Analog.Cafe

648 Reviews, Guides, and Essays

Kodak Vision 3 250D 5207/7207 Film Review
Shot as Stills and Developed in C-41
February 18, 2025
Kodak Vision 3 250D is a colour-negative film made for motion picture cameras. Its image quality is on par with Kodak Portra 400 and other colour-accurate fine-grained low-contrast emulsions when developed in ECN-2. But for this review, I’m processing it in C-41. I also compare my results to CineStill 400D, which has been claimed by many to be 250D w/o the remjet. (It is not.)
New!Film and Darkroom Save
Nikon AI-S Nikkor 50mm 𝒇1.8 Lens Review
And Its Five Siblings
February 11, 2025
Nikon AI-S Nikkor 50mm 𝒇1.8 is a lightweight normal manual focus lens for Nikon F cameras. In this review, I’m sharing my experience with it on my Nikon FM2n and FE cameras, a bit of history, and identification for the SIX variants. Plus: my thoughts on whether the Nikkor is worth the extra ~$75 as compared to the cheaper Series E.
UpdatedFilm Cameras and Gear Save
Colour Film Prices Are at Their Lowest Since 2022!
As Long as You Have the Right Kind of Money
February 4, 2025
Film is a vital consumable for the analogue photography ecosystem. Whenever it becomes more expensive or less available, the community feels the impact. Lucky for us, the past twelve months brought us favourable pricing after years of steady increases. In this article, I will break down the latest findings from the annual retailer survey, discuss how costs may differ depending on where you live, and explore some of the best film stocks to buy today.
GOLDNews Save
Film Photography News — January 2025 Recap
New Lens, New Film, HP5+ @ ISO 100,000, Four-Ish New Cameras, and a New App
January 28, 2025
Nine new things have launched or were promised to launch for us film photographers: a fancy new Omnar M mount pancake lens, new cheap colour film, (maybe) four new film cameras — one of which is Fujifilm’s Instax WIDE Evo — two new gadgets from Reveni Labs, and a new chemical dilution calculator app. I’ve also performed two experiments and shared detailed notes about drastically altering the sensitivity of a popular film stock.
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HP5+ @ISO 100,000, Film Prices & Private Beta
A Monthly Newsletter for GOLD Members
January 24, 2025
2025 is off to a fast start with an outrageous film experiment: pushing and pulling one of the world’s most popular black-and-white emulsions beyond anything anyone has ever done. As for next month, there’s a new app that’s been in development for over three years that I’d like to run by interested GOLD members. Plus, a note about film prices in 2025.
GOLDNews Save
Fujifilm 400 Color Negative Film Review
An Unexpected Alliance With Kodak. Is This Just Ultramax?
January 21, 2025
Fujifilm 400 Speed Film is a new offering by a Japanese manufacturer made in the USA. It is a replacement for their earlier made-in-Japan Fujicolor Superia X-Tra, which, at some point, used a fourth cyan-sensitive colour layer to produce better tonality in mixed lighting—a technology famously used in their legendary Fijicolor Pro 400H emulsion. In this review, I’ll examine this film’s origins and technical and visual properties. I will also discuss how it may be the same as and different from the Kodak Ultramax 400.
Film and Darkroom Save
Nikon FM2/FM2n Film Camera Review
With Honeycomb Titanium Shutter
January 14, 2025
This camera’s 100% mechanically powered titanium honeycomb shutter curtains can reliably sync with flash speeds up to 1/250s and fire at a bullet speed¹ of 1/4,000s when needed. The FM2 is one of Nikon’s longest-living SLRs: it remained in production for 19 years! This review dives deep into this camera’s pedigree and features.
Film Cameras and Gear Save
Adox CMS 20 II: An Ultra-High Resolution Film Review
Tested With Adotech IV and a 400-Megapixel Scan
January 10, 2025
In this review, I share my experience shooting and processing this film with the specialized Adotech CMS IV developer as well as the non-specialized Ilford DD-X, discuss its technical specifications, and share the results of my attempt to produce a 400-megapixel scan (the absolute maximum I’m capable with my current hardware and software).
UpdatedFilm and Darkroom Save
Pushing Ilford HP5+ to ISO 100,000
Samples, Recipe, Discussion, and Development Times
January 8, 2025
This article is a follow-up to yesterday’s experiment with pulling HP5+ to ISO 3; whereas the former was fairly easy to do, I wouldn’t necessarily recommend you try what I’m about to share with you here. Still, this resource comes with all the techniques and recipes necessary to replicate the experiment, as well as suggested times for developing HP5+ at EI 12800, 25600, and 51200.
GOLDFilm and Darkroom Save
Pulling Ilford HP5+ to ISO 3
Samples, Recipe, Discussion, and Development Times
January 7, 2025
Ilford HP5+ is a ninety-year-old¹ black-and-white film known for its versatility, sharpness, and controlled response to various development methods. Many photographers love to push-process it and occasionally pull-process. Yet, to my knowledge, no one has pull-processed it to this extreme; thus, this may be the first time anyone has ever shared the technique and the results with the HP5+ shot as if it’s an ISO 3 film.
GOLDFilm and Darkroom Save
The Tsushima Cyanotypes
Book Review
January 6, 2025
The Tsushima Cyanotypes is a black-and-blue photobook of cyanotypes by KC Ahonen, limited to just 200 copies. I loved flipping the 76 pages of this A5-sized uncoated book and seeing the 30 masterfully printed blue-on-white cyanotype prints. Yet, the most impactful piece of this book was the artist’s statement, where KC revealed the source of his images and its uncanny connection to our modern lives within the parallel universe from ones and zeros.
Books Save
Rediscovering the Digicam With Pentax Optio E10

January 3, 2025
Digicams are making a comeback. To understand why, I read dozens of articles, spoke to the new digicam users and tried my hand with Pentax Optio E10, a nineteen-year-old six-megapixel camera. In this article, I’m digging a little deeper for reasons to use one today (including ways to do it better) and the trend’s relationship to the still-rising popularity of film photography.
Film Cameras and Gear Save
Nikon Series E 50mm 𝒇1.8 Lens Review
One of Nikon F’s Lightest, Most Compact, and Cheapest “Pancake” Lenses
December 30, 2024
Nikon Series E 50mm 𝒇1.8 is one of the most compact vintage Nikon F-mount lenses. The all-black version tested here weighs just 137g/4.8oz and protrudes about 2.5cm/.98” from the mount. Costing an average of $50 (depending on condition), it’s also an affordable one to try.
Film Cameras and Gear Save
An Experiment in Pushing Boundaries
A Monthly Newsletter for GOLD Members
December 20, 2024
This month’s “How to Make Sharper Photos on Film” has the most lessons I wish I’d learned earlier. In fact, there are 23. That’s a lot — good thing they’re ranked by importance. I explain how I did that below. This year’s last newsletter also covers a few blog updates and an Easter egg that’s a clue to the next month’s film experiment.
GOLDNews Save
Film Photography News — December 2024 Recap
A Year-End Special 🥳
December 17, 2024
We have a winner! I speculate about the future of film photography. Three new film camera accessories launch this month, each discussed in the new “News” page. Plus, what’s your holiday project?
News Save
How to Make Sharper Photos on Film
23 Ranked Tools and Techniques for All Skills and Budgets
December 10, 2024
Photographs that show great detail, even when examined up close, can enhance the viewing experience. Images shot on film with vintage cameras can produce enormous amounts of sharpness and resolution — but that’s not necessarily the default, even if you’re wielding a premium point-and-shoot. These 23 tools and techniques summarize some of the most effective ways to improve sharpness and resolution in your film photography. They’re ranked based on their potential and include practical advice with appropriate references.
GOLDGuides and Tutorials Save
How to Service the Nikon F2 Photomic Metered Prisms
A Simple Way to Fix Inacurate Meters
December 5, 2024
Nikon F2 Photomic metered prisms are beautiful and sturdy like the rest of the camera but are prone to issues. Perhaps the most common fault on the nearly indestructible Nikon F2 cameras is a malfunctioning metered prism. I’ve seen many copies sold with the readings off by a few stops. In this short guide, I’ll explain what may be causing this problem and how to fix this issue at home.
GOLDGuides and Tutorials Save
Nikon F2 Film Camera Review
Nikon’s Last (Maybe Best) Mechanical SLR
December 3, 2024
Nikon F2 (i.e., Nikon F2 Photomoic with the Photomic DP-1 viewfinder prism) is a burly, pro-level SLR with an impressive history of being one of the most trusted cameras of its time. It is a sequel to Nikon’s iconic design, which went to space and deflected a bullet, saving a war reporter’s life. In this review, I’ll explain what makes this camera so good (and not so good), outline its historical context, and talk about shooting the F2 fifty-three years past its release.
Film Cameras and Gear Save
Film Photography News — November 2024 Recap
Kodak Pauses Film Production, Polaroid Puppet Show, Camera Giveaway, and More!
November 26, 2024
Kodak pauses film production, Polaroid puppet show, new apps for film photographers, a camera + film giveaway, and other deals. Plus: What’s the best glue for replacing leatherettes? And a new Valoi digital camera scanning rig.
News Save
Best Film Camera Finder
Web App 📱
November 25, 2024
Photography was invented around the 1830s. Since then, we’ve built over a billion cameras, which can make picking one seem overwhelming. Best Film Camera Finder helps you discover film cameras suitable for your needs based on answers to these five questions.
Apps and Downloads Save

Kodak Vision 3 250D 5207/7207 Film Review

Shot as Stills and Developed in C-41

February 18, 2025

Nikon AI-S Nikkor 50mm 𝒇1.8 Lens Review

And Its Five Siblings

February 11, 2025

Colour Film Prices Are at Their Lowest Since 2022!

As Long as You Have the Right Kind of Money

February 4, 2025

Film Photography News — January 2025 Recap

New Lens, New Film, HP5+ @ ISO 100,000, Four-Ish New Cameras, and a New App

January 28, 2025

HP5+ @ISO 100,000, Film Prices & Private Beta

A Monthly Newsletter for GOLD Members

January 24, 2025

Fujifilm 400 Color Negative Film Review

An Unexpected Alliance With Kodak. Is This Just Ultramax?

January 21, 2025

Nikon FM2/FM2n Film Camera Review

With Honeycomb Titanium Shutter

January 14, 2025

Adox CMS 20 II: An Ultra-High Resolution Film Review

Tested With Adotech IV and a 400-Megapixel Scan

January 10, 2025

Pushing Ilford HP5+ to ISO 100,000

Samples, Recipe, Discussion, and Development Times

January 8, 2025

Pulling Ilford HP5+ to ISO 3

Samples, Recipe, Discussion, and Development Times

January 7, 2025

The Tsushima Cyanotypes

Book Review

January 6, 2025

Rediscovering the Digicam With Pentax Optio E10

January 3, 2025

Nikon Series E 50mm 𝒇1.8 Lens Review

One of Nikon F’s Lightest, Most Compact, and Cheapest “Pancake” Lenses

December 30, 2024

An Experiment in Pushing Boundaries

A Monthly Newsletter for GOLD Members

December 20, 2024

Film Photography News — December 2024 Recap

A Year-End Special 🥳

December 17, 2024

How to Make Sharper Photos on Film

23 Ranked Tools and Techniques for All Skills and Budgets

December 10, 2024

How to Service the Nikon F2 Photomic Metered Prisms

A Simple Way to Fix Inacurate Meters

December 5, 2024

Nikon F2 Film Camera Review

Nikon’s Last (Maybe Best) Mechanical SLR

December 3, 2024

Film Photography News — November 2024 Recap

Kodak Pauses Film Production, Polaroid Puppet Show, Camera Giveaway, and More!

November 26, 2024

Best Film Camera Finder

Web App 📱

November 25, 2024