Sometimes you hit a dry spell in photography where you are looking for some inspiration – anything to light the fire and get you shooting again. On this vacation, we were returning to a place we have visited before, staying at the same resort we had stayed at before, and I needed a bit of spark to pull out my camera instead of another rum punch. So I reached for my Fujifilm GFX 50R and switched the image size aspect ratio setting to 65:24 and prepared to see the beach in a new way. One very cool feature is that although the camera does apply the mask in the 65:24…
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As the prices of film cameras and film rise, the economy of digital cameras becomes more obvious. However, as a film shooter, it’s difficult to fall in love with a digital camera. I have repeatedly said that digital cameras tend to be rather clinical, showing every detail without much character. I have always owned and used a digital camera since 2007 and appreciate the advantages they offer, but never really loved using them once I got back into film. However, due to a bit of luck in finding a demo model of a recently-discontinued camera, I was able to discover a digital camera that had some character of its own,…
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I love medium format, but medium format cameras and travel are not generally a good combination. The cameras and lenses are large and heavy. About a year ago, I determined that I was giving up on taking my Mamiya 645 Pro TL on long trips. The system is modular and breaks down nicely, but each lens adds about a pound of weight. I took it with me to San Francisco, limiting myself only to the 80mm lens, but for trips to the Caribbean where small planes and weight limitations are common, it has to be left behind. The good thing is that I have a compact alternative for shooting medium format…
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In 1965, Eastman Kodak developed Super 8 film to improve upon the old 8mm home movie format. The film size was the same, but the Super 8 cartridges had smaller perforations allowing for a larger area for exposure and the potential for sound recording on the edge opposite the perforations. The attraction of Super 8 to the home movie buff was that it came in convenient cartridges which you just popped into the camera and you were ready to roll. I had seen some Super 8 cameras rolling through the Goodwill online shop, and they were pretty reasonably priced. After losing a few auctions, I picked up a Canon Auto…
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Lately, I’ve been back to shooting film, shooting both digital and film cameras on our recent trips to Anguilla, Antigua, and Barbuda. Along for the journey were several film cameras, including the Canon EOS 1v. The 1v was Canon’s last professional 35mm SLR camera, with a magnesium alloy body and weather sealing throughout. At 10 frames per second, it was a favorite of sports shooters for years. It is a solidly built camera, and fits perfectly in my hand like the later DSLRs that Canon produced. I have the HS version, which includes a detachable power booster, however given the bulk, I leave that behind. The beauty of traveling with…
