today, i want to talk with you about another classical camera — the Mamiyaflex twin lens series.

these cameras are a direct competitor to the world famous Rolleiflex, and share the same very high quality pedigree and reliability, but with one major difference…the Mamiyaflex is the only twin lens reflex in the world that has interchangeable lenses!

there was a whole range of Mamiyaflex cameras, and the one i am going to talk about today is the Mamiyaflex C220.

the beauty of using these cameras is that they give you that wonderful 6x6cm large negative…what you may ask, is so good about that? well, in photography, the larger the negative, the more quality you get, meaning you can enlarge it to huge sizes and still have fantastic edge to edge sharpness on your photo…try that with a 35mm negative and you’ll soon see the difference!

also, with this camera system, it is very easy to organise and setup your photograph, as the large viewing screen is designed to help you do exactly that.

there are also a huge range of lenses and accessories that allow you to use this camera for virtually any purpose you care to think of, from portraiture, to landscape, to closeup, etc etc.

so today i am offering you a chance to acquire a Mamiyaflex C220 full kit, which comes to you fully tested.

i have replaced the old light seals with brand new guaranteed-for-life material as well, and everything works as it should. the lenses are beautifully clean Sekkor f2.8 80mm, with no fungus, scratch or mark anywhere.

the bellows are in near-new condition and everything that should work is working just fine. by the way, because this acmera uses bellows, it is ideal for portraiture.

the kit includes another set of f4.5 180mm telephoto lenses, a separate viewing prism, set of lens extenders, an electronic flashgun, 2 original lens covers, and a very handy carrying case for all this equipment. very rarely does equipment like this come on offer.

Price: £342.95 plus £26 postage UK, international £48.99

Payment: Paypal, direct bank transfer or cheque (UK only)

to contact me or to see the full set of photos of this camera kit, click here

ok, guys and girls....today im going to talk a little about another of my favourite classic film cameras, the yashica electro 35.

when first introduced in the 1960s, the yashica electro family of cameras attracted an instant following, justifiably so, too!

it was called the Leica for the lit­tle man, and why? well, read on...

firstly, the designers at yashica were not interested n making a camera with built-in obsolescence, as much of manufacturing does these days. ok, they probably had a fixed budget from whihc to work, but they made damn sure that everything in the camera was of commendably high quality, and built to last.

fine, the camera could not be called portable or pocketable, but the qualities it had, made it all the more worthwhile than virtually any other 35mm film camera at that time.

so what did it have that people so raved about then, as well as now?

well, the lens for a start! just look at that massive piece of high quality glass; 45mm and f1.7, which joins the league of the best lenses ever fitted to a camera.

in fact, someone has said that the yashica lens is virtually equivalent to the lens on voigtlander, nikon or even leica cameras!

coupled with it's auto exposure system, this camera was designed for afficianados who hankered for results, not flashy widgets!

i myself know of several professionals who still use this camera as a back-up to their own digital cameras, as with these classic film cameras, there's virtually nothing to go wrong -- ok, if the battery runs out, the camera will still happily click away taking excellent photos!

ive got several of these cameras myself, which i rotate so that each one gets used regularly, and thats one of the cameras i am offering for sale to you.

it comes in it's original carry case, which also has the rare tele and wide angle lens kit inside, together with a mini-tripod, cable release and set of 3 filters, incuding a polariser for those extra special effects with colour or mono film.

price? just £163.95 plus £7.99 postage (UK)
USA, Canada & Europe £28

my contact details are available here or here

till the next time we meet, take care and enjoy your film photography!

wow! its been so long since we talked about our pet subject...classic film!

well, cut a long story short, im now also on wordpress.com (http://wp.me/pf2B5-5s) and for those of us who prefer more of an artistic touch, you can also view my pages on youtube (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=y6LriJO0iK8).

on both the above sites you will find some of my favourite classic cameras for sale, at very realistic prices.

im not one to blow my own trumpet as it were, but i have many, many clients, some from prestigious educational and scientific establishments who have purchased their cameras, photo chemicals, paper etc from me.

why not have a look? youve nothing to lose?
see you next time and we'll chat about another classic camera i love....

you know, one of the reasons why i am always telling everyone about classic cameras, is that quality of that kind doesnt exist anymore, sorry to say.

ok fine, we now have digital cameras that are now almost equivalent in producing quality photos as film, but, have you ever had a close look at most digicams? noticed the amount of plastic in them? notice how fragile they seem? and heaven help you if you accidentally happen to drop a digicam on the ground -- chances are it will never work correctly again -- i know, its happened to me!

as an example of what i am saying, look at the photo of the voigtlander vitessa camera above.
this superb camera was built in the 1950s and of those ones still available, 99% of them are working fine, often as good as when they were new. why?

well, in my opinion, one of the answers is due to the quality of materials and workmanship that was used in those days.
built-in obsolescence didnt exist then, so everything that was built, was built to last lifetimes.

unlike today, when manufacturers choose the cheapest materials around!

in the case of the vitessa, it was so solidly built that you could quite easily use it as a door-stop, and it will still carry on working!

and of course, as all of you photographers out there will know, in order to take a good shot, your camera needs to be heavy-ish, so that when you depress the shutter, the camera does not shift about.
all the classic cameras were built with this in mind, all being manufactured out of metal; eg the Nikon F range, the Canon A1, the Minolta etc etc.

it remains to be seen how many digicams will survive in fully working condition, in another 50 or more years time! i dont think many will survive, somehow.........

PS the voigtlander vitessa above is available for sale here

remember the olympus trip 35?

yes, you got it! and i mean the one made out of metal, not the plasticky, later version.

well, im a self-confessed olympus trip fanatic!

so much so, that when i was with my family in the USA on holiday, a bloke saw me taking shots of the buildings etc (oh, im talking about las vegas here...!), he gave me a funny look, came up and asked me why i dont use digital, as its easier and cheaper...

so i too gave him a funny look, and said that the majority of the world's professionals still use film as well, so there must be a reason for it.....!

i mean, the quality of the photos i get from my olympus trip has got to be seen to be believed, so why should i ditch it for a digital camera?

oh, and remember THAT famous tv ad about the trip, starring david bailey, one of the worlds foremost photographers? you can view it here

as the year draws to a close, and what a year its been, our thoughts turn to what the new year will bring.

now, at this point, there are 2 ways in which our thinking will head, depending on what kind of people we inherently are -- we either look forward optimistically to all the positive things that may happen, or we start whingeing about whether we'll survive another year....!

here's where i put up my hands and admit that i do like a good moan now and then, and my wife always reins me in from going too far into the abyss of whingeing! there is a limit to how far to take our complaining, as if we push it too far, as i have done sometimes, it can lead to an immense feeling of utter desolation and depression!

so, in a nutshell, i will say here and now, that yes, for sure, i'll have a moan or 3, but thats about it...after that, i'll be my usual cheerful self!

and whats this all got to do with film photography, i hear you all say? well, a lot actually...you see, when i go around with my camera taking pot shots here and there, i always get funny looks from everyone, probably thinking what a fool he is for using silly old cameras, but i just smile back in my self-assured smugness!

for i know, come what may, i will carry on using film, as long as there's a sun in the sky....and digital? well, yes, i have one of those too, but when i want to be creative in the proper sense of the word, out comes my roll of 400TX and my olympus trip camera...!

here's wishing all my readers a very healthy, wealthy and peaceful new year!

see you in the new year!

every now and then, we all get fed up taking shots with our cameras, whether they be film or digital.

call it information-overload or some-such, it pays sometimes to get away from all that stuff and try something at grass-roots level. and what could that be?

well, pinhole cameras, of course! i have made many, many types of pinhole camera, all of them using simple items found in any home.

and the photos i got were so unique that i was inundated with requests from friends, and foes, to either make them one,or else show them how.

so what i did was get together everything that i used, and how i did it, and put it all together in a little e-book form.

ok, if you have always wanted to try pinhole cameras, why not make your own? just message me via twitter here and i'll send you the plans 100% FREE of charge!