I review lots of lovely gear on the blog, but unfortunately, I can not keep it all.
Today, I’ve updated FilmBase (my Etsy shop) with some of the nicest gear that came across my desk:
The most prized camera in this lot is the only Mamiya U with a fully intact shutter button. Though you may find this strangely designed ‘80s chic camera elsewhere, it never comes with its beautiful yet brittle yellow button. This is the rarest camera I’ve ever owned.
A pancake lens for Olympus PEN film cameras is very convenient. It turns an already small half-frame SLR into a pocketable one. It comes with genuine lens caps that are difficult and often expensive to find.
Unfortunately, FilmBase (a five-star-rated Etsy shop that sells much of the gear tested on Analog.Cafe) will no longer offer shipping outside the US and Canada.
Here’s why:
Sometime last year, I noticed that Canada Post began to blanket-reject all shipments to the EU that included film cameras. Their reason had always been the same: “There’s a battery in a package.”
I’m well aware of the postal service’s rules. It’s not difficult for me to comply: nearly half of the cameras I use don’t need a battery, and the remainder use consumer cells that I always ask the buyer to get on their own. None of the packages I’ve sent ever had a battery.
However, Canada Post’s “system” consistently and incorrectly assumes that there’s a battery. Marking that there isn’t one does nothing to dissuade their machines.
What ended up happening is that I receive a returned package at my home a week later and am forced to explain to the customer why the delay. Then, I have to use a significantly more expensive shipping provider (UPS or DHL) which charges at least $150 per package — unacceptable for my and the customers’ wallets.
This makes me sad.
But the good news is that shipping is still fast and free to all US states and anywhere in Canada (at least in the southern provinces).
Thank you, everybody, for your support and understanding.
Dmitri Mar 21, ‘24
Dmitri Apr 1, ‘24 edit