Classic Camera Revival

Well, we have reached the end of our 10th season, so it only makes sense to look back over some of the topics we've covered and fill in some of the gaps we left behind in the initial recording. Zoom Lenses to Leitz, Infrared to Ilford, Fast Lenses to Canon, it's time to tuck in for some holiday leftovers! And from all of our families to all of yours, a heartfelt thank you for sticking with CCR for this season with all the ups and downs and we wish you all the very best of the holiday season however you celebrate (or don't) we'll see you in 2025!

Fast lenses are everywhere these days, and they have been around for a while, with lenses having wide-open apertures of f/0.95 and f/1.2. But these days it seems everyone wants their wide-angle and standard lenses to have open apertures of f/1.4! So, the team gets around the table to discuss what makes these lenses unique and where they have saved their bacon. Shooting wide-open has some downsides, such as when you need that speed and when you don't.

When it comes to iconic films, there is no black & white film to reach that level than Kodak Tri-X. First introduced in 1940 as a 200-speed sheet film, it hit the market as a roll film in 1954, replacing Kodak Super-XX as Kodak's fast film offering. That means in 2024, it is celebrating its 70th anniversary! With that in mind, the CCR team sits down to discuss Tri-X. What they shoot with it, how they develop it, the frustrations with the film and even some alternatives to Tri-X when the iconic film stock is a little out of reach.

If you're looking for a photographer doing exciting things in the fashion field, especially with experimentation and Kodak Tri-X rolls, look no further than Ted Smith. Ted takes some time to sit down with James Lee for an interview. Together, they discuss his creative work with film, conceptual photoshoots, the creative process, his love of working with people, and portrait photography!

These days, there is a tonne of fantastic film chemistry available, but it can be hard to decide where to go next or even where to start. And while Alex has been developing his film at home for over ten years, he still hasn't touched some developers. But in today's show, he is going to break down a tonne of developers, including Kodak D-76, HC-110, Xtol, Rollei Supergrain, Rodinal, FX-39, Atomal 49, Studional/Hydrofen, Pyro developers and much more. It's a lot of information in a tiny podcast.

Joining Alex and James in the studio today is Andrew Reynolds, a fellow Canadian from the East Coast! Join the trio as they talk about the good things about limiting your camera choices, the joy of photography, Nikon, Lighthouses, and where to explore when visiting Canada's Maritime provinces. You can check out Andrew's Work on Instagram: instagram.com/randrewreynolds

With September being back-to-school for many, the usual crowd sits down for a roundtable to talk about the lessons they have learned with photography! From handling good business practices, including getting contracts, pricing, and double-checking gear. There are also discussions about chemistry foul-ups, knowing when to give up and realising that some things a deal is too good to be true.

Joining James & Bill on today's show is noted long-time photographer and camera seller Paul RyBolt. Paul is one of several hosts on the Camerosity Podcast and is a wealth of knowledge from the camera retail world, collecting and using all sorts of cameras and film stocks. The conversation covers everything from the vast collections, including Kurt Igram's that Paul has helped sort through to shooting slide film, 6x9, Cibachrome, Corn Sweat, Stereo gear, Ansel Adams as a piano player, and single-malt scotch. Listen to Camerosity (and even join in): mikeeckman.com/category/camerosity-podcast Check Out Paul's eBay Store: ebay.com/str/paulkris Instagram: instagram.com/ryboltcox

You will have to pry these cameras from our cold, dead hands! Yes, back in May, a group of bloggers released another coordinated set of blog posts outlining the five cameras you'll pry from our cold, dead hands! We thought that would be an excellent topic for CCR, so here we are! But we aren't just letting this stay in our hands; we also invited the Toronto Film Shooters Meetup group to join! And it's only fair that our first 'open source' episode includes the TFS, as that is the group that formed the foundation of this podcast!  The cameras in today's episode all seem to represent the personalities of the people who shoot them!

It's been a while since we've done an entire episode dedicated to Canon cameras, and today, we have some real treats! We're discussing the earliest Canon cameras, those LTM rangefinders that put Canon on the map and, more importantly, Canon LTM glass; some talk about the AE-1 and AE-1 Programs and a little about choosing the right EOS camera for you. And if you are looking at getting into Canon's rangefinder line, Bill cannot recommend enough the wonderful book Canon Rangefinder Cameras 1933-68 by Peter Dechert! We're also welcoming a special guest who is no stranger to CCR; Alex Smith is back with his extensive collection of Canon LTM glass.

No shade on Polaroid.... Today, we have a pair of Chrises on the show; Chris Erickson is joining Chrissie! If that name isn't familiar, he's Just Another Chris who loves his instant film! He went from producing and being behind the scenes of various other YouTube channels to putting out his own content focused on instant film. He shoots everything from Instax to modern Polaroid. He produces many amazing videos and isn't afraid to present his reviews, warts and all, making his channel one of the best sources for reviews of Polaroid and other Instant products. You can find Chris' work on the following social channels. Instagram: instagram.com/just_anotherchris/ YouTube: youtube.com/@JustAnotherChris

Infrared photography is one of the more unique niches of the hobby and can produce some amazing and wild images using light beyond our visible spectrum. In this episode, Alex digs into black-and-white infrared photography specifically. Infrared light is part of the overall electromagnetic spectrum, which includes our human visible light spectrum, which ranges from 380nm to 700nm or violet to red. Most infrared photography uses specialised film and filters to capture light between 700nm and 900nm. Today, we don't have dedicated IR films being newly produced like Kodak HIE, Efke IR820 or Konica Infrared 750, but we do have extended red sensitive films that can get into the near IR range. These films include Rollei Retro 80s, Rollei Superpan 200, Rollei Infrared, Rollei Retro 400s and FPP Black & White Infrared. These films have sensitivities beyond 700nm and between 740 to 750nm. Pairing these films behind a deep red (092/89b) or a true IR filter like a 093, RM90, or R72 filter will produce results typical

We see a little silhouetto of a roll film, and for this episode, we're a little high, a little low because Ilford matters! Yes, this episode is a rhapsody of Ilford films, and we're going from Pan F+ to Delta 3200 and everything in between to discuss what we love about Ilford films, how we use them, development, and shooting them! But why are we focusing on Ilford? Well, that's simple! Ilford has made a constant effort to support the photography community in being able to produce film at scale for the modern market and is often less likely to increase costs. They have options that cover everyone's preferences and needs with a wide range of film speeds and styles and even two amazing budget films that punch well above their weight.

There's a whole lot of nerding out happening in this episode; join Bill and special guest Dan Tamarkin of Tamarkin Camera. Dan is the second-generation owner of Tamarkin Camera. America's premiere Leica Specialist. Started by his father with a roll-top desk, the shop is now in Windy City, Chicago, Illinois. Dan is the go-to guy in the Midwest if you want an honest and real experience buying Leica. But that's not all; Dan also buys and sells a tonne of other camera gear.   Find Tamarkin Camera Online At: Web: www.tamarkin.com/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/tamarkin_camera/ Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/tamarkin.camera https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCt657edYjtaKtvtOQazmA8g

The topic of box cameras hasn't been discussed in a great deal since our first season, so Alex is back with a solo episode about his box camera collection, both his historic cameras and a few modern cameras that may not look like those simple box cameras but are in the same theme. Cameras include several Agfa cameras (Box 50, Click II, Clack and Isoly Jr), a 1915 Kodak Hawk-Eye Model C and modern options like Holga, RETO, and Lomography cameras, from the cameras themselves to having fun and choosing films.

Photography is driven by nostalgia. Photos can take you back to places where you have been; you can see people as they were or even stare into the faces of those who have passed once again. But what about places, cameras and films? Well, that is what the gang sits down to talk about in this episode, as we talk about the powerful memories connected with past cameras, film stocks, and places. Plus, there are some excellent old-fashioned discussions surrounding them.

That's right, we're doing it again with another episode about zoom lenses. While many of us are prime lens sort of people, a zoom lens can offer up a lot of versatility when we either don't want to or cannot, due to space constraints, bring a selection of prime lenses. So with this episode, each of our team members brings up a trio of zoom lenses with the following criteria, one that surprised them with how good it worked, one that they will always reach for, and finally, one that sucked so hard they wanted to toss it in the Hudson River. Please note we had some audio issues with this episode due to equipment issues.

From Plus-X to Panatomic-X and Fujifilm colour stocks, join Alex, Bill and James as they discuss their favourite discontinued film stocks and what they try and do to recreate the magic. While far from perfect, there is a lot you can do with modern emulsions to recreate those looks you enjoyed in the past. Plus, a discussion around how Alex can get that Panatomic look without paying for TMax 100 and retain a classic grain structure. Plus, there was a bit of discussion around what film we'd want to bring back, the new Ferrania P33, and some developer discussion. It's a classic CCR roundtable episode.

While we're still far from summer vacation, many people are already starting to figure out where they're going on holidays this year. As photographers, especially film photographers, it can be challenging to choose what camera(s) to bring and how to keep things to a minimum! There is a temptation to bring everything plus the kitchen sink along for the ride, and if any member of the CCR team knows this full well, it's Alex. But when space is limited, and extra bags cost airlines money, we may need to rethink and start packing a little lighter. This is a follow-up to the original episode recorded in 2015, where Alex discusses his travels in Europe from Europe. But this time around, with another ten years of experience and often some back-breaking loadout, he sits down for a solo show and discusses some ideas on how to travel lighter and get the most bang from a slimmed-down kit.

Family albums, photo projects, books and double exposures. Jess, Chrissie, and Alex all sit down with the talented local Toronto photographer Tawnya Mahoney for our ongoing interview series. If you haven't had the chance to check out Tawnya's feed, you're in for a treat, as her work is intentional, ethereal, and inspired, not to mention her inspired captions that go along with her images. There are lots of double exposures, experimental and wild. And yes, there is a lot of fanning from our host team! And, of course, the usual chat about gear, first cameras, home development, scanning and film choices. Check out Tawnya on Socials: Instagram: instagram.com/phototee83 Threads: threads.net/@phototee83