Classic film cameras collection

Photography has evolved so much through the decades, making tremendous strides in the digital era. In the medium-format era of the 1930s-1940s, photographers were often seen wielding their "compact" medium format cameras such as the Rolleiflex or Hasselblad, compact compared to the gigantic Graflex cameras they used to carry! Along came the Leica M3 which introduced a brand new 35mm film format, and radically changing what a portable camera system meant. 

The 35mm film format was popular for more than 60 years, from the 1940s to the turn of the century. It witnessed the rise and fall of rangefinder cameras, to the dominance of the single-lens reflex (SLR) cameras. Legends such as the Nikon F series and Canon F-1 came into the scene and defined professional photography, although some marques like Olympus and Pentax did create some unique alternatives such as the Olympus OM4 and Pentax LX) to the huge and cumbersome professional SLRs. Around the year 2000, digital SLRs became more affordable and film never regained its former glory, although die-hard enthusiasts maintained that film delivers a special kind of magic that digital can never replicate!

This photo shows some of the film (and usually mechanical) cameras that I've collected over the years. I love the iconic camera designs and build quality - they just don't make things like these anymore!

Kodak discontinues E6 slidefilm

In yet another stunning announcement (after they killed off Kodachrome, declared bankruptcy and sold off their digital imaging division), Kodak has now announced that they are discontinuing all E6 slide film production. Kodak insisted that film production is still profitable, but the recent announcements seem to suggests otherwise. They will continue manufacturing Portra films, Ektar films and black-and-white films.

I'm gonna get as much of the remaining stocks while I can. And it will be a dark day when Ektar or Tri-X dies due to the boffins in charge of the once glorious Kodak.

Read more about it at this link.

Gigantic 35-feet film negatives put digital cameras to shame

 
Think film is dead? Think again!

Chicago photographer Dennis Manarchy created a giant camera capable of producing 35-feet high single sheet negatives that blows all other film and digital formats out of the water with its astounding resolution. The downside? It costs US$50k to get your photo taken... Still it's a bargain if you have enough dough to buy a building so you can plaster your gigantic photo across its facade!

The quiet zen of photography

For some people like David Spielman, photography is a therapeutic process, offering your mind a sea of calm amongst the rush of our daily lives. And to that intent, David prefers to shoot rangefinders and still uses film, because he likes the process of picture creation that way. For most of us using electronic DSLRs, computers and mobile phones everyday, you might find beauty and peace within the mechanical cameras and the tactile feel of film.

Slow down, see and observe, and then click off a frame.

Enjoy this short video clip!

The charm of Leica rangefinder cameras

I love digital photography for the convenience and "cleaniness" of the photos. The images are always clean and sharp, which makes it easy for digital manipulation. And because I do not have to pay for the film, processing and printing, I do not feel the pinch of every time I shoot (after I forget the price of the DSLR).

But like the LP lovers who find a place for vinyl in the world of CDs, I find myself turning back to film ever once in a while. Film is therapeutic for some of us, when we load in a cartridge and pull the glossy brown film leader across the film gate. I still get anxious over the results, and I still get a thrill when I open the envelope of photos at the lab counter. Film is glorious in its own way.

Given that film photography is a return to the nostelgic world for me, my choice of camera must match the mood and manner as well. Which is why I love the Leica film-based rangefinder cameras. These are extremely sturdy and well-built cameras of Teutonic designs, which you will feel immediately in your hands. The heft of well-sculpted metal that sits right in your palm, with buttery smooth operations and clear bright rangefinder that opens up a window to the world. The feeling of winding to the next frame on a Leica M camera is heavenly.

Part of the charm of a Leica M film camera lies in the fact that every camera is handmade by craftsmen, who manually assemble and fine-tune each camera, just like a fine mechanical watch like a Lange or Patek. Vorsprung durch technique is definitely not the philosophy of this German company, since the technology in today's Leica film cameras is probably only equal to Japanese cameras of the 70s or 80s. But the built quality of Leica film cameras is unmatched, and here's a behind-the-scene look at how each Leica camera is built:

L-Camera TV #1 - Does Leica still make MP and M7? from Andreas Jürgensen on Vimeo.

I leave you with a funny quote I read about digital photography:

"Digital is like shaved legs on a man - very smooth and clean but there is something acutely disconcerting about it."
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