sad But Interesting History
KW Patent-Etui / KW Pilot Reflex / The Story of Paul Guthe and Benno Thorsch
The KW Praktina Was the First Modem Professional SLR / The Nikon F Was Influenced by the Praktina
Praktina Spring Wound and Electric Motor Drives / 50 Foot Film Back / Angled Shutter Releases
Why Were There So Many Different Camera Designs Coming Out of Dresden / Germans Didn't Like to Copy Themselves
Ihagee and Johan Steenbergern's Story / Ihagee Was Split Into Two Halves So the Germans Couldn't Own it All
East German TLRs / Weltaflex / Peerflekta / Mentorette
Anthony Once Found East German Linen Photo Paper
The East German Government Encouraged Photography for Propaganda
Pentacon Six SLR with CZJ Biometar Lens
Johan Steenbergen Was Successful in Getting the Rights to Ihagee Back, and Produced the Exakta Real in 1966
Vest Pocket Exaktas and the Night Exakta / Every Different Exakta Used a Different Lens Mount
Nippon Kogaku and Canon Both Made a Single Lens in Exakta Mount / Firstflex 35 SLR
Why Did Tokyo Kogaku Use the Exakta Mount on Topcon SLRs? / Mimosa II
Ihagee Exas / System Exa Rheinmetall
Everyone Loves the Looks of the Exakta / 12 Second Exposures and Razor Blades
Jimmy Stewart and the Exakta in Rear Window / Kilfitt Fern-Kilar 400mm f/5.6 Lens
What is the Proper Spelling of Exakta? / Exacta Cameras
Topcon RE 300 and Japanese Made Exaktas / Exakta Twin TL / Pentacon Prakti Sounds
Camerosity is Now on Discord! / Listener Question About Good Books Covering the German Camera Industry

Links

The Official Camerosity Facebook Group - https://www.facebook.com/groups/camerositypodcast

Camerosity Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/camerosity_podcast/

Theo Panagopoulos - https://www.photothinking.com/

Paul Rybolt - https://www.ebay.com/usr/paulkris and https://www.etsy.com/shop/Camerasandpictures

Anthony Rue - https://www.instagram.com/kino_pravda/ and https://www.facebook.com/VoltaGNV/

Episode 58: Yashicas Niccas and More!

Mon, 06 Nov 2023 08:21:40 -0600

We've done a lot of deep dives into specific camera brands here on the Camerosity Podcast, but one brand I've been the most excited to do was Yashica. Some of my earliest acquisitions of film cameras right when I first started collecting were Yashicas, from the wonderful Yashica Electro 35 to the Yashica-Mat TLR, to the Yashica TL-Super, there was probably a time when nearly 20% of my collection was a Yashica.

More than that, if you were to break down the entire Japanese camera industry into A, B, and C-List manufacturers with Nikon and Canon at the top, and the hordes of "one and done" Japanese makers from the 1950s in the C-List, Yashica seems to be one company that exists somewhere between A and B.

So for this podcast, I really wanted to bring out the big guns and invite not one, but two people who love Yashica more than I do. The first guest is someone who I've interviewed before on my "One Hour Photo" series, is Paul Sokk. Hailing from about 90 minutes away from Theo, Paul is THE authority on Yashica TLRs, fixed lens Yashicas, and early Yashica SLRs. He also has a huge amount of info on Nicca, Leotax, and Canon rangefinders too making his site a very worthwhile read for many collectors.

In addition is Chris Whelan who has frequently collaborated with Paul, providing him with information and photographs that Paul has used on his site. Chris has bought, owned, and sold a huge number of rare Yashicas, even to people you probably know. Mike personally owns a few cameras that Chris has previously sold to other people, completing some form of Camerosity/Yashica Cycle of Life.

In this episode, we focus on the early days of Yashima, their TLRs, early SLRs, the company's acquisition of Nicca and Nicca rangefinders, and touch upon some of Yashica's great fixed lens rangefinders, plus some of their stranger cameras like the Sequelle and Samurai.

As always, the topics we discuss on the Camerosity Podcast are influenced by you! Please don’t feel like you have to be an expert on a specific type of camera, or have the level of knowledge on par with other people on the show. We LOVE people who are new to shooting and are interested in having an episode dedicated to people new to the hobby, so please don’t consider your knowledge level to be a prerequisite for joining!

The guys and I rarely know where each episode is going to go until it happens, so if you’d like to join us on a future episode, be sure to look out for our show announcements on our Camerosity Podcast Facebook page, and right here on mikeeckman.com. We usually record every other Monday and announcements, along with the Zoom link are typically shared 2-3 days in advance.

We don't yet know what we will be doing for our next show, but we are definitely mulling on some topics suggested to us from other listeners, plus the many different areas in which we interact with you on social medial. Whatever we decide to do, I am sure it will be interesting and a lot of fun, so be sure to join us on Monday, November 13th for the recording of Episode 59!

In This Episode

Paul Sokk and His Blogs, yashicatlr.com and leica-copies-japan.com / Chris Introduces yashicasailorboy.com
We work out Anthony and Chris / Theo and Paul live close to each other
Chris has sold to Kurt / Paul found the same camera when looking it up
The Yashicaflex S and A3 found their way to Mike / Kurt wanted his collection to go to people that would appreciate them / Minolta Super A to Theo
Chris’s first camera was a Yashica Electro TL X and a Nikonos II
He went to Canon F1 but returned to Yashica because of Paul’s site / Chris turned Paul onto the Pentamatic
Theo has been using the Electro TL X recently and the Yashinon 50 f/2 is one of his favourite lenses
The Yashica FFT was the last M42 mount camera
Anthony has a Contax S2 and ST with more Yashica lenses than Zeiss lenses
Tomioka was responsible for the high quality Yashica glass
Chris loves the Yashicamat EM / Mike Loves the Yashica D
Yashica provided military goods to making cameras / Pigeonflex then Yashimaflex Was Next
The Yashicamat Was One of the Best Selling TLRs
Yashica was trying to sell volume by having the right quality for the right price
Was 1956 when Yashica started to sell in US and Europe?
In 1957 Yashima started to also make other cameras other than TLRs, first the Yashica 8 movie camera
Yashima's First 35mm camera Was the Yashica-35 in 1958
Brian Wants a TLR / Yashica 124G are as modern a TLR you will find / Kyle collects Contax SLRs
Nicca was a Canon service company / Paul and Theo will fight over a Snider 35 / Niccas Were Sold by Sears as Towers
Niccas are well built, so were the Leotax / Nicca introduced some innovations but Only Made Rangefinders
Nippon Kogaku made the Rigid Body 5cm f/3.5 Nikkor-QC Exclusively for Nicca
Yashica bought Nicca before they went bankrupt / Yashica Pentamatic / Auto frame counters can be problematic
Who made lenses for the Yashica SLRs? / Yashica's First M42 Camera was the Penta J / J is for Jaguar / Yashica J-3
TL Series when started with TTL metering / Fixed Lens Rangefinder Yashicas / Yashica Lynx / Yashica Minister
Unique Yashica Cameras / Yashica Rapide / Yashica Sequelle / Yashica Samurai
Yashica Electro 35 was hugely popular in the USA, and they have fantastic lenses
The Contax/Yashica C/Y mount cameras and the Point and Shoots will be covered in a future episode

Links

The Official Camerosity Facebook Group - https://www.facebook.com/groups/camerositypodcast

Camerosity Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/camerosity_podcast/

One Hour Photo 2 - Paul Sokk: https://mikeeckman.com/2019/05/one-hour-photo-2-paul-sokk/

Paul Sokk - http://yashicatlr.com/ and http://leica-copies-japan.com/

Chris Whelan - https://yashicasailorboy.com/ and https://www.ccstudio2380.com/

Theo Panagopoulos - https://www.photothinking.com/

Paul Rybolt - https://www.ebay.com/usr/paulkris and https://www.etsy.com/shop/Camerasandpictures

Anthony Rue - https://www.instagram.com/kino_pravda/ and https://www.facebook.com/VoltaGNV/

Episode 57: Robert Shanebrook’s Kodak Moments

Sat, 21 Oct 2023 06:56:07 -0500

Looking back at past episodes of the show, there are a few memorable ones, not necessarily for anything myself or the other hosts contributed, but rather from some of our esteemed guests. Of those esteemed guests, one that consistently piles on great information and awesome anecdotes about our hobby is Robert Shanebrook. A former employee of Eastman Kodak who while working there did everything from build cameras that went to the moon, to helping create some of the company's best film emulsions ever made, even some like TMax which are still being made today.

With an incredible wealth of knowledge about Kodak's past and present, Robert still has his fingers on the pulse of the company and the industry and can often give insightful comments on where the industry is headed, so any time Robert agrees to join us, you know you're in for a ton of great information!

Joining him on this show is returning guest Mina Saleeb and first time caller Jesse Wisdom. Of course, joining Robert, Mina, and Jesse are the four horsemen of the world's first and only open source film photography podcast, Anthony, Paul, Theo, and Mike!

In this episode, Robert shares his insights into Kodak's recent announcement of their intent to keep making film for as long as there is demand, and what exactly that means for the film community. Robert reminisces on his days torture testing film and all of the great lengths Eastman Kodak went to making sure only the best film made it to your cameras, he talks about regional films, and a few more memorable film emulsions like Verichrome III and Supra.

In addition, Jesse shares his passion for instant film photography and we learn of some history behind Polaroid's lawsuit against Kodak in the 1980s, and how if it weren't for Kodak, Polaroid might have never existed.

Mike brings up his Kodak Aero-Ektar surveillance lens, and two recent pickups, a LOMO LC-Wide and W-Nikkor 2.5cm f/4 rangefinder lens. Anthony shares his experience going to a recent KEH film event in Atlanta and how there is a clear disconnect between younger film enthusiasts and the older generation. Jesse takes a stand and says that we need to connect the two groups of people as each can benefit from talking to another, but young people don't go on Facebook and old farts don't go on Discord.

As always, the topics we discuss on the Camerosity Podcast are influenced by you! Please don’t feel like you have to be an expert on a specific type of camera, or have the level of knowledge on par with other people on the show. We LOVE people who are new to shooting and are interested in having an episode dedicated to people new to the hobby, so please don’t consider your knowledge level to be a prerequisite for joining!

The guys and I rarely know where each episode is going to go until it happens, so if you’d like to join us on a future episode, be sure to look out for our show announcements on our Camerosity Podcast Facebook page, and right here on mikeeckman.com. We usually record every other Monday and announcements, along with the Zoom link are typically shared 2-3 days in advance.

For our next episode, we are devoting the entire show to Yashica. From the earliest Yashica TLRs to Nicca rangefinders to screw mount Yashica SLRs to the final Contax/Kyocera/Yashica SLRs, we plan on covering the entire output of this once great Japanese camera maker. To help us traverse Yashica's long history, we will be joined by not one, but two Yashica experts who are certain to share with us a great deal of Yashica history and GAS! If you've ever had any questions about your Yashica Electro or Samurai, this is the episode you won't want to miss, so be sure to join us on Monday, October 30th for the recording of Episode 58!

In This Episode

The Ultimate Debate: Tim Tam Biscuits vs Mint Slices (aka Girl Scout Thin Mints)
Kodak's Statement That They'll Stay in the Film Business As Long As There's Demand
Christopher Nolan's Oppenheimer Has Increased Interest in Film / 65mm Kodak Double XX Film
How Kodak Scaled Down Their Production While Keeping Quality High
Kodak Built in Different Tolerances for Consumer and Professional Films / Kodak Torture Tested Film
Does Film Need to be as Consistent Today As It Used To Be?
You Can Make a Lot of Stuff and Throw Away What's Bad, Or You Can Just Make Only Good Stuff
Did Kodak Ever Resell or Give Away Their Film That Failed Quality Checks?
Is Expired Film Stored at a Consistent Temp More Stable than Film Stored in Varying Temperatures?
120 Degrees Seems to be the Breaking Point for Film / Humidity is More Detrimental than Temperatures Are
Were There Differences in the Same Film Produced in Different Markets? / Tropical Film and Cameras / Kodak ProImage 100
The HBO Series Euphoria Was Shot on Ektachrome / Why Aren't There More Ektachrome Films?
Differences in E2, E3, E4, and E6 Processes / Chemical vs Light Reversal
How Similar are 1990s Pro Film to Today's Portra? / Iridium Doping Gets Rid of Reciprocity
There Was Supposed to Be a Film Before Portra / Vericolor III
When Portra Came Out Kodak Couldn't Sell Their Vericolor III Anymore So It Had to be Destroyed
What Happened to Kodak Professional Supra Film?
Instant Film / At Kodak the People Working on Instant Film Were in Silos
Kodak Initially Helped Make Polaroid Film / Edwin Land Would Have Failed Without Kodak's Help
Kodak Made the Negative for Polaroid Type 55 Peel Apart Film
How Kodak Would Work With Fuji / Advanced Photo System
Kodak Had an Earlier Attempt to Make a New 35mm Film in 1979
Aero Ektar Military Lenses / Lenses with Thorium / Don't Lick Radioactive Lenses
Ice Station Zebra / 30 Mile Long Rolls of Film in Satellites
Dental X-Ray Film / Minilabs in Dentist Offices / Yashica Dental-Eye
Anthony Goes to KEH and Sees a Bunch of Youtube Influencers with Very Expensive Cameras / Film Discord Servers
Younger People are Enthusiastic About Film and Older People Are Enthusiastic, But the Two Groups Aren't Talking to Each Other
Shooting Expired Film Means Something Different Depending on Who You Ask
Mike Has a Cat Camera In a Can Made in Japan by Holga (WTF?!) / Film Photography Echo Chambers
Mina Bought a KMZ Horizont After the Soviet Episode / Mike Gets a LOMO LC-Wide / W-Nikkor 2.5cm f/4 Rangefinder Lens
Robert Shanebrook's "Making Kodak Film" Book is Back In Print, So Order Now if You Want One

Links

The Official Camerosity Facebook Group - https://www.facebook.com/groups/camerositypodcast

Camerosity Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/camerosity_podcast/

Keppler’s Vault 56: Kodak 35mm Film Prototype - https://mikeeckman.com/2020/02/kepplers-vault-56-kodak-35mm-prototype/

Robert Shanebrook - http://www.makingkodakfilm.com/

Mina Saleeb - https://www.instagram.com/crookandflail

Theo Panagopoulos - https://www.photothinking.com/

Paul Rybolt - https://www.ebay.com/usr/paulkris and https://www.etsy.com/shop/Camerasandpictures

Anthony Rue - https://www.instagram.com/kino_pravda/ and https://www.facebook.com/VoltaGNV/

Episode 56: Советские Фотоаппараты

Sat, 07 Oct 2023 08:35:03 -0500

Very few episodes of the Camerosity Podcast are recorded without mentioning at least one Soviet camera, or something about the Soviet photo industry. When deciding what we should discuss in future episodes, it was quite a surprise to the gang and I when we realized we had never devoted an entire episode to the subject, so for Episode 56, we put out the call for all our Soviet comrades, poured a large glass of водка, and loaded some film into our favorite Советские Фотоаппараты.

Joining us on our tour of camera factories in Moscow, Kyiv, Leningrad, and Minsk are esteemed Soviet camera collector and blogger, Vladislav Kern and all around Soviet enthusiast Mark Beadle. In addition to Vlad and Mark, regular callers Mark Faulkner, Ray Nason, and Ira Cohen came along for the ride as well.

As we often do, Episode 56 starts off with some history and a quick summary of Soviet factories and how their photo industry differed from those in Germany, Japan, and elsewhere. A whole lot of Soviet GAS was discussed including recommendations for first Soviet cameras for someone whose never shot one, Mike raves repeatedly about Soviet triplets, Paul shares with us his incredibly rare Soviet Leica Summicron lens, and Anthony gets into a discussion about the Soviet motion picture industry.

In this episode we talk about Smenas, the half frame Chaika and Agat, the panoramic Horizont, medium format Iskra, the Leningrad and Droug rangefinders, Soviet fakes, swirly bokeh, and a whole host of other Soviet GAS.

Later in the show we get into a round of Soviet Mythbusters in which Mike asks Vlad several commonly cited "facts" about Soviet cameras, and whether they are true. Find out if orphaned children really built FED rangefinders, whether cameras with English logos are built with a higher quality, or whether or not you really need to wind your Soviet camera before changing shutter speeds.

As always, the topics we discuss on the Camerosity Podcast are influenced by you! Please don’t feel like you have to be an expert on a specific type of camera, or have the level of knowledge on par with other people on the show. We LOVE people who are new to shooting and are interested in having an episode dedicated to people new to the hobby, so please don’t consider your knowledge level to be a prerequisite for joining!

The guys and I rarely know where each episode is going to go until it happens, so if you’d like to join us on a future episode, be sure to look out for our show announcements on our Camerosity Podcast Facebook page, and right here on mikeeckman.com. We usually record every other Monday and announcements, along with the Zoom link are typically shared 2-3 days in advance.

For our next episode, we are coming back to a favorite topic of the show, which is film stocks and film developing. We will be welcoming back Robert Shanebrook from Eastman Kodak to talk about all the different types of film from history and past, and hopefully get some insight into what might come in the future. These film emulsion episodes are always fascinating, so be sure to join us on Monday, October 16th for the recording of Episode 57!

In This Episode

Differences Between Soviet and Other Country's Camera Industries / Soviet Factories
Camera Production Was a Cover for Military Manufacturing / Very Little Official Information About Camera Production Was Kept / Photography Was Encouraged to Aide in Soviet Propaganda
What Soviet Camera Would a Photography Student Buy? / Smena 8 and 8M
Home Developing and Recycling Everything / Camera Repair Manuals Were Common
Pre-Soviet Cameras / Export Cameras Were Controlled by TOE aka the KGB
Soviet Cameras were Distributed All Over the World as Kalimar, Global, and Many Others
In the UK, Soviet Cameras Were Pretty Common and Seen as Good First Cameras
A Zenit SLR Could Be Bought For Less Than a Third of a Nikon or Canon
Soviet SLRs Came in M39, M42, Pentax K, Nikon F, and a Few Proprietary Mounts / KMZ Start
Soviet Cameras Built for Export Were Generally of Higher Quality / Latin vs Cyrillic Lettering
Ray's Distributor Used to Bring Him Kiev 60 and 88s for Ten Bucks Each
After the Soviet Union Collapsed, the Arsenal Factory Attempted to Privatize and Compete on the World Market / Kiev USA
Arax and Hartblei Also Refurbished Kiev Cameras Making them Better than New with Upgraded Features
The Soviet Motion Picture Industry / Stalin Had to Approve Every Script That was Submitted for a Motion Picture
French and Japanese Equipment Was Used to Make Movies
The FED and Zorki Weren't the Only Soviet Leica Copies / VOOMP II Pioneer and Foto Apparat Geodeziya
KMZ Started Producing Leica Copies After the War and For a Very Short Time, So Did Arsenal
Did Orphaned Children Really Assemble FED Cameras? / American Children Worked in Coal Mines
Are Other Eastern Bloc Cameras Made in Czechoslovakia and Hungary Part of Soviet Camera Collecting? / MOM Mometta III
The Soviet Union Helped China Start their Camera Industry / Chinese Copies of Smenas and Zenits
GOMZ Sport SLR / The Soviet Camera Industry Pioneered More Things Than They Often Get Credit For
Arsenal Kiev Rangefinders Were Built Using Actual Zeiss Contax Parts and Machinery
Paul Has Never Ever Shot a Soviet Camera / Mike Recommends the Smena 8 for Paul / Agat 18K
Mike Thinks Soviet Cloth Shutters Hold Up Better than Other Cloth Curtains
Soviet GAS / Lubitels / Kiev 17 and 19 / Kiev 10 and 15 / Kiev 30 Submini
LOMO LC-A / Chaika and FED Micro Half Frame Cameras
Panoramic Cameras / KMZ Horizont / KMZ FT-2 / Fedor Vasilievich Tokarev
Soviet Mythbusters:
- Some Soviet Cameras Use Animal Fat Lubricant
- KMZ Cameras Built for Export are of Higher Quality
- Lenses with Serial Numbers Beginning with 00 Were Made for VIPs
- Whole Warehouses of New Soviet Lenses Are Still Being Discovered
- Don't Change Shutter Speeds Until After Cocking the Shutter / KMZ Narciss
Soviet Fakes / Paul Has a Summicron 50mm f/3.5 Leica Lens / British Reid Soviet Fake
KMZ Droug Has a Rangefinder Coupling Wheel
Is it Difficult for Vlad to Get So Many Soviet Cameras Living in the United States
TSVVS Prototypes / Mike Raves About Vlad's Collection and Rambles Off a Bunch of Soviet Cameras We Didn't Talk About
Where Do You Get Soviet Cameras Repaired?

Links

The Official Camerosity Facebook Group - https://www.facebook.com/groups/camerositypodcast

Camerosity Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/camerosity_podcast/

Vlad Kern - http://ussrphoto.com/ and https://www.instagram.com/ussrphoto/

Mark Beadle - https://www.instagram.com/Mark_Beadle90/

Theo Panagopoulos - https://www.photothinking.com/

Paul Rybolt - https://www.ebay.com/usr/paulkris and https://www.etsy.com/shop/Camerasandpictures

Anthony Rue - https://www.instagram.com/kino_pravda/ and https://www.facebook.com/VoltaGNV/

Episode 55: Travelling With Cameras and Film

Fri, 22 Sep 2023 08:09:23 -0500

In the first episode of Season 3 of the Camerosity Podcast, the guys and I opened up the call-in lines for the first time since late July and asked everyone who has travelled lately, what their ideal travel cameras are. When deciding to take some cameras on a trip, what makes the cut or doesn't, and why. In addition to travelling with cameras, what are your tips for getting through airport security, is it worth getting your film hand checked, or should you separate your film from your cameras into separate luggage.

Joining Anthony, Paul, Theo, and Mike are returning callers Mark Faulkner, Patrick Rapps, John Roberts, Howard Sandler, and first time callers Maxwell Whitaker, Mina Saleeb, and Kevin Knipp who all help us answer those questions.

In addition to our travel tips, we also stray into the world of mirror lenses and other strange lenses of the 20th century like the Voigtländer Zoomar, KMZ Rubin-1, and the Minolta Rokkor-X 40-80mm f/2.8 "Gear Box Lens". As we often do, much praise is heaped upon Voigtländer and the Bessamatic SLR and Cosina Bessa Rangefinders, we share our opinions of Minox submini cameras, the Carl Zeiss Jena Werra, AGFA Karat 36, plus many, many others.

Later, hear Anthony admit that he's struggling with the decision of whether he needs to rebuy another Leica M3, whether or not people mix digital and film on vacations, and how many times Paul has bought the same camera more than once.

As always, the topics we discuss on the Camerosity Podcast are influenced by you! Please don’t feel like you have to be an expert on a specific type of camera, or have the level of knowledge on par with other people on the show. We LOVE people who are new to shooting and are interested in having an episode dedicated to people new to the hobby, so please don’t consider your knowledge level to be a prerequisite for joining!

The guys and I rarely know where each episode is going to go until it happens, so if you’d like to join us on a future episode, be sure to look out for our show announcements on our Camerosity Podcast Facebook page, and right here on mikeeckman.com. We usually record every other Monday and announcements, along with the Zoom link are typically shared 2-3 days in advance.

For our next episode, we are going red, for Red October. That's right, the Camerosity Podcast is going to discuss the Soviet Photo Industry. What are the best cameras to pick up for someone new to the hobby, which ones to avoid, and what are some under the radar models. So for those of you looking to expand on your Soviet GAS, be sure to join us on Monday, October 2nd for the recording of Episode 56!

In This Episode

How Do You Decide Which Cameras Will Go With You on a Trip / Theo and Anthony Are Going to Asia
Bringing At Least One Digital Camera on a Trip / Panasonic Lumix LX Series
John Roberts Took a Canon F1 and Nikon Z5 and Used the Same Lenses Using an Adapter / Mike Loves the Z5
Mina Took a Nikon F-801 with Two AF Lenses
Inspecting Film Through Airport Security / Put Film in Clear Bags, Be Polite, and Make the Inspection as Easy as Possible
Some Airports Have a No Hand Check Policy / If You Are Eligible for TSA Pre-Check, Do It / ISO 800 Film And Up / CT Scanners
Film Shield Bags Are Lined with Lead / Paul Once Lost an Entire Pelican Case of Film in Airport Security
Anthony Is Going to Japan / Voigtänder Perkeo II / Olympus XA4 / Minox 35
Howard Brings Cheap Cameras On Trips / Rollei 35 B / Mike Gets Stressed Out If He Brings Too Many Cameras
Paul Travels Specifically for Photography and Food / His Wife Traveled with an RB67 One Year
If Your Cameras Are Stolen While Travelling, A Tip Is To Also Lose Your Passport So You'll Stop Thinking About the Cameras
Getting Film Stolen is Worse Than Cameras Stolen / Travel With Your Cameras and Film Separately
Good Compact Digitals for Travel / Ricoh GR / Panasonic Lumix LX100
Olympus Pen F Digital and Film Cameras / Half Frame vs APS-C
Micro 4/3 Cameras Are Quite Good / Olympus OM-D EM1X / Olympus Pen Digitals
Maxwell's Ideal Travel Camera is a Minox B He Bought from Paul / Getting and Developing Minox Film
Slitting Film / 3D Printing Slitters / Using a TLR to Slit Film
Anthony is Going to Attempt to Barter His Way to a Good Camera in Japan By Selling Argus C3s
Theo and Anthony Love the Zeiss-Ikon Contessa 35 / Mike Not So Much / Voigtländer Vito III
Carl Zeiss Jena Werra Series / The Werra is the Only Carl Zeiss Jena Camera
Leaf Shutters That Go Faster than 1/500 / Kodak Tourist and Chevron / Minolta V2, V3, and Others
Rudi Made Anthony Take a Bunch of 110 Cameras and 110 Film from Him / Minolta and Pentax 110 SLRs
Mike Didn't Like the Canon 110ED / Anthony Loved his Minox 110 and the Vitoret 110
Voigtländer Was Owned by Zeiss, Then Rollei, then Licensed to Cosina for the Bessa Rangefinders
Voigländer Vitessa, Vito C, Bessamatic, Ultramatic / Voigtländer Zoomar Lenses
Russian MTO 500 and 1000mm Mirror Lenses / Maksutov Invented the Catadioptric Lenses for Telescopes
Soviet Rubin-1 Is Not a Copy of the Zoomar But is Similar / The Zoomar Originally Came on the KMZ Zenit 6
Mike Attempts to Explain How a Mirror Lens Works / Mirror Lenses Are Almost Always Found in Mint Condition
Nikon and Minolta Mirror Lenses / The Rokkor 250mm f/5.6 Mirror Lens is Very Good
Minolta Rokkor-X 40-80mm f/2.8 Gearbox Lens
Show Suggestions for Season 3 / Yashica / TLRs / Subminis
Viscawide 16mm Swing Lens Camera / Large Format / Robert Shanebrook / Another Euro Episode
Leicaflex SL Mirror Locks Just like the Nikon F
How Many Cameras Have You Bought More Than Once?
Anthony Is Starting to Miss His Leica M3 / Voigtländer Cosina Made Bessas / Contax RTS II and RTS III
The Earlier AGFA Karat is the Rangefinder for People Who Don't Like Rangefinders
We Have Lots Planned for Season 3, Stay Tuned!

Links

The Official Camerosity Facebook Group - https://www.facebook.com/groups/camerositypodcast

Camerosity Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/camerosity_podcast/

Chuck Rubin Photographics - https://www.facebook.com/p/Chuck-Rubin-Photographics-100054624692201/

Mina Saleeb - https://www.instagram.com/crookandflail

Theo Panagopoulos - https://www.photothinking.com/

Paul Rybolt - https://www.ebay.com/usr/paulkris and https://www.etsy.com/shop/Camerasandpictures

Anthony Rue - https://www.instagram.com/kino_pravda/ and https://www.facebook.com/VoltaGNV/

Episode 54: Camerosity Unplugged

Wed, 06 Sep 2023 12:08:44 -0500

We're back....sorta!

For the month of August, the Camerosity Gang has been on vacation, traveling all over the United States Southwest and Northern Dairylands, battling Florida storms and insect borne illnesses, and handling the stress of a new job and shopping for a new home.

In a moment of spontaneous availability, the guys and I jumped on a Zoom call, hit record and just started talking. If you've ever wanted to know what it would be like to be in a room (virtual or real) with Anthony, Paul, Theo, and Mike, this episode is what it's like, just four guys sitting around talking about whatever comes to mind. In the spirit of Cocaine and Waffles, we put no effort into this, had no agenda, and just started talking.

As promised at the end of Episode 53, we will return soon with Season 3, featuring (slightly) more organized and thought out episodes. We have a ton of great ideas for topics coming up, so please keep a look out for our next show announcement soon. If you’d like to join us on a future episode, be sure to look out on our Camerosity Podcast Facebook page, and right here on mikeeckman.com. We will record our next episode on Monday, September 18th at 7pm Central Daylight Time. Stay tuned!

This Week's Episode

Paul and Black Paint Leicas / Anthony is shooting the Voigtländer Perkeo, Robot Royal, and Mercury II
Florida Storms / Disruptions to Business / Shooting in a Hurricane / Waffle House Index / Florida Man
Konica Genba Kantoku and Other Industrial Cameras
Minolta Weathermatic / Canon Aqua Snappy AS6 / Sureshot A1 / Nikon Nikonos
Mike is shooting with the Rollei 35 RF with TTArtisan 50mm f/0.95 / Konica Hexar AF
Nikon 35Ti and Other Compacts Which are in Danger of Electronics Failure
Theo’s Tale of Leica R Woe and What He Did to Solve it
Theo is Also Shooting a Voigtlander Vitessa L with Ultron lens and Keks 2 Meter and Kodak 2238
Anthony’s Vitessa is from the Original Importer / Voigtländer Prominent
Theo is Also Shooting the Zeiss Ikoflex, Voigtländer Superb and the Zeiss Super Ikonta C
Taking Panoramas with a Nikkor PC Shift Lens
Paul is Overloaded With Cameras But Still Buys Leicas / 650 Boxes of Cameras
Cameras with Sequential Serial Numbers
Digicams Are Great for Kids to Learn Photography
Theo is the Adapter King of Australia
Lots of Voigtländer Brillants and Kodak Vest Pockets Have Been Found
Rolleiflex with Duct Taped Polaroid Back / Leica Accessories Made in Japan
Paul Did the Americana Festival and Met Patrick Rapps / Ray Nasson visited Mike
Theo Bought a Canon FTb from Peter Kitchingman Without Knowing
Anthony talks about John Minnicks and the Aero Liberator
Anthony had his Canon IV Sb Repaired and Loves It
He also Had Robot Royal, Mamiya 645 Lens and Tower 22 Repaired
We Keep the Repairers Busy / Robot Royal / Anthony is Feeding Ticks

Links

The Official Camerosity Facebook Group - https://www.facebook.com/groups/camerositypodcast

Camerosity Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/camerosity_podcast/

Theo Panagopoulos - https://www.photothinking.com/

Paul Rybolt - https://www.ebay.com/usr/paulkris and https://www.etsy.com/shop/Camerasandpictures

Anthony Rue - https://www.instagram.com/kino_pravda/ and https://www.facebook.com/VoltaGNV/

Episode 53: Unobtanium

Tue, 01 Aug 2023 07:47:40 -0500

We've covered a lot of gear on this podcast before. Some cameras are ones that flew under the radar that deserved some recognition as something worth checking out, others were less common models in which a bit more effort (and cost) were required to add to a collection, but then there's a level of camera in which no amount of money or effort will result in one coming your way. These are the Unobtanium cameras, models which are so expensive, or so hard to find, that even the most experienced of collectors don't have them.

Joining Anthony, Theo, Paul, and Mike on this episode dedicated to the hardest cameras to find are some people who have found some of the hardest cameras to find, Ira Cohen, Ray Nason, Robert Rotoloni, Patrick Rapps, Rudi Berden, and James Thorpe. Each of these guys has at least one camera that for most people would quality as unobtanium. How they came across each model varies, but nevertheless, represent some of the coolest and hardest to find cameras ever made.

As we did in the last episode, we start off this one with a question, asking our guests to define what exactly qualifies as unobtanium. As you might expert, rarity and cost are definitely prerequisites, but what about functionality or provenance? Does a camera that's very difficult to find in working order or a camera formerly owned by the Beatles still qualify as unobtanium. In addition to rare cameras, lenses and accessories can qualify too, so we get into some extras that are really hard to find as well.

If you were to break down types of unobtanium cameras, one that would be the hardest of the hardest to find would be prototypes, so in this episode we spend time talking about some of the coolest prototypes including two interchangeable lens rangefinders made by Minolta and Konica, but also Robert Rotoloni goes DEEP into the rabbit hole of prototype Nikon rangefinder cameras and lenses. If you thought the Nikon SP was the most advanced 35mm rangefinder the company ever made, think again as there were two others.

The rest of the episode is all over the place, discussing rare cameras by Ilford, Argus, Wica, Premier Instrument Corp, and LeCoultre. We are quite certain that we missed some other rare and otherwise difficult to find cameras, but as always, the topics we discuss on the Camerosity Podcast are influenced by you! We would love to hear from more listeners, especially those who are new to shooting film or collecting cameras. Please don’t feel like you have to be an expert on a specific type of camera, or have the level of knowledge on par with other people on the show. We LOVE people who are new to shooting and are interested in having an episode dedicated to people new to the hobby, so please don’t consider your knowledge level to be a prerequisite for joining!

The guys and I rarely know where each episode is going to go until it happens, so if you’d like to join us on a future episode, be sure to look out for our show announcements on our Camerosity Podcast Facebook page, and right here on mikeeckman.com. We usually record every other Monday and announcements, along with the Zoom link are typically shared 2-3 days in advance.

As we did last year, we're taking the entire month of August off to relax, soak in some sun, and maybe even catch up on shooting all of the cool cameras we've all picked up in the past year so we will not be back with Episode 54 until September. The guys and I will still be active on the Camerosity Facebook page, so keep in touch with us there, and once we have an idea of when we'll record the next episode, and what possible topics we might discuss, we'll be sure to let you know!

This Week's Episode

How Do You Define "Unobtanium" / Rarity, Expensive, or Something Else? / Unobtanium Lenses
Cameras Not Known to Be Very Reliable: Kodak Ektra, Hasselblad XPan, Graflex 3A
Rudi Berden Reviews the Kodak Ektra / Leaving Notes in the Film Compartment
Cameras that Have Provenance or Were Owned by Someone Famous
Mike is Collecting Cameras Owned by Other Collectors
Before the Internet, Finding Rare Cameras Was Extremely Difficult / Paul Finds a Leica Luxus
Walter Dorwin Teague No. 1A Gift Camera
Cameras that Have Cross Appeal to Different Collectors, The Price Goes Up Dramatically / Mickey Mouse Cameras
Paul Handled 80 Boxes with 640 Cameras in Them in One Day / Graflex Combat Graphic
Kodak Bantam Special in Original Box / Versions with Supermatic and Compur Shutters / Using the Bantam Special
Nippon Kogaku Almost Made a TLR, Two Prototypes Were Known to Exist
Other Companies Made Cameras with Nikkor Lenses / Aires Flex TLR / Sawyer's Mark IV / Mamiya Six
Minolta Sky Prototype / Konica FR Rangefinder Prototype
Andrew Lloyd MPP Press Camera / Robot Royal 18 Half Frame Camera
It is Very Difficult to Assign Value to Extremely Rare Cameras
Konica IIIM with Half-Frame Mask / Unobtanium Accessories / Getting a Pax 35 To Work is Not Easy
Patrick's Strange Okaya Lord 5D / Rudi Reviews the Super Kodak Six-20
Digital Unobtanium / Epson R-D1 Digital Rangefinder
Ira Cohen's Most Wanted Camera / Mike Helps Ira Buy a One of a Kind Camera / Lausar 127
James Thorpe's Unobtanium is a Zecaflex Folding TLR / Welta Superfekta / Zeiss-Ikon Contaflex TLR
The LeCoultre Compass is a Very Unobtanium Camera...Except for Ira
Bob's Nikon Rarities - Follow Along The Rotoloni Report 4: Nikon Rangefinder Prototypes
- 50mm f/1.8 Nikkor RF Lenses / 35mm f/1.4 RF Lens / Nikkor-O 50mm f/1.0
- Nikon Screw Mount RFs / Nikon SPX / Nikon SP2 / The Original Nikon Rangefinder
Paul and Mike Are Cornering the Market on Lens Hoods and Lens Adapters
Ilford Witness / The Melcon II Looks like a Nikon Rangefinder / Wica Rangefinder
Mike's Recent Unobtanium GAS / Military Kardon / Argus K
Unobtanium Accessories / Some Unobtanium is More Difficult to Find in Other Countries
Cameras That Are Opposite of Unobtamium
- Argus Brick / Kodak Vest Pocket / Voigtländer Brilliant / Pentax K1000 / Canon AE-1 / Big Royal View Trashcam / Yashica Electro 35
Anthony Shoots a Pentax Takumar 18mm f/11 Pancake Lens / Theo Won't Buy a Contax T2
Paul and the Americana Folk Music Gathering in Scottsdale, Arizona

Links

The Official Camerosity Facebook Group - https://www.facebook.com/groups/camerositypodcast

Camerosity Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/camerosity_podcast/

Americana Folk Music Gathering - https://americanafolkgathering.com/

Theo Panagopoulos - https://www.photothinking.com/

Paul Rybolt - https://www.ebay.com/usr/paulkris and https://www.etsy.com/shop/Camerasandpictures

Anthony Rue - https://www.instagram.com/kino_pravda/ and https://www.facebook.com/VoltaGNV/

Episode 52: Panorama City

Mon, 24 Jul 2023 08:00:09 -0500

Venturing back into the early days of the Camerosity Podcast, the topic of panoramic cameras came up often on the show, so often that we jokingly referred to ourselves as the widest film photography podcast out there. As we often do, the gang got distracted in later episodes by various other formats, brands, and special guests, but we thought it was time to revisit our love of all things panoramic and take a ride to Panorama City. No, not that Panorama City in southern California, but the land of Hasselblad XPans, Fuji G617s, Horizonts, and Noblexes.

Joining Anthony, Paul, Theo, and Mike on our wide journey was a motley crew of panoramic enthusiasts, fans, and just passers by. Returning guests, all the way from Cape Town, South Africa, Dean Blumberg, Ray Nason, Skip Williams, Richard Driver, Andrew Smith, and Mark Faulkner. Also, first time callers Patrick Rapps, Rudi Berden, and Paul's ex-Fuji rep, Bob Grzesiak were in attendance.

Not content with only talking to people who like to use existing panoramic cameras, also joining us from Silvergrain Classics is Marwan El Mozayen who most people in the film community know as helping to bring back a new version of the Widelux F8 swing lens panoramic camera. With the support of Hollywood A-lister and renowned Widelux fan, Jeff Bridges and his wife Susan, Marwan shares the back story of how he became involved in resurrecting this panoramic classic. Marwan isn't just some PR guy helping to spread word about his company's project however, as he has extensive knowledge of other panoramic cameras like the Noblex, Soviet Horizonts and many others.

We started the show off with what we thought would be a pretty straightforward question, but the topic of what exactly defines an image or camera as panoramic elicited a pretty interesting discussion, relating panoramic still photography to that of cinematography and that angle of view should be considered in addition to physical size.

Differences between wide angle panoramic cameras like the Hasselblad XPan and swing lens cameras like the Panoram-Kodak were discussed, along with cropped panoramic, 3D printed masks, how to use a perspective control lens to shoot panoramic digitals, and even some panoramic developing and scanning hacks that make like easier for the hobbyist. With Marwan on the show bringing back the Widelux, we did a lighting round asking every participant what other cameras you would like to see someone make an attempt at bringing back (who wants to guess what Theo's was?).

[label type="warning"]Silvergrain Classics Discount Code: [/label]During the show, Marwan El Mozayen mentioned that listeners of this show get a discount when ordering a copy of issue #19 of their magazine, which features a ton of information about the upcoming re-release of the Widelux. To receive this discount, use code: WLX10 when ordering.

Like all other episodes of the Camerosity Podcast, we were excited to go down the panoramic rabbit hole but had no idea of how deep it would be. We ventured into some discussions that I could have never imagined, sharing the love and passion for this subset of photography with a fascinating and very experienced panel of callers.

As always, the topics we discuss on the Camerosity Podcast are influenced by you! We would love to hear from more listeners, especially those who are new to shooting film or collecting cameras. Please don’t feel like you have to be an expert on a specific type of camera, or have the level of knowledge on par with other people on the show. We LOVE people who are new to shooting and are interested in having an episode dedicated to people new to the hobby, so please don’t consider your knowledge level to be a prerequisite for joining!

The guys and I rarely know where each episode is going to go until it happens, so if you’d like to join us on a future episode, be sure to look out for our show announcements on our Camerosity Podcast Facebook page, and right here on mikeeckman.com. We usually record every other Monday and announcements, along with the Zoom link are typically shared 2-3 days in advance.

Our next episode of the Camerosity Podcast will be all about "unobtanium cameras", those cameras you never thought you'd get a chance to see, let alone use. Maybe it's a rare one of a kind prototype, or a common, but REALLY expensive camera that is beyond your budget. If you can't find or afford it, come on the show and join us for Episode 53, which will be recorded on Monday, July 24th!

This next episode will be our Season 2 finale before the gang goes on vacation. As we did last year, we're taking the entire month of August off to relax, soak in some sun, and maybe even catch up on shooting all of the cool cameras we've all picked up in the past year. We will return in September!

This Week's Episode

What Do We Mean When We Say “Panoramic”? / Widescreen in Cinematography
Banquet Cameras in the 1900s / Banquet vs Kodak Cirkut Cameras
Aspect Ratio as a Starting Point for Panorama / Aspect Ratio vs Field of View as a Way of Defining Panorama
Is the Fuji G617 Panoramic or Wide View?
Can a Cropped Image be Panoramic? / Cropping Before and After Taking the Image / The Hasselblad XPan and the Noblex 135 S
What Makes the Widelux Special? / The Mechanics and Simplicity of a Swing Lens Camera
The Original Kodak Panoram / Kodak 3A Using 122 and 616 film in Old Folders for Wider Aspect Ratios
Zeiss Super Ikonta 616 and Zeiss Cocarette / 3A Graflex
Camera Hack and 3D Printed Adapters for Older Film Types
Silvergrain Classics and the Project to Resurrect the Widelux F8
The KMZ Horizont Was the First “Modern” Swing Lens Camera
The Shift from Medium Format to 35mm Swing Lens Cameras Under the Widelux Brand
Jeff and Susan Bridges and their Love of the Widelux
How to Visualize Shooting with a Widelux / Looking to Cinematography Instead of Still Photography for Panoramic Compositional Ideas
Depth of Field in Panorama / Using Contact Lenses to Modify Swing Lens Properties
The Best and Worst About the Noblex / Every Released Noblex was Really a “Mostly” Working Prototype
The Mechanics of Reproducing the Widelux / Swing Lens Camera Repair
Horizont 202 The Affordable Swing Lens Alternative
Pulling Back the Curtain on the Hasselblad XPan’s Reliability Issues
Skip’s Mamiya Pro S 220 Back with a Mercury 3D Printed Film Gate Adapter
Dean’s Bronica ETRS Kludge / Skip’s Cameradactyl Homunculus 69
Turning to 3D Printing for Wide Aspect Ratio Adapters
The Virtues of the Fuji G617 / The G617 goes to the North Pole
Paul’s Sony A7 RII with a Nikkor Perspective Control Lens for Digital Panoramas
Rudi’s Zone Image Pinhole 617 / Patrick’s Sinhao Wide Aspect Hack
Back to Silvergrain Classic and Details on the Release of the New Widelux
Lightning round: Pick One Camera you Want to see Brought Back!
- Minolta XM Motor / Hasselblad XPan / Plaubel 67 / Fuji GW690 / A Miranda That Works / Mamiya 7 / Fuji GX617 / Nikon FM3a / Panon 120 swing-lens / Kodak Medalist / Mamiya 6
Theo’s Panora Wide Pic / Minolta P's and Masked 35mm Point and Shoots / Viscawide 16
Lightroom and Photoshop for Panoramic Merging / Flatbed Panoramic Scanning Hacks
Panoramic Chromes and AGX Imaging for Pro Level E6 Developing and Scanning

Links

The Official Camerosity Facebook Group - https://www.facebook.com/groups/camerositypodcast

Camerosity Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/camerosity_podcast/

Silvergrain Classics Widelux Revivial - https://silvergrainclassics.com/en/2023/07/the-widelux-revival-project/

Andrew Smith – https://www.youtube.com/channel/UClXrAlbnU3gvdRrJ5gAR4mw

Mark Faulkner – https://thegashaus.com/

Theo Panagopoulos - https://www.photothinking.com/

Paul Rybolt - https://www.ebay.com/usr/paulkris and https://www.etsy.com/shop/Camerasandpictures

Anthony Rue - https://www.instagram.com/kino_pravda/ and https://www.facebook.com/VoltaGNV/

Episode 51: Kodak with the Eastman Museum’s Todd Gustavson

Tue, 20 Jun 2023 06:44:02 -0500

Hot off our 50th episode, the Camerosity Podcast goes back to the roots of our name, exploring the rich history of Eastman Kodak, one of the most influential companies in the photographic world. You can't talk about the history of Kodak without George Eastman and what better way to explore that history than with Todd Gustavson, curator of the George Eastman Museum in Rochester, NY.

Todd has been on the show before, but in this the 51th episode, he gets center stage, talking of his role at the Eastman Museum, the origins of George Eastman and how his company got started. In this episode, you'll learn about George Eastman making dry plates in his mother's kitchen, his motivation for making the original 1888 Kodak, where the name "Kodak" comes from, early 20th century Kodaks, prewar, postwar, and everything in between.

Also joining us on the show is the only person in the US I would trust with Kodak Retina repair, Paul Barden. Back in 2022, long time Retina guru Chris Sherlock hung up his lens spanners and retired from Retina repair. Not willing to leave a void in quality Retina service, Chris passed on his knowledge to Paul, who lives on the west coast of the United States. This not only means that there is still a quality option for Retina repair, but for those of you in the US, shipping rates are much cheaper than to New Zealand! Listen to this episode as Paul talks about his work repairing Retinas, what some of his favorite models are, and what models he does and doesn't repair.

In addition to Todd and Paul's massive amount of Kodak knowledge, we go deep into some of the best Kodak cameras ever made, the Kodaks Ektra, Medalist, Monitor, and Regent get discussed here. We talk about Walter Dorwin Teague, Dr. August Nagel, and Hubert Nerwin. Mike shares what his all time favorite Retina is to shoot, Anthony discusses his nomination for a medium format Retina, Todd and Mike talk about Joe Mihayli and his contributions to Kodak's legacy.

The guys and I rarely know where each episode is going to go until it happens, so if you’d like to join us on a future episode, be sure to look out for our show announcements on our Camerosity Podcast Facebook page, and right here on mikeeckman.com. We usually record every other Monday and announcements, along with the Zoom link are typically shared 2-3 days in advance.

Our next episode of the Camerosity Podcast will be our widest ever, as the gang discusses panorama photography and panoramic cameras. If you've ever wanted to know what it's like to shoot a Hasselblad XPan, Soviet Horizont, Noblex, or a Widelux camera, this is the episode for you! Episode 52 will be recorded on Friday, June 30th. We hope to see you there!

This Week's Episode

What is the George Eastman Museum and Why Should Anyone Go There?
Largest Collection of Nitrate Film / Over 10,000 Cameras / Not Just Kodak Is on Display / One of Louis Daguerre's Original Cameras
Paul Once Got Liquored Up in the George Eastman Museum / The Museum Has an Impressive Music Room
George Eastman's Early Years / Eastman Dry Plate Company / Eastman's First Film Wasn't Actually Film
The 1888 Kodak / Origins of the Kodak Name / Variations of the Original Box Kodaks
George Eastman Pioneered Dental Care and Donated a Ton of Money to Local Schools
What Caused Kodak to Move Away from Simple Box Cameras to More Complex Folding and Other Camera Designs?
Early Color Film Was a Two Color Film / Kodachrome Was a 6 Layer Black and White Film with Color Filters
Super Kodak Six-20 / How Many Were Made?
Kodak's Priority Was to Manufacture World Wide / Kodak Canada and UK
Kodak Film Was One of the Most Complicated Consumer Products Ever Made
Was It a Coincidence that Kodak Started Producing Much More Advanced Cameras Right After Eastman Died?
Kodak 50th Anniversary Brownie Camera Was Given Away to Children for Free
Why Did Kodak Hire Dr. August Nagel to Make Cameras For Them?
The Original 35mm Type 135 Cassette is Slightly Different Than the Ones Today
Introducing Paul Barden Who Studied Under Chris Sherlock to Repair Retinas
Paul Does Not Repair the Retina Reflexes or All the Models Chris Repaired
Disabling Dead Meters on the Later Retinas Actually Improves their Usability As There's Less Parts to Move
Which Retinas are the Most Dependable Shooters After Receiving a CLA?
Mike is Working on a Review of the Retina IIIC / Mike's Favorite Retina to Use is the Retina IB
Not Having a Rangefinder is Not Always a Bad Thing / The Retina Accessory Lenses Aren't Very Easy to Use
Besides the Retinas, What Other Great Kodak Cameras Were Made After the War?
Kodak Signet 35 / Kodak Ektra / The Ektra's Focal Plane Shutter Was Like No Other
Anthony Loves the Kodak Medalist / The Kodak Chevron is Not a Replacement for the Medalist
How Much Influence with Walter Dorwin Teague Have on Kodak?
Kodak Was Always a Film First Company / The Profit Margins Making Film Was 10x Higher Than Making Cameras
Kodak Tourist and Monitor Folding Cameras / Series III Pocket Folding Kodak
The Problem with Nearly All Folding Kodaks Are the Bellows, They All Leak Light
Kodak Retina Bellows Usually Do Hold Up To Time and Rarely Leak Light
The Kodak Duo Six-20 Is Like a Medium Format Retina / Kodak Regent
Mike Summarizes Other Great Kodaks to Shoot / Kodak Signet 35
Kodak Dated Their Lenses and Cameras Using a Code Inspired by the CAMEROSITY Podcast! / UK Lenses Used CUMBERLAND
What Was Kodak's Motivation With Instamatics and Disc Film? / Kodak Disc Film Was Better Than People Gave it Credit For
Hubert Nerwin, Designer of the Zeiss-Ikon Contax II and III Designed the Kodak Instamatic Type 126 Cassette
A Kodak Designer That Doesn't Get Talked Much About is Joeseph Mihayli / Mihayli Designed the Super Kodak Six-20, Ektra, Medalist, and Much More
What Are Some Good Kodak Reference Books Out There? / Robert Shanebrook, Brian Coe, and Douglas Collins's Books
Kodak's Major Developments in New Apparatus / Kodak Prototypes of the 1930s / Kodak's Crazy System TLR
Kodak Super 35 and Kodak Technar Prototypes are in the Eastman Collection
Anthony Was Heavily Inspired by The Art of Fixing the Shadow
Paul Barden Can Repair Your Kodak Retinas (Excluding the Retina Reflexes)
Always RTFM Before Shooting a Retina / Also Always Check the Exposure Counter

Links

The Official Camerosity Facebook Group - https://www.facebook.com/groups/camerositypodcast

Camerosity Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/camerosity_podcast/

George Eastman Museum - https://www.eastman.org/

Todd Gustavson - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KkDCZrTKQaI

Paul Barden's Retina Repair - https://kodakretina.exposure.co/the-story-of-the-kodak-retina-camera and https://www.flickr.com/photos/paulbarden/

Episode 8: Making Kodak Film with Robert Shanebrook

Episode 25: Steve Sasson and the First Digital Camera

Keppler's Vault 42: George Eastman

Theo Panagopoulos - https://www.photothinking.com/

Paul Rybolt - https://www.ebay.com/usr/paulkris and https://www.etsy.com/shop/Camerasandpictures

Anthony Rue - https://www.instagram.com/kino_pravda/ and https://www.facebook.com/VoltaGNV/

Episode 50: Return of the Classic Lenses Podcast

Thu, 08 Jun 2023 07:38:36 -0500

In this the 50th episode of the Camerosity Podcast, the gang and I look back at the past two years of open source film photography nonsense. A podcast created late one night on a whim has turned into one of the most popular of its kind.

This is a screenshot from the recording of the very first Cocaine and Waffles Podcast recorded on May 12, 2021.

Coming out of podcast retirement (somewhat) is original host, and former creator of the Classic Lenses Podcast, Johnny Sisson. Dusting off his headset and microphone, Johnny updates us on what happened to his former co-hosts and reflects on what his favorite episodes were. One of which involves Mr. Bob Rotoloni who conveniently joins us on this episode along with returning guests Rob Jamieson and podcast host himself, Andre Domingues.

On a show featuring both Bob and Johnny, we are treated to a great deal more stories about Nikon and Polaroid, along with discussion about a strange product that brought both brands together. It wouldn't be a Camerosity Podcast episode without the discussion foraying into other topics such as the Bronica S2 and adapting Bronica lenses, Hasselblads, Diptychs, and Andre's very favorable review of the half frame Kodak H35 which we touched upon in the last episode.

In the spirit of an anniversary episode that reflects back on our origins, be sure to stay through the closing music for a look back into the very first moments of this show...Episode 0!

The guys and I rarely know where each episode is going to go until it happens, so if you’d like to join us on a future episode, be sure to look out for our show announcements on our Camerosity Podcast Facebook page, and right here on mikeeckman.com. We usually record every other Monday and announcements, along with the Zoom link are typically shared 2-3 days in advance.

For our next episode, we are inviting back Todd Gustavson from the George Eastman House in Rochester, New York to share with us stories about Eastman Kodak, the company's history, some of the best Kodak models to look out for, more about the museum, and lots more. If you've only ever thought of Kodak as a film company who also made cameras...well, you'd be right...but they're so much more than that. Be sure to look out for our next show announcement. Episode 51 will be recorded on Monday, June 12th. We hope to see you there!

This Week's Episode

Johnny Reminisces About His Favorite Classic Lenses Podcast Episodes
What Happened to the CLP? / Perry Ge Has Gone Radio Silent
Mike's Favorite Camerosity Episodes / Instagram is Our Visual Aide / We Will Never Release the Zoom Video
Paul's First Impressions of the Podcast When He First Came On / The Four Hosts Talk Every Day
How Bob Rotoloni Got Started Collecting Nikon / Bob's First Two Books and First Trip to Japan in 1987
Japanese Collectors are Reluctant of Western Collectors / Differences Between German and Japanese Companies
Three Historians for Nikon, Canon, and Leica Were All Americans (Robert, Peter Dechert, and Jim Lager)
Bob Had to Pay Japanese Students to Translate Old Japanese Articles to Learn More About Nikon
Joe Ehrenreich Was a Typhoon / Canon Never Had a Joe Ehrenreich
Nikon's 25th Anniversary Nikon F2A / Was There Ever a Nikon Historical Society Commemorative Camera?
Nikon Rangefinder Serial Numbers / What is the significance of 609 and 906 Serial Numbers?
How Long Have Johnny and Robert Been Going to Central Camera
Johnny Has a Back Log of 4 Years Worth of Film to Develop / Johnny Still Shoots Polaroid Pack Film
Johnny's Parents Both Worked at Polaroid so He Grew Up with Polaroid
Johnny Tries to Shoot Half Used Packs of Polaroid Film When He Finds it / Polaroid 107 Film
Polaroid Created a Lot of Waste / Dr. Edwin Land Was the Steve Jobs of His Era
Polaroid Was a Lifestyle Brand, Similar to Apple Today
Which Polaroid Films Last Longer Than Others? / Polaroid Snot
Polaroid Backs for Nikon SLRs / Asanuma Backs Came with Nikkor-EL Enlarging Lens Inside
Johnny's Dad Used to Take Photo Finish Pictures at the Indy 500 / He Also Took Photos at Fermi Lab
Polaroid Revolutionized Photography in Ways Many People Today Don't Realize / It Was a Game Changer
Polaroid 20x24 / Polaroid Macro 5 Close-Up Camera
Rob Asks Bob About Nikon's Military Role During World War II / Yamato Battleship Rangefinder and Periscopes
Japan Didn't Have RADAR, They Relied on Nippon Kogaku's Superior Optics to See at Night
Nippon Kogaku Almost Disappeared After the War / Revere Was the Company's First Customer and Bought Tons of 8mm Cine Lenses
"Nikon and the Sponsorship of Japan's Optical Industry by the Imperial Japanese Navy" by Dr. Jeffrey Alexander / "Nikon in America 1947 - 1952" by Wes Loder
Andre Shows Off His Nikon Zfc / Nikon is Catering to the Retro Aesthetic and There's Nothing Wrong with That! / There is a Zfc Collector's Group
Adapting Bronica Nikkor Lenses / Bronica S2 / Why Did Nikon Make Lenses for Bronica?
Rob's Hasselblad 500CM with 100mm f/3.5 / Andrew Shoots Kodak Ektachrome in Lomography Sprocket Rocket
Theo is Shooting More 4x5 and His Super Ikonta 6x9 / Anthony's Half-Frame GAS / Olympus Pen D2
Anthony Still Loves His Fuji G617 / Mike Loves Photographing His Fingertips Using Panoramic Cameras
Rob is a Huge Fan of Diptychs when Shooting Half Frame
Andre Heaps Praise on the Kodak H35 Half Frame Camera / Johnny's Tips For Shooting 72 Frames in a Half Frame Camera
Paul is Knee Deep in Hasselblads Lately / Mike is Shooting a Certo Dollina III and a Fujica ST801
Johnny Seeks Opinions on the Graflex XL Superwide / The Lens Mount Is Brittle
Next Episode We Talk About Kodak with Todd Gustavson from the George Eastman House
Cocaine and Waffles: Episode 0

Links

The Official Camerosity Facebook Group - https://www.facebook.com/groups/camerositypodcast

Camerosity Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/camerosity_podcast/

Camerosity Twitter - https://twitter.com/CamerosityPod

Nikon and the Sponsorship of Japan's Optical Industry - https://mikeeckman.com/2019/01/nikon-and-the-sponsorship-of-japans-optical-industry-by-the-imperial-japanese-navy-1917-1945/

Classic Lenses Podcast Episode 51 - http://www.classiclensespodcast.com/e/51-the-mike-bob-show/

Johnny Sisson - https://www.flickr.com/photos/sissonphotography/ and https://centralcamera.com/

Andre Domingues - https://www.instagram.com/andre.on.film and https://www.podbean.com/podcast-detail/3mf4p-5fc4e/Negative-Positives-Film-Photography-Podcast

Theo Panagopoulos - https://www.photothinking.com/

Paul Rybolt - https://www.ebay.com/usr/paulkris and https://www.etsy.com/shop/Camerasandpictures

Anthony Rue - https://www.instagram.com/kino_pravda/ and https://www.facebook.com/VoltaGNV/

Camerosity can also be heard on the following services:

YouTube - https://www.youtube.com/@camerositypodcast

Google - https://podcasts.google.com/feed/aHR0cHM6Ly9mZWVkLnBvZGJlYW4uY29tL2NhbWVyb3NpdHkvZmVlZC54bWw

Apple - https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/camerosity/id1583252688

Amazon Music - https://music.amazon.com/podcasts/9d316c9e-5461-4fa5-9e04-24fd27fffc3f/camerosity

Podchaser - https://www.podchaser.com/podcasts/camerosity-1985806

Episode 49: The 35mm Half-Frame Gold Rush

Sat, 20 May 2023 09:36:10 -0500

In the history of the 20th century photo industry, there have been countless cameras made by countless companies from countless countries. Of all those cameras, one subset of film photography seems to appeal to a larger number than most, the 35mm half-frame camera. Originally the only size for still photography on 35mm film, single frame fell out of favor after World War II, but saw a huge resurgence in the 1960s with half-frame models being released by nearly every company who made cameras.

In this, the 49th episode of the Camerosity Podcast, Anthony, Theo, Paul, and Mike welcome first time and returning callers, Ray Nason, Brian Howard, Phil C., Keir Frei, Maxwell Whitaker, Richard Diver, Roger Coats, and Sean Mahan to share with us their favorite half-frame models.

Mike can't help himself and gives a brief (for him) history of half-frame and why it was originally called 'single frame', we ponder what exactly qualifies as half-frame, should 4.5cm x 6cm medium format or 24mm x 24mm square format cameras count?

A huge amount of time is spent on the Olympus Pen series and a huge number of 35mm half-frame models by Ricoh, Konica, Yashica, Ansco, Minolta, Pentacon, Canon, Taron, Petri, and others.

As is the case with many episodes, we get off topic a bit and venture into square frame 35mm with the likes of the Berning Robot, Zeiss-Ikon Tenax, and Bolta Photavit cameras. Of course we come back, only to get off topic again talking about Rapid and Karat film cassettes. We start on a slippery slope of what Gen Z looks for in photography today and briefly touch upon why anyone would want to shoot the new Kodak H35 and similar cameras.

As always, the topics we discuss on the Camerosity Podcast are influenced by you! We would love to hear from more listeners, especially those who are new to shooting film or collecting cameras. Please don't feel like you have to be an expert on a specific type of camera, or have the level of knowledge on par with other people on the show. We LOVE people who are new to shooting and are interested in having an episode dedicated to people new to the hobby, so please don't consider your knowledge level to be a prerequisite for joining!

The guys and I rarely know where each episode is going to go until it happens, so if you'd like to join us on a future episode, be sure to look out for our show announcements on our Camerosity Podcast Facebook page, and right here on mikeeckman.com. We usually record every other Monday and announcements, along with the Zoom link are typically shared 2-3 days in advance.

It is hard to believe, but the next episode of the Camerosity Podcast will be our 50th! Way back in 2021, there was this crazy idea to create a Podcast in the style of an AM/FM Radio Talk Show in which listeners could call in during a live recording and ask questions or talk about whatever they wanted. The first two episodes of this show were done with little more than an hour's notice and between those two episodes, spawned 47 more episodes, eventually making us not only the number one open source film photography podcast, but one of the fastest growing podcasts of any format.

We are trying to put something special together for our 50th episode, but haven't yet settled on the details, or even when we will record yet. I can tell you it will definitely be in early June, but when I know, you'll know. Hope to see you then!

This Week's Episode

Anthony reminisces about cheap AGAT 18s / A brief history lesson on the origins of half-frame all the way back to Thomas Edison
Anthony takes us back even further to the Lumière brothers and the Cinématographe
Olympus 18 / Pen revived the half-frame market in Japan in the 1960s / Half-frame is technically Single Frame
Medium format cameras, like 6x9 vs 6.45 are not considered half-frame
The Univex Mercury camera has a rotary shutter and very sharp lenses / Olympus Pen F also has a rotary shutter
Cynthia A. Repinski wrote a good book, The Univex Story / Mercury II
Theo brings in the Ansco Memo, which uses cartridges you can make yourself
Maxwell shoots his AGAT 18K a lot with enlarged prints / Canon Demi / AGFA Memo
Berning Robot and Zeiss-Ikon Tenax II are square format, are they considered half-frame?
Theo considers is 35mm full frame is half-frame compared to XPan format / Bolta Photavit
Half-frame was hated by photo finishers and tended to have a whole year pictures on one roll / Ilford created a double length film
Theo shows the AGFA Optima Parat / Mike has the AGFA Parat I
Understanding all the Olympus Pen models / Olympus Pen F / Pen FT / Pen FV
Double wind on a half-frame camera is strange / The Pen FT has a bespoke metering number system / EV Couplings are terrible
The Olympus Pen EE and EE-S / Pen D series with faster f/1.9 and 1.7 lenses
Olympus Pen-W is well sought out, Olympus Pen-S is a great small mechanical half-frame
Ricoh Auto-Half / Ricoh Drive / Italian Ducati / Konica IIIM
Other Half Frame Cameras by Nikon, Pentax, and Polaroid
The Pentacon Penti is a fashion accessory camera
Kodak Single Use camera can give you a Rapid Cassette replacement
Why was half-frame so popular in Japan? / Photography for Everyone is a good book on the rise of photography popularity in Japan
How Japan became a powerhouse in photography industry
The Yashica Samurai / Yashica Rapide / Yashica Sequelle / Taron Chic / Canon Dial 35 / Ricoh Caddy
Sean’s AGAT 18 with a Nikkor 8mm lens attached
Adapted lenses for the Pen F / Mike Loves the BeLOMO Chaika 3
Keir does not have a half-frame, but may soon! / The Fed Mikron is a copy of the Konica EYE
Mamiya made a half frame with the Myrapid
Half-Frame cameras which have two different taking lenses / Canon Multi-Tele / Fuji TW-3 / Konica Recorder
The Lomo LC-A Wide can switch between formats
The Kodak H35 and it’s clone / Why do Gen Z like half-frame?
Can you modify a camera to be half-frame?
Original Olympus Pen made by third party and was very popular
The podcast descended in chaos with a debate on what half-frame means

Links

The Official Camerosity Facebook Group - https://www.facebook.com/groups/camerositypodcast

Camerosity Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/camerosity_podcast/

Camerosity Twitter - https://twitter.com/CamerosityPod

Theo Panagopoulos - https://www.photothinking.com/

Paul Rybolt - https://www.ebay.com/usr/paulkris and https://www.etsy.com/shop/Camerasandpictures

Anthony Rue - https://www.instagram.com/kino_pravda/ and https://www.facebook.com/VoltaGNV/

Episode 48: No One Wants to Talk About Konica

Sat, 06 May 2023 09:30:45 -0500

In this, the 48th episode of the world's most popular podcast, Anthony, Paul, Theo, and Mike shift their attention to one of the oldest camera makers in the world and one that had produced some of the most innovative, interesting, and high quality cameras ever made...except no one wanted to talk about them!

Okay, that's not exactly accurate as three people did show up. Returning callers Raymond Nason, Mark Faulkner, and Brian Howard answered the call and came to chat with us about their favorite Konica cameras.

Kicking off the discussion was Mike who gave a short history of Japan's oldest camera maker with early models such as the Cherry Hand Camera and the Rokuoh-Sha Pearlette. We quickly moved onto the sexy Pearl folding cameras and the early Konica 35mm rangefinders. Ray brought with the very rare Konica F, the company's first attempt at a 35mm SLR, and then we bounced around between the Koni-Omega Rapid models, the Auto-Reflex series, we spent some time chatting about the Konica Eye half-frame camera, and eventually some of the company's more memorable point and shoots.

In addition to 96 minutes worth of Konica love, Theo, Mike, and Brian learned all about the American craze for elaborate senior photos, Mike explained the difference between automatic parallax and automatic field correction, Paul shares with us his least favorite 1990s premium camera, Mike complained (again) about the Konica AiBorg, his least favorite camera ever made, we explore a huge range of strange cameras designed by F.A. Porsche, and Ray gives an update on the 4th and final Yarovsky camera auction, which we discussed previously in Episode 44.

As always, the topics we discuss on the Camerosity Podcast are influenced by you! We would love to hear from more listeners, especially those who are new to shooting film or collecting cameras. Please don't feel like you have to be an expert on a specific type of camera, or have the level of knowledge on par with other people on the show. We LOVE people who are new to shooting and are interested in having an episode dedicated to people new to the hobby, so please don't consider your knowledge level to be a prerequisite for joining!

For our next episode, we've decided to go half...half-frame that is. If you ever thought that 24mm x 36mm images are too large, and found that 18mm x 24mm was the ideal size for your negatives, Episode 49 is the one for you! Join us as we will no doubt cover many wonderful half-frame shooters like the Olympus Pen F, Canon Dial 35, the Yashica Samurai, and the Konica Auto-Reflex....wait, we talked about that already! Be sure to look out for our next show announcement. Episode 49 will be recorded on Monday, May 15th. We hope to see you there!

This Week's Episode

Paul is Headed to Another Auction and Isn't Going to Buy Anything...SUUUURRREEE!!!!
A Short Early History of Konica / Rokuoh-Sha Pearlette / Contessa-Nettel Picolette / Zeiss-Ikon Cocarette
Konica Got Into 35mm With a Bunch of Scale Focus and Rangefinder Models / Konica I
Konishiroku Snappy is a 17.5 mm "Hit Style" Camera / Konica Konilette Shoots Non-Perforated 35mm Film
Anthony Tells A Story About Karl Havens Dropping His Konishiroku Pearl II / Theo Loves the Pearl II
Mark Shares his 1938 Semi Pearl, the Predecessor to the Pearl / Semi is Japanese for 4.5x6
Konishiroku Pearl IV (SEXY ALERT!)
Konica II and Konica III / Variants of the Konica III, the IIIA, and IIIM / Konica's First Half-Frame 35mm Camera
Konica's First SLR was the Konica F from 1960 / Wards am551 (Konica Auto S2) / Konica FS
Auto Parallax and Auto Field Correction in a Rangefinder
Koni-Omega Rapid Cameras / The Konica F Has a Moving Film Pressure Plate
The Koni-Omegas Were Horrible for Frame Spacing / The Koni-Omega TLRs Were Even Stranger
What the Heck is Senior Photography? / Studios That Specialize in Nothing But Senior Photography
Anthony's Favorite Konica is the Auto-Reflex / Shooting Full and Half Frame On the Same Roll is Super Cool / Dedicated Half Frame Lenses for the Auto-Reflex
The Konica Eye is a Nice Half-Frame Camera with an Interesting Logo
Konica Autoreflex T-Series Have TTL Metering and Shutter Priority AE / Autoreflex T3 Was the Last Good Body
Konica's First SLR Lens Mount was the F-Mount, the Konica AR-mount came out in 1966 / Konica FT-1 Wasn't Very Good
Konica C35 AF Was the First Point and Shoot with AF / Paul Had One of the First Konica Hexar AF Cameras in the US
When Konica and Minolta Merged, Who Bought Who? / The Merger Was the Only Reason Both Companies Survived
Mike's Number One Least Favorite Camera He's Ever Shot is the Konica AiBorg
Samsung ECX-1 / Rollei QZ35W and T / Olympus O-Product / Minolta Prod 20s / Olympus Écru
Paul's Least Favorite Premium 90s Camera Was the Nikon 35Ti
Konica Hexanon Lenses Are Great / Konica 40mm f/1.8 Lens / Mike Loves 40mm Lenses
Konica's Colored Point and Shoots / Konica Tomato and Pop Series / Konica Recorder
Konica Even Made APS Cameras / Konica Revio CL with Selfie Mirror
Konica Genba Kantoku Rugged Cameras / Fuji HD Job Site Cameras
Ray Bought Cameras from the 4th Yarovsky Auction We Talked About in Episode 44 / More of the Same

Links

The Official Camerosity Facebook Group - https://www.facebook.com/groups/camerositypodcast

Camerosity Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/camerosity_podcast/

Camerosity Twitter - https://twitter.com/CamerosityPod

Theo's Review of the Pearl II - https://photothinking.com/2022-02-23-konica-pearl-ii-the-queen-of-gems/

Mark Faulkner - https://thegashaus.com/

Mike Eckman - https://mikeeckman.com/

Theo Panagopoulos - https://www.photothinking.com/

Paul Rybolt - https://www.ebay.com/usr/paulkris and https://www.etsy.com/shop/Camerasandpictures

Anthony Rue - https://www.instagram.com/kino_pravda/ and https://www.facebook.com/VoltaGNV/

Episode 47: The Camera Strap Episode

Wed, 26 Apr 2023 07:48:21 -0500

Of all the accessories available for cameras, perhaps camera straps are the thing that people have the strongest feelings about. A camera strap is something that most cameras come with, whether it's one with the company's logo on it, or a leather one attached to an ever ready case, straps are almost as synonymous with photography as cameras are.

Yet, I don't think in the history of photography podcasts, anyone dared devote an episode one...that is until now. If there was any doubt that this is the nerdiest film photography podcast ever, wait until you hear our camera strap episode!

To be fair, we don't spend the entire time talking about straps, we also discuss the cameras that have them attached. To have a camera with a strap already attached suggests it is ready at a moment's notice to go out and shoot. And if you have a camera at the ready, it must be one you like quite a bit, so for a good portion of this episode, the hosts talk about our favorite cameras which always have a strap attached, ready to go.

Joining Anthony, Paul, Theo, and Mike are returning callers Alex Dietrich, Bill Smith, Bob St. Cyr, Mark Faulkner, Miles Libak, and Patrick Casey and first time caller, all the way from Ireland, Brian Mac Domhnaill.

Along with our favorite cameras and favorite straps, we talk about cheap vs expensive lens adapters, Mike brings up a new camera he's testing with a 15mm f/8 lens, Alex Dietrich shares his black painted Nicca III L and much, much more!

As always, the topics we discuss on the Camerosity Podcast are influenced by you! We would love to hear from more listeners, especially those who are new to shooting film or collecting cameras. Please don't feel like you have to be an expert on a specific type of camera, or have the level of knowledge on par with other people on the show. We LOVE people who are new to shooting and are interested in having an episode dedicated to people new to the hobby, so please don't consider your knowledge level to be a prerequisite for joining!

For our next episode, we are devoting an entire episode to Konica, makers of such fine cameras as the half frame/full frame Konica Auto-Reflex, the Koni Rapid Omega, and the thumb film advance Konica III rangefinder. Be sure to look out for our next show announcement. Episode 48 will be recorded on Monday, May 1st. We hope to see you there!

This Week's Episode

Paul has two picks for cameras he always has at the ready / Fuji GS645 and Plaubel 69W Proshift
Patrick's go-to cameras are the Leica M4 and the Minox 35 GL
Theo's "zoo" camera is the Nikon L35AF, a reliable point-and-shoot to keep loaded and ready to go
Brian surprises everyone with the Chinon Auto 3001 / Chinon Bellami
Mike sees your Pentax MX and raises you the Pentax LX
Miles surprises us with his choice of the Leica MA kitted out with a vintage 1930s Summar lens / L39 to M-mount and M42-K-mount adapters
Theo's more committed choice for a go-to camera / Leica M2 with a Hyperion strap
OK, Boomer: Mike and Paul wax poetic about hippie straps / branded straps from the 1980s
Alex goes strap shopping in Hong Kong
The original Minox chain is also a measuring tool for macro photography
Anthony raves about his Contax ST with the always-attached red Hyperion strap
Bob goes large format for his choice of a Gibellini GP810Ti, a stunning field camera with a big leather strap for a handle
Beware the metal rope straps...
Mark's current go-to camera is the Bessa R2A with the Skopar 35mm lens
A digression about the Secure Strap with braided stainless steel straps that help prevent cut-and-run theft
Mike blows up the discussion with the Zeiss Hologon, a 15mm fixed lens viewfinder camera that costs as much as some used cars
Bob talks about the demands of finding a strap to tame the Mamiya C330, a beast of a TLR
Alex almost one-ups Mike's Hologon with a custom paint Nicca III L / Strong Opinions about repainting cameras
The problems with tripod socket wrist straps
The weirdness and beauty of the Ansco Anscomark M and its removable strap lugs
The Mamiya 7 and the odd cameras that have both strap lugs on one edge / LOMO Voskhod / Agat 18K
Digital Episode errata and corrections / Wait, what? Nobody brought up the Nikon FM2 or FM3?!

Show Notes

The Official Camerosity Facebook Group - https://www.facebook.com/groups/camerositypodcast

Camerosity Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/camerosity_podcast/

Camerosity Twitter - https://twitter.com/CamerosityPod

Bill Smith - https://funwithcameras.blogspot.com/

Alex Dietrich - https://www.instagram.com/awdietrich/

Theo Panagopoulos - https://www.photothinking.com/

Paul Rybolt - https://www.ebay.com/usr/paulkris and https://www.etsy.com/shop/Camerasandpictures

Anthony Rue - https://www.instagram.com/kino_pravda/ and https://www.facebook.com/VoltaGNV/

Episode 46: Vintage Digital

Mon, 10 Apr 2023 08:15:44 -0500

It has taken us 46 episodes of seemingly non stop film camera discussion to finally devote an entire episode to the cameras that in the late 1990s and early 2000s, many photographers thought were a fad. That's right folks, Camerosity has gone digital! Before anyone protests and demands their Camerosity Season Pass™ membership be refunded, enough time has passed since those early film-less cameras that the early digital cameras are now vintage themselves.

In episode 46 of the Camerosity Podcast, the guys and I go all digital. With us are callers Andrew Smith, Atabak Taghizadeh, Brian Howard, Greg McCreash, Mark Faulkner, Michael Gossett, Phil Clark, and Stephen Grasso.

Anthony and Brian start things off with one of the earliest true digital cameras, the Apple QuickTake. This 0.3 megapixel monster was first released in 1994 and came in two distinct designs, one created by Kodak and the other by Fuji. Moving onto the Sony Mavica and it's 3.5" floppy disc storage, the rest of the gang has some familiarity of these cameras, and Anthony reminisces about his large collection of floppies.

We continue to traverse the late 90s and early 2000s, going around the room recalling our first digital cameras that really made us realize that cameras which write in 1s and 0s were here to stay. Mike discusses the differences between CCD and CMOS sensors, we dabble into digital IR photography and a couple Sony models which make disabling the visible light filter extremely simple. Mark prefers a more difficult way though, by opening up his Panasonic Lumixes and permanently removing the filter.

We cover digital mirrorless, and which mounts we all love adapting film lenses to, why some people didn't like EVFs compared to optical viewfinders, Mike heaps praise on the Nikon Z5, and we dabble into some of the more strange digital camera designs like the Pixii and Lytro.

This was a loaded episode with a ton of information, so whether or not you're interested in older digital cameras, or are interested to know what a (Zoom) room full of a dozen collectors shoot when we don't feel like dealing with analog emulsion, you definitely do not want to miss this episode!

As always, the topics we discuss on the Camerosity Podcast are influenced by you! We would love to hear from more listeners, especially those who are new to shooting film or collecting cameras. Please don't feel like you have to be an expert on a specific type of camera, or have the level of knowledge on par with other people on the show. We LOVE people who are new to shooting and are interested in having an episode dedicated to people new to the hobby, so please don't consider your knowledge level to be a prerequisite for joining!

For our next episode, we plan on going back to the analog realm, but now that the digital Pandora's Box has been opened, will we forever be changed? The theme of our next episode is "cameras with a strap" meaning those which are permanently in shooting configuration, ready to fire off some exposures at a moment's notice. What are your favorite cameras of all time, and which are the ones that someone will have to pry from your cold dead fingers, on the day you reach your expiration date! Be sure to look out for our next show announcement. Episode 47 will be recorded on Monday, April 17th. We hope to see you there!

This Week's Episode

All hosts shoot digital, arguments on better medium are silly
Anthony’s intro into digital, the Apple QuickTake / Brian’s Apple QuickTake 150, 100 and 200
Anthony has lots of floppies / Mark and Theo both have Sony Mavica Cameras
People don’t wipe card on old digicams, even birthing and wedding photos
Mike shoots the Nikon E2Ns with a car lighter power cord
Batteries are hard to find for pro grade equipment / Also hard to find for Leica D-Lux 2
Greg has a Sony MVC-5000 with an AC to DC adapter
Theo shoots a Minolta RD-175 / Press Compact Flash Cards from the middle to avoid bent pins
Difficult to get images from early digital cameras onto computers now / Early DSLRs had no latitude
Innovation in form of Nikon Coolpix 995 / Early CCD vs CMOS sensors
Sony DSC-505 was Anthony’s first significant digital
Canon Powershot S2 was Mike’s first significant digital / Canon Powershot S45 and Nikon D300 were Theo’s first significant digitals
Nikon D3 was Paul’s first significant digital
APS-C is based on the named after the APS format / People love to adapt Pen-F lenses to Micro 4/3
Micro 4/3 was a ground breaking innovation / Pentax Q has insane 5.5x crop factor
Some mirrorless cameras are hard to find with lenses / DSLRs vs Mirrorless
Fuji has a super loyal customer base / The Panasonic Lumix LX3 is a great pocket camera
Adjusting to electronic viewfinders / Mike has a Nikon Z for vintage lenses and stacks a Sony to Nikon adapter
Pixii Camera as a Leica competitor
Sony has had a huge head start on the others / Sony manufactured sensors for most of the brands
Infrared Red conversions on digital cameras / Using a magnet on a Sony CyberShot DSC-F828 to shoot IR / Military buys lots of IR cameras
Pentax K1 and K10 / Sigma Merrill and Quattro / Stephen loves his Leica Q2 Monochrome
Is the “film look” really a thing?
Epson RD1 / Leica M8 was Leica’s first digital rangefinder camera
Digital bridge cameras - Theo’s prediction of next big thing / The Digicam craze
Mike gets excited because he can USB charge his Z5 / AI Integrated Photography might be the future
Ricoh GRIII / Mike’s ultimate hybrid camera / Lytro Cameras

Show Notes

The Official Camerosity Facebook Group - https://www.facebook.com/groups/camerositypodcast

Camerosity Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/camerosity_podcast/

Camerosity Twitter - https://twitter.com/CamerosityPod

Andrew Smith – https://www.youtube.com/channel/UClXrAlbnU3gvdRrJ5gAR4mw

Theo Panagopoulos - https://www.photothinking.com/

Paul Rybolt - https://www.ebay.com/usr/paulkris and https://www.etsy.com/shop/Camerasandpictures

Anthony Rue - https://www.instagram.com/kino_pravda/ and https://www.facebook.com/VoltaGNV/

Episode 45: Ma-Mamiya!

Sat, 25 Mar 2023 07:52:20 -0500

On Episode 45 of the Camerosity Podcast, the guys and I return to a brand specific discussion for everyone's favorite bellows-TLR, 6cm x 4.5cm medium format SLR, 35mm leaf shutter SLR, f/1.5 lens rangefinder, half frame pistol camera making company, Mamiya! If that seems like a wild range of cameras, you're right! As makers of pretty much every style of camera conceived, Mamiya has done it all!

Joining Anthony, Paul, Theo, and Mike on this episode is Bill Rogers from mamiyarepair.com who has a literally grocery store size storage room full of spare Mamiya parts acquired from the company before they went bankrupt. Bill has experience with and can repair nearly every Mamiya camera ever made, even the compact 35mm point and shoot Mamiya U.

In addition to Bill's expertise, we also welcome current Mamiya employee Ray Nason. Ray has many decades of experience working with Mamiya cameras, selling them for many years to professional photographers and consumers alike. Together, both Bill and Ray offer a 1-2 punch of Massive Mamiya Madness!

Along for the ride are returning callers, Robert Rotoloni, Mark Faulkner, Nick Marshall, Cheyenne Morrison, Andrew Smith, Bob St. Cyr, Ira Cohen, Marcy Merrill, and Larry Effler, and first time callers Brian Howard, Mike Ahmadi, and Steven Lederman.

With a total of 20 participants, the most we've ever had on an episode of the podcast, we cover a HUGE array of subjects, including some history of the brand, the state of the Japanese optics industry immediately after the war, the origins of the Mamiya-Sekor name, trivia on a rare Canon lens made in the Exakta mount for Mamiya, and how Mamiya was able to use Nikon's bunny ears for the meter coupling on the lenses for the M645 cameras. Ira shows off his half frame Mamiya Pistol camera, Marcy brings with her a very strange accessory made for the Mamiya U, and Steven Lederman shows off a totally bizarre stereo camera made with Mamiya lenses.

As always, the topics we discuss on the Camerosity Podcast are influenced by you! We would love to hear from more listeners, especially those who are new to shooting film or collecting cameras. Please don't feel like you have to be an expert on a specific type of camera, or have the level of knowledge on par with other people on the show. We LOVE people who are new to shooting and are interested in having an episode dedicated to people new to the hobby, so please don't consider your knowledge level to be a prerequisite for joining!

For our next episode, we are finally entering the digital era, with an entire discussion on film-less cameras. Point and shoot digicams, DSLRs, digital mirrorless, vintage digital, and digital backs are all topics we may or may not get to! If you'd like to learn more about the history of digital photography, or why Gen Z is so smitten with Japanese digicams, be sure to look out for the next show! Episode 46 will be recorded on Monday, April 3rd. We hope to see you there!

This Week's Episode

Introducing Bill Rogers from mamiyarepair.com
The History of Mamiya / First Japanese Camera Maker After WWII / Made in Occupied Japan Cameras
Mamiya Sixes Can Be Found with Fuji, Nikkor, and Zuiko Lenses / Nikon Almost Made a TLR
The Mamiya Six Had a Movable Film Plane and a Strange Film Pressure Plate
In 1948 Mamiya Released Both the First Mamiyaflex and Mamiya 35mm Camera / Early Mamiyaflex and Mamiya C-Series TLRs
Anthony Knew a Guy Who Used the Mamiya C to Shoot Crime Scenes and Dead Bodies
Mamiya C TLRs Were Popular with Wedding Photographers
Ray Nason Works for Mamiya and has a Couple Photos of Mamiya Prototypes
The Koni-Omegaflex and Gowlandflex Were Two Other TLRs with Interchangeable Lenses and Shutters
Mamiya Super 23 Press Cameras / Mamiya 645 Prisms Almost Always Have Separation
Why Do Prisms Have Separation? / Everyone Wants Waist Level Finders Today
The Mamiya 7 Has the Best Optics of Any Camera Mike Ahmadi and Theo Have Ever Owned
Weak Points of the Mamiya 7 / Magnetic Interlocks
The RB67 is a Tank / The RBs Will Be Repairable for a Long Time
Using Graflock Backs for the RB67 and the Super 23 Press Camera
Mamiyas's 35mm Cameras / Mamiya Magazine Has a Completely Removable Film Back / Adox 300
Mamiya Sketch Was Japan's First and Only 24mm x 24mm Rangefinder Camera / Mamiya Myrapid
Mamiya Prismat Leaf Shutter SLRs / Argus SLR / Nikkorex / Tower SLRs / Ricoh Singlex
Mamiya's Other SLRs / Mamiya Auto XTL / Mamiya ZE-X
Mamiya 16mm Cameras / Tower 10B / Rank Mamiya
Canon Once Made a Lens with the Exakta Mount for the Mamiya Prismat / Ira Has a Mamiya Pistol Camera
The Meter Coupling "Bunny Ears" on Mamiya 645 Lenses Was a Shared Patent by Nikon
Insider Information: The Next Edition of McKeown's Camera Collector's Guide is Coming Any Day Now!
You Can Use 120 Film in the Mamiya M645 Camera With the 220 Back
Mamiya 500DTL and 1000DTL SLRs had Dual and Spot Metering
Where Does the Name "Sekor" Come From in Mamiya-Sekor Lenses?
Mamiya Was Game for Almost Everything / Mamiya Super Deluxe 1.7
The Early Japanese Camera Industry Was Built Around Cooperation / Mamiya Had a Lot of Similarities to Konica
Henry Froelich Was Responsible for Helping Konica Get Imported to the US
Bill Rogers Can No Longer Repair the Mamiya 645AF or the Mamiya ZD Digital Camera
Ilford Jazz CDs, Minolta Disco Records, and Mamiya Nudie T-Shirts and Fuzzy Bear Stickers
Mamiya U Manual Focus and Auto Focus Compact 35mm Cameras / Bill Still Has Parts for Those
Marcy Merrill Has the Coolest Accessory for the Mamiya U
Mamiya's Demise Started Around 1983 / They Stopped Making 35mm Cameras
What Would it Take to Make an All New 35mm or Medium Format Camera?
The Biggest Obstacle to Someone Making a New Camera is So Many Old Cameras Still Work
Steven Lederman's Weird 3D World Stereo Camera / Hybrid Stereo Mamiya C-Series TLR
The Recent Cincinnati Ohio Camera Auction was Very Well Attended and Paul Wasn't There
Nick Marshall Loves Shooting Instax Film on the RB67 and Super 23 / Marcy Promotes a Camera Show in Kent, WA
An Update About Anthony's Voigtländer Superb He Bought from Australia

Show Notes

The Official Camerosity Facebook Group - https://www.facebook.com/groups/camerositypodcast

Camerosity Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/camerosity_podcast/

Camerosity Twitter - https://twitter.com/CamerosityPod

Peter Dechert's SLR book, “Canon: Single Lens Reflex Cameras 1959-1991”

Bill Rogers - mamiyarepair.com - https://mamiyarepair.com/

Ray Nason - https://www.facebook.com/RayNasonMacGroup/

Cheyenne Morrison – https://www.instagram.com/bigshotphotos/

Mark Faulkner – https://thegashaus.com/

Marcy Merrill - Junk Store Cameras - https://junkstorecameras.com/

Closing Credits Audio - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cUBC553yteo

Theo Panagopoulos - https://www.photothinking.com/

Paul Rybolt - https://www.ebay.com/usr/paulkris and https://www.etsy.com/shop/Camerasandpictures

Anthony Rue - https://www.instagram.com/kino_pravda/ and https://www.facebook.com/VoltaGNV/

Episode 44: Auctioning Cameras with Dan Tamarkin

Fri, 10 Mar 2023 07:51:58 -0600

After a stream of back to back to back episodes covering specific brands of cameras and talking to a huge number of listeners, the guys and I decided we would take a short break from our "open source" concept to catch up on the things we all have been doing.

We thought it would be a nice change to have a smaller, more intimate discussion and invite someone we all thoroughly enjoy talking to and wanted to catch up with.

After a painstaking "Hunger Games" style of elimination rounds, the guys and I picked none other than Dan Tamarkin as our special guest host this week. As he always does, Dan brings with him a lifetime of knowledge of Leica and camera retail experience.

With that experience, we decided it would be fun to talk about some recent auctions, including a rather infamous one that recently closed in Northern Ohio which Paul and I participated in, and a large number of our listeners did as well. We've heard some of the stories from that auction and have a few of our own, so we talk about that, along with Tamarkin Auctions, and everything that goes into making one run smoothly, and what might make them run "not smoothly".

In addition to auctions, Anthony thought it would be fun to announce in the presence of a well-known Leica dealer that he sold every single Leica he owns, and traded it for a viewfinder camera. What kind of viewfinder camera is equal to a perfectly working Leica M3 and a IIIf you ask? Listen to the show.

In addition, Mike's not dead, Robot Theo is pining for his job, Human Theo bought some stuff from Paul, Paul is bringing out the bling with his golden cameras, and Mike is shooting one of those Japanese "Hit" style miniature cameras.

As always, the topics we discuss on the Camerosity Podcast are influenced by you! We would love to hear from more listeners, especially those who are new to shooting film or collecting cameras. Please don't feel like you have to be an expert on a specific type of camera, or have the level of knowledge on par with other people on the show. We LOVE people who are new to shooting and are interested in having an episode dedicated to people new to the hobby, so please don't consider your knowledge level to be a prerequisite for joining!

For our next Episode, we will re-open the call-in lines and talk about Mamiya and their very diverse line up of roll film TLR and SLRs, along with their many different iterations of 35mm cameras. Episode 45 will be recorded on Monday, March 20th. We hope to see you there!

This Week's Episode

Besides Leica, What is Dan's Favorite Camera to Shoot? / Fuji GS645 / Zeiss-Ikon ZM Rangefinder
Fuji GF670 Folders / Plaubel Makina 67 and 67W
Anthony Sells All His Leicas To Buy a Fuji G617 / Theo Sells Anthony A Voigtländer Superb and it Gets Lost / Anthony Hates the Gainesville USPS
How Do You Properly Frame for a Panoramic Photo? / Anthony Sees Things in Panavision
Noblex 135 S / Mamiya 7 with Pano Adapter
What Percentage of Tamarkin Camera is Film vs Digital?
Leica M8 and M9s Come in and Go Straight to Leica / Faulty Digital Sensors
Mike Really Wants to Try a Leica M5 / Front Hanging Shutter Speed Dial / Canon EF
Behind the Scenes at Tamarkin Auctions / Live Auctions vs Online Auctions
Confusion About A Recent Large Camera Auction in Ohio / Bid Multipliers
Shipping Items from Online Auctions / Pickup of Items at the Ohio Auction
Dan and Paul's Stories About the Voncabbage Collection / The Most Amazing Collection
What Other High Profile Auctions Are Out There?
Buying Cameras from Estate Auctions / The Thrill of the Hunt / Mike Buys a Very Poorly Listed Olympus Six
Mike's Thoughts on Using Common Sense / Reputation is Important / Stuff Begets Stuff
The Girl in Facebook Who Inherited A Storage Locker Full of Cameras From Her Boss
Theo Buys a Contessa 35 and ANSCO Memo from Paul and Gets a Free T-Shirt
Theo is Shooting a Zeiss-Ikon Super Ikonta Repaired by Jess / Ricoh Auto-Half / Rollei 35 / Nikon FE
Anthony is Shooting a Minox LX / Akarelle Loaded with Tech Pan / Nikon F with Nikkor 105/2.5 Lens
Mike Sells an Olympus Pen F to Someone Who Was On the Last Episode
Mike is Shooting a Sears (Ricoh) TLS with the SR "Atomic" Logo / Praktica VLC 3 / Olympus 35 SP / Toko Tone
Paul is Shooting His Gold Summilux on Anthony's M3 / Paul Loves Gold Cameras
Stay Tuned for Mamiya Discussion Next Time / Check us out on Instagram

Show Notes

The Official Camerosity Facebook Group - https://www.facebook.com/groups/camerositypodcast

Camerosity Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/camerosity_podcast/

Camerosity Twitter - https://twitter.com/CamerosityPod

Dan Tamarkin – http://www.tamarkin.com/ and https://www.tamarkinauctions.com/

Theo Panagopoulos - https://www.photothinking.com/

Paul Rybolt - https://www.ebay.com/usr/paulkris and https://www.etsy.com/shop/Camerasandpictures

Anthony Rue - https://www.instagram.com/kino_pravda/ and https://www.facebook.com/VoltaGNV/

Episode 43: The Graflex-osity Podcast

Mon, 27 Feb 2023 07:30:40 -0600

In a first for the Camerosity Podcast, we finally dive into the wonderful world of Graflex press cameras and other 4x5 cameras. If you thought Camerosity only meant 35mm, medium format roll film, and subminis, this is the episode that will shake up everything you know about us!

For episode 43, we had a packed house (although there was one significant omission). Joining the gang on this show was first time caller, and owner of Graflex Parts, Graham Burnett, along with Andy Pham, Daniel Belmes, Eric J, Greg McCreash, Howard Sandler, Jess Hobbs, Marcy Merrill, Mario Piper and his wife Julianne Piper, Mark Faulkner, Nick Marshall, Patrick Casey, and Robert Rotoloni.

Together, topics ranging far and wide from the history of Folmer & Schwing, the company who made the first Graphic cameras, to differences between all the models, where to start if you've never shot a Graflex before, development tips, and all sorts of information that people who love these cameras want you to know. In addition to discussions about Graflex press cameras, we also get into a few other 4x5 cameras like the Busch Pressman and Burke & James versions. Greg McCreash is back to talk about his massive Combat Graflex, and we even touch upon some of the 35mm Graflex cameras.

If you've ever wanted to know something about these wonderful cameras, this is the episode you'll want to hear!

As always, the topics we discuss on the Camerosity Podcast are influenced by you! We would love to hear from more listeners, especially those who are new to shooting film or collecting cameras. Please don't feel like you have to be an expert on a specific type of camera, or have the level of knowledge on par with other people on the show. We LOVE people who are new to shooting and are interested in having an episode dedicated to people new to the hobby, so please don't consider your knowledge level to be a prerequisite for joining!

The guys and I have had a great time talking about Graflex, Argus, Contax, and Pentax, and for our next episode, we are going to divert a bit from our regular format and just discuss what we've been working on lately and some topics we'd like to share with you all, so there won't be any option to dial in for the next episode. Maybe we'll still have a special guest for you, maybe not! You'll just need to stay tuned for that one.

We will resume our normal call in for episode 45 though, which we will record on Monday, March 20th. We don't yet know what we'll talk about then, but be sure to stay tuned for the official announcement!

This Week's Episode

How Paul Ended Up with a Closet Full of Graflex / The Baffling Array of Variations
Anthony Takes the Leap Into Press Cameras with His Graflex Super Graphic
Differences Between the Speed vs Crown Graphic
Graham Burnett of graflexparts.com Dives Deep into the Graflex Lineage
What Does Graflex Parts Do for the Graflex Community?
Folmer & Schwing and the Bicycle Graphic
The Complicated Rise of the Single Lens Reflex Graflex
The Many Sizes of Film for Graflex / The Evolution of Graflex Film Backs
Eric J and his F&S / Bicycle Camera Bicycle Touring with Graflex
Andy Pham and Concert Photography with his AutoGraflex 5x7 SLR
Luis Mendez and Graflex Street Portraits in NYC
Keeping Pre-war Graflex Cameras Up and Running
Howard and his Graflex Monorail Graphic View Camera
Julianne Piper, Shooting Paper Negatives in an Array of Graflex Cameras
The LomoGraflock vs Polaroid backs
Advantages of Crown vs Speed Graphic as a First Graflex
Demystifying Graflex Lens Options
Using Projector and Brass Lenses with Graflex
Graflex at War / The Post-war Decline of Graflex
Other Press Cameras / Busch Pressman / Burke & James Press Cameras
Nick Marshall and His Series D 3x4 / Shooting Speed Graphic with Instax
Developing 4x5 at Home
Jess Hobbs and Adventures with 4x5 with Her Intrepid / 4x5 Film Options
Daniel B and Shooting a Graflex Super D / Enlarging Graflex as 11x14 Large Format
Greg McCreash and the Combat Graflex
Mario Asks is Graflex is Making a Resurgence? / What is the Appeal of Shooting Large Format?
Eric Mathy on the Appeal of Large Format to the Tinkerer and the Artist
Mike Eckman and the Graflex Graphic 35 Jet

Show Notes

The Official Camerosity Facebook Group - https://www.facebook.com/groups/camerositypodcast

Camerosity Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/camerosity_podcast/

Camerosity Twitter - https://twitter.com/CamerosityPod

Graham Burnett, Graflex Parts - https://www.graflexparts.com/

Jess Hobbs - https://www.youtube.com/c/JessHobbs

Erik Mathy, All Through a Lens - https://allthroughalens.com/

Theo Panagopoulos - https://www.photothinking.com/

Paul Rybolt - https://www.ebay.com/usr/paulkris and https://www.etsy.com/shop/Camerasandpictures

Anthony Rue - https://www.instagram.com/kino_pravda/ and https://www.facebook.com/VoltaGNV/

Episode 42: The United States of Argus

Fri, 10 Feb 2023 07:32:38 -0600

No one has recently challenged the Camerosity Podcast as the "Nerdiest Film Photography Podcast" but that won't stop us from further proving that point by taking a trip to the USA!

No, not that USA, this time I am talking about the United States of Argus! For Episode 42 we invite two special guests, both members of the Argus Collector's Group, Phillip Sterritt and Mike Reitsma. Phil and Mike both have an otherworldly level of knowledge about Argus and their cameras, their history, rare versions, and what the best Arguses are to use.

Although we spend a great deal of time on Argus, in this episode, we venture into a huge number of other American cameras worth checking out, like ANSCO, Perfex, Clarus, Universal, Falcon, Detrola, Ciro-Flex, Graflex, Wollensak, Winpro, and many others!

Joining us on this episode are collectors and first time callers Eric Risse, Pat Casey, and retired US Navy Photographer Greg McCreash who at the very end of the show busts out one of the most amazing American Cameras ever made, but I don't want to spoil it for you, so you'll just have to listen to the episode (or read the show notes). In addition to Eric, Pat, and Greg are returning guests Dan Hausman, and Robert Rotoloni.

On the episode we cover a ton of history, what is an extinction meter and how does it work, our recommendations on which American cameras you should try if you've never shot an American camera before, and Theo discovers a rare Australian Argus in his collection that he didn't even know he had!

As always, the topics we discuss on the Camerosity Podcast are influenced by you! We would love to hear from more listeners, especially those who are new to shooting film or collecting cameras. Please don't feel like you have to be an expert on a specific type of camera, or have the level of knowledge on par with other people on the show. We LOVE people who are new to shooting and are interested in having an episode dedicated to people new to the hobby, so please don't consider your knowledge level to be a prerequisite for joining!

If you want to join us for our next episode, we will record Episode 43 on Monday, February 20th and we will talk to John Minnick about his custom built Graflexes, along with an entire Graflex and 4x5 discussion. Be sure to stay tuned for the official announcement!

This Week's Episode

Many Advanced American Cameras of the 40s and Early 50s Were Because You Couldn't Get Stuff from Germany / ANSCO Automatic Reflex 3.5
Charles Verschoor and How Argus Originally Made Radios / IRC and Detrola Used Bakelite in Radios Worked Well in Cameras
The Argus A Series / Argus B Has a German Lens and Possibly French Lens / How to Differentiate Between Argus A Cameras
How Do Extinction Meters Work? / Mike's Favorite A-Series is the Argus A2F with the Focusing Helix
$25 Was the Price Point for Several New American Cameras in the late 1930s
The Argus C-Series / Argus C / The Ontora Double Exposure Device
Anthony's First Impressions of the Argus C3 / Enna Werk Sandmar Lenses / Changing Lenses on the Argus C3
The "Argus Grip" / Repositioning the Cocking Lever / Argus C3 Match-Matic is the Harry Potter Camera / How the Match-Matic Meter Worked
What are the Rarest Argus C-Series / Argus C with F/S Switch / Argus Prototype / Metric Scale Arguses / Minca Arguses
Theo Has a Rare Australian Made Argus Seventy-Five And He Didn't Know It / Argus C4 Black Bodies
Argus Was a Pretty Cool Company to Work For / Argus Eyes Newsletter
Where did the Name Argus Come From? / Mythological Character with Many Eyes
What Was the Successor to the Argus C3, the Argus C4 or the Argus C33? / Argus 21 Markfinder
The Mythical White and Gold Argus A / Mike Reitsma 3D Printed One From Scratch
If You Want to Try an Argus, but Not the C3, What is a Good Camera to Try? / Argus C44 and C44R
Argoflex TLR / Rare Argoflex II with Auto Film Stop
Wollensak Lenses Are Consistently Good to Great / Wollensak Stereo Revere Camera
Universal Mercury Lenses / The Universal Mercury Is a Lot of Fun to Shoot
Mike Also Like the Clarus MS-35 / The Clarus Shutter is Very Reliable / The Wescon Clarus Variant
The Best Perfex is Not the Speed Candid! / Who Made Perfex Lenses?
Argus was Acquired by Sylvania and then Mansfield / Argus Golden Shield
Spartus and the Chicago Cluster / Devry QRS Camera
Vokar and Vokar II / Vokar A and B / Wirgin Variants / Zenith Winpro 35
Argus SLRs / The Argus SLR / Argus Cosina and Petri Variants
Ciro Cee-ay 35 Was Originally a Perfex then Became a Graflex
Herbert & Huesgon Tourist Multiple Had a Zeiss Lens and Shot 750 18x24mm Exposures
Mike Loves the ANSCO and AGFA Memo Cameras
American Cameras We Didn't Talk About / Polaroid SX-70 / Bolsey B-Series and Jubilee / Falcon / Aircraft Gun Cameras / Kardon
The Combat Graflex Is Amazing! / Hubert Nerwin Designed the Combat Graflex
Next Episode We Talk About Graflex and Have John Minnick Joining Us!
Glass Brass and Chrome by Karlton C. Lahue and Joseph A. Bailey
The Worst American Camera is the Traid Fotron / We Don't Talk about the Fotochrome Either

Show Notes

The Official Camerosity Facebook Group - https://www.facebook.com/groups/camerositypodcast

Camerosity Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/camerosity_podcast/

Camerosity Twitter - https://twitter.com/CamerosityPod

Argus Collector's Group - https://www.arguscg.org/

Phillip Sterritt - http://argusinfo.net/

Mike Reitsma (Argus Museum) - https://argusmuseum.wordpress.com/events/

Dan Hausman - https://historiccamera.com/club/occs/

Theo Panagopoulos - https://www.photothinking.com/

Paul Rybolt - https://www.ebay.com/usr/paulkris and https://www.etsy.com/shop/Camerasandpictures

Anthony Rue - https://www.instagram.com/kino_pravda/ and https://www.facebook.com/VoltaGNV/

Episode 41: Dr. Brandon Monroe, Contax M.D.

Fri, 20 Jan 2023 08:36:03 -0600

Please Read: As of August 2023, Brandon Monroe has disappeared from social media and no longer responds to emails or DMs. He seems to have abandoned his Contax repair business, so the Camerosity Podcast can longer endorse his services. I am leaving this episode available to listen to as it covers a tremendous amount of good material about the Zeiss-Ikon Contax, however.

You know what they say, 'An apple a day, keeps the doctor away...' so for those of you with broken Contaxes, you better get rid of all your apples as the doctor is here!

Okay, so maybe he hasn't quite gotten his PhD yet, but in this, the 41st episode of the Camerosity Podcast, we are happy to introduce you to Brandon Monroe, an aviation mechanics student who just so happens to really love the Zeiss-Ikon Contax rangefinders so much that he wanted to learn how to repair them himself. Brandon reached out to other well known technicians who repair Contaxes like Henry Scherer and Mark Hansen and learned what he could from them. For everything else, he rolled up his sleeves and got to work. Tearing down several broken Contax rangefinders, and at least one that had been previously CLAd to see what was done, Brandon has recently become successful at full CLAs of both pre and postwar Contax IIs and IIIs. Brandon has repaired several cameras for Paul and a few others, and according to Paul, the cameras are like new.

Listen in as Brandon tells his story of how he got started and why he fell in love with Contax rangefinders. He discusses differences between the pre and postwar shutters, what the shutters are made of, how the rangefinders work and how they're adjusted, who makes our favorite Contax lens adapters, using Contax lenses on Nikon rangefinders, plus a huge number of other things. Mike can't help himself and goes into the history of the camera somewhat, explaining how the Contax I came to be, and what differences are between it and the later cameras.

Joining us on this episode are returning guests Aidan Dean, Alex Dietrich, and first time callers Steve Wilcox and from all the way in Belgium, Eric Kaas Sluis, a self professed Contax addict who has one of the largest collections of working Contaxes and lenses in the world.

In addition to repair of the Contax, we talk about what makes them special, who made the original Zeiss-Ikon Contax in 1926 (Hint: His name rhymes with 'Bagel'), postwar Jena Contaxes, and why you should consider a Kiev if you cannot afford a Contax. Amazingly, the guys somehow manage to stay on topic for most of the show, but a small amount of time is spent on a few other cameras that we just can't stop talking about.

As always, the topics we discuss on the Camerosity Podcast are influenced by you. We would love to hear from more listeners, especially those who are new to shooting film or collecting cameras. Please don't feel like you have to be an expert on a specific type of camera, or have the level of knowledge on par with other people on the show. We LOVE people who are new to shooting and are interested in having an episode dedicated to people new to the hobby, so please don't consider your knowledge level to be a prerequisite for joining!

If you want to join us for our next episode, we will record Episode 42 on Monday, February 6th and we will talk American cameras like Argus, Clarus, Perfex, and many other brands you may or may not have heard of! Be sure to stay tuned for the official announcement!

This Week's Episode

Introducing Brandon Monroe / Brandon Needs to Pressure Test His Nikonos
Pentax Errata / The Pentax MX Does Have a Depth of Field Preview Lever and Some K1000s Do Have a Self Timer
Of All Cameras to Fix, Why Did Brandon Want to Learn to Repair the Contax? / Brandon Talked to Henry Scherer and Mark Hansen For Help
The Tension Screw For the Shutter Is Often Used to Over Tension the Shutter / If You Over Tension, It's Kaput
A (Very) Brief Intro Into How the Contax Shutter Works / Where Brandon Gets Replacement Ribbons From
The History of the Contax / The Contax I Was Released in 1932 and Had Many Revisions
The Contax II and III Came Out in 1936, The Difference is In the Meter
Differences Between Pre and Postwar Contaxes / The Mount is the Same, but Not All Pre-War Lenses Work on Post-War Bodies
The Construction of the Contax Rangefinders / Brandon Also Loves the Zeiss-Ikon Contessa 35 / Adjusting the Contax Rangefinder
Brandon Makes a Mask to Block off Fractures in Contax Rangefinders
Paul is Brandon's Number 1 Customer / What Are Zeiss Bumps?
Finding Contaxes in Europe Isn't Very Hard, But Getting Them Repaired Is / Eric Doesn't Like the Contax I
How is Brandon Going to Handle the Immense Demand for People Wanting Their Contax Repaired?
Does Brandon Intend to Train Others to Repair Contaxes? / Do Not Try to Use a Prewar Contax Without Servicing It
What is it About the Contax That Makes Them Special?
You Cannot Compare a CLA'd Contax to a non-CLA'd Contax, They Are So Much Better
Zeiss Was a World Class Optics Company When They Made the First Contax, Leitz Made Microscopes
Zeiss Cameras Were Always Solid, Even the Last Icarex SLRs / Some Early Zeiss Lenses Were Outsourced to American and British Firms
The Very First Zeiss-Ikon Contax Was Made in 1926, What Was It, and Who Designed It?
Anthony and Eric Both Prefer the Sonnar 50mm f/2 over the f/1.5
Eric and Paul Recommend the Zeiss Amedeo Adapter / Can you Adapt Nikon Lenses to Contax and Vice Versa?
The Contax Claw / There's a Correct Way to Press the Shutter Release on a Contax
Mike Defends the Kiev, They Are Not Contax Copies, They Are a Continuation / Early Kievs Can Be Very Good
Jena Contaxes Were Made After the War By Former Contax Technicians With Nothing to Do
Brandon's Tips for Identifying a Kiev with a German Shutter / If You Can't Afford a Contax, There's No Shame in Buying a Kiev
There Are Many Ukrainian and Other Former Soviet Sellers Who Are Very Reputable, You Should Not Hesitate to Buy from Them
Brandon Loves the Contessa 35 So Much It Killed His Internet Connection
Lightning Round: What Other Unrepairable Camera Do You Wish Could Get Repaired?
Paul - Zeiss-Ikon Contaflex TLR, Mike - Kodak Ektra, Eric - Leicaflex SL2, Alex - Olympus Stylus Epic, Brandon - Contax I, Theo - Petris, Anthony - Folding Kodak Bellows / Kodak Monitor Six-20
The Contax I Has a Unique Shutter from Any Other Contax / Different Ribbons / The Rangefinder is Coupled by a Cord
Thank You to Brandon For Learning to Do This / We Need More Young People to Learn to Repair Cameras

Show Notes

The Official Camerosity Facebook Group - https://www.facebook.com/groups/camerositypodcast

Camerosity Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/camerosity_podcast/

Camerosity Twitter - https://twitter.com/CamerosityPod

Brandon Monroe - https://www.facebook.com/mixedemulsionsbybrandon

Eric Kaas Sluis - https://www.flickr.com/photos/129242869@N03/

Theo Panagopoulos - https://www.photothinking.com/

Paul Rybolt - https://www.ebay.com/usr/paulkris and https://www.etsy.com/shop/Camerasandpictures

Anthony Rue - https://www.instagram.com/kino_pravda/ and https://www.facebook.com/VoltaGNV/

Bonus Pentax Discussion

Mon, 09 Jan 2023 07:49:43 -0600

When recording Episode 38, we ended the discussion at the end of the M42 era and picked up with the K-mounts in Episode 40. Although you never heard us touch upon the K-mounts in Episode 38, we actually did start talking about them, but decided to scrap that part as it was making the episode too long.

Originally, I had thought I could edit the unused K-mount audio into the next episode, but it turned out that we had enough to fill a whole episode, so the K-mount audio was not needed.

It is clear you all REALLY like Pentax, so not wanting to deprive everyone of more of what they want, here is that unused K-mount discussion from Episode 38 from the cutting room floor. We really only touch upon two topics, some of which we covered again in Episode 40, but if you need just a little more with your morning cup of coffee, here it is, unedited for your listening pleasure!

As always, the topics we discuss on the Camerosity Podcast are decided by you. We would love to hear from more listeners, especially those who are new to shooting film or collecting cameras. Please don't feel like you have to be an expert on a specific type of camera, or have the level of knowledge on par with other people on the show. We LOVE people who are new to shooting and are interested in having an episode dedicated to people new to the hobby, so please don't consider your knowledge level to be a prerequisite for joining!

The guys and I rarely know where each episode is going to go until it happens, so if you'd like to join us on a future episode, be sure to look out for our show announcements on our Camerosity Podcast Facebook page, and right here on mikeeckman.com. We record every other Monday and announcements, along with the Zoom link are typically shared 2-3 days in advance.

If you want to join us for our next episode, we will record Episode 41 on Monday, January 16th and we will have a special guest who is fast becoming the go to repair source for the Zeiss-Ikon Contax rangefinder! Be sure to stay tuned for the official announcement!

Show Notes

The Official Camerosity Facebook Group - https://www.facebook.com/groups/camerositypodcast

Camerosity Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/camerosity_podcast/

Camerosity Twitter - https://twitter.com/CamerosityPod

Theo Panagopoulos - https://www.photothinking.com/

Paul Rybolt - https://www.ebay.com/usr/paulkris and https://www.etsy.com/shop/Camerasandpictures

Anthony Rue - https://www.instagram.com/kino_pravda/ and https://www.facebook.com/VoltaGNV/

Episode 40: Pentax Part Deux

Fri, 06 Jan 2023 08:17:19 -0600

We're starting off the new year with a continuation of the Pentax discussion we started in Episode 38. Pentax Part Deux picks up with the K-Mount SLRs produced by Asahi in the 1970s and we go through the auto focus cameras, covering Pentax point and shoots, and even the Pentax 67 and 110 cameras to round out many of the most popular models from that era. If you are fans of the Pentax MX, LX, ME Super, 110 Auto, or even the PC35AF, this is the episode you won't want to miss!

Joining us on this episode are returning callers Mark Faulkner, Robert Rotoloni, Andrew Smith, Larry Effler, and Mario Piper, and first time callers Marcy Merrill from junkstorecameras.com, Ed Gabe, and Nate Ostroushko.

In addition to gobs of Pentax love, we cover Ricoh/Pentax's recent announcement of their intent to reintroduce film cameras, fantasizing about what we'd like to see in a new camera, and what to avoid from previous Kickstarter projects like the Reflex and Ihagee Elbaflex prototypes. We answer the tough questions regarding M42 vs K-mount lenses, cover what seems to be everyone's favorite digicam, plus Mike gets to visit a previous guest and hold a historically significant replica.

The guys and I rarely know where each episode is going to go until it happens, so if you'd like to join us on a future episode, be sure to look out for our show announcements on our Camerosity Podcast Facebook page, and right here on mikeeckman.com. We record every other Monday and announcements, along with the Zoom link are typically shared 2-3 days in advance.

This Week's Episode

The First Pentax K-Mount Cameras were the KX, K2, and KM, the Pentax K1000 Came Later
The K1000s Were Very Tough and Used as Crime Lab Cameras / The Hong Kong K1000s Use More Plastic
Everyone Loves the Pentax MX / Seriously, Go Buy a Pentax MX / The MX is like the Olympus OM-1
Pentax ME Super had Auto Exposure and Manual Control but Used Buttons / The Pentax MG and MV Were Horrible
College Bookstores offered the K1000 as a Student Camera into the 2000s / The ME Super Was Featured in Stranger Things
Is There Any Improvement Between the M42 Takumars and K-Mount SMC Takumars?
Can you Use M42 Lenses on K-Mount Cameras?
If You Already Have the 50mm f/2 SMC Pentax Lens, Is It Worth Upgrading?
Was the Pentax 67 Seen as a Pro Camera? / The Pentax 67 Is Even Louder than the Bronica S2
Marcy Merrill has the OG Camera Review Blog
Soviet K-Mount SLRs / Almaz 103 / Later Zenits
Did Asahi Intend for the K-Mount to Be So Universally Supported?
The Pentax Auto 110 and 110 Super / Are the Pentax 110s the Best 110 Camera? / Canon 110ED
Pentax LX vs the Nikon F3 / The Pentax LX is Very Good But Unreliable Today
What About the Later MZ Pentaxes? / Mike Is 0 for 2 in Auto Focus Pentax SLRs
Pentax Point and Shoots, Espio 140V and 150V / Theo and Mike Both Love the Pentax PC35AF
Marcy Sells Mike a National Geographic Binocular Camera
Pentax/Ricoh's Announcement of Making New Film Cameras / The Shutter is the Key
How Much Money Will People Really Pay for a New SLR? / Ihagee Elbaflex SLR Kickstarter
Mike's Idea for a New Film and Digital SLR / Reflex Interchangeable Mount Kickstarter SLR
Fuji is An Example of a Film Company That Isn't Investing in New Film Products / Fuji Instax is For Teenagers
New Years New GAS: FED 3 / Viscawide-16 ST-D / Keks EM-01 Light Meter / Lumix LX-3 / Ricoh RDC-7 / Brumberger 35 (Neoca S2)
Everyone Loves the Panasonic Lumix LX-3 / Marcy's New Year Resolution is to Organize Her Collection and Build Shelves / IKEA Billy Shelves
Mike Visits Daniel Koons and Got to Hold Steve Sasson's First Digital Camera Replica
Paul Gets a 1940s Wollensak Lens Made for E.Leitz New York / Anthony Revisits the Canon VT Deluxe / KW Pilot
Anthony is Going to Get a Leica IIIf / Our Next Guest Repairs Contax Rangefinders

Show Notes

The Official Camerosity Facebook Group - https://www.facebook.com/groups/camerositypodcast

Camerosity Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/camerosity_podcast/

Camerosity Twitter - https://twitter.com/CamerosityPod

Mark Faulkner - https://thegashaus.com/

Marcy Merrill - https://www.junkstorecameras.com/

Mario Piper - https://podcasts.apple.com/in/podcast/gen-x-photography/id1494585131

Theo Panagopoulos - https://www.photothinking.com/

Paul Rybolt - https://www.ebay.com/usr/paulkris and https://www.etsy.com/shop/Camerasandpictures

Anthony Rue - https://www.instagram.com/kino_pravda/ and https://www.facebook.com/VoltaGNV/

Episode 39: Camerosity Trivia Challenge

Thu, 22 Dec 2022 09:56:01 -0600

Another year is in the books! There have been 23 episodes of the Camerosity Podcast this year, and as we close out 2022, the guys and I thought it would be fun to play some trivia. The first ever Camerosity Trivia Challenge pits the hosts against our listeners in a 25 question (actually 24) multiple choice challenge. Follow along with us to determine who is the most knowledgeable of our listeners and hosts! Mike created the questions, but Anthony, Paul and Theo had no unfair advantage as they didn't know the questions beforehand. For those of you listening at home, I read out all of the questions and possible answers, so each of you can see how you would have done!

Joining us on this episode are returning callers Mark Faulker, Andrew Smith, Aiden Dean, and David Ortega, and first time caller, Atabak Taghizadeh. Atabak is not only a long time listener of the show, but is also our first Iranian caller, expanding the reach of the podcast to a whole new country!

In addition to trivia, I make note of a Pentax rangefinder lens that we missed from the previous episode, we discuss shooting cameras in extreme cold, and our tips and tricks for traveling with cameras. We all share our three most memorable cameras we shot from 2022, Theo shares some pickups from the Sydney Camera Show and Atabak shares with us a truly one of a kind custom panoramic Minolta XE-7 SLR that is totally wild and is sure to evoke a huge amount of GAS in everyone who listens!

As always, the topics we discuss on the Camerosity Podcast are decided by you. We would love to hear from more listeners, especially those who are new to shooting film or collecting cameras. Please don't feel like you have to be an expert on a specific type of camera, or have the level of knowledge on par with other people on the show. We LOVE people who are new to shooting and would love to have an episode dedicated to people new to the hobby, so please don't consider your knowledge level to be a prerequisite for joining!

The guys and I rarely know where each episode is going to go until it happens, so if you'd like to join us on a future episode, be sure to look out for our show announcements on our Camerosity Podcast Facebook page, and right here on mikeeckman.com. We record every other Monday and announcements, along with the Zoom link are typically shared 2-3 days in advance.

If you want to join us for our next episode, we will record Episode 40 on Monday, January 2nd. Be sure to stay tuned for the official announcement!

This Week's Episode

Camerosity Podcast vs Classic Camera Revival: Who is the Nerdiest? / Let Mike Gutterman Know!
Asahi Did Make a Pentax LTM M39 Rangefinder Lens, the Pentax-L 43mm f/1.9 Special
3 Cameras that Stood Out: Anthony - Olympus XA4, Topcon RE Super, Voigtländer Bessa II Rangefinder
Mark - Corfield Periflex, Fujica Compact Deluxe, Nikon F2
David - Canon SD20 and Barn Find Black Nikon SP
Aiden - Four Graflex XLs, Olympus XA, Leica M6 / Paul's Tips for Cleaning the XA Door
Paul - Nikon S2, Fuji G617, Plaubel 69W / Different Kinds of Plaubels
Theo - Mamiya 7, Voigtländer Superb, Nikon Coolpix 995
Using Nikon Coolpix 990 Series Cameras with Telescopes / Reading Old Flash Sticks
Paul Loans a Nikon/Fujix E2Ns DSLR to Mike and He's Blown Away By It
++ CAMEROSITY TRIVIA CHALLENGE ++
Mike's Tips for Traveling with Cameras is To Not Bring Twelve / Three is the Perfect Number
Mike F**ks Up Developing 4 Rolls of Film Using Bad HC-110 / Shooting in the Cold
Civilian vs Military Kardons / Military Kardons Still Worked at -67 Degrees
The Kodak Signet 35 Was Designed for Military Use
Theo Goes to the Sydney Camera Show and Picks Up an Ensign Commando
Schneider Tele-Xenar 180mm f/5.5 M42 Lens / Canon Photura / Ricoh FF-3 / Robot II / AGFA Isomat
Mike Got GAS From a Previous Episode and Got an Olympus IS-2 / Aiden Picks Up a Leica Ig
Atabak's Strange and Wonderful Panoramic Minolta XE-7 / The Lens is From a Fuji GS645 Camera / Comparisons to Hasselblad XPan
A Call Out to Beginners to the Film World, Jon Us! / Thank You All for an Amazing 2022, See You Next Year!

Show Notes

The Official Camerosity Facebook Group - https://www.facebook.com/groups/camerositypodcast

Camerosity Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/camerosity_podcast/

Camerosity Twitter - https://twitter.com/CamerosityPod

Mark Faulkner - https://thegashaus.com/

Theo Panagopoulos - https://www.photothinking.com/

Paul Rybolt - https://www.ebay.com/usr/paulkris and https://www.etsy.com/shop/Camerasandpictures

Anthony Rue - https://www.instagram.com/kino_pravda/ and https://www.facebook.com/VoltaGNV/

Episode 38: Too Much Pentax for One Episode

Fri, 09 Dec 2022 07:51:35 -0600

When it comes to camera brands that we hear listeners of this show want to hear about, Pentax seems to come up more often than any other brand. As the world's number one open source film photography podcast, the guys and I are never ones to deprive the world of what you want to hear, so for episode 38 we devote almost the entire time to everyone's favorite makers of quick return SLRs, Asahi Pentax!

Joining us on this episode are returning callers, Robert Rotoloni, Hong Joon Lee, Miles Libak, and Mario Paper, and also first time caller, Dave Roberts. From the earliest Asahiflexes all the way to the Ricoh Digital Pentaxes... Okay, we never actually made it that far, as it turns out there is far more Pentax talk we could fit into a single episode, so we had to stop at the end of the M42 era. But for the hour plus we talk about Pentax, there is quite a large amount of Takumar and Pentax love!

Listen to this episode to learn about one of the coolest Pentax prototypes ever made, where did the Pentax name come from, and what the element layouts of many early Takumar lenses.

Although there is a great deal of Pentax info in this episode, we get off track at the very beginning episode talking about 127 cameras, including some of our recent 127 camera pickups and what our favorite recent shooters have been. No worries though, we eventually pull ourselves out of the 127 rabbit hole and get back on topic.

As always, the topics we discuss on the Camerosity Podcast are decided by you. The guys and I rarely know where each episode is going to go until it happens, so if you'd like to join us on a future episode, be sure to look out for our show announcements on our Camerosity Podcast Facebook page, and right here on mikeeckman.com. We record every other Monday and announcements, along with the Zoom link are typically shared 2-3 days in advance.

If you want to join us for our next episode, we will record Episode 39 on Monday, December 19th. Be sure to stay tuned for the official announcement!

This Week's Episode

Curing COVID-19 With Lens Fungus and Radioactive Takumars / Miles Picks Up a Late Double Stroke Leica M3
Who is Shooting 127 on 127 Day? / Mario Loves the Toa Koki Gelto DIII / KW Pilot TLR / KW Pilot Six / KW Patent Etui / KW Praktina
Can You Bulk Roll 127 Film? / Bulk 46mm Portrait Film / Zeiss-Ikon Kolibri / Vest Pocket Exakta
Was 127 A German Film? / Kodak Created the first Vest Pocket Kodak in 1912 / 127 Eventually Became the Format for Cheap Cameras
Pentax Never Made a Rangefinder Camera, They Started with SLRs / Asahi's Early History / They Were Primarily a Lens Maker
Some Takane Mine Six Cameras Have Asahi Lenses / Saburo Matsumoto Created the first Asahiflex
Quick Return vs Instant Return Mirrors / Asahiflex M37 Lenses
Takumar 58mm f/2.4 Lens, Is It a Heliar?
** College Football Intermission **
Gerjan van Oosten's Ultimate Asahi Pentax Screw Mount Guide / Other f/2 and f/2.2 Takumars
Auto Takumars vs Super Takumars / Early Yashinon M42 Lenses are Very Similar to Takumar M42s
The Birth of the Pentax / Asahi Had to License the name Pentax from Zeiss-Ikon
Mike's Favorite Pentax is the Pentax K / Only the AP, S, and K Pentaxes Came in Brown Leather Cases
Photo Books Are Hard to Find Today / The Cost of Printing is Sky High
Differences in the Pentax S and H Models / The Spotmatics Do Not Have a Spot Meter
\m/ The Pentax Metalica! \m/ / Coming Up with a Bayonet Mount in the M42 Era
The Spotmatics are the Honda Accord of Cameras / You Bought a Pentax to Get the Lenses
Anthony Loves the Pentax ES II / More Pentaxes Are Engraved with Social Security and ID Numbers Than Any Other Camera
How Good Was the Build Quality of the Spotmatics? / Plastic vs Metal Gears
1963 Pentax Prices Compared to Everyone Else / Journalists Used Nikon, Sports Photographers Used Canon, and Artists Used Pentaxes
Mike Get's Paul in Trouble and Convinces Him to Buy a Nikon S2 at 8:25am / He Then Buys a Contax IIa From the Same Seller
Hong Doesn't Like the Contax IIa / Christopher May Gifts a Black Canon FTb and a Miranda Auto Sensorex EE to Mike
Theo Gets a Mamiya 43mm Lens, Viewfinder, and Polarizing Filters / Mario Gets a Steky
Use 16mm Microfilm to Bulk Load Films for 16mm Cameras

Show Notes

The Official Camerosity Facebook Group - https://www.facebook.com/groups/camerositypodcast

Camerosity Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/camerosity_podcast/

Camerosity Twitter - https://twitter.com/CamerosityPod

Episode 12: The Pentax Episode - https://mikeeckman.com/2021/11/episode-12-the-pentax-episode/

Mario Piper – https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/gen-x-photography/id1494585131

Theo Panagopoulos - https://www.photothinking.com/

Paul Rybolt - https://www.ebay.com/usr/paulkris and https://www.etsy.com/shop/Camerasandpictures

Anthony Rue - https://www.instagram.com/kino_pravda/ and https://www.facebook.com/VoltaGNV/

Episode 37: Camerosity World Cup

Tue, 29 Nov 2022 06:31:25 -0600

Whenever you think of the world's greatest open source film photography podcast, of course everyone thinks of Camerosity, but when they think of Camerosity, the second thing everyone thinks of is the World Cup!

While this exciting socc...I mean football championship is going on, what better time than for the gang and I to record our third European Time Zone friendly episode! As we have the previous two times, we pack up our mobile recording studio and hit the road to visit our friends in the UK, Germany, Italy, Belgium, and other areas of the world where everyone is crazy for FIFA!

Theo makes a special appearance direct from Al Janoub Stadium where his beloved Australian team takes on the evil French team. Joining Anthony, Paul, Theo and I are returning guests Alan Duncan, Wannes Scheipers, and John Michael Mendizza. In the first time caller category, we have none other than Mr. Kosmo Foto himself, Stephen Dowling, from Turin, Italy, Frederico Quaglino, Peter from Essex, and from Canada, Mike Litwin!

In this episode we talk about flash photography, the state of color film and the film industry as a whole, Anthony's challenges shooting the NASA Artemis moon rocket, and a whole lot of other GAS sure to inspire many future purchases (fun fact, as I type this, I have already fallen victim to GAS from this very episode, listen to episode 38 to find out which camera I bought!)

If you want to join us for our next episode, we will record Episode 38 on Monday, December 5th. Be sure to stay tuned for the official announcement!

This Week's Episode

John-Michael Wants 35mm Flash Recommendations / Paul's Recommendations is Nikon 8008S w/ SB-24 Flash
Minolta Maxxum 9 and 9xi have 1/300 Flash Sync / Using Digital to Test for Film Flash Photography
Introducing Stephen Dowling and Kosmo Foto
High Speed Sync and How It Works / Why Do Focal Plane Shutter Cameras Usually Have Such Slow Flash Sync?
Hasselblad and Mamiya Medium Format SLRs Had Leaf Shutters Which Benefitted Flash / Lenses with Shutters in Them
The Olympus Pen F Flash Syncs at Any Speed
The Minolta Dynax/Maxxum/alpha 7 and Aperture Ring Failures / Minolta's SLR Control Cards
Manufacturers Who Build a Camera Have No Idea How Long They'll Still Be Working
Stephen Dowling is Selling Used Cameras Now / Praktica IV F
Olympus Super Zoom IS-Series / Continuous vs Stepped Auto Focus / Chinon Genesis and Canon Futura
The Olympus Trip 35 is Very Popular / Metal vs Plastic Button Trips / Date Codes
Soviet Cameras that Punch Above Their Wright: Agat 18K / Smena 8 / Smena Symbol / Chaika II and 3
Using Braun Paxette M39 Lenses on M39 Zenit SLRs / Flipping Front Elements
Olympus FTL M42 G.Zuiko f/1.4 Lens / Olympus Ace Rangefinder
Kosmo Agent Shadow Has Been a Steady Seller / Anthony Was a Beta Tester for It / Stephen Personally Mails Every Roll
Anthony Bungles the Artemis Launch with Agent Shadow / Simon's Biggest Bungle / More About Artemis
Shooting Rockets with Sound and Light Triggers
The Future of Kosmo Foto and Other New Film Emulsions / Are People Shooting Less Color Due to Prices?
Fredrico Hopes that Ferrania Can Save Color Film / Will Film Still Be Made 100 Years From Now?
Mike Makes an Idiocracy Joke But No One Gets It / What's Going On With ORWO and Adox?
Recent GAS: Peter Gets a Mamiya C300 / Alan Gets an Amazing Sentex "Pseudo Camcorder" / Voigtländer Superb Alert!
Canon Sure Shot XL / Leica M4P / Minox LX - The Highest Featured Last Minox / Ensign Selfix 8-20 Special
Paul Gets an Aero-Ektar 178mm f/2.5 Lens / Welta Belmira / Stephen Makes a Margaret Thatcher Joke But Mike Doesn't Get It
Zeiss-Ikon Taxona / Super Ikonta 531

Show Notes

The Official Camerosity Facebook Group - https://www.facebook.com/groups/camerositypodcast

Camerosity Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/camerosity_podcast/

Camerosity Twitter - https://twitter.com/CamerosityPod

Keppler's Vault 97: Rocket Photography - https://mikeeckman.com/2021/07/kepplers-vault-97-rocket-photography/

Stephen Dowling - https://kosmofoto.com/

Alan Duncan – https://austerityphoto.co.uk/

John-Michael Mendizza – https://www.jmm-photos.com/ and https://www.instagram.com/jmmendizza/

Theo Panagopoulos - https://www.photothinking.com/

Paul Rybolt - https://www.ebay.com/usr/paulkris and https://www.etsy.com/shop/Camerasandpictures

Anthony Rue - https://www.instagram.com/kino_pravda/ and https://www.facebook.com/VoltaGNV/

Episode 36: Minolta Disco

Fri, 11 Nov 2022 12:45:37 -0600

For the second episode in a row, we take a deep dive into a singular brand of cameras, and as you can pretty much already guess, Episode 36 is all about Minolta! The guys and I visit the Minolta Disco with returning callers, Alex Luyckx, Bill Smith, Howard Sandler, Mark Faulkner, Mario Piper, Robert Rotoloni, Wannes Scheipers, and first time caller, Mig Cero.

The Minolta Disco is a strange place where we cover history of the company, our favorite models, common problems and what to look for when buying certain Minoltas, the Minolta and Leica connection, and what Minolta Auto focus SLRs you should consider if you like physical knobs. Minolta is one of the longest lived and prolific Japanese camera makers, so we had a huge number of things to talk about.

Not content to stick with just one single topic, Mike reveals a strange habit he does in the dark when loading film, Paul covers everyone's favorite Topcon SLRs, along with a short review of the focal plane shutter Topcon IC-1 Auto, Robert gives us some history on why so many Japanese camera makers preferred 24mm x 32mm images, and a little bit of history on Japanese distributors in the United States.

For our next episode, we will hit the road and record our third European episode, recording at a time that is more friendly for our fans in Europe. For our friends in the UK, a lot has changed since the last time we talked, they lost their queen and have had three different Prime Ministers, so who knows what kind of mood they'll be in.

We are not 100% sure on the exact time we will record Episode 37, but it will probably be Tuesday, November 22nd. Be sure to stay tuned for the official announcement.

This Week's Episode

Mike's Strange Habit of Closing His Eyes While in a Darkroom / Alex Purposely Waits to Look at His Digital Photos After Taking Them
We Start Talking About Minolta with a Topcon Super D and RE3 / Difference between the Super D and Super DM
Topcon RE lenses vs Topcon UV Lenses / Leaf Shutter Topcons / Topcon IC-1 Auto
Topcor Cult Lenses, 58mm f/1.4 and f/1.8 lenses / 135mm and 200mm Telephotos
Not All Exakta Lenses Will Work on the Topcon RE Super / The Schneider-Kreuznach Xenon 50/2 Hits the Mirror
What Other Cameras Came with Topcor Lenses? / Horseman and Leotax Did!
Tokyo Kogaku and Nippon Kogaku Both Had Very Similar Origins / Topcon Suffered from Poor Distribution in the US
Other Companies Who Were Killed By Distribution Like Miranda and Aires
Nikon Got Lucky With Ehrenreich / Canon Struggled With Distribution / Minolta Distributed Themselves
Minolta's Early History Nichi Doku and Molta Eventually Became Chiyoda Kogaku
The Original Minolta was Based Off the Plaubel Makina / Minoltaflex and Minolta Autocord
When Did Minolta Become a Meaningful Force Outside of Japan? / Minolta Was Successful with Post Exchanges
Minolta's Screw Mount Rangefinders / 24 x 32 Exposures / Japanese Film Was Very Expensive and Often Used for X-Rays
Was the US Government Responsible for the Disappearance of 24 x 32?
What is Everyone's Favorite Minolta? / Minolta Super A (Anthony and Mike) / Minolta SRT-101 and 102 (Mario) / Minolta XD-11 (Bill Smith) / Minolta XM (Wayne) / Minolta Hi-Matic 7S II (Mig) / Minolta 110 Zoom SLR (Theo) / Molta Minolta Vest Camera (Mark) / Minolta Dynax 9 (Alex)
Full Bodied Japanese Fixed Lens Rangefinders Are Some of the Best Values Out There
Alex Loves the Minolta Maxxums 7 and 9
Minolta SLRs with Physical Knobs / Minolta 600si Classic and 650si Date / Make Your Own Handgrip with Sugru
Minolta Got Sued a Lot / Minolta Auto-Wide
The Minolta and Leica Collaboration Started with the CL / The Minolta XE-7 Has Nothing From Leitz In It / Leica R3
Minolta XD-11 and Leica R4 / Leica R-Series Lenses are REALLY Expensive
Robert Likes Minolta Subminis / The Konan Was the Predecessor to the Minolta 16
MINOLTA DISCO!!!!
Other Minoltas / Minolta Freedom Zoom 105i / Minolta Vectis S-1 / Minolta X-700 / Minolta SR-3 / Minolta Uniomat III
Did Konica and Minolta Ever Make a Serious Camera Together?

Show Notes

The Official Camerosity Facebook Group - https://www.facebook.com/groups/camerositypodcast

Camerosity Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/camerosity_podcast/

Camerosity Twitter - https://twitter.com/CamerosityPod

Alex Luyckx – http://www.alexluyckx.com/blog/

Theo Panagopoulos - https://www.photothinking.com/

Paul Rybolt - https://www.ebay.com/usr/paulkris and https://www.etsy.com/shop/Camerasandpictures

Anthony Rue - https://www.instagram.com/kino_pravda/ and https://www.facebook.com/VoltaGNV/

Episode 35: The One With All The Voigtländers

Thu, 27 Oct 2022 08:22:22 -0500

For the past two episodes, we stocked up the discussion ahead of time with guests to talk about what we wanted to talk about. For this episode, we didn't invite anyone and ended up with more guests than any other episode we've done so far!

His ears must be ringing after his name came up near the end of Episode 34, but Dan Tamarkin from Tamarkin Camera stopped by to talk about the Leica 72 in the upcoming Tamarkin Auctions. Along with Dan is a star studded cast of returning callers Robert Rotoloni, Adam Paul, Ira Cohen, Andrew Smith, Bill Smith, Sherry Christensen, Larry Effler, Howard Sandler, Stephen Grasso, Michael Gossett, and Miles Libak.

We spend a great deal of time on one of the group's favorite camera brands, Voigtländer. Anthony starts us off with some company history, a short list of the company's most notable models, a discussion on our favorite Voigtländer models, how to repair the plunger on the Vitessa, and some interesting information on the first camera with an in body electronic flash.

Although we go deep into Voigtländer, this episode is loaded with a wide range of other topics such as light meters, Sunny 16, and EV scales. Dan Tamarkin shares wisdom on how to repair lenses using a toaster oven, and what he calls his "Catch and Release" program. Mike shares a story of one of his best ever estate sale pick ups, and his tips on getting cameras from estate sales. And in a follow up to his last appearance, Adam Paul shares his progress on making his own APS "Advantix" film.

So stay tuned, and if you'd like to ask us a question or give us some topics to discuss, look for our show announcement for Episode 36, which we will record on Monday, November 7th!

This Week's Episode

Dan Tamarkin Shows Up and Talks Leica 72 at the Tamarkin Auction / Tamarkin Estimates are on the Low Side
The Leica 72 Came Before the Nikon S3M / Dan Teaches Photography to His Customers at Tamarkin Camera
Sherry Buys a Nikon EM at a Thrift Shop and It Promptly Breaks
Michael Gossett Buys a Spare Canon T90 / Mike Had Bad Luck with the T90 / Dealers Hated the T90
Why Do So Many 1980s Cameras That Used AA and AAA Batteries Have Corroded Battery Compartments? / Use a Dremel to Clean Battery Corrosion
Mike Raves About the Canon EF Again / Cameras With Terrible Battery Doors
Michael Gossett wants a Voigtländer Bessamatic / Paul Has One with a Pre-Separated Septon
How Much Does Lens Separation Impact Photos? / Fix Lens Separation with a Toaster Oven!
Voigtländer History / Roll Film Voigtländers - Bessa and Bessa 66, Perkeo II / All The Vitos
Voigtländer Vito III and Prominent Strange Focusing / Everyone Loves the Bessamatics / Voigtländer is Acquired by Zeiss
Zeiss-Ikon Voigtländer Vitessa 1000 SR / Voigtländer Bessaflex Prototype Became the Zeiss-Ikon Icarex / Voigtländer VSL SLRs
The Rollei Samsung Connection / Cosina Voigtländers / Bessa L with No Viewfinder
Anthony's Top 3 Voigtländers - The Small Bergheil, Perkeo II, and Prominent / Ira Loves the Bessa 66
What About the Vitessa? / Can You Fix the Problem Where the Vitessa Plunger Doesn't Work Correctly?
Mike Hates the EV Coupling on the Vitessa / What Was the Purpose of EV Couplings on 1950s Cameras?
Paul Only Hates Sunny 16 For Slide Film / Sherry Shoots "Dark as Crap f/2" / Light Meters Are Calibrated to 18% Gray
Voigtländer Vitrona Was the First Camera with Electronic Flash / The Vitessa Case with Built In Flash
Mike's Big Nikon S2 Estate Sale Score / Mike's Tips for Finding Cameras at Estate Sales / What Do EP Markings Mean?
Andrew's TTArtisans Leica-M Mount 28mm Summaron Copy / Avenon 21mm f/2.8 LTM Lens / Andrew's Strange Canon 7
Adam Paul is Experimenting With Making APS Film / Adam's Follow-up to His 2018 Review of 110 Cameras
Theo Buys a Sony Mavica Floppy Disk Camera / Mike Picks Up a Durst Automatica
Bill Smith Buys an Olympus OM-4 Ti / Larry Buys a Mamiya 23 (But He Didn't Mean To)
Theo Buys a Mamiya Power Winder / Howard Buys Both a Miranda DR and a Topcon RE Super
Does Dan Tamarkin Ever Get GAS? / Dan's Catch and Release Program / Paul Catches an Alpa Reflex 6D and Releases It

Show Notes

The Official Camerosity Facebook Group - https://www.facebook.com/groups/camerositypodcast

Camerosity Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/camerosity_podcast/

Camerosity Twitter - https://twitter.com/CamerosityPod

Chris Sherlock's Repair Video on the Vitessa T - https://youtu.be/2roEZtwfi3g (For fixing the plunger, you do not need to remove the top plate.)

Dan Tamarkin - http://www.tamarkin.com/ and https://www.tamarkinauctions.com/

Adam Paul’s Mega 110 Camera Review - http://quirkyguywithacamera.blogspot.com/2018/04/small-format-size-big-format-results.html

Sherry Christensen – https://embracethegrain.com/

Analog Insights - How to Pronounce German Camera Names - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iW_iBmUC_Xc

Theo Panagopoulos - https://www.photothinking.com/

Paul Rybolt - https://www.ebay.com/usr/paulkris

Anthony Rue - https://www.instagram.com/kino_pravda/ and https://www.facebook.com/VoltaGNV/

Episode 34: The Future of Camera Repairs

Thu, 13 Oct 2022 07:41:11 -0500

We're back! It's been three weeks since our last episode, so that just gave us an extra week's worth of time to think of questions to ask our two special guests! Returning is Jess Ibarra from Viva La Film in New South Wales, Australia who is Theo's source for CLAs and always offers her insights into the general repair of cameras.

Joining Jess is Ryan Jones, owner of Pro Camera in Charlottesville, Virginia. Ryan was a repair technician at Pro Camera for six years before the opportunity to take over the shop was presented to him, which he accepted. As owner, Ryan has a unique way of accepting new work. Unlike other shops, he does not accept new work all the time, but rather does it in waves. This business model works extremely well for him in terms of managing expectations for his customers and also helping to prevent burn out from non stop work.

Although we have talked about camera repair on other episodes of the podcast, this one has heavy focus on the future. How did both Ryan and Jess learn how to repair cameras, what are the methods being used today by the current crop of repair people, and what is being done to attract new people to repairing cameras?

Joining them this week is returning guest Alex Dietrich and first time caller Steve Rosenbach who ask for tips on repairing their own cameras and what everyone's thoughts are on a certain Nicca camera. Of course, there's a lot of other random GAS and topics related to collecting, shooting, and shade tree percussive maintenance.

So stay tuned, and if you'd like to ask us a question or give us some topics to discuss, look for our show announcement for Episode 35, which we will record on Monday, October 24th!

This Week's Episode

Introducing Ryan Jones and Pro Camera / Jess Repairs While Podcasting / Steve Buys a Minolta SR-1
Mike Wants to Fix His Arsenal Salyut Soviet SLR / Jess Has a Soviet Camera Mentor Named Alex
If you Want to Shoot A Soviet 6x6, Get a Kiev 6C or 60 They're More Reliable than the Salyut
Paul Has a Broken Yashicaflex and Nikon S / Can you Fix Hazy Nikon Rangefinder Windows?
If You Want to Collect Nikon Rangefinders, Get a Nikon SP, If You Want to Shoot Them, Get a Nikon S2
Alex Sends his Black Leica and Olympus OM-1 to Ryan
Replacing Leica Shutter Curtains / Finding Curtain Material is Getting Difficult / 3D Printing to the Rescue / Titanium Curtains
Is Anthony's Canon EF Worth Repairing? / Anthony's Voigtländer Ultramatic CS Needs Help Too
Resilvering Mirrors / Canon Pellix and Pellicle Mirrors
Petri Color Corrected Super Green-O-Matics are The Best Worst Camera / Petri's Achilles Heel Was Their Own Shutters
Ryan Likes to Repair Similar Cameras in Batches Then Move On
Training the Next Generation of Young People to Repair Cameras
Learning from the Cranky Old Guys / How Do You Find a Mentor? / You Have to Be More Anal Than Your Most Anal Client
As Cameras Age, New Problems Happen That Has Never Happened Before / A CLAd 80 Year Old Camera Is Still 80 Years Old
Ryan Repairs Cameras in Waves Every 6 Weeks / Managing Expectations
In Most SLRs the Shutter Release Doesn't Fire the Shutter, It Releases the Mirror and the Mirror Fires the Shutter
Percussive Maintenance and Shadetree Repairs Will Only Work Temporarily
What Tools Should You Buy To Start Repairing Cameras / Richard Haw's Website and Learn Camera Repair
Yashica YF and Nicca III-L Cameras / How Repairable Are Certain Cameras?
What is the Next Camera You Send for Repair / Canon IV Sb / Nikkor 105 f/2.5 / Voigtländer Superb and Vitessa / Leica M3 with Dual Range Summicron / Ihagee Exakta / Canon VT Deluxe / Minolta XE7 and XE5
Ryan's Franken-Leica - Leica M3 Chassis, M5 Back Door, Late M3 Top Plate, No Self Timer or Flash Sync
Anthony Has Suggestions on Donations to the Show / Tamarkin Camera's Auction / Rate My Rollei 35

Show Notes

The Official Camerosity Facebook Group - https://www.facebook.com/groups/camerositypodcast

Camerosity Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/camerosity_podcast/

Camerosity Twitter - https://twitter.com/CamerosityPod

Learn Camera Repair - https://learncamerarepair.com/

Richard Haw's Nikon Repair Site - https://richardhaw.com/

Ryan Jones - https://www.procamera.us/ and https://www.rj-repairs.com/home

Jess Ibarra - https://www.vivalafilm.com/

Theo Panagopoulos - https://www.photothinking.com/

Paul Rybolt - https://www.ebay.com/usr/paulkris

Anthony Rue - https://www.instagram.com/kino_pravda/ and https://www.facebook.com/VoltaGNV/

Episode 33: Shooting Expired Film and Home Developing

Mon, 26 Sep 2022 08:37:10 -0500

After stroking our egos as The Nerdiest Film Photography Podcast, the guys and I double down the nerd level to "Ludicrous Speed" and take a deep dive into expired films and home development tips and tricks.

With us this week are two guys that have a whole history of shooting expired films and home developing, first Adam Paul, owner and proprietor of the Classic Film Shop which has in stock over 30 different types of expired films from easy to find things like expired Kodak Tri-X to obscure nitrate films from the 1940s. Adam is a big proponent of cold stand development in which black and white developers like HC-110 are developed in "refrigerator cold" temps for long periods of time to help preserve the details of significantly aged films. His experience both with expired films and home developing is amazing.

Along with him is Alex Luyckx from the blog of the same name and the Classic Camera Revival Podcast. Alex does some of the best expired film reviews, often developing these films in 3-4 different developers to show the strengths of each. In addition to shooting obscure films, Alex also sometimes uses obscure developers that can't easily be found anymore.

As if that's not enough, Robert Shanebrook makes a triumphant return to keep us all in line with the facts about these old films. Robert may not do much home developing anymore, but his knowledge of old Kodak films cannot be matched by anyone.

Joining our three experts are returning callers Mark Faulkner, Howard Sandler, Miles Libak, Andrew Smith, and Alex Dietrich and first time callers Mike Litwin and from the All Through a Lens podcast, Vania Francesca.

So stay tuned, and if you'd like to ask us a question or give us some topics to discuss, look for our show announcement for Episode 34, which we will record on Sunday, October 9th!

This Week's Episode

Mike Was Wrong about ECN-2 Development / Removing the Remjet / Cinestill ECN Kits
Kodak Tech Pan / POTA Developer is a Replacement for Technidol / Agitation Changes Contrast
Mike is Shooting Tech Pan in a Praktica VLC2, The Successor to the Exakta RTL 1000
Adam Paul Reopens His Classic Film Etsy Store / Standard Development vs Cold Stand / Bromide Drag
Legacy Pro L110 is an Excellent Substitute for HC-110 / History of HC-110
Paul Has the Manual for D-61, E-82, DK-60A and a Whole Bunch of Old Processes / Paul is Not a Hipster!
Ektapan and CPS/CPL Color Films / Tricks for Developing Old C-22, C-41, and E-4 Film
Alex Reviews Kodak Plus-X Aerecon II / Adox XT-3 Developer / D-76 Will Always Give a Good Baseline
H&W Control / High Definition Aerial Film 3404 or 3414 Was Used in Satellites and Came in 30 Mile Lengths
Adam's Strange Films / 35mm Photographic Paper / Yellow Pink and Green Film
What is a Safe Expired Film for People to Try / Kodak Plus-X and Pan-X / 35mm is Safer than 120 Because of Backing Paper
Problems with Roll Film Backing Paper / Challenges of Tape and 220 / East German Films Typically Do Not Survive Well
The One Stop Overexposure Per Decade Rule is Hogwash / Kodak Ektar 25 Wasn't Very Good
Early 120 Backing Paper Had a Grinding Process Called Skiving That Changed the Thickness Near the Edges / Other Changes to Backing Paper
Environmental Safety Concerns Developing Film / Do You Wear Gloves While Developing?
Ansel Adams Had His Organs Tested for Selenium Poisoning From Film Development
Lightning Round: What Is Your Favorite Expired Film to Shoot With?
Vania's Tips For Getting into Expired Film / Shooting Manatees with a Rolleimarin
Mike Litwin's Yamato Mini-Electro 35 / Cameras That Chew Up Film / KMZ Leningrad / All Miranda SLRs / Kodak 35
Paul Gets More Contax Stuff / Contax T / Early Contax Bodies are Rear Lens Caps for Contax Lenses
Zeiss-Ikon Contessa 35 / Repairing the Kodak 35 / Theo Buys a Leica D-Lux 3
Ektachrome E-Dupe Slide Duplicating Film

Show Notes

The Official Camerosity Facebook Group - https://www.facebook.com/groups/camerositypodcast

Camerosity Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/camerosity_podcast/

Camerosity Twitter - https://twitter.com/CamerosityPod

Adam Paul's Classic Film Shop - https://www.etsy.com/shop/ClassicFilmShop

Alex Luyckx - http://www.alexluyckx.com/blog/

Robert Shanebrook - http://www.makingkodakfilm.com, makingkodakfilm@yahoo.com

Howard Sandler - https://www.flickr.com/photos/hsandler

Theo Panagopoulos - https://www.photothinking.com/

Paul Rybolt - https://www.ebay.com/usr/paulkris

Anthony Rue - https://www.instagram.com/kino_pravda/ and https://www.facebook.com/VoltaGNV/

Episode 32: The Nerdiest Film Photography Podcast

Fri, 09 Sep 2022 11:41:32 -0500

We're back! The gang and I are fresh off a mandatory 28 day rehab cleanse from all our GAS afflictions!

To help us get back on the wagon, we only invited one guest to catch up on what we've all been up to since our last episode. From Fort Dodge, Iowa, Mike Novak returns to discuss what he's been up to, what his favorite Rolleiflex is, and a whole bunch of tips and tricks about in-home developing.

In this episode, Mike shares a bunch of new cameras he's working on reviews for, things Paul is about to put for sale in his shop, and Theo's newest Father's Day pickup. We spend a great deal of time talking about Mamiya and their zillions of lens mounts they've made for 35mm cameras, an uncommon 24mm x 24mm square format 35mm camera, and different ways to make double exposures.

As always, the topics we discuss are decided by you. The guys and I rarely know where each episode is going to go until it happens, so if you'd like to join us on a future episode, be sure to look out for our show announcements on our Camerosity Podcast Facebook page, and right here on mikeeckman.com. We record every other Monday and announcements, along with the Zoom link are typically shared 2-3 days in advance.

So stay tuned, and if you'd like to ask us a question or give us some topics to discuss, look for our show announcement for Episode 33, which we will record on Monday, September 19th!

This Week's Episode

Theo Goes on the Negative Positives Podcast / The Nerdiest Film Photography Podcast / LOMO LC-A Wide
Paul Picks up a Praktina FX with Biotar / Miranda G / PX625 Battery Voltage / Wein Cells
Paul Has a Leica M4-P Coming That He REALLY Needs to Test / Rolleiflex 2.8D
Rolleiflexes Can Be Difficult to Differentiate Between Models / Mike Should Review more Rolleis / Novak Recommends a First Rolleiflex
Japanese Rollei Copies Sometimes Improve Things / Fujicaflex Automat TLR / Rolleimagic is the Weirdest Rolleiflex
Rolleicord Multiple Exposure Project with Pixels and Grain / The Art of Intentional Double Exposures
Double Exposing on Both Sides of the Film / Cameras Best Suited for Double Exposures / Canon EOS 300 / Ben Felton Does Double Exposures of Portraits
Novak Loves Pyrocat HD / C41 Developing Has Far Fewer Variables / There's a Ton of Black and White Developers and Processes
Novak's Tips for Controlling Grain, Contrast, and Detail / Stand Developing / Standard vs Staining Developers
How Do Lighten the Base Layer or Get Rid of Base Fog? / HC-110 Lasts Forever / New Formula HC-110 vs Old Formula
C41 Unicolor Kits Are Mike's Favorite / C41 vs ECN-2 Kits / Kodak Vision3 Cinema Film and Removing Remjet
Developing ECN2 Film in C41 Chemicals Works But the Colors Will Be Off / Seattle Filmworks / Tungsten vs Daylight Balance
That Cinestill "Glow" is Due to a Missing Anti-Halation Layer
The Mamiya Sketch is a Really Cool 24x24 Square Format Rangefinder / Mamiya Had More 35mm SLR Mounts Than Anyone
Mamiya Prismat V-90 (Prismat PH) / Mamiya ZE-X / Crossover Exposure Mode / Dealers Loved Mamiya and Ricoh
What Are Some Cameras that would be Perfect, Except for One Thing? / Konica III / Voss Diax IIa / Alpa 11e / Nikon N80 / Fuji GS690W / Futura S
Theo Gets a Leotax Model K and Nikon CoolPix 995 for Father's Day / Leotax vs Nicca
Mike's Upcoming Reviews for Zenobia 35 / Adox 300 / Magazine Back 35mm Cameras
Anthony Gets His First Argus C3 / Sandmar Lenses and Argus Viewfinders / Kodak Medalist vs Mamiya 7
Do Boring Cameras Make Boring Photos? / The More a Camera Appeals to You, The More Fun You'll Have Shooting It
The Konica Autoreflex TC and the Hexanon 40mm f/1.8 Lens / Some Lenses are Cheaper to Buy Attached to a Body than By Itself
Teraoka Auto Terra Super / More About the Mamiya Prismat V-90

Show Notes

The Official Camerosity Facebook Group - https://www.facebook.com/groups/camerositypodcast

Camerosity Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/camerosity_podcast/

Camerosity Twitter - https://twitter.com/CamerosityPod

Negative Positives Podcast # 391 - https://www.podbean.com/media/share/dir-hi389-14b78501

Mike Novak - https://www.flickr.com/photos/greyscale3/

Theo Panagopoulos - https://www.photothinking.com/

Paul Rybolt - https://www.ebay.com/usr/paulkris

Anthony Rue - https://www.instagram.com/kino_pravda/ and https://www.facebook.com/VoltaGNV/

Episode 31: The Best Podcast Ever (Part 1)

Mon, 25 Jul 2022 16:36:14 -0500

We have a special episode for you this week as we present Episode 31: The Best Podcast Ever (Part 1). What topics will Thrifty Theo, Asteroid Anthony, Dyna Mike, and Off-The-Wall Paul discuss? Who will join us? How many times will Theo say 'vegemite'? What new things will appear in Paul's eBay store? Will Anthony's wife have to fight any more alligators in their driveway?

As this is not only the world's first, but best, and fastest growing film photography podcast, anything is on the table!!!!

The topics are sure to be even more interesting in Part 2, but for that, you'll all have to stay tuned, and be on the look out for the next show announcement! See you all soon!

Show Notes

The Official Camerosity Facebook Group - https://www.facebook.com/groups/camerositypodcast

Camerosity Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/camerosity_podcast/

Camerosity Twitter - https://twitter.com/CamerosityPod

Theo Panagopoulos - https://www.photothinking.com/

Paul Rybolt - https://www.ebay.com/usr/paulkris

Anthony Rue - https://www.instagram.com/kino_pravda/ and https://www.facebook.com/VoltaGNV/

Camerosity can also be heard on the following services:

Google - https://podcasts.google.com/feed/aHR0cHM6Ly9mZWVkLnBvZGJlYW4uY29tL2NhbWVyb3NpdHkvZmVlZC54bWw

Apple - https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/camerosity/id1583252688

Amazon Music - https://music.amazon.com/podcasts/9d316c9e-5461-4fa5-9e04-24fd27fffc3f/camerosity

Podchaser - https://www.podchaser.com/podcasts/camerosity-1985806

Episode 30: The Camera Store Episode

Fri, 15 Jul 2022 08:16:34 -0500

Myself and most of the people listening to this podcast are well aware of what it's like to buy film cameras and photography gear, but less of us know what it's like to sell it. On this, the 30th episode of the Camerosity Podcast, the gang and I bring on some current and former employees of various camera stores to give us some insight into what it's like on the other side of the counter.

From Gene's Camera in South Bend, Indiana, we have owner Jack St. Pierre and regular guest Jon Gilchrist. From Alpine Camera in Des Plaines, Illinois, owner Chuck Miller. From South Florida, former camera store employee of Gold Triangle Department Store is Stephen Grasso, and finally, our own host and former camera store employee and owner, Paul Rybolt share with us stories of how things used to be, and also discuss some of the biggest changes they saw in the industry during their time.

Joining our camera store crew are returning callers, Hong Lee, Mark Faulkner, Andrew Smith, Jess Ibarra, and Michael Gossett, and first time callers Andrew Almendarez and Steven Lederman who bring up other interesting topics like whether buying cameras make for good investments, whether lens fungus is contagious, and where the origins are of Kodak film.

In addition to all of these exciting discussions, we witnessed the first ever "IN SHOW" purchase where Stephen Grasso buys something from Paul's eBay store! Make sure you listen in and find out what camera it is!

As always the topics and discussions on the Camerosity Podcast are entirely up to you. While we make an attempt to have a general idea on how to get a show started, the topics almost always veer off into wild and unexpected directions. If you'd like to ask us a question or wish to hear us discuss your favorite brand of camera or film, consider joining us on our next episode and steer us in that direction!

Be sure to look for our next show announcement coming soon, and we will record Episode 31 on Monday, July 25th!

This Week's Episode

Introducing Gene's Camera in South Bend, IN and Alpine Camera in Des Plaines, IL
How Does a Camera Store Survive Today in 2022 Compared to 20-30 Years Ago? / Diversify
Dwayne's Photo Does Dip and Dunk / Do People Still Service Noritsus?
What are the Biggest Changes to the Camera Store Industry? / Minilabs Were a Huge Change
The Loss of Photo Processing Hurt Many Stores / Processing Brings Back Customers Three Times
Mail Order and No Sales Tax Hurt Stores More than Big Box Retailers / Camera Stores Send Customers to Each Other
The COVID-19 Pandemic Helped Camera Stores / Business Grew Because of Remote Video and Photography is a Good Social Distancing Activity
Paul, Chuck, and Jack Reminisce About Camera Stores Long Gone / Altman Camera in Chicago
Changes in the Age of Camera Store Customers / More Younger People Are Shooting Film Everywhere
The Prices of Film Probably Won't Come Down / The Less Common Something is the More People Want It
Are Cameras Good Investments? / Besides Leica, Mike Doesn't Think So, but Paul Disagrees
Paul Is Selling a Leica M5 on eBay, Someone Should Buy It!
Do Mike's Reviews Increase the Values of Cameras? / Franka Rolfix II
Investments Are Questionable, But You Certainly Won't Lose Money on Cameras / They're Not Depreciating Anymore
Standard Prisms for the Nikon F and F2 Have Great Value Today
Paul Sells a Leica M5 on the Show / Use a Wein Cell in the Leica M5s, not a Cheap Alkaline Equivalent / Can't Test the Meter Without a Lens
Michael Gossett Returns to Talk About his ASNCO Speedex He Bought from Paul / The Leica M5 Has a Great Shutter Speed Dial / Canon EF
Mark Hama is Still Taking on New Work / Andrew Sends His Alpa to Radu
Should You Keep Lenses With Fungus Away from Other Lenses?
Theo's Latest Pickups / Franka Rolfix II / Mamiya U / Closter IIa / Mamiya Korvette
Chuck Has a Huge Kodak Sign / Mike is Looking for a Hanging Kodak Promotional Light
Someone is Selling a Roll of Kodak Verichrome Pan 620 for $155 on eBay / Anthony Shoots IR Film in the Kodak Medalist
Kodak is Definitely Making Fuji 200 / Kodak Vision3 Cinema Film / 50D is Mike's Favorite / Short Ends of Vision3 at Mono No Aware

Show Notes

The Official Camerosity Facebook Group - https://www.facebook.com/groups/camerositypodcast

Camerosity Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/camerosity_podcast/

Camerosity Twitter - https://twitter.com/CamerosityPod

Mono No Aware - 35mm Film and Short Ends - http://mononoawarefilm.com/film-stock

Jack St. Pierre and Jon Gilchrist - Gene's Camera - https://www.genescamera.com/

Chuck Miller - Alpine Camera - https://www.alpinecamerausa.com/

Mark Faulkner – https://thegashaus.com/

Andrew Smith - https://www.youtube.com/channel/UClXrAlbnU3gvdRrJ5gAR4mw

Jess Ibarra - Viva La Film - https://www.vivalafilm.com/

Theo Panagopoulos - https://www.photothinking.com/

Paul Rybolt - https://www.ebay.com/usr/paulkris

Anthony Rue - https://www.instagram.com/kino_pravda/ and https://www.facebook.com/VoltaGNV/

Episode 29: CLA Your Cameras Now!

Wed, 29 Jun 2022 21:31:42 -0500

We're back with another fascinating installment of the world's most popular open source film photography podcast! For Episode 29, we dig into the vault and bring back a guest from the very first Cocaine and Waffles episode, mister "Sexy" himself, Cheyenne Morrison!

As always, Cheyenne doesn't hold back with his unique blend of colorful commentary on recent pickups like his Nicca III-L, Texer SR, and AGFA Isoly IIIa. Joining him are returning guests Mark Faulkner, James Allen, and Jess Ibarra and new guest Andrew Smith who discuss with us a number of interesting cameras. We go deep into the world of early auto focus SLRs, cameras with bottom "trigger" film advances, and shooting very expired film.

As always, many of the topics discussed on the Camerosity Podcast are not planned, and this time we go pretty deep into the world of repairing cameras, and how dire things have become with the number of skilled technicians who are either retiring or dying, leaving no one else to take their place. Cheyenne makes a very plausible, yet very sad prediction that in 10 years, there will be no one left alive who can CLA a Contax rangefinder.

Yes, we have new talent like Jess Ibarra to share her thoughts on learning camera repair, but there's only so many cameras one person can master, so if you have a camera you'd like to one day get repaired, NOW is the time!

Be sure to mark your calendars for our next episode in which we will talk to a number of current and former camera store employees, who will share their stories of what it's like working in a film camera store now and in the past. Good camera stores are like camera techs, they are getting harder and harder to find, so it should be an interesting episode hearing these stories. If you'd like to join and ask some questions, be sure to look out for our next show announcement for Episode 30, which will be recorded on Monday, July 11th!

This Week's Episode

Mike Visits Dan Tamarkin at Tamarkin Camera and then Stops by Central Camera in Chicago
Paul Sends His Alpa Makro-Switar and Alpa 11e to Radu / Radu Worked for Karl Heitz
The Contax II and III Aren't Necessarily Better than the Contax I
Just Because a Camera Has Had a CLA Doesn't Mean It's Perfect
In 10 Years No One Will Repair Contax Anymore / Very Few People Will Repair Nikonos / 3D Printing O-Rings
If You Need a CLA, Get It Done NOW! / We Are Losing Technicians Quickly / Radu is The Guy for Alpas, Tessinas, and Berning Robots
Kilfitt Makro-Kilar and Makro Switar Alpa Lenses
Komura 35mm f/2.8 Nikon Rangefinder Lens
Nikon/Contax Digital Adapters / Amedeo Adapters Are the Best, but External Bayonet Nikon Adapters are a LOT Cheaper
Mike and Cheyenne Both Love the Nicca III-L / Auto Resetting Exposure Counter / Bottom Loading with Leica M3 Style Door
Sears Sold the Nicca III-L as the Tower 48
James Gets a Minolta X-600 / Manual Focus with Focus Confirmation Cameras / Mike Novak Is Going to Loan his X-600 To Me
Nikon Took a Long Time to Embrace Auto Focus / Canon Did it Better / The Nikon 8008 Was the First Good AF Nikon SLR / Paul Hates the N70
Nikon and Minolta Had Different Model Numbers for Different Markets / Gray Market Cameras / Warranties
Ricoh and Chinon Auto Focus Bodies and Lenses
Mike Shoots a Roll of Kodak Verichrome Pan 620 Expired in 1948 / Kodak Duo Six-20 / Don't Forget to Replace the Tape!
AGFA Isoly Was the Basis for the Diana Camera / Texer SR Is a Copy of the Seagull 203 Chinese Camera
Mike Picks Up a KMZ Droug / Bottom Trigger Wind Cameras / Canon VT Deluxe / Canonet / Ricoh 519M / Super Paxette 35
Anthony Experiments with 116 and 616 / Zeiss Cocarette and Super Ikontas
Theo Goes to Another Local Auction / Franka Rolfix II / Closter IIa / Mamiya U
Anthony and Theo Have Bad Luck with 110 Cameras
Jess is Working on an Ihagee Exakta Twin TL

Show Notes

The Official Camerosity Facebook Group - https://www.facebook.com/groups/camerositypodcast

Camerosity Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/camerosity_podcast/

Camerosity Twitter - https://twitter.com/CamerosityPod

Radu Lesaru - Alpa, Tessina, Robot, and Zeiss Repair - http://www.3rcamera.com/

Andrew Smith - https://www.youtube.com/channel/UClXrAlbnU3gvdRrJ5gAR4mw

Jess Ibarra - Viva La Film - https://www.vivalafilm.com/

Cheyenne Morrison - https://www.instagram.com/bigshotphotos/

Mark Faulkner – https://thegashaus.com/

Theo Panagopoulos - https://www.photothinking.com/

Paul Rybolt - https://www.ebay.com/usr/paulkris

Anthony Rue - https://www.instagram.com/kino_pravda/ and https://www.facebook.com/VoltaGNV/

Episode 28: Underappreciated Camera Episode

Tue, 21 Jun 2022 14:30:32 -0500

Freshly rescued from our tropical getaway where we started fires with Nikkor lenses, beat away native beasts with Arguses, and swam underwater with our Nikonos, the guys and I have come to the realization that we've spent a lot of time in recent episodes talking about some of the same camera brands. We thought we would devote our next episode to some of the most underappreciated camera brands.

Of course, this being the Camerosity Podcast, we don't always have control over what we talk about, so while some very underappreciated camera brands do get discussed, we go down several rabbit holes that are just as interesting. If you want to hear about burglaries and what happens to camera collectors after they die, this is the episode for you!

Joining us on this episode are returning callers, Robert Rotoloni, Ira Cohen, Mark Peterson, Larry Effler, James Allen, David Ortega, Howard Sandler, and Mark Faulkner, and first time callers Joseph Brunjes and Tony Colvin. As always, the topics we discuss on the show are heavily influenced by our callers and for this episode, a great number of cameras and models are brought up by our callers that a scripted show would likely never cover.

Every episode, the topics we discuss on the Camerosity Podcast are decided entirely upon you, so if you’d like to join us next time, be sure to look out for our next show announcement for Episode 28, which will be recorded on Monday, June 13th!

This Week's Episode

Robert Clarifies Why the Nikon F Has a Strange Mirror Lockup / 21mm Lenses
Yashica f/1.2 Lens with Notched Rear Element / Carl Zeiss Biogon Came First
Ira Has His Entire Collection Stolen Twice / Built His First Collection with His Father / Anthony Gets His Entire Collection Stolen Too
Theo Was Burgled Once in London / Store Your Camera Stuff in Diaper Bags / Don't use Fancy Camera Bags when Traveling
Mike Owes Mark Peterson Some Film, Then Talks About His Basement Again!
Paul Has an Awesome Darkroom in His Basement
Ira Shows Off his Wirgin Komet SLR (Predecessor to the Wirgin Edixa) / Alpha and Omega Cameras (First and Last)
Mike Reviews Ira's Eigenbau Kamera Made in the UK / Biflex / Tessina L Shoots Smaller Images on Regular 35mm
Bolsey Jubilee Is a Bolsey B2 With German Lens and Shutter and Fancy Top Plate
Bencini Koroll S and Bencini Comet Cameras are Cool But Strange
We Don't Talk About Yashica, No, No, Noooo / Yashica Lynx-14 and Ministers are Great / Yashica Electro 35 CC and GL
Minolta V2 Has a 1/2000 Top Speed / Minolta Used Citizen Shutters to Get Very Fast Shutters / Minolta Uniomat III
Another Cool Minolta is the Auto Wide / Minolta A-Series Shutters are Installed Backwards
The Minolta SRT-MC is the Kmart Minolta / 2 Millionth Minolta Maxxum / Maxxum with Crossed X's / Exxon Lawsuit
Shooting Minolta Cameras with Gloves / Maxxum 7 / Maxxum 650si
Konica Auto-Reflex and Autorex / The Original Konica F / Konica F-Mount / Konica FS / Koni-Omega Rapid
Tessina Film / Spring Wound Cameras / Polaroid SLR 680 / Rollei 6008 / Rollei A110
SLRs with Front and Rear Shutter Releases / Zenit 16
Rollei 35 vs Minox 35 / Minox GTE / DAG Can CLA Minox 35s
How to Develop 127 Film / Leicaflex SL2 / Cameras with Weird Locations for Batteries / Ira Hates Asymmetrical Cameras
Mike Busts Some Paul Myths / Konica L / Paul Makes Deals Even When Mike Was There
Tony Loves the Mamiya 1000 SLR and the Kowa Six and 66 / Graflex Graphic 35 Jet
What To Do With Our Collections When We Die

Show Notes

The Official Camerosity Facebook Group - https://www.facebook.com/groups/camerositypodcast

Camerosity Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/camerosity_podcast/

Camerosity Twitter - https://twitter.com/CamerosityPod

Joseph Brunjes - https://www.josephbrunjes.com/index

Robert Rotoloni – https://www.facebook.com/Nikon-Historical-Society-193619477350338/

Mark Faulkner – https://thegashaus.com/

Howard Sandler – https://www.flickr.com/photos/hsandler

Theo Panagopoulos - https://www.photothinking.com/

Paul Rybolt - https://www.ebay.com/usr/paulkris

Anthony Rue - https://www.instagram.com/kino_pravda/ and https://www.facebook.com/VoltaGNV/

Episode 27: Desert Island Cameras

Thu, 02 Jun 2022 07:22:24 -0500

This week on episode 27 Anthony, Paul, Theo and I get our passports ready and board onto a boat for a tropical getaway! While there, we will be taking a three hour tour to a remote, non-descript island, where us and our friend Gilligan will soak in the sights and take lots of photos in the hope of having some beautiful images when we get back!

Of course, with any trip comes the difficult decision of what gear should we bring? Is compactness, performance, or ruggedness a deciding factor? Should you bring in a large format camera to maximize detail on the tropical vistas you aren't likely to see again, or would a compact folder be a better option so that there's less for you to lug around?

Joining us this week is Aiden Dean, back from last episode, who travels with us and brings with him three very interesting selections. Listen in as everyone talks about their "Tropical Island Cameras" and why we selected them!

This Week's Episode

The Gang Goes on a Three Hour Tour
The Argus C3 is a Rugged Camera and Effective Blunt Object / Mike Was Coerced to Buy an Argus C3 for $1
Our Skipper Takes a Mamiya 7 and the 35mm Panoramic Kit
The Professor Chooses the Olympus Pen F / Pen Lenses Are Great Adapted to Micro 4/3rds / Yoshihisa Maitani Designed the Pen
Gilligan Is No Dummy and Brings His Nikon F2 To Shoot and Start Fires With!
Paul Chooses a Nikon F with the FTN Finder / The F2 Has Many Advantages Plus a Much Better Mirror Lock-Up
Ginger Values a Quality Compact Camera So She Takes the Voigtländer Perkeo II / 13 Exposures Per Roll
Another Nikon Makes the Cut, the Nikon FM2 is Compact, Reliable, and Performs Well / Nikkor Lenses to Bring / Steve McCurry Shot Afghan Girl with an FM2
The Kodak Medalist II is Both a Sculpture, a Camera, and Self-Defense Weapon / Differences Between the Medalist I and II
The Mamiya Universal or Super 23 is the Camera of Choice for Anything Medium Format / Rear Macro Bellows for Closeups
Gilligan Aims High with the Hasselblad 500 C/M / The Viewfinder is Like Looking Into a TV / Advantages of Square Format
Ginger Pulls a Switcheroo from the Nikon F2AS to a Sony a7II Full Frame Mirrorless/ Nikkor 20mm f/4 Lens
You Can't Be on an Island Without an Underwater Camera So the Skipper Brings the Canon Sureshot A1
The Nikonos V Ups the Ante for Underwater Cameras / Nikonos Interchangeable Lenses / Nikonos RS SLR
Gilligan Has the Heaviest Luggage with His Pentax 67 SLR / Asahi Takumar 105mm Lens
Paul Saves the Best for Last, the Leica M6 / Paul Visits the Wetzlar Factory
The Final Camera is a DIGICAM! / Panasonic Lumix DMC-FX07 / Licensed Schneider, Zeiss, and Leica Lenses
Theo's Winners and Loses from his Massive Haul from Episode 26 / Super Ikonta / Zeh Goldi / Vitessa L / Superbs / Futura / Lordomat
Mike is Going to Visit Paul This Weekend / Anthony Ponders Buying a Bessa Rangefinder
Aiden Doesn't Have Any Questions But He Has a Lot of GAS / Graflex 3x4 and Toyo View Camera

Show Notes

The Official Camerosity Facebook Group - https://www.facebook.com/groups/camerositypodcast

Camerosity Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/camerosity_podcast/

Camerosity Twitter - https://twitter.com/CamerosityPod

Aiden Dean - https://www.instagram.com/chefboyar__dean/

Theo Panagopoulos - https://www.photothinking.com/

Paul Rybolt - https://www.ebay.com/usr/paulkris

Anthony Rue - https://www.instagram.com/kino_pravda/ and https://www.facebook.com/VoltaGNV/

Episode 26: GASoline Alley and Absurd Auctions

Thu, 19 May 2022 11:10:45 -0500

This week on episode 26 we play catch up on a lack of GAS discussion over the past couple of episodes. Theo, Paul, Anthony, and Mike all have a large number of cameras that they've come across, and not always from the usual sources. In addition to GAS, we share a story about the Ohio Camera Collector's Society Auction earlier this month in Columbus, Ohio in which bidding got really out of hand and the state of regional camera shows.

Other topics discussed are ways to develop 116/616 film using regular Paterson reels, the best way to store a large camera collection, and Mike's recommendation on a cheap way to shoot wide angle Nikkor rangefinder lenses.

Joining us are returning callers, Robert Rotoloni, Dan Tree, Miles Libak, Jon Gilchrist, Mark Beadle and Wannes Scheipers, and first time callers, Aiden Dean, Alex Dietrich, and all the way from Johannesburg, South Africa, Dean Blumberg who also share in their latest pickups, questions, and general camera collector miscellany.

This Week's Episode

Paul Proxy Bids at the Ohio Camera Collector's Society Annual Auction
First Was the Auction Then the Saturday Camera Show / Paul Buys a Zeiss-Ikon Contaflex 35mm TLR and Ihagee Exakta 66
Paul's Secret Advice to Get Stuff at Camera Shows / Robert Rotoloni Wasted His Time at the Chicago Show Too
Japanese Sellers Used to Buy Tables at Shows Only to Buy Cameras and Not Sell
Camera Shows Aren't Being Advertised Correctly / You Can't Get eBay in South Africa, Most Cameras are Already There
There Needs to Be a Better Way to Promote Camera Shows / Let the Camerosity Podcast Do That For You! / Other Online Auctions Besides eBay
Mike Buys His Last Camera Ever, a Nikon F2AS / NO ONE IS BUYING DIGICAMS, THEO!!!!
Paul is Impervious to GAS Until This Week / Nikon SP and Nikon S3 2000 Edition
Were Black S3 2000s Repainted Chrome Ones? / Some Parts of the S3 2000 Were Outsourced
Radu Lesaru CLA'd Zeiss-Ikon Contax I
Theo's Massive Auction Haul
- Braun Super Paxette
- Mamiya U Autofocus
- Minox LX, C, and Yashica Atoron
- Canon Demi Rapid / AGFA Rapid Cassette Tips / Minolta 24 Rapid
- Feinwerk-Technik MEC 16 SB
- Futura 35 RF
- Zeh Goldi 127
- A Pair of Leidolf Lordomats
- Minolta 16 MGS
- Olympus Pen FT
- Mike and Anthony Twist Theo's Arm to Buy a Rollei 35
- Voigtländer Inos II / Two Voigtländer Superb TLRs / Voigtländer Virtus / Voigtländer Vitessa L w/ Ultron
- Zeiss-Ikon Kolibri / Miles Libak is Shooting Mike's Kolibri
- Super Ikonta C and Super Ikonta D
Anthony Shoots Gevaert 616 Film from 1947 / YouTube Hack for Developing 116/616 Using Paterson Tanks
Zeiss-Ikon Cocarette Luxus
Nikkor Screw Mount Lenses / The Nikonos II is Usually Found with the 35mm f/2.5 Lens Which is Excellent
Dan Tree Buys a Rollei 35 S / Everyone Loves the Rollei 35 Except Paul / Underrated Rollei 35 Models / Rollei 35 LED
Exell Mercury Replacement Batteries / Wayne Fixes His Minolta Hi-Matic / Early AGFA Karats Have the Best Rangefinders
Lubtiel and Chaika 3 Both in their Original Boxes / Camera Ephemera / Engraved Social Security Numbers
Zeiss-Ikon Contaflex Lenses / Ikonta Light Leaks / Leitz Null Series Leica
What is the Best Way to Store a Large Collection of Cameras?

Show Notes

The Official Camerosity Facebook Group - https://www.facebook.com/groups/camerositypodcast

Camerosity Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/camerosity_podcast/

Camerosity Twitter - https://twitter.com/CamerosityPod

Loading 116/616 Film Onto Paterson Reels - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=f9REyP3gLjo

Jon Gilchrist – Packard-Ideal Shutter Company – https://packardshutter.com/ and https://genescamera.com/

Dan Tree – https://www.instagram.com/dantreephoto

Robert Rotoloni – https://www.facebook.com/Nikon-Historical-Society-193619477350338/

Theo Panagopoulos - https://www.photothinking.com/

Paul Rybolt - https://www.ebay.com/usr/paulkris

Anthony Rue - https://www.instagram.com/kino_pravda/ and https://www.facebook.com/VoltaGNV/

Episode 25: Steve Sasson and the First Digital Camera

Thu, 05 May 2022 07:30:55 -0500

This week on episode 25 we go beyond the world of film and bring to you a whole episode talking about the history of digital cameras. In order to do that, we called upon a man who can speak to the earliest history of digital photography like no other, Steve Sasson.

In 1975, at the age of only 25 while working for Kodak, Steve created the world's first digital camera. A crude looking blue and metal box with exposed electronics inside, a lens from a Kodak XL movie camera, and a cassette recorder as it's data storage device, the camera worked, and set the world on a path that leads us to modern smartphones today.

Not to be outdone, Steve is joined by Robert Shanebrook who we have spoken with before as a 35 year employee of Eastman Kodak, Robert worked in the same lab with Steve and shares with us his memories of that time at Kodak and how things progressed from there.

Also, with us is Todd Gustavson, author and curator at the George Eastman Museum, Todd knows Kodak history like no one else, and has access to a whole collection of the earliest digital cameras.

Finally, Daniel Koons is a Kodak collector and early digital camera enthusiast who has meticulously built the world's only replica of Steve's prototype digital camera. Using high resolution images provided to him by Todd, Daniel was able to recreate the camera with an impressive level of precision and can speak to the inside workings of the camera second only to Steve.

It wouldn't be an open source podcast without some callers, and this time we have returning guests, Mark Faulkner, Mark Peterson, and Jon Gilchrist who ask their own questions and share their own experiences.

This Week's Episode

Steve's Introduction / How He Got Involved / One Man Skunkworks
The Camera Didn't Work Until it Was Done / No One Knew How to Build It
It Took 23 Seconds to Store an Image / The Fairchild CCD Was Horrible
Why Would Anyone Want to Take Photos This Way? / There Was Never Any Paper on the Starship Enterprise
There Needs to be More Pixels / Kodak Wasn't Ignorant That This Was a Threat to Film
When Will Digital Be a Viable Form of Photography? / Moore's Law / The Boy Dog Wall
Portra Was Developed Without Any Constraints from Digital
What was the Evolution of the Original Concept to First Prototype? / Was a Modem Ever Considered?
Kodak Never Seriously Considered Still Video Photography (Sony Mavica / Canon Xap Shot)
Kodak ECAM / Kodak's Patent Wars of the Early 2000s
Daniel Koons Makes an Exact Replica of Steven's Camera / Please Return to Steve Sasson
Despite the Potential of Killing Film, Kodak Did More to Advance Digital Photography Than Almost Anybody
It is Harder Today to Shoot a 20 Year Old Digital Camera Than a 100 Year Old Film Camera
Kodak Kept Investing in New Film Stocks Into the 2000s Despite the Rise of Digital / After September 2003, Things Started to Change
Could You Take the Digital Image Off the Prototype and Into a Computer?
Does the Prototype Still Work? / Does Daniel's Copy Work? / There's a Raspberry Pi in There!
Todd Gustavson is a Curator at the Eastman Museum / Getting Old Digital Cameras Working / UF RAW
Digital Camera Collectors / SCSI Cables Are Hard to Find / Underwater Digital Photography
KingJim DaVinci Thermal Print Camera / Paul and Mark Are Shopping on eBay During This Podcast!
Paul Gets 10 Boxes of Cameras Today / Daniel's Wish List / The Digicam Craze in Japan
Kodak Tech Pan / Modern Equivalent to Technidol
What's Everyone's Favorite Bulk Film? / Don't Limit Yourself to B&W, C41 Processing is Easy Too
Go See the Collection of Cameras at the George Eastman Museum

Show Notes

The Official Camerosity Facebook Group - https://www.facebook.com/groups/camerositypodcast

Camerosity Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/camerosity_podcast/

Camerosity Twitter - https://twitter.com/CamerosityPod

Steve Sasson - https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Steven_Sasson

Robert Shanebrook – http://www.makingkodakfilm.com, makingkodakfilm@yahoo.com

Daniel Koons (Norman Camera) - https://www.normancamera.com/

Todd Gustavson (George Eastman House) - https://www.eastman.org/

Mark Faulkner - https://thegashaus.com/

Theo Panagopoulos - https://www.photothinking.com/

Paul Rybolt - https://www.ebay.com/usr/paulkris

Anthony Rue - https://www.instagram.com/kino_pravda/ and https://www.facebook.com/VoltaGNV/

Episode 24: Camerosity’s European Vacation

Fri, 22 Apr 2022 10:40:19 -0500

This week on episode 24 of the Camerosity Podcast, we hit the holiday road and travel to a more European friendly time zone to allow more of our British, German, and Belgium listeners to join us!

Along with Anthony, Theo, Paul, and I, first time callers Calum Tilson, John-Michael Mendizza, and Wayne Scheipers joined returning callers Alan Duncan, Nick Lyle, Mark Faulkner, Bill Smith, Larry Effler, and James Allen to discuss a wide variety of topics from Instax to LOMO to Minolta SRTs. Camerosity GAS struck John-Michael and he bought a Rollei 35, and Calum gets a ton of great tips on camera repair.

Amazingly, we go this entire episode without once mentioning Nikon, Zeiss, Leica, King Regulas, or panoramic cameras (no wait a minute, we did).

Every episode, the topics we discuss on the Camerosity Podcast are decided entirely upon you, so if you’d like to join us, be sure to look out for our next show announcement for Episode 25, which will be recorded on Monday, May 2nd!

This Week's Episode

The Olympus OM-101 is the Worst 35mm SLR Ever Made
The LOMO SuperSampler is Like an Even Shittier NIMSLO 3D
The Spinner is a 360 Panoramic Camera / LOMO LCA 120 / Nick's Panoramic Stitching Device / What Beer is Wayne Drinking?
The FED 5C Isn't Quite as Good as the FED 2 / FED Mikron and FED 50
Can you Replace or Re-Energize a Selenium Exposure Meter? / Reveni Labs Spot Meter
Lomography 4x5 Back for Instax Wide Film / Instax Film Has Terrible Latitude
Reddit Thread for Re-Ionizing Selenium Cells
NONS Instax SLR / Mamiya Press Polaroid Camera / Why Won't Fuji Release More Capable Instax Cameras?
Ensign Selfix 820 Special / Chroma 679 Uses Mamiya Lenses and Backs
Using Laser Measuring Devices for Distance
DeMaria-Lapierre Telka III / Royer Teleroy / Horseman 970
Minimata Movie, W. Eugene Smith Shoots a Minolta SRT-101 / Tips on Buying SRT-101s
Chroma Snapshot Technical Camera
Canon Sure Shot Ace Has a Waist Level Viewfinder / Olympus XA Series
Recommended Tools for Repairs: Soldering Mat, Good Precision Screwdrivers, Magnified Headband Loupe, Good Spanner, Rubber Lens Grippy Tool
Minolta Dynax 7 Needs a 3D Printed Aperture Ring / 3D Printing Replacement Parts
What Kind of Resources Are There to Learn Repairing Cameras? / Chris Sherlock's YouTube Channel / Learn Camera Repair Website / Ask The Experts While They're Still Alive
We Made John-Michael Buy a Rollei 35

Show Notes

The Official Camerosity Facebook Group - https://www.facebook.com/groups/camerositypodcast

Camerosity Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/camerosity_podcast/

LOMO Spinner - https://shop.lomography.com/us/spinner-360

Selenium Cell Repair - https://ian-partridge.com/cells.html

Re-Ionizing Selenium Cells - https://www.reddit.com/r/AnalogCommunity/comments/rrmxtb/how_to_ionize_a_selenium_meter_cell_recipe/

Alan Duncan - https://austerityphoto.co.uk/

John-Michael Mendizza - https://www.jmm-photos.com/ and https://www.instagram.com/jmmendizza/

Calum Tilson - https://www.instagram.com/calum.tilson/

Mark Faulkner - https://thegashaus.com/

Nick Lyle - http://homemadecamera.com/

Bill Smith - https://funwithcameras.blogspot.com/

Theo Panagopoulos - https://www.photothinking.com/

Paul Rybolt - https://www.ebay.com/usr/paulkris

Anthony Rue - https://www.instagram.com/kino_pravda/ and https://www.facebook.com/VoltaGNV/

Episode 23: 20×24 Polaroids, Voigtländers, and Pizza!

Thu, 07 Apr 2022 14:48:58 -0500

This week on episode 23 of the Camerosity Podcast, we finally get a chance to talk to Nafis Azad about his work with large format Polaroids at the 20x24studio in New York. If you have a hard time picturing what a two foot tall instant photograph looks like, you're not alone. Listen in on the history of the 20x24 Polaroid, how it works, and other stories.

Not to be outdone, Anthony, Paul, Theo, and Mike, along with returning guests Mark Faulkner, Howard Sandler, Jess Ibarra, James Allen, and Dan Tree talk about everyone's favorite Voigtländers, the strangest looking TLRs, and why Soviet cameras often need service, even when new. Paul shares us with how knowledge of the f/stop system can help you when ordering a pizza, and Mike shares another PSA recommending everyone insure their cameras!

This Week's Episode

Nafis Azad and the 20" x 24" Polaroid Camera / 20x24studio in New York
How Does Large Polaroid Film Work? / Polaroid 44x80 Room Camera
Elsa Dorfman's Portraits / Who Was Edwin Land?
How Much 20x24 Film Is Still Left and How is it Stored?
Chuck Close's Close-Ups / What Lenses are Used?
Calculating Exposure and Latitude of Large Format Polaroid Film
Maintaining the 20x24 Cameras / Do They Ever Break? / Storing Old Polaroid Photos
Voigtländer Vitessa Rangefinders / Voigtländer Zoomar Lenses
Jess Ibarra Returns Gets More Testing Stuff / Voigtländer Superb
Sugiyama's Collector's Guide to Japanese Cameras / McKeown's Guides / Jason Schneider's Camera Collecting Books
Coolest Looking TLRs, Voigtländer Superb, ANSCO Automatic Reflex 3.5, Fujicaflex, Flexarets, Welta Perfekta and Superfekta
Dan Tree Visits the Leica Store in San Francisco and Gets a Water Bottle / The Leica MP / Olympus XA4
The Pentax S1a has a Secret Shutter Speed / Argus 21 Markfinder / Voigtländer Vito II / Voigtländer BR / Voigtländer Vitomatic
The Rollei 35 is Worth it / Petri Color 35 / Paul's 8 Point Rollei 35 Rating System
Ricoh Hi-Color 35 / Ricoh Put Light Seals Everywhere
Mark Beadle Buys an Arax 88CM / Ukrainian Cameras / How Do People Feel About Russian Cameras Right Now?
The Plaubel Makina has Strange f/Stops / US Stop System / The f/stop System Helps When Ordering Pizza!
Mark Faulkner's Quick Update on His 3D Printed Spool Extenders / Chris Paulin is the Camerosity Podcast Superfan
Were Soviet Cameras Made Rough on Purpose so that they Could Be Fine Tuned Later?
Film Spacing Problems are not Unique to Soviet Cameras, Rolleiflexes Can Have Them Too
Buy a Demo Model Because You Can Guarantee It Works
Anthony's E6 Home Development Adventures / New Kodak Gold 200 in 120 / New Cinestill 400D Film
How Does Everyone Keep Track of their Camera Collection? / Insure Your Collection!!!

Show Notes

The Official Camerosity Facebook Group - https://www.facebook.com/groups/camerositypodcast

Camerosity Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/camerosity_podcast/

Nafis Azad - https://www.nafisazad.com/ and https://20x24studio.com/

Dan Tree - https://www.instagram.com/dantreephoto

Jess Ibarra - Viva La Film – https://www.vivalafilm.com/

Mark Faulkner - https://thegashaus.com/

Mark Beadle - https://www.instagram.com/mark_beadle90/

Howard Sandler – https://www.flickr.com/photos/hsandler

Theo Panagopoulos - https://www.photothinking.com/

Paul Rybolt - https://www.ebay.com/usr/paulkris

Anthony Rue - https://www.instagram.com/kino_pravda/ and https://www.facebook.com/VoltaGNV/

Episode 22: Dan Tamarkin Talks Leica

Thu, 24 Mar 2022 07:46:09 -0500

This week on episode 22 of the Camerosity Podcast, we welcome special guest Dan Tamarkin of Tamatkin Camera in Chicago, Illinois to regale us with many tales of his life selling Leicas. Originally started in 1971 by his father Stan, Tamarkin Camera has been one of the most trusted Leica dealers in the country over the past 51 years, so there is little that Dan doesn't know or hasn't seen.

Listen in as Anthony, Paul, Theo and Mike, along with regular guests, Jon Gilchrist, Robert Rotoloni, Mark Faulkner, Nafis Azad, and Mark Peterson join first time callers Andre Domingues and Dan Tree who ask questions and chat about Leica cameras, the company's rich history and much more. You may have never thought you needed a hot pink Hello Kitty Leica M3 before, but you will after hearing this episode! Listen in to hear all the other nonsense we discuss!

Audio Warning: Once again, I had problems with my own audio this episode. All of the other guests are fine, but there was an issue with my levels that I did the best I could to correct. The good news is, I figured out why this keeps happening so I should be able to prevent it for future episodes.

This Week's Episode

Introducing Dan Tamarkin / Reminiscing About Camera Shop Owners and Shutterbug Magazine
Repairing Leicas / Finding People to Do It / When Did Patina Become Desirable? / Lenny Kravitz Leicas
Customizing Your Cameras / Hello Kitty Leicas / Repainted Kodak Brownie Hawkeyes and Minolta SRTs / Provenance
Dan's Screw Mount and M-series Recommendations / Crazy Ways People Get Leicas
Special Edition Commemorative Leicas / Leitz Always Gave People What They Want / Brief Leica History
Earlier Leicas Could be Retrofitted with Later Features at the Factory
Why Do Leicas Sometimes Expose Images Through the Sprockets on One Side? / Metal Cassettes vs Modern Cassettes
Dan Buys Jon's Rare Viewfinder / 35mm Steel Rimmed Summilux Lens and Goggles
SBOOI 50mm Viewfinders / Auxiliary Viewfinders
Leica Copies Are Good on a Budget / The Right Camera is the One You Have
Leicaflex SLRs Are So Smooth / Beware of the Leica R4...But the Leica R6.2 is Awesome
Don't Shine Flashlights Through Your Lenses / Lens Bubbles are OK
Nippon Kogaku Screw Mount Lenses Are Really Good
Left Eye Shooters / Rangefinders are Easier to Focus in Low Light if Your Vision Sucks
What about Digital Leicas? / Why Leica Doesn't Make More Lenses
Leica D-Lux Compact Digitals / Everyone Needs a Hot Pink Hello Kitty Holga
Dan and Paul's Favorite Leica Code Word

Show Notes

The Official Camerosity Facebook Group - https://www.facebook.com/groups/camerositypodcast

Camerosity Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/camerosity_podcast/

Dan Tamarkin - http://www.tamarkin.com/

Andre Domingues - https://www.podbean.com/podcast-detail/3mf4p-5fc4e/Negative-Positives-Film-Photography-Podcast

Dan Tree - https://www.instagram.com/dantreephoto

Nafis Azad - https://www.nafisazad.com/ and https://20x24studio.com/

Jon Gilchrist - Packard-Ideal Shutter Company - https://packardshutter.com/

Mark Faulkner - https://thegashaus.com/

Theo Panagopoulos - https://www.photothinking.com/

Paul Rybolt - https://www.ebay.com/usr/paulkris

Anthony Rue - https://www.instagram.com/kino_pravda/ and https://www.facebook.com/VoltaGNV/

Episode 21: The GAS Episode

Thu, 10 Mar 2022 10:00:33 -0600

This week on episode 21 of the Camerosity Podcast you better hide your credit cards and deactivate your eBay accounts as there is a whole lot of GAS coming your way! Without a special guest, Mike, Theo, Paul, and Anthony were free to discuss all their recent pickups, with everything from Niccas to Noblexes.

Joining us were returning callers Mark Faulkner, Jon Gilchrist, Miles Libak, and first time callers Nafis Azad, James Allen, and David Ortega who share with us their Wideluxes, Gallus Derluxes, Miranda Sensorexes, and Kiev rangefinders.

In addition to GAS, we cover controversial topics such as whether it's better to advance your film immediately after each shot or before the next one, what the best flatbed scanning software is, and whether or not Paterson or Stainless reels are everyone's favorite. Of course there's a lot more, including one of the rarest cameras ever talked about on a Camerosity episode, so be sure to listen through to the end to find out what that is!

In two weeks, we will record episode 22 and will welcome special guest, "America's Premier Leica Specialist", Dan Tamarkin from Tamarkin Camera in Chicago, Illinois. Dan is a huge fan of the show and will be bringing with him a wealth of knowledge about Leica rangefinders and SLRs, so if that's something that you'd be interested in, be sure to join us at 7pm CDT (UTC -5), 8pm EDT (UTC -4) on Monday, March 21st.

(Note that Daylight Savings Time will start on March 13 in the United States, so the time may be different for you in other parts of the world.)

This Week's Episode

Show and Tell: Theo's Plaubel Makina IIS
Anthony Gets an Olympus XA4 and his Crazy eBay Story
King Regula and the History of King
Nafis Has a Widelux / Taking Cameras Apart Isn't the Same As Putting Them Back Together
Using Lasers with Rangefinders / Golf Distance Rangefinders / Watameters / Kodak Field Rangefinder
Mark's Tower 24 (Asahiflex IIb)
Noblex 135 S Panoramic Camera in Original Box / John Noble / KW
Theo's Valentine's Nicca IIIS / Tower 45 (Nicca Type-5)
The Story of Why Yashica Bought Nicca / Yashica Pentamatic
Miranda Sensorex and the 8-Element f/1.4 Soligor
Contaxes and Kievs / Ukrainian Cameras / FED 2
Frame Spacing on Kiev Rangefinders / Cameras Without Sprockets
Advancing the Film Right After Each Shot, or Right Before the Next Shot: A Debate
Vuescan vs Silverfast vs Epson Scan: A Debate
Paul's New Nikkor Lenses - 200-600 f/9.5, 55 f/1.2, and 35 f/2.8 PC / Intrepid 8x10 / Fuji GS645
Gallus Derlux / Foth Derby / Jon Bought 63 Boxes of Cameras / Arguses Exaktas and a Great Wall
Mike Accidentally Buys an Exakta with a Metered Prism and a Biotar and it Works Perfectly
Developing on Paterson Reels vs Stainless Reels: Yet Another Debate
3D Printed Custom Paterson Shafts for Developing 116, 122, and 130 Roll Film
Fuji Fujicaflex TLR - One of the Prettiest TLRs Ever / What's Coming This Year on mikeeckman.com
MR9/PX625 Battery Voltage Adapters from 1.5v to 1.35v / CRIS Adapters
Nafis has one of Six 20x24 Polaroid Cameras in the World / 20x24studio.com

Show Notes

The Official Camerosity Facebook Group - https://www.facebook.com/groups/camerositypodcast

Camerosity Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/camerosity_podcast/

Nafis Azad - https://www.nafisazad.com/ and https://20x24studio.com/

James Allen - https://www.lomography.com/homes/wv_cactus

Jon Gilchrist - Packard-Ideal Shutter Company - https://packardshutter.com/

Mark Faulkner - https://thegashaus.com/

Theo Panagopoulos - https://www.photothinking.com/

Paul Rybolt - https://www.ebay.com/usr/paulkris

Anthony Rue - https://www.instagram.com/kino_pravda/ and https://www.facebook.com/VoltaGNV/

Episode 20: Community Darkrooms, Subminiatures, and More!

Fri, 25 Feb 2022 09:18:57 -0600

This week on the Camerosity Podcast, we've reached the 20th episode of the show! For something that was started completely on a whim, I am amazed at the support and enthusiasm from all of our listeners! We are officially the fastest growing open source film photography podcast in the world!!! Anthony, Paul, Theo and myself all really appreciate the positive feedback from you all, so thank you very much!

On this episode, we cover the process of starting a community darkroom with alternative process photographer, Cindy Steiler, some of our tips and tricks for the home developer, we jump very deep into some really obscure subminiature and our favorite 110 cameras, plus a whole lot of other Camerosity related discussion. Along with Cindy and the regular hosts, we have returning guests Robert Rotoloni, Dwight Anderson, Larry Effler, Michael Kaplan, Jon Gilchrist, Jess Ibarra, and Bill Smith. Our first time guests are Christopher Paulin, Nick Marshall, and from the Embrace the Grain Podcast, Sherry Christensen.

Every week, the topics we discuss on the Camerosity Podcast are decided entirely upon you, so if you'd like to join us, be sure to look out for our next show announcement for Episode 21, which we will record at our normal time of 7pm CST (UTC -6), 8pm EST (UTC -5) on Monday, March 7th.

This Week's Episode

Everyone Joins the Call / Dwight Anderson has a Camerosity Etsy Store
Cindy Steiler's Community Darkroom in Gainesville
People Will Always Pour Fixer into the Developer / Donating Supplies and Equipment
Cyanotypes and Alternative Processes / Printing on Fabric
How Do You Charge For the Darkroom? / Pay As You Go? / Subscriptions?
Tips for Developing Film Yourself at Home / YOU CAN DO IT!!!
Developing Color Film is Not Harder than Black and White / There's Only One Way To Do It
Does Anyone Use the Kickstarter Lab Box? / 110 and APS Paterson Reels
Only Have One Thermometer or Five
If You're a Beginner, Use HC-110 and Don't Look at the Massive Dev Chart
Paterson vs Stainless Reels
Anthony Bought a Nikkormat FT3 Because Jess Told Him To / Nikkor 105mm f/2.5
Mike Shits on the Braun Paxette Then Regrets It
Paul's Auto-Nikkor 200-600 f/9.5 Monster Lens / Shipping to Australia
The Subminiature and 110 Camera Part of the Show
- Yashica Atoron Has a Funny Shutter Sound
Whoops, Not a Subminiature - Canon AE-1 Squeaks
- Goerz Minicord
- Galileo Gami
- Asanuma Acmel
- Universal Minute 16
- Bolsey 8
- Steky 3A
- Kodak Trimlite 48
- Canon 110ED / Kodak K-Batteries
- Kodak VR K10, K12, and K14 and It's Lithium Battery
- Voigtländer Vitoret 110
110 and 126 Film Doesn't Have a Pressure Plate / Rollei SL26 Instamatic SLR
Camera Swap Meets and Shows Are Back / What Can People Expect When Going to These Shows?
Always Look in the Boxes Under the Table at Camera Shows
Upcoming Chicago, Cleveland, Cincinnati, and Orlando Shows
The Canon T80 is Pretty Fantastic / Carl Zeiss Werramatic / Voigtländer Superb TLR

Show Notes

The Official Camerosity Facebook Group - https://www.facebook.com/groups/camerositypodcast

Camerosity Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/camerosity_podcast/

Cindy Steiler - https://cindysteiler.com/home.html

Sherry Christensen - https://embracethegrain.com/

Dwight Anderson - http://cameravignette.com/ and https://www.etsy.com/shop/Camerosity

Jon Gilchrist - Packard-Ideal Shutter Company - https://packardshutter.com/

Robert Rotoloni - https://www.facebook.com/Nikon-Historical-Society-193619477350338/

Theo Panagopoulos - https://www.photothinking.com/

Paul Rybolt - https://www.ebay.com/usr/paulkris

Anthony Rue - https://www.instagram.com/kino_pravda/

REVIVAL: The Film to Bring Back Film

Sun, 13 Feb 2022 09:13:06 -0600

This week, we have a very special episode of the Camerosity Podcast. Anthony, Paul, Theo, and myself sit down with director Dean Ginsburg and producer James Carr of the documentary film, REVIVAL: The Film to Bring Back Film.

Dean and James are both passionate about all things film, the history, shooting, developing, printing, the gear, and after witnessing a similar level of enthusiasm from many others, young and old, all over the world, they started out on a quest to make a documentary film that explores what exactly it is about film photography that has captivated so many people.

Listen in as the filmmakers share their motivation and rationale behind why making this documentary is important to them, and also soliciting stories and motivations from us the Camerosity crew. Also joining the discussion were Hong Lee and Matt Jones who got to share their personal stories and ask the filmmakers their questions.

This special 1 hour chat is a fascinating glimpse into the behind the scenes of a crowdfunded film project. Also, check out their Kickstarter page where depending on how much you're willing to back, you might be able to earn an appearance in the film!

Every week, the topics we discuss on the Camerosity Podcast are decided entirely upon you, so if you'd like to join us, be sure to look out for our next show announcement for Episode 20, which we will record at our normal time of 7pm CST (UTC -6), 8pm EST (UTC -5) on Monday, February 21st.

Show Notes

If you would like to offer feedback or contact me with questions or ideas for future episodes, please contact us in the Comments Section below, our Camerosity Facebook Group or Instagram page, or email us at camerosity.podcast@gmail.com.

The Official Camerosity Facebook Group - https://www.facebook.com/groups/camerositypodcast

Camerosity Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/camerosity_podcast/

REVIVAL: The Film to Bring Back Film Kickstarter - https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/revivaldocumentary/revival-the-film-to-bring-back-film

Dean Ginsburg - https://www.facebook.com/dean.ginsburg.16

James Carr - https://www.facebook.com/james.carr.9803

Theo Panagopoulos - https://www.photothinking.com/

Paul Rybolt - https://www.ebay.com/usr/paulkris

Anthony Rue - https://www.instagram.com/kino_pravda/

Episode 19: Fixing Cameras with Jess Ibarra

Thu, 10 Feb 2022 11:12:47 -0600

This week on Episode 19 of the Camerosity Podcast where we welcome from Sydney, Australia, camera technician, photographer, artist, and owner of Viva la Film, Jess Ibarra. Jess is self taught and has a background in electrical engineering and is here to answer any of your camera repair or any other film photography questions.

Jess is joined by your regular hosts, Anthony, Theo, Paul, and I, along with returning callers Mario Piper, Howard Sandler, Vladislav Kern, Mark Faulkner, and first time callers Adam Paul, and Jon Gilchrist. As always, we don't always stay on topic, so while Jess spends a lot of time sharing her knowledge, throughout the show we find ourselves in the weeds talking about Soviet/German Cameras, Japanese Hit Cameras, APS film, and many other things.

This Week's Episode

Jess's Introduction / Young People Like Point and Shoots
How Much Harder is it to Repair an Electronic Shutter SLR vs a Mechanical SLR? / The FM3A is the Pinnacle of 35mm SLRs
Plastics Become Frail, Solder Develops Whiskers, and Teeth Fall Off
3D Printing and CNC Machines May Come to the Rescue / Jess Wants to Build Her Own Camera From Scratch
The Canon AE-1 Has a Lot of Problems / Many Plastics Have Reached Their End of Life
Look for Film Chips In Cameras Before Shooting Them
How Do You Know Where to Start When Opening a Camera?
Where Do You Source Replacement Parts? / What Do You Charge to Diagnose a Camera?
The Canon FTb and Nikkormats Are Great
Vlad Kern's House is Sinking / Why Jess Doesn't Fix Soviet Cameras / The Zorki 4 is Great
Leaf Shutter SLRs / Drops of Lighter Fluid are Sometimes OK, but WD40 is the Devil!
Telescope Helicoid Grease is Great for Lubricating Cameras
The Kowa Komaflex-S is Very Fragile But Worth It
Everyone's Favorite Lenses, Biotars, Makro-Kilars, Helios, Takumars, Topcor REs, and Vivtars?!
Mike Loves Soviet Triplets / Smenas and Voskhods / Flipping Helios Front Elements
Adam's Frankencamera, Kodak 122 Folder with 90mm Wide Angle Lens for 5.5" Panoramic Images
Expired Films From Gevaert and AGFA / How Do You Know the Timings for Developing Old Films? / Cold Stand Developing
Making 17.5mm Film for Japanese Hit Type Cameras / 120 Film and Backing Paper Are Different Sizes
Inspiring Jess's GAS / Camerosity GAS Made Mark Buy a Canon Pellix / Developing Found Film
Everyone's New Stuff - Debrie Sept French Camera, Gelto III, TSVVS Prototypes, Topcon RE Super, Ricoh 500, AGFA Ambi Silette, Univex AF, Theo's Valentine's Day Camera, Braun Paxette IIM
The Differences Between Nikkormats, FTN, FT2, FT3, and EL / Silver Oxide Batteries
Mike Goes Down the APS Rabbit Hole and Blames Jon
You Can Use the Remnant Strip From Cutting 120 down to 127, in a Hit Camera

Show Notes

The Official Camerosity Facebook Group - https://www.facebook.com/groups/camerositypodcast

Camerosity Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/camerosity_podcast/

Jess Ibarra - Viva La Film - https://www.vivalafilm.com/

Mark Faulkner - https://thegashaus.com/

Jon Gilchrist - Packard-Ideal Shutter Company - https://packardshutter.com/

Vladislav Kern - https://www.instagram.com/ussrphoto/

Mario Piper - https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/gen-x-photography/id1494585131

Theo Panagopoulos - https://www.photothinking.com/

Paul Rybolt - https://www.ebay.com/usr/paulkris

Anthony Rue - https://www.instagram.com/kino_pravda/

Episode 18: Canon Rangefinders with Peter Kitchingman

Fri, 28 Jan 2022 07:51:23 -0600

This week on Episode 18 of the Camerosity Podcast, we welcome collector, historian, and author Peter Kitchingman to the show. Peter is well known through the collector community because of his knowledge with Canon rangefinders and his book, "Canon M39 Rangefinder Lenses 1939-71 - A Collector's Guide".

Peter has been collecting Canon cameras for nearly 30 years and has documented hundreds of different lenses, accessories and owns one of the largest private collections of Canon rangefinders, including three of the rarest models ever made.

He is joined by your regular hosts, Anthony, Theo, Paul, and I, along with returning callers Robert Rotoloni, Michael Westcott Loder, Mark Faulkner, Mark Peterson, and first time callers Jess Lantz, Dwight Anderson, and David Ortega. If you only have a passing interest in Canon rangefinders, this is a terrific episode to get your Canon GAS going, and of course we also manage to find ways to talk about other cameras too!

As always, the topics we discuss on the Camerosity Podcast are decided entirely upon you, so if you'd like to join us, be sure to look out for our next show announcement for Episode 19, which we will record at our normal time of 7pm CST (UTC -6), 8pm EST (UTC -5) on Monday, February 7th.

This Week's Episode

Peter's Introduction
What is a Good First Canon Rangefinder? / Don't Screw LTM Lenses into the Canon J Mount
Where Did Canon Originally Get It's Optical Glass From?
Canon Imported Schott Glass from Germany on Trains and Submarines
Canon's Spinning Prism / Anthony's Thoughts on the Canon IV Sb
Canon's Spring Loaded Take Up Spool / Canon 50mm f/1.8 Put Canon on the Map
Are Serenar Lenses Different from Canon Lenses?
Why Did Canon Use a Sonnar Formula for the 35mm f/1.5?
Did Canon Accessorize to Help Themselves Be Successful?
Why are Canon Rangefinders More Popular than Nikon Rangefinders Today?
Canon Did Well with the Military Post Exchange / EP Canons / Most Common EPs
Did Canon or Nikon Make any Rare Earth/Thorium/Lanthanum Radioactive Lenses?
When Did Canon Stop Using Schott Glass?
Nikkor 50mn f/1.1 and the Canon f/0.95 Dream Lens / Canon 7
Did Canon Benefit from Out of Work Nippon Kogaku Workers After the War?
The Japanese Camera Industry in the Mid 1950s Was Like the Wild West
Taron and Petri Made New Models Every Six Months
Robert Visits Koichi Sugiyama / Cadillac Sevilles and Super Mario Bros.
Canon Made a Subminiature Prototype But Never Produced It
Dwight Anderson Picks Up a Canon 7SZ for $7
Why Did Canon Have So Many Models?
Peter Has a Canon II AF and a Canon 1950 / Who Was Skinner?
Youxin Ye and Pro Camera in the US for All Your Canon Repair Needs
Why Do Some Cameras Have Metal Curtains? / Crinkled Canon P Shutter / Canon Pellix
Why Are Rangefinder Lenses Smaller Than SLR Lenses?
Canon Made an Exakta Mount Lens for Mamiya
Wide Angle Contax Lenses on Nikon Bodies
Theo and Peter Talk About Australian Cameras
Peter Dechert's 3 Rarest Canon Rangefinders / Remembering Dechert
The Next Generation of Film Camera Users and Collectors / Samoca 35

Show Notes

The Official Camerosity Facebook Group - https://www.facebook.com/groups/camerositypodcast

Camerosity Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/camerosity_podcast/

If you would like to order Peter Kitchingman's book, email him at peterkcrf@iinet.net.au.

Canon Historical Society - https://www.facebook.com/groups/443468112473918/

Robert Rotoloni - http://www.nikonhistoricalsociety.com/p/rotoloni-book.htm

Wes Loder - http://wesloderandnikon.blogspot.com/

Mark Faulkner - https://thegashaus.com/

Theo Panagopoulos - https://www.photothinking.com/

Paul Rybolt - https://www.ebay.com/usr/paulkris

Anthony Rue - https://www.instagram.com/kino_pravda/

Episode 17: The Worst Cameras with the Best Lenses

Wed, 12 Jan 2022 08:48:58 -0600

It's an all new year and an all new episode of the Camerosity Podcast! We're back at our regular time for some call in camera discussion!

For episode 17, Theo, Paul, Anthony, and I were joined by returning callers Dan Hausman, Hong Lee, Mark Faulkner, Mark Peterson, and Miles Libak where we posed the question, "What are the worst cameras you've ever used that have the best lenses?" It proved to be a worthwhile discussion as it spawned a lot of strong opinions, and some controversy! Definitely check it out and maybe next time, you can tell us which cameras you don't like...or something completely different!

As always, the topics we discuss on the Camerosity Podcast are decided entirely upon you, so if you'd like to join us, be sure to look out for our next show announcement for Episode 18, which we will record at our normal time of 7pm CST (UTC -6), 8pm EST (UTC -5) on Monday, January 24th.

This Week's Episode

Paul's Worst Camera Best Lens - Zenit SLR with M39 Helios
M39 Flange Distance on SLRs vs Rangefinders / Chinese Great Wall DF-3
Anthony's Worst Camera Best Lens - Kodak Chevron
The Kodak Medalist and 1930s Kodak Prototypes
You Couldn't Get Cameras from Germany After WWII / Peter Kardon's Leica Copy
Theo's Worst Camera Best Lens - KW Praktiflex with M40 Zeiss Biotar / Adapting M40 Lenses
Mike's Worst Camera Best Lens - Canon AF35ML / Early Auto Focus Technology / Polaroid Sonar
Hong's New Contax IIa / Only Two Kinds of Contaxes, Ones That Don't Work and Ones that Have been Repaired
Mark Hansen Repairs Contaxes in the US
Dan's Worst Camera Best Lens - Zeiss Contarex Bullseye SLR
Mike's Gone 127 Crazy / Foth Derby / Zeiss-Ikon Kolibri / Tokyo Kogaku Primo Jr.
Mark's Worst Camera Best Lens - Rollei XF35/Voigtländer VF135 and the Kodak Medalist
Yashica 44 is Easy to Adapt to 35mm
Kowa Komaflexes are Very Fragile / Jon Gilchrist of Packard Shutter Company Can Repair Them
Cameras You Didn't Like But Others Do / Hasselblads / Rolleiflexes / Canonet Rangefinders / Yashica Lynx-14
The Minolta Autocord and Ricoh Diacord Have Better Ergonomics than Rolleis
The Polaroid SX-70 Was Way Better with the Original Polaroid Film
Polaroid Transfers and Polaroid SX70 Film Hacking / NONS Instax Camera
Miles Libak Joins and Hates the Canonet / Anthony Is Ho-Hum About the Canonflex
The One That Got Away - Super Ikonta 616 Camera / Irwin Super Tri-Reflex
Mark P Bought a Nikonos II / Nikonos Under and Above Water Lenses
Dan Bought a 153mm Kodak Ektra Telephoto and a 190mm Zeiss Ektra TV Ektanon Lens
Mark Bought a Peerflekta TLR

Show Notes

The Official Camerosity Facebook Group - https://www.facebook.com/groups/camerositypodcast

Camerosity Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/camerosity_podcast/

Mark Faulkner - https://thegashaus.com/

Dan Hausman - http://historiccamera.com/club/occs/

Theo Panagopoulos - https://www.photothinking.com/

Paul Rybolt - https://www.ebay.com/usr/paulkris

Anthony Rue – https://www.instagram.com/kino_pravda/

Episode 16: Eurovision!

Wed, 29 Dec 2021 20:23:05 -0600

We're back with another episode of the Camerosity Podcast, but unlike other episodes, Episode 16 is our first ever European special in which we record at a different time to be more Europe-friendly, to give people in that region a chance to call in.

Joined by first time callers, Alan Duncan, Peggy Marsh, Dominik Samol, George Griffin, and Warner Grandfield, and returning callers Bill Smith, Skip Williams, Malcolm Myers, and Miles Libak, Paul, Theo and I covered a wide range of topics, from the Purma Special, how to roll your own 127 film, the Berning Robot, why pentaprisms degrade, and a whole discussion on shutter speed dial designs.

As always, the topics we discuss on the Camerosity Podcast are decided entirely upon you, so if you'd like to join us, be sure to look out for our next show announcement for Episode 17, which we will record at our normal time of 7pm CST (UTC -6), 8pm EST (UTC -5) on Monday, January 10th.

This Week's Episode

cameragocamera is not the same as gocamerago
Canon Experiments with the Pellix and Canon EX After the Failure of the Canonflex
Canon EF, Leica M5 and Other Cameras with Large Shutter Speed Dials That Overlap
Fujicarex II SLR has Back Wheel Focus and Aperture Control
Olympus OM SLRs and Nikkormat Shutter Speed Rings Around the Lens Mount
Theo Buys a Topcon RE Super from Warner / Topcor 58mm f/1.4 Lens
Skip Can't Decide Between the Nikon F, F2, or F3 / We Pick the FM2
Alan Hates the Canon EF-M / Manual Focus on Auto Focus Bodies / Nikon F70 and N70
The Canon DL-9000 and Other Trashcam/Scameras
Mike's Worst Camera of All Time is the Konica AiBORG
The Noblex 135U / Panolux Attachment
Domink's Robot IIa with Tele-Finder 30-150mm / Paul Sold Anthony a Robot Royal 36
Robot Lenses and the Robot Stars
Other 24mm Square Format Cameras, Zeiss Tenax II, Photavit, and early Altix Cameras
George Has Been Using his Olympus OM10 for 38 Years / OM10s Are Good for Their Prisms
Why Do Pentaprisms Degrade? / Why Was Foam Used?
More Talk About the Olympus OM-10
Who Has Shot a Purma Special?
How to Shoot 127 Cameras Today / Film Splicers / Bulk 46mm Film
Skip Get's "Making Kodak Film" by Robert Shanebrook for Christmas
Peggy's New Canonet / Canonet 19
Bill's Black Topcon RE2
Paul's Favorite Camera Store in Leeds
What Did Everyone Get for Christmas?

Show Notes

The Official Camerosity Facebook Group - https://www.facebook.com/groups/camerositypodcast

Camerosity Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/camerosity_podcast/

Peggy Marsh - https://cameragocamera.com/

Alan Duncan - https://austerityphoto.co.uk/

Bill Smith - https://funwithcameras.blogspot.com/

George Griffin - https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/flaneur-on-the-streets/id1397646661

Theo Panagopoulos - https://www.photothinking.com/

Paul Rybolt - https://www.ebay.com/usr/paulkris

Episode 15: I Say Nye-con You Say Nick-on

Wed, 15 Dec 2021 12:38:17 -0600

After a week off, Anthony, Theo, Paul, and Mike return with Episode 15 with more open source camera nonsense. This time we are joined by Nikon collector and historian, Robert Rotoloni, Bill Smith from the Classic Camera Revival Podcast, Miles Lybak, David Goldberg, Howard Sandler, and first time caller, Mark Peterson.

In this episode we discuss everything from press cameras like the Koni Rapid Omega to Nikon Series E lenses, M42 SLR recommendations, Nikonos and other underwater photography, and a story about when National Geographic got rid of all their Nikon Fs and switched to the Olympus OM-1.

Our next episode will be recorded on Monday, December 27th at a different time, with the hope of including some UK and European listeners. The show will be recorded at 1PM Central Time, 2PM Eastern Time, and 7PM London Time. If you are across the pond and have wanted to join the show, but didn't want to make up in the middle of the night, here's your chance to jump in and influence the discussion!

This Week's Episode

Camera Shipping Nightmares / Sometimes Cameras Are Shipped with Too Much Padding
Nippon Kogaku Made Viewfinders for Leicas and Everyone Else
Why Do Nikon Lenses Usually Hold Up So Well?
The Koni-Rapid Omega, Graflex XL, and Mamiya Super 23
Howard Wants Mike to Review the Koni Omegaflex
Nikkor Lenses Got Lighter in the 80s / You Can Drop 60s Nikkors on the Floor
What Was Different About the Series E Nikkor Lenses?
Joe DiMaggio - Not the Baseball Player
NYC Camera Stores - Camera Barn, Camera Row, Olden's, Minicam, Garden Camera, Wall St, 47th St, Spiratone, Willoughby's, Ken Hansen, and more
Howard Loves Burlington Camera in Canada
What Was Different About Black Nikon S2 Shutters? / Nikon Rangefinder Motor Driven Cameras
Robert and Paul Remember Rod Stines and Peter Lownds
Anthony Shoots Manatees with His Nikonos II
How Did the La Spirotechnique Calypso-Phot Become the Nikonos?
Nikon Marine Housing for the Nikon Rangefinder / Nikon F4 Underwater / Rolleimarin
Mark Peterson's New Pentax Spotmatic II / Recommended Asahi Takumar Lenses
Other Good M42 Mount SLRs (But Not the Zenit 16) / Praktica / Yashica / Fujica / Chinon
Corfield Interplan / Pontiac Lynx / Nikkor M39 Lenses
The KW Praktina Inspired Much of the Nikon F / Charles and John Noble / Soviet Gulags / Noblex Panoramic Camera
When UPI and National Geographic Sold Their Nikon Fs for the Olympus OM-1
The Nikon F has a 100% Viewfinder and a Mirror that Locks Down Every Single Time / The F2 Mirror Does Not Lock Down
The Nikon F2 Improved A Lot About the Nikon F / Mike Likes the F2 Shutter Release Better
Robert and Paul Reminisces About Shooting the Nikon F
Paul Gives Mark Peterson Dan Arnold's Olympus OM-1
Santa Uses Kangaroos in Australia
Episode 16 Will Be Our European Special Recorded Dec 27 at 7pm London Time
Be Sure to Join the Camerosity Facebook Page, Follow us at Instagram

Show Notes

The Official Camerosity Facebook Group - https://www.facebook.com/groups/camerositypodcast

Camerosity Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/camerosity_podcast/

Robert Rotoloni - http://www.nikonhistoricalsociety.com/p/rotoloni-book.html

Theo Panagopoulos - https://www.photothinking.com/

Anthony Rue - https://www.instagram.com/kino_pravda/

Paul Rybolt - https://www.ebay.com/usr/paulkris

Camerosity can also be heard on the following services:

Google - https://podcasts.google.com/feed/aHR0cHM6Ly9mZWVkLnBvZGJlYW4uY29tL2NhbWVyb3NpdHkvZmVlZC54bWw

Apple - https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/camerosity/id1583252688

Episode 14: Vintage Video and Stereo Cameras

Fri, 03 Dec 2021 13:09:11 -0600

We're back with episode 14 of the Camerosity Podcast. This week we threw caution into the wind and recorded a show without any idea of what we were going to talk about and letting fate decide for us. Apparently, fate wanted to talk about vintage video and stereo cameras!

Joined by our first ever European listener, Malcolm Myers, former Camera Barn manager David Goldberg, former TV/News photographer Larry Effler, and returning listeners Miles Libak and Mark Faulkner, we cover a wide variety of topics.

After this episode, we are switching to an episode every other week, so we will be off next week returning the week after that. We'd love it if you could join us for Episode 15 which we will record on Monday, December 13th, so look for the join link around that time.

This Week's Episode

How Paul Got Started Buying and Selling Cameras / Contax T / Foth Derby
Tips in Shooting Scale/Zone/Estimate Focus / Olympus XA vs XA2 / Olympus Trip 35
What Was It Like in Camera Stores When The Digital Revolution Started?
Videographers Saw the Electronic Revolution Before Still Photographers Did
NTSC vs PAL
Digital Still Video Cameras / Canon Xap Shot / Sony Mavica
Digital Title Slides on Ektachrome
RCA Video Discs / CED / Selectavision / The Analog Video Format on Vinyl Records
Kodak Retina IIa / Topcon Unirex / UV Mount Lenses / Wink Mirror S / Topcon IC-1
Stereo Realist / David White Company / Paul Well / Contura Stereo Camera / Sawyer's View-Master Stereo Cameras
Searching for Stereo Images and Vintage Film on eBay Gets You a Lot of Porn
Miles Bought a Contax IIIa After Listening to Episode 13
Many Soviet Contax Mount Lenses are Just as Good as Zeiss Contax Lenses
Canon VT Deluxe / Bottom Film Advance Cameras / Leicavit / Ricoh 500/519 / Canonet 19
Mike Gets a Bell & Howell Dial 35 Kit as a Gift From a Site Reader
Most Clockwork Wind-up Cameras Need Film in Them to Work
You Can Fire a Magic Cube Flash with a Pencil / Paul's Microflash Story
Nikon SB-20 Flash Has a Built in Diffuser
Older Hot Shoe Flashes Might Damage Newer Film and Digital Cameras / Minolta Has a Different Hot Shoe
Nikon EM Was Marketed as the Camera for Ladies / That Blue Button on the EM
Nikon FA, FG, and F3 Will Not Meter Until You Reach Exposure 1 / RTFM
Camera Stores Needed to Make Profits / Selling High Margin Camera Brands like Ricoh, Mamiya, and Chinon
Refurbished / Gray Market Cameras / Extended Warranties
Canon VT Deluxe Part II / Canon's Rotating Prism
Nikkor non-Ai Lenses Converted to Ai / Nikkor 85mm f/1.8
Join Us in the new Camerosity Facebook Group

Show Notes

If you would like to offer feedback or contact me with questions or ideas for future episodes, please contact me at mike@mikeeckman.com.

The Official Camerosity Facebook Group - https://www.facebook.com/groups/camerositypodcast

Camerosity Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/camerosity_podcast/

Mark Faulkner - https://thegashaus.com/

Theo Panagopoulos - https://www.photothinking.com/

Anthony Rue - https://www.instagram.com/kino_pravda/

Paul Rybolt - https://www.ebay.com/usr/paulkris

Camerosity can also be heard on the following services:

Google - https://podcasts.google.com/feed/aHR0cHM6Ly9mZWVkLnBvZGJlYW4uY29tL2NhbWVyb3NpdHkvZmVlZC54bWw

Apple - https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/camerosity/id1583252688

Episode 13: Nikon History with Michael Wescott Loder

Wed, 24 Nov 2021 13:52:57 -0600

This week's episode of the Camerosity Podcast is one for the ages. Michael Wescott Loder, Nikon historian and author of "The Nikon Camera in America 1946-1953", joins us to discuss a huge number of topics regarding Nikon's history along with the Zeiss-Ikon Tenax II and a huge number of other cameras that he is interested in. We go over everything from Nippon Kogaku's role in the post war Japanese camera industry, why they were successful and Canon wasn't, Nikon rangefinder prototypes, and a whole lot of other interesting topics.

But wait there's more...

Also joining in on the discussion is none other than president of the Nikon Historical Society, and fellow author, Robert Rotoloni jumps in to add his thoughts and ask some questions of his own.

I'm not done yet....

Returning from episode 8, author of "Making Kodak Film", Robert Shanebrook surprises us with a visit to participate in the discussion and ask some questions. Rounding out our guests are Mark Faulkner, Nick Lyle, and Miles Libak!

Next week, we will return with Episode 14, so look out for the Episode announcement this upcoming Sunday, November 28th!

This Week's Episode

Wes Bought a Nikon S2 to Photograph in Caves / How Wes Got Started Researching Nikon
Tenax II / Akarette / Akarelle / AGFA Ambi Silette / Lordomat
Why Was Nikon So Successful? Why Didn't Canon or Pentax Have the Same Level of Success?
Why Did Zeiss-Ikon Make the Tenax II? / Which Came First, the Tenax or Robot?
Hubert Nerwin, Zeiss-Ikon, the West German Camera Industry, and the Kodak Instamatic
Why Didn't West Germany Have any Focal Plane SLRs like the Contax SLR?
Zeiss-Ikon Stuttgart Had to Rebuild After the War / East Germany Was Winning For a While
Nikon Saw the Best Success in the US East and West Coasts, Not the Midwest
Hubert Nerwin and Operation Paperclip
Many Camera Companies Went Out of Business Between 1958-1962 / Differences Between Germany and Japan
Nippon Kogaku Developed the Nikon F at the Same Time as the Nikon SP
German SLRs Were Hampered by Their Own Reliance on the Compur Leaf Shutter
Nikon and Canon Had Different Approaches Toward Making Rangefinders
The Nikon S2 Originally Had Knobs for Wind and Rewind / Only Black Dial S2s Can Be Motorized
Canon Made 33 Different Rangefinders Between 1945 and 1958
Why Was the Nikon F So Successful? / Why the Canonflex Failed
Nikon Model One Bellows
Did Nippon Kogaku and Eastman Kodak Ever Collaborate On Anything?
Tuberculosis Almost Killed Medium Format in Japan
David Douglas Duncan's Role In Nikon's History / Jun Miki
Nikkor 50mm f/1.4 and f/1.5 Lenses
Nippon Kogaku Would Service Any Camera or Lens for Any Professional Photographer During the Korean War.
The Nikon F Was So Successful, It Killed the Nikon Rangefinder / The Nikon SPX and SP2 Was Built But Never Released
There Were More Canon 7 Rangefinders Made Than All Nikon Rangefinders Combined
Nippon Kogaku Also Worked on a Medium Format SLR and a 16mm Subminiature, None Were Ever Released
What Would the Japanese Camera Industry Look Like if Nippon Kogaku Never Existed?
Japanese Optics Companies Helped Each Other Out
Can Nikon Survive Today?
Smartphones Are Killing the Camera Industry
Color Film is Out of Stock Everywhere (Except for Theo)
When Nikon Made the Millennium SP and S3 Rangefinders, They Used 80-Year old Retired Guys to Train People How to Make Them
Robert Rotoloni Did the Foreward in Wes Loder's Book

Show Notes

If you would like to offer feedback or contact me with questions or ideas for future episodes, please email me at mike@mikeeckman.com

The Official Camerosity Facebook Page - https://www.facebook.com/CamerosityPodcast

Camerosity Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/camerosity_podcast/

Wes Loder "The Nikon Camera in America 1946-1953" - https://www.amazon.com/Nikon-Camera-America-1946-1953/dp/0786432217

"The Tenax II: Zeiss Ikon's Precision, Fast-action Camera" - https://www.amazon.com/Tenax-II-Precision-Fast-action-Camera/dp/138987821X

Wes's Blog - http://wesloderandnikon.blogspot.com/

Robert Rotoloni - http://www.nikonhistoricalsociety.com/p/rotoloni-book.html

Mark Faulkner - https://thegashaus.com/

Theo Panagopoulos - https://www.photothinking.com/

Anthony Rue - https://www.instagram.com/kino_pravda/

Paul Rybolt - https://www.ebay.com/usr/paulkris

Episode 12: The Pentax Episode

Wed, 17 Nov 2021 14:50:50 -0600

This week on the Camerosity Podcast, we have a quad-fecta of returning callers, Mario Piper, Mark Faulkner, Michael Gossett, and Michael Kaplan all joined Anthony, Theo, Paul, and I in a lively discussion that was dominated by everyone's favorite camera, brand Pentax! Of course, I found a way to mention Miranda again, plus a dig on Petri SLRs, and Anthony previewed a future discussion of developing in Caffenol and Black and White Reversal!

Next week, we are hoping to have a special guest who is a published author of multiple camera related books, so keep an eye out for the show announcement this upcoming Sunday, November 21st around Noon Central Time.

This Week's Episode

Michael Gossett Returns with his AGFA Speedex We Made Him Buy
Michael Kaplan Loves the AGFA Ambi Silette and Zeiss-Ikon Contessa 35
Petri SLRs Never Work / Staring at Cameras
Michael Kaplan's Ephemeral Machine Podcast
Leica R Lenses / Paul Loves the Leica R4
Shutter Lag on the Minolta XD11
Minolta/Leica 16mm Fisheye Lens
Yellow Takumars / Radioactive Lenses
Can a Yellowed Lens Replace Needing a Dedicated Yellow Filter?
8 Element Takumars / Miranda Also Has an 8-Element 50/1.4
The Pentax Section
- The Pentax K1 is the Perfect DSLR for Adapting Pentax K-Mount Lenses
- Mark loves the Pentax Auto 110
- Paul's Rare Meterless Pentax SL
- Mike Loves the Pentax SV and the Pentax K (not the K1000)
- The Ultimate Asahi Pentax Screw Mount Guide by Gerjan van Oosten
- Five Element Takumar 55mm f/2.2 and 58mm f/2.4 Lenses
- Pentax ME Super and ME F (not a Pentax, but the Canon T80 is Cool)
- The Pentax MX - Is It the Best K-Mount Pentax?
- Theo's Pick is the Pentax Spotmatic SP
- Everyone's Favorite Pentax Lenses
Vivitar Lenses 35mm f/2, 70-210mm f/3.5 Zoom, 200mm
Mike Loves the Nikkor 100-300 f/5.6 Zoom
Sigma Z 28mm f/2.8 M42 Lens / Joseph Ehrenreich Red Line and Blue Line
The Lester Dine Macro Lens / Yashica Dental-Eye
Developing in Caffenol
Buying Obscure Old Films From a Guy on Etsy
Black and White Reversal Development / AGFA Scala
Film Souping

Show Notes

If you would like to offer feedback or contact me with questions or ideas for future episodes, please contact me at mike@mikeeckman.com.

The Official Camerosity Facebook Page - https://www.facebook.com/CamerosityPodcast

Camerosity Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/camerosity_podcast/

Radioactive Canomatic Lenses - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aPl0NUn_Dd0

The Asahi Pentax Ultimate Screw Mount Guide by Gerjan van Oosten - https://www.amazon.com/Ultimate-Asahi-Pentax-Screw-Mount/dp/907653702X

Etsy Classic Film Shop - https://www.etsy.com/shop/ClassicFilmShop

Theo Panagopoulos - https://www.photothinking.com/

Anthony Rue - https://www.instagram.com/kino_pravda/

Paul Rybolt - https://www.ebay.com/usr/paulkris

Episode 11: Mirandas, Nikons, and Leicas

Wed, 10 Nov 2021 11:42:12 -0600

This week on the Camerosity Podcast, we were once again joined by previous guests Paul Rybolt and Mike Novak and first time caller, Hong Joon Lee who has been following on Facebook and purchased the Contax Sonnar 1.5 I recently sold. Half way through the show however, we were joined by camera collector extraordinaire, Ira Cohen, whose massive collection of cameras I was able to visit earlier this year. Ira has the largest collection of rare and unusual cameras I've ever seen and the level of knowledge he has about collecting is unmatched.

This was a fascinating episode that went in completely unpredictable directions with a lot of talk about Miranda and their history, why the Nikon F was so successful, what point is a Leica copy not longer a copy, and much, much more!

As always, if you are interested in participating in our next episode, be sure to keep an eye here for a new link which will be posted around noon Central Time Sunday, November 14th!

This Week's Episode

Hong's Sonnar 1.5 and Mike's New Leotax
Amedeo Contax Lens Adapters / Don't Buy Cheap Lens Adapters
Paul's Orion Contax to Leica Adapter
Miranda's Demise of the dx-3
What are the Good Mirandas? / Miranda Soligor Lenses Punch Above Their Weight
Miranda's Risque Ads / Mike Gets in Touch with the Niece of the Lady from the Ads
How Miranda Got Started and Why They Failed
Mike Loves his Miranda A / Wirgin SLRs are Nice Too
Montanus / Wirgin TLRs
When Did SLRs Start to Take Over from Rangefinders?
Mike's Contax I Will Never Be Serviced
Ira Cohen Calls In!
The Nikon F Officially Began the Era of the SLR
Was it that Obvious that the Nikon F Was Superior to All Other Cameras at the Time?
Camera Rigidity: Nikon vs Leica
Why Was Leitz Hesitant to Release an SLR?
When Is a Leica Copy No Longer a Leica Copy?
We got Michael Gossett to buy an AGFA Speedex
Anthony's Zeiss folders CLAd by Jurgen at certo6.com
Ira's Blue Chair / Hong Works by Central Camera
Ira's Prototype Box Camera
Mike Gets a Book on Cameras by Douglas St. Denny from China

Show Notes

If you would like to offer feedback or contact me with questions or ideas for future episodes, please contact me at mike@mikeeckman.com.

The Official Camerosity Facebook Page - https://www.facebook.com/CamerosityPodcast

Camerosity Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/camerosity_podcast/

Paul Rybolt - https://www.ebay.com/usr/paulkris

Mike Novak - https://www.flickr.com/photos/greyscale3/

Hong Joon Lee - https://www.facebook.com/hongjoon.lee.33

Ira Cohen - Ira has no Internet Presence

Theo Panagopoulos - https://www.photothinking.com/

Anthony Rue - https://www.instagram.com/kino_pravda/

Episode 10: Recommendations for a Film Beginner

Thu, 28 Oct 2021 08:38:30 -0500

This week on the Camerosity Podcast, we are joined by two listeners, Michael Gossett and Nick Lyle. Michael is an experienced digital photographer, but is a novice when it comes to film. Only having shot automatic 35mm SLRs, Michael asks for recommendations on medium format cameras, and tips how to shoot scale focus, rangefinders, and home developing. As always, we talk about other things too, so take a listen to our 10th episode and enjoy!

We are taking next week off, but if you are interested in participating in our next episode, be sure to keep an eye here for a new link which will be posted around noon Central Time Sunday, November 7th!

This Week's Episode

Developing film for Beginners
Periscopic Viewfinder in Large Format
The Retina Reflex Probably isn't the best first camera
Adapting DKL Lenses to Digital
Eliminating Variables is the Key to Success
Developing Your Own Film Isn't for Everyone
Mike Can't Help Himself and Gets a Contax I and Throws Shade at the Sonnar
Developing 4x5 film in the Film Holder
Cheap Folding Medium Format Cameras for Beginners
Speedexes, Nettars, Bessas, and Perkeos
Shooting Scale Focus
Theo's Konica Pearl
Rotted Kodak (not Retina) Bellows
Flexaret and Ikoflex Recommendations
Oh Geez, Panoramics again!
Mike Rips on the FT-2
Nick Loves the Graflex Century Graphic
Large Format Tips and Tricks
Everyone Has a Kitchen Scale!
With Hasselblad, You Have to Do Everything Their Way

Show Notes

If you would like to offer feedback or contact me with questions or ideas for future episodes, please contact me at mike@mikeeckman.com.

The Official Camerosity Facebook Page - https://www.facebook.com/CamerosityPodcast

Camerosity Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/camerosity_podcast/

Michael Gossett - No Internet Presence

Nick Lyle – https://homemadecamera.podbean.com/

Theo Panagopoulos - https://www.photothinking.com/

Anthony Rue - https://www.instagram.com/kino_pravda/

Episode 9: Flying on Planes with Vintage Cameras

Wed, 20 Oct 2021 16:10:51 -0500

This week on the Camerosity Podcast, we are joined by three listeners, Mark Faulkner, Mike Novak, and Skip Williams. Without a predetermined topic to discussed, we just winged it and managed to talk about everything from the Pentax LX, to the dangers of flying with cameras, to Mark's Big Suitcase o' 16mm Cameras. Oh, and yes, we did talk about panoramic cameras for the ninth episode in a row! Our topics were wide ranging this week, so there's certain to be something for everyone!

If you are interested in participating in our next episode, be sure to keep an eye here for a new link which will be posted around noon Central Time Sunday, October 24th!

This Week's Episode

Skip's Olympus OM-1 and Pentax LX with the Cool Action Finder
Episode 8 Was Awesome and you should listen to it!
Fuji Discontinues More Film :(
Kodak Disc Film, Minox, and Viewmaster Cameras
Kodachrome is REALLY hard to develop
Shooting 16mm Cameras, Mark has a Suitcase of them!
Kiev Subminiatures and the KMZ Narciss 16mm SLR
The Mamiya 6 Focuses by Moving the Film Plane
Dont Fly on Planes with Old Cameras, Also, Don't Ever Fly with Anthony Rue!
Anthony Loves his Super Ikonta
The Corfield Periflex with it's Periscope SLR Focus
Contaxes, Kievs, and No-Name Kievs
Horizonts and the Viscawide 16
The Drug Friend and GOMZ Leningrads Hardly Ever Work
What's Coming Soon on mikeeckman.com
Everyone's New Gear
Anthony Visits Clyde Butcher's Darkroom

Show Notes

If you would like to offer feedback or contact me with questions or ideas for future episodes, please contact me at mike@mikeeckman.com.

The Official Camerosity Facebook Page - https://www.facebook.com/CamerosityPodcast

Camerosity Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/camerosity_podcast/

Mark Faulkner - https://thegashaus.com/

Mike Novak - https://www.flickr.com/photos/greyscale3

Skip Williams

Theo Panagopoulos - https://www.photothinking.com/

Anthony Rue - https://www.instagram.com/kino_pravda/

Episode 8: Making Kodak Film with Robert Shanebrook

Wed, 13 Oct 2021 09:09:50 -0500

This week on the Camerosity Podcast, we are joined by film historian, author, and ex-Kodak employee, Robert Shanebrook who gives us 90 straight minutes of pure Kodak history, covering everything from how film is made, his work on Apollo 11 designing cameras for moon photography, what is ESTAR base, whether or not Kodachrome will ever come back and much, much more. Not to be overshadowed by Robert's visit, we were also joined by two listeners, Mario Piper and Howard Sandler who chimed in with some excellent questions as well.

If you've never listened to a Camerosity Podcast before, THIS is the one to listen to!

If you are interested in participating in our next episode, be sure to keep an eye here for a new link which will be posted around noon Central Time Sunday, October 17th!

This Week's Episode

Memorial to Dan Arnold (1959-2021)
Introducing Robert Shanebrook, Author of "Making Kodak Film"
Robert's stereo camera used on the Apollo 11 Mission
What is ESTAR base?
Differences between cinema and still photography film bases
Why do some films have a transparent base?
Why is TMax film purple, and why does it need extra fixer?
How is static electricity controlled in film on satellites?
Exposed film is caught from space and taken to Hawaii
How Kodak Portra was created (Portra > Vericolor III)
Kodak Panatomic-X is the best black and white film ever!
Will Kodak ever bring back Kodachrome?
Robert finds an unused roll of film for the 1888 Kodak camera
Mario asks how Infrared Film works
How color film is coated
"We Stood on the Shoulders of Giants"
Steve Sasson sat next to Robert while making the first digital camera
Kodak helped advance digital photography, until it killed them
How much of Kodak's film business was cinema film?
Kodak Disc film didn't perform up to what was promised
Why wasn't APS (Advantix) film larger?
Mike finds a way to talk about the Kodak Ektra again...
A short memorial for Ron Mowrey
Robert inspects every single copy of his book
Howard "Eckmans" the Petri Color 35

Show Notes

If you would like to offer feedback or contact me with questions or ideas for future episodes, please email me at mike@mikeeckman.com.

The Official Camerosity Facebook Page - https://www.facebook.com/CamerosityPodcast

Camerosity Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/camerosity_podcast/

Robert Shanebrook - http://www.makingkodakfilm.com, makingkodakfilm@yahoo.com

Mario Piper - Gen X Photography Podcast - https://anchor.fm/mario-piper0

Howard Sandler - https://www.flickr.com/photos/hsandler

Theo Panagopoulos - https://www.photothinking.com/

Anthony Rue - https://www.instagram.com/kino_pravda/

Camerosity can also be heard on the following services:

Google - https://podcasts.google.com/feed/aHR0cHM6Ly9mZWVkLnBvZGJlYW4uY29tL2NhbWVyb3NpdHkvZmVlZC54bWw

Apple - https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/camerosity/id1583252688