Rolleiflex Buying Guide | Colton Allen | Film Shooters Collective

As the US Rolleiflex importer and dealer since 2013, I get a lot of questions about the older TLR’s and I think this is a pretty nicely put together buyer’s guide.  Seems everyone has their favorite – I’ve even seen photographer’s go to huge expense to have a digital back added to their Rolleicords (which aren’t reviewed in the linked article) but just goes to show even the lower cost TLR’s were capable of producing amazing images.  Most people don’tRead more

Zenit-E review – Kosmo Foto

Here’s a great review of perhaps the best selling SLR camera in the last century that maybe you never heard about?  Definitely worth a read. These days these cameras are really inexpensive on Ebay and you even can get more modern versions with motor drive for about $140 with a f/2.0 lens Kosmo Foto review of the Soviet Zenit-E SLR camera, one of the cheapest M42-mount SLRs available. Source: Zenit-E review – Kosmo FotoRead more

Reviewing the Rolleiflex 2.8GX Expression 75 years edition (it’s gold!) – By Aivaras Sidla | EMULSIVE

Really great and thorough article on Emulsive about the Rolleiflex 2.8GX by Aivaras Sidla.  Let’s start with the elephant in the room – this camera comes with some serious bling. It is in fact, a special gold-dipped version officially called the “Rolleiflex 2.8GX Expression 75 years edition”. Source: Reviewing the Rolleiflex 2.8GX Expression 75 years edition (it’s gold!) – By Aivaras Sidla | EMULSIVERead more

“The Russian Portrait Monster”: Helios 40-2 1.5/85 | hispan’s photoblog

Today I’d like to share a really great photo blog that I discovered while researching Russian lenses.  The blog started and run by Krisztián Horváth with input from others is really excellent as are his photos.   I’m linking to an article about the Zenit Helios lenses since I’m working with the new restructured Krasnogorsky Zavod PJSC (Zenit KMZ) to import new lenses and cameras for resale in the US via Zenit Lenses US.   Anyhow, back to Hispans Blog, I’ve neverRead more

Leica: To M-D or not to M-D? – Guest post by Adam Singer – 35mmc

Very well written and quite funny article by a friend – well worth the read! So a man walks into a camera store – stop me if you have heard this one – and says, ‘ I want that new Leica MD’. That’s the full frame all singing but no dancing digital Leica without a screen, auto ISO, and white balance. Just frame and shoot, but you can’t see your pictures till you find a computer to play the SDRead more

How the Fujifilm X-Pro2 Was Designed for ‘Decisive Usability’

I found this excellent article, by Aage Granasson, on the Fuji X-Pro2 really interesting because it went deep into the Fuji design criteria or design ethos.  I own a Fuji GX 680III and also have had some of the Fuji medium format compact cameras and do agree with the author about those purpose built cameras from Fuji.   Well worth the read… Source: How the Fujifilm X-Pro2 Was Designed for ‘Decisive Usability’Read more

Perception and Imaging Photography – A Way of Seeing by Zakia

Perception and Imaging: Photograph – A Way of Seeing     by Richard Zakia This is one of the best books I’ve read which deals with how the human mind perceives imagery.  It’s absolutely fantastic!  After reading even just the first chapters, I feel I have greatly improved both my knowledge of how to construct powerful images, and my understanding of how viewers might likely interpret my images.   This book is a must for anyone serious about improving their photography!Read more