Kodak UltraMax 400

5 Frames of a Classic Cobra with a Leicaflex and Kodak Ultramax

I have always liked “nice” things. I would rather have less quantity but with a greater quality. My favorite fly rods are made by Orvis. My camera of choice has always been Nikon. They are solid quality with a touch of class. I like nice things but some things are so nice as to seem unattainable. I’m ok with that. I’m content to admire them from a distance; like Leica’s. I began a long-distance respect for Leica when I began to shoot film again back in 2020. How could I not? Every YouTuber I followed or watched seemed to shoot a Leica. They were surprisingly ubiquitous considering their status and their price tag. Interestingly, I slowly became irritated by the sight of them. How about some cameras for the common folk?! Obviously, I exaggerate but at times I felt that way!

5 Frames on holiday in Beaufort, South Carolina with a Fujica Half and Kodak Ultramax – By Dan Smouse

Vacations, in my personal experience (and preference), always involve cameras to record the story. One of the quintessential “vacation” cameras of the 60’s was the Half-frame. The “Halfs” were very competent, easily mastered affairs which doubled the amount of frames per roll. As a result, this would make them welcome companions for many families on vacation. The most notable of these was the Olympus Pen series though several other manufactures followed suit. One of the better ones was the Fujica Half which was introduced in 1963.

Canon Sprint

[Another] 5 frames with Kodak Ultramax 400 & a Canon Sprint – By Michael Maliner

In March of 2021, I found myself shooting film for the first time in many years. As mentioned in my prior “5 frames with…”, my earliest rolls were mostly about chasing the orange hues that frame daylight. As time progressed, however, I started to focus less on color and more on subject matter. This was not a conscious progression. In fact, I made a concerted effort not to think at all.

Canon Sprint

5 Frames with Kodak Ultramax 400 and a 1985 Canon Sprint – By Michael Maliner

At the start of 2021, I had committed myself to a 365 photo challenge. I hadn’t shot “seriously” in years, and I needed some way of cajoling myself out of a deepening creative death spiral. The thought of spending time in front of a screen editing RAW files was so utterly unappealing that I started the year off shooting on my iPhone. It got me shooting again, but, to me, it didn’t feel like photography.

5 Macro Frames on Film with the Minolta MC Macro Rokkor 3.5/100mm – By Matthias Steck

The idea of trying to take macro shots on film came to me, when I was watching older illustrated books with all kinds of nature photography. I’m deeply impressed by what the nature image photographers in the 1970ies to 1990ies were able to take with the equipment of their era. I would never be able to do such wildlife photography with my analog equipment.

But trying some plant macros seemed possible.

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