Leica IIIG
Holy knobs, Batman! This think looks more like steampunk art than a camera. Produced from 1957 to 1960 as an update of the Leica IIIf (added a larger viewfinder). This one was produced in August of 1957, part of a 5,000 batch.
Read MoreCanon Canonet GIII
The Canon Canonet QL17 G-III was in production from 1972 to 1982 and sold an estimated 1.2 million units. The Canonet QL17 GIII is regarded by many as the grand champion, mac-daddy, pinnacle, end-all-be-all of the compact rangefinder format.
Read MoreKonica Auto S3
In production from 1973 to 1977 The Konica Auto S3 seems to have a strong following today. It is a shutter priority rangefinder. There is no option for manual operation of the aperture, not a big deal to me, but an issue for some. The Hexagon 38mm f1.8 lens gets lots of praise for it images. Even more praise for how well it does with a flash.
Read MoreCanon A35 F
Canon A35F. This is a nice size camera. It is just a bit larger than the Canonet but with a flash and a lighter weight. The quality is not as good as the Canonet but still a nice camera.
Read MoreMinox 35 GL
Released in 1979 as the replacement to the Minox 35 EL. All the same feature of aperture priority, guess focus (this one in in meters) and a super small size. This one lived in my ski jacket pocket on a recent trip. No secret the I like this camera. I will not pretend it is the best camera in the world but fun to use.
Read MoreCanon 7
That's not a camera, this is a camera. Specifically a screw mount rangefinder built from 1961 to 1964. It make the Leica M3 seem stealth by comparison. It does add a meter conveniently located on the top plate and allows for the selection of 35/50/85,100 frame lines. There is also an option to lock the shutter release. Top shutter speed is 1/1000. All this plus the film advance and the rewind don't leave much room on the top, so no hot shoe. For that you'll have to add an accessory shoe.
Read MoreOlympus 35 RC
This thing is small! Not Minox 35 small, but compared to a Canon Canonet (closer form factor) it is noticeably smaller. But the not at the expense of features or quality. It is solid and has a nice feel. Only part the feels a bit lacking is the film advance. Not the gears, but the lever, which just feel less well crafted than the rest of it. Also, the way it mates with the body leaves a gap so the gears are open to dirt and whatever else lives in my bag.
Read MoreMinox 35 GT
Another Minox 35. This one is the GT. Introduced in 1981 as the third in the EL line. The GL is a aperture priority only camera. Focus is by a scale on the lens, this one is in feet, and guess the distance. View finder frames the shot and show a needle for shutter speed. Only 30, 125 and 500 are shown.
Read MoreLeica CL
Introduced in 1973 and produced for 3 years. The CL came in two variants: Leica CL and Leitz minolta CL. Both seem to be identical in function and design. Both were made by Minolta in Japan. It was design for use with specifically marketed 40mm and 90 mm lens but will work with most (some debate here, specifically don't use collapsible lens or you will damage the meter) M mount lens. The 40mm frame lines are always displayed. 50mm and 90 mm frame lines display dependent on the lens used.
Read MoreCanon Canonet QL17
Introduced in 1969 and produced until being replaced by the Canonet GIII version in 1972. This is a nice compact rangefinder. QL stand for Quick Load, it is simple to load. Load the canister, extend the film lead to the orange mark and close the door. Simple. Too simple, I confess to opening it to make sure that it worked and even then watching the rewind knob to be sure it was turning as I advanced the film. A less suspicious user would have better results.
Read MoreMinox 35 MB
I liked the Minox 35 GT-E more than I thought I would. When I found this Minox 35 MB, I figured it was a way to shoot the format again and keep marching toward my 50 cameras for the year. (Loophole? Maybe) The MB was introduced in 1986 two years before the GT-E, but the MB was the "higher end" line.
Read MoreMinolta CLE w/28mm f2.8
After shooting the CLE with the 40mm and struggling with the 28mm frame lines, I found a 28mm lens. It was reasonably priced because, well it is not a Leica. It is supposedly fully compatible with other M mount lens but there seems to be some debate. Best I can tell is they are comparable and most Leica lens will work on the CLE and CL. The exception seems to be the collapsible lens that may hit the light meter. One surprise was that the 28mm is noticeably larger than the 40mm. (I know the lens geeks are rolling their eyes because they know why, but I would expected the opposite.)
Read MoreLeica M6
I did not wake up thinking I needed a Leica M6. I knew about them and thought it would be nice to shoot one for this project but it was not high on my list. I thought I would save it for the end of the year and watch for a well used one. I had been paying attention to the prices and knew about how much to expect to pay. When I walked by The Leica Store, I went in just to look and the meager used section and grab a few of the free Leica stickers. I noticed two of the sales clerks examining an M6. They said it had just come in form a customer buying a new digital Leica. The customer could not remember if he ever used it. They were scrutinizing it and not finding any clear evidence that it had even had a lens mounted or a roll of film loaded.
Read MoreMinox 35 GT-E
I have to say that I bought this without knowing much bout Minox or the Minox 35 series of cameras. It was cheep at the used counter of a local camera store, they said it worked and I knew they would take it back if it didn't. Sounds like my idea of good time, why not?
Read MoreMinolta CLE w/ 40mm f2
The CLE is a Leica M mount camera that Minolta built after building the CL for Leica. It was introduced in 1980. After shooting the M4, the CLE felt like a compact pocket camera. In fact it is only slightly smaller than the M4 but much lighter. That comes at the price of not feeling as much like a precision instrument. But as a camera, it adds some nice features.
Read MoreLeica M4
My M4 is a user. It came to me from a photographer who had used it as a second M-mont body but has switch to digital. This thing is built like a tank. My first impression was how heavy it feels for the size. Real feeling of confidence, not that I'd be able to take good pictures but that I could defend myself with it.
Read MoreNikon FM3a
Appropriate that I started my year of shooting old film cameras with one from the pinnacle of the film age. The FM3A was released in 2001. The reviews I read tell me it is full of all the best technology of the time, but to pick it up and use it, you don’t feel overwhelmed by all the features. It is a simple camera to use that can do more than I need but does not get in the way.
Read MoreThe Start Of My Film Project
I have decided to spend the next year shooting film. This was really inspired by several things. My wife is an excellent photographer and artist. But she is not interested in equipment, she just wants to get the shot and does. I am fascinated by old film equipment but have no idea how to get a good shot. As I was cleaning out some storage, I found a stash of old (expiration dates in the '90s) film. It was not stored properly and may or may not be usable. But it gave me the idea to shoot it in some of my old cameras. Some how that was not enough, so I have set the goal of shooting 50 different 35mm cameras in the next year. So I'll be looking for cameras to shoot.
This site has been created to track my progress and share my experience. I will try to include some of the more helpful links that I use to learning about each camera because I do not plan for this to be a definitive review site, nor do I have the expertise for that.
Please read the ABOUT section for more details on my plan. Enjoy.