All of Analog.Cafe, Page 2

626 Reviews, Guides, and Essays

How to Develop Black-and-White Film at Home
As an Absolute Beginner
October 1, 2024
It’s easy to develop black-and-white film at home. The choice of chemicals, timings, and formulations may seem daunting at first, but once you understand how it works, you’ll find it to be a simple, forgiving process with lots of opportunities to excel and advance the quality of your images.
Guides and Tutorials Save
How to Use Extension Tubes on Film Cameras
Macro Photos for Less
September 30, 2024
Extension tubes are simple mechanical devices that let you to focus your regular or macro lens closer to your point of interest. This can help you fill more of your frame with your tiny subject. However, there are some limitations and a few formulas that you should be aware of.
Guides and Tutorials Save
Fujifilm Fujicolor PRO 400H Film Review
Discontinued but Not Forgotten
September 27, 2024
Fujifilm Fujicolor Pro 400H is a pro-grade colour negative film with excellent dynamic range and unique colour reproduction thanks to its fourth colour layer. In this review, I’ll cover my experience with this film in 35mm and medium format, share a few samples, and discuss its technical properties.
Film and Darkroom Save
Kiki Pan 320 Film Review
Meow 🐾
September 26, 2024
Kiki Pan 320 is a medium-speed black-and-white film by a Hong Kong analogue photography distributor, Camera Film Photo. Kiki Pan is a German-made emulsion packed in a super-cute box with its DX-coded canister and negatives featuring a design inspired by the shop’s resident cat, Kiki. 🐾
Film and Darkroom Save
Kosmo Foto Agent Shadow 400 Film Review
Tested at ISO 6400 and Box Speed in Various Developers, Featuring My Impossibly-Cute Puppy!
September 25, 2024
I was one of the project’s original backers, which gave me a chance to buy a “Briefcase Box” pack with five rolls and a delightful graphic novel by My Mate Does Art. Alas, by the time I got to writing this review, the film was no longer available for sale. Not even on eBay. So this review is more of a retrospective, useful to those who still have a roll somewhere. This film is said to be technically identical to Kentmere 400, so you can try the tricks in this article with that film for similar results.
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Film Photography News — September 2024 Recap
LF Camera Gear, Phoenix in 120, Daylight Enlarger, Fix Cameras, Develop C41
September 24, 2024
A new modern lens and shutter for large format cameras from Intrepid and an upcoming “hand-held” large format camera from Smartflex, Phoenix 200 in medium format, an upcoming daylight enlarger from Jagglé, a new stand-alone film inversion software from Chemvert, new guides for fixing and selling film cameras, plus a rewritten tutorial for developing colour film at home.
Community News Save
Yashica T2 Film Camera Review
Carl Zeiss P&S for Less?
September 21, 2024
Yashica/Kyocera T2 is a relatively affordable point-and-shoot camera with a fantastic Carl Zeiss Tessar 3.5/35mm T* lens in a somewhat bulky but very fun package. This camera is a lot of fun to use and it can produce sharp images with unique rainbow flares.
Film Cameras and Gear Save
Fixing and Selling Film Cameras
A Monthly Letter for the GOLD Members
September 20, 2024
This month, the focus is on maintaining, fixing, and, if you so choose, selling film cameras (as well as a few other things). I’ll also explain how I’ve been continuously improving the content on Analog.Cafe, what’s coming next, and some of the relevant industry news in this September letter for the GOLD members!
GOLDCommunity News Save
Minolta X-700 Film Camera Review
Affordable, Fun, Beginner-Friendly Vintage SLR With a Cult Following
September 19, 2024
Minolta X-700 is one of the easiest and most fun film SLRs ever built. This vintage camera can suit almost anyone, and the expansive Rokkor lens selection is considered by many to be the best quality per dollar spent. But no gadget is perfect. In this review, I’ll cover my extensive experience with the camera on the road and in my mini-studio, its strengths and quirks.
Film Cameras and Gear Save
Home Film Camera Maintenance and Basic Repair Guide
Tools, Techniques, and Advice
September 17, 2024
How you take care of your gear should depend on the size of your collection, the shape your cameras are in, and their various ages and kinds. This guide takes a measured, customized approach that focuses on preservation and minimal meddling with the gear.
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Agfa Ortho 25 Expired B&W Film Review
Also Available Fresh as Rollei Ortho 25
September 16, 2024
Agfa Ortho 25 is the vintage predecessor to the modern Rollei Ortho 25 — a fine-grained, slow-speed orthochromatic film for black-and-white photography. In this review, I’ll share a brief history of this emulsion, explain its technical properties, and share some results along with my opinions about using and developing this film more than twenty years past expiration.
Film and Darkroom Save
Colour Film Got 5.6% Cheaper in 2024
Plus, Kodak Tri-X Prices Back to Pre-2022 Levels!
September 12, 2024
After years of climbing, film prices have finally levelled out. A survey of 29 popular film stocks based on data from nine prominent stores showed a sharp decline in colour film prices this August compared to its peak in January 2024.
Community News Save
Rollei 35AF: About the Project & First Impressions
September 10, 2024
MiNT’s Rollei 35AF is one of the most anticipated film photography products of the year. In this article, I’ll share my initial impressions of the camera, its specs, and the project history. A premium compact film point-and-shoot in 2024 is a dream come true for the film photography community, but the camera may not be what you may’ve expected. Nor has it been built by a large company with the ‘90s tech. It’s different, and I’m here to tell you how.
Film Cameras and Gear Save
Kodak Gold 100/Kodak Bright Sun Film Review
An Affordable Expired Film Stock With Undeniably Warm Tones
September 7, 2024
Kodak Gold 100 is an affordable expired film. It features vivid, medium-saturation vintage colours with chunky grain and no significant tonal shifts despite most supplies having expired 10+ years ago.
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When Is the Best Time to Sell a Film Camera?
A Brief Data-Based Insight for the New Vintage Gear Traders
September 5, 2024
I figured out the best time to sell film cameras based on data from 43K referrals that generated $196,815 in sales from 1.2K transactions.
GOLDFilm Cameras and Gear Save
Canon F-1 (Original) Film Camera Review
It Will Probably Outlive Me
September 3, 2024
Canon’s F-1 was the company’s last purely mechanical SLR design. It’s hefty, but with that heft comes reliability and durability. Even the prolonged wear looks good on the F-1. In this review, I’ll compare the F-1 to F-1n and F-1 New and go over my experience shooting it on a hectic trip across Canada. I’ll also attempt to answer a question that seems to be coming up often: is the Canon F-1 a good camera for beginners?
Film Cameras and Gear Save
Olympus Pen W Half-Frame Film Camera Review
With History Overview and High-Res Scans
August 29, 2024
Olympus PEN Wides are some of the prettiest half-frame film cameras ever made. Painted brass only looks better with wear and an all-black pocketable design is decades ahead of its time. These cameras use no batteries or depleted selenium meters, offering instead full control over the mechanical system with zone-focusing.
Film Cameras and Gear Save
Film Photography News — August 2024 Recap
Film Got Cheaper, a New LEGO Camera, Kodak Sells Alaris, and Cinema Shorts
August 27, 2024
Film prices have finally come down 🎉, a new fully functional LEGO film camera may become a thing, and Kodak sells one of its brands to a private equity firm then relaunches its colour development kit, and the first Cinema Shorts orders have now been dispatched.
Community News Save
How Big Is Film Photography?
A Monthly Letter for the GOLD Members
August 24, 2024
It’s no secret that film photography is a niche, but I’ve always wondered how niche. Unlike the digital camera sale figures, film usage and production stats are murky, and the social signals are inconsistent. In this letter, I examine the available data and make some estimates about how much film we shoot and how many of us are out there.
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Film Price Trends
Web App 📱
August 20, 2024
This app graphs six-plus years of data about film prices. Use it to budget your footage by observing annual trends for your film or the industry as a whole. Find reliable film stocks and make smart investments that can save you money in the long run or examine the health of the market that circulates more than 80,000,000 rolls of film (~$1.2B) every year¹. Or just have fun with the pretty graphs!
GOLDApps and Downloads Save

How to Develop Black-and-White Film at Home

As an Absolute Beginner

October 1, 2024

How to Use Extension Tubes on Film Cameras

Macro Photos for Less

September 30, 2024

Fujifilm Fujicolor PRO 400H Film Review

Discontinued but Not Forgotten

September 27, 2024

Kiki Pan 320 Film Review

Meow 🐾

September 26, 2024

Kosmo Foto Agent Shadow 400 Film Review

Tested at ISO 6400 and Box Speed in Various Developers, Featuring My Impossibly-Cute Puppy!

September 25, 2024

Film Photography News — September 2024 Recap

LF Camera Gear, Phoenix in 120, Daylight Enlarger, Fix Cameras, Develop C41

September 24, 2024

Yashica T2 Film Camera Review

Carl Zeiss P&S for Less?

September 21, 2024

Fixing and Selling Film Cameras

A Monthly Letter for the GOLD Members

September 20, 2024

Minolta X-700 Film Camera Review

Affordable, Fun, Beginner-Friendly Vintage SLR With a Cult Following

September 19, 2024

Home Film Camera Maintenance and Basic Repair Guide

Tools, Techniques, and Advice

September 17, 2024

Agfa Ortho 25 Expired B&W Film Review

Also Available Fresh as Rollei Ortho 25

September 16, 2024

Colour Film Got 5.6% Cheaper in 2024

Plus, Kodak Tri-X Prices Back to Pre-2022 Levels!

September 12, 2024

Rollei 35AF: About the Project & First Impressions

September 10, 2024

Kodak Gold 100/Kodak Bright Sun Film Review

An Affordable Expired Film Stock With Undeniably Warm Tones

September 7, 2024

When Is the Best Time to Sell a Film Camera?

A Brief Data-Based Insight for the New Vintage Gear Traders

September 5, 2024

Canon F-1 (Original) Film Camera Review

It Will Probably Outlive Me

September 3, 2024

Olympus Pen W Half-Frame Film Camera Review

With History Overview and High-Res Scans

August 29, 2024

Film Photography News — August 2024 Recap

Film Got Cheaper, a New LEGO Camera, Kodak Sells Alaris, and Cinema Shorts

August 27, 2024

How Big Is Film Photography?

A Monthly Letter for the GOLD Members

August 24, 2024

Film Price Trends

Web App 📱

August 20, 2024