Horseman is a name associated with high-quality, large format Japanese view and press cameras and lenses, but it's also noted for innovative designs. An excellent example is the Horseman 3D, the company's first 35mm stereo rangefinder camera. Basically it's a Hasselblad Xpan II that's been modified by installing a unit containing two 38mm f/2.8 Super...
The history of the Kardon camera is a story of forgotten American genius. The Kardon camera, manufactured in several variations from 1945-'54 represents an important American contribution to the then-state-of-the-art "miniature" camera. And it represents Peter Kardon's patriotic effort to answer to the US military's need for a high-quality 35mm camera...
The Leica MP is the greatest Leica for years--maybe decades. If you want a classic all-mechanical Leica, and you can afford a new one, this is the one to buy. That's all there is to it.
So much for the short review: how about a longer one? Well, it is best summed up in three words:...
Exceptionally small, light, and very solid are the descriptive attributes of this compact camera. It is an example of German precise engineering and design. A throwback to the fully manual operating camera era. The film speed ISO has to be set...
The Zeiss Ikon--hereafter ZI--has all the features you might hope for, plus optional autoexposure. At $1617, the body lists between Leica and Voigtländer. In features, it goes head-to-head with the Leica M7. Because we received the camera and no fewer than six lenses--15mm f/2.8, 21mm f/2.8, 25mm f/2.8, 28mm f/2.8, 35mm f/2, and 50mm f/2--we have split...
In a world of increasing digital dominance, Nikon has again taken a bold step and introduced a camera that should keep film-based photographers happy for some time to come. Call it a move up for those who never had the privilege of owning a premium camera or a huge upgrade for photographers who now feel they've...
The MZ-S is Pentax's recently
introduced professional level camera with new styling and some excellent
new features. It is the replacement camera for the Pentax PZ-1P, although
that camera is still available.
If a picture is really brilliant, you don't have to worry about grain or sharpness or anything else: to quote Mike Gristwood, late of Ilford, "How much good would it do you to know the technical details of any one of Henri Cartier-Bresson's pictures?"
By the same token, if a picture is really bad, no amount of technical brilliance is going...
This month we begin a new column with renowned "camera collector" Jason Schneider. Jason will be out there scouring camera stores, Internet sites, and camera shows to bring you the best bargains in user collectibles, recent gems, and vintage gear. --Editor
Is there a camera enthusiast on the planet who hasn't pored over the...
There are few truly magical names in camera design but Carl Zeiss is certainly one of them. The brand conjures up an image of optical perfection and cameras built to a standard, not a price point. Back in the 1950s, when I was dancing on TV's Buddy Deane Show and dreaming of making photographs with a camera that was more precise, more German, than my Argus C3, Zeiss Ikon...
Anyone who reads the ads in photo magazines even occasionally, will be well aware of the 35mm cameras designated as "professional." Just about every manufacturer offers at least one and generally prices it far above its "amateur" counterparts. These models hold a lot of...
Contax N1 Now the flagship of the Contax line, the N1 has a new, larger N-mount that's completely electronic and accepts only AF lenses. Most incorporate an ultrasonic focus motor for silent, high-speed operation. With an adapter, it...
The Bessa-R2C and R2S are both variants on the superb R2. Instead of the Leica bayonet mount of the R2, however, the new cameras have the original 1932-1961 Contax mount (R2C) and the original 1948-1963...
Pick up the new Bessa R3M (or R2M--only the viewfinders differ) and it takes you back in time. At a solid 430 gm (a fraction over 15 oz) it has the heft and overall feel of a high-quality camera from the 1950s or '60s. Appropriately, it is the best Bessa yet, produced to commemorate the 250th anniversary of the founding of Voigtländer, and is engraved...
Just when you thought the R2 was the pinnacle of Voigtländer Bessa design, along came the R2A and R3A. They differ from the R2 in several ways, most notably the adoption of an electronic shutter allowing Aperture Priority automation; this is combined with a new meter. Other significant differences are a revised (and easier-to-use) rewind crank; the addition of a back lock...
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35mm Cameras
