Fixing and Selling Film Cameras

A Monthly Letter for the GOLD Members

5 min read by Dmitri.
Published on September 20, 2024.

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This month, the focus is on maintaining, fixing, and, if you so choose, selling film cameras (as well as a few other things).

Along with the joy of using vintage gear, we have the responsibility of keeping it in its best shape. Film cameras were built to last, and many have done so way past the manufacturers’ expectations. But they, too, could use a little TLC. I’ve got some experience with that, which I am sharing in this month’s premium article: Home Film Camera Maintenance and Basic Repair Guide.

If you do a good job fixing your vintage gear, you may even consider earning a little back for your efforts. There are ways of doing that better, thanks to the data-backed insights I’ve covered in another member-only article: When Is the Best Time to Sell a Film Camera?

Speaking of fixing 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’s letter for the GOLD members!

In this letter: The ongoing content refresh on Analog.Cafe. Next month on Analog.Cafe. Industry news prequel. Support this blog & get premium features with GOLD memberships!

The ongoing content refresh on Analog.Cafe.

This website has nearly 600 articles, totalling roughly one million words. That’s about ten novels’ worth of prose!

But unlike the thick books you may find at your local bookstore, published by teams of highly educated authors and editors, this blog has just one person running the show. I’ve been doing this for seven years now, which, thankfully, means I’ve been growing as a writer and a photographer. However, this also means that looking back at early posts surfaces mistakes that need fixing.

Being an online publication, the Analog.Cafe platform makes rewrites and edits technically easy. There’s nothing to print. Of course, that’s easier said than done.

This month, I spent multiple hours re-taking product photos and updating guides with fresh knowledge. I’ve also overhauled film reviews with fresh samples and rearranged written pieces so that they sound better when read. Here are some of the articles that I revisited so far:

Hasselblad XPan/Fuji TX-1 Pano Rangefinder Review — added new photos and fixed language in about half a dozen paragraphs.

Kodak Pro Image 100 Film Review — updated the product photo, added new sample images, fixed language, and added a part about using Pro Image to create pastel colour palettes.

Yashica T5/Kyocera T-Proof Camera Review — fixed the language, added a remastered page from the user guide, added clarity to the language, and linked the camera to the history piece about the Yashica/Kyocera line of Zeiss point-and-shoots.

Kodak UltraMax 400 Film Review — updated the product photo, added new samples and detailed technical info about the emulsion.

ORWO NP20 for Agfa Rapid/SL Cameras — added samples and a recipe for stand development of this forty-year expired film.

I must say, it’s not easy keeping tabs on this many articles. Still, I try not to simply write and forget. I would also like to thank everyone who’s sent in corrections (apologies if I’m late with replies). I appreciate your attention and help in keeping this blog in its best shape. ❤️

Next month on Analog.Cafe.

I’m very happy I was able to share everything I know about fixing cameras with you this month. I think it’s very important to take care of our working museum pieces. Next, I’ll be sharing a few tips on improving the quality of your scans.

The challenge with using lab scans and scanner software that makes automatic adjustments is that you do not have an opportunity to learn from mistakes and make deliberate corrections. While it’s perfectly fine to trust the expertise of your lab technicians and their software, it’s also valuable to know that they can not be concerned with every individual photo.

Even the new tools, such as “roll analysis,” can not reliably set the colour balance and contrast for each frame because it’s technically impossible to do so at a high level.

Wouldn’t it be better to analyze your scans on your own time, truly understand how well you exposed your film, and make quick corrections to balance colours and contrast using simple principles applicable to virtually any image-editing tool?

If this is something you’re curious about, I’ve got a member-only guide coming soon that focuses on improving the quality of your scans and a few simple tricks I’ve learned over the years that help with accurate colour grading. I’ll also cover some limitations that’ll make it plain to see why tungsten colour films are still relevant (despite the prevalence of the digital colour temperature controls) and why films like Portra continue to deliver better colours regardless of the edits you apply to cheaper stocks.

Industry news prequel.

This month, a new premium point-and-shoot camera made its debut: the MiNT Rollei 35AF. I shared my first impressions about this camera here. It’s been one of the most-read articles on the website this September.

If you watch The Late Show with Stephen Colbert, you may’ve seen Jeff Bridges talk about his Widelux and the new project he’s taken on with the folks at Silvergrain Classics to make those cameras again. While their work began more than a year ago, an appearance on a program regularly viewed by more than 2.5 million folks gave it another boost, and we can now expect it to have something to show us next year. I’ll cover the project in greater detail in this month’s Community Letter.

You may’ve heard about the fully-functioning LEGO film camera that’s been making rounds on the internet. It was also the subject of last month’s Community Letter. Well, it just so happens that Zung Huang, who spent two years perfecting his build, lives in Vancouver. This month, I met with him, and he was kind enough to let me play with his camera for the entire month. I’ve taken tons of photos of it and with it — watch out for this story next month.

Last but not least, I’d like to thank you again for your continued support. Without your contribution, I would not be able to run this blog in its current capacity. You are so very awesome for doing this!

Talk to you soon,

— Dmitri.

This post is for GOLD members.

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