Month: November 2006

Camera Arts magazine subscription, cheap!

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For a limited time you can get a year subscription to Camera Arts magazine for $15—which is 65% off the cover price—if you live in the US.

Full details in this PDF, but the basic deal is to use order code N612CAM for normal and X612CAM for gifts when subscribing on their Web site. You can also order by phone at 800-697-7093 and choosing option #4.

This is one of the only photography magazines I bother to read at all as it’s actually about photography rather than gear fetishism and Photoshop tutorials. There’s some great photography in there, which is well printed, as well as actually interesting interviews and articles. By Grapthar’s hammer, what a savings!

Via The Online Photographer

Toy Polloy international toy camera photography show

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So sayeth the show’s Web site, toypolloy.com:

It is used as a derogatory phrase meaning "the common people." Those most artists wish to separate from.

Toy Polloy is that separation… Photographically speaking.

Toy Polloy use cheap, common toy cameras, yet their results can be rich and uncommon.

Click here to view the 30 artists featured in the first ever…

Toy Polloy
Friday, November 17
THE ICEHOUSE
412 Cross Street, Lexington, Kentucky
Musiq provided by Parlour of Louisville, Kentucky (former members of Crain, The For Carnation, Weapons, Sapat, etc.)
&
Lexington, Kentucky’s Tight Leather (former members of RC ProAm & Mad Shadows)
As part of Downtown Lex’s Gallery Hop
5 p.m. til…

Velvia 50 to be reintroduced in US

Nicolai Grossman 1 Comment

On the heels Fujifilm UK’s announcement last week that Velvia 50 slide film would be reintroduced to the UK [see previous post], Fujifilm USA today announced that the same would happen in the US:

Fujifilm press release:

FUJIFILM U.S.A., Inc. is pleased to announce plans to re-introduce an ISO 50 Fujichrome Velvia professional film, tentatively named Velvia II. Fujichrome Velvia (RVP 50) was the first high color saturation, high contrast transparency E-6 compatible film when it was introduced in 1990 and was a favorite among photographers. Its discontinuation was announced last year due to difficulties in procuring some of the raw materials used to produce the emulsion.

"Since we announced the discontinuation of Velvia 50, we have been inundated with requests from photographers worldwide to continue production,” said Christian Fridholm, Director of Marketing, Picture Taking, Imaging Division, Fujifilm USA. “They had used Velvia for many years and consider it unmatched in terms of quality and character. One of Fujifilm’s main priorities is to nurture the culture of photography, so we took those requests very seriously."

As a result, Fujifilm research and development teams have developed substitute raw materials and new manufacturing technologies that enable the company to restart production. The new film is expected to be available in late spring 2007. The characteristics of the new emulsion will mirror that of the previous product.

"We are pleased to, once again, demonstrate our commitment to photographic film and to our photographer customers," concluded Fridholm. Specific details, including naming, pricing and shipment dates will be announced when they become available.

[corporate spew removed]

For more information on FUJIFILM U.S.A. products, customers can call 800-800-FUJI or access the FUJIFILM U.S.A. Web site at www.fujifilmusa.com.

List of Diana toy camera clone names

Nicolai Grossman 3 Comments

Diana cameras (the original Holgas) can be really expensive. The results are awesome (and have personalties quite different from Holgas), but for someone who actually wants to make pictures rather than collect cameras, a hunnert bux or more for a piece of 40 year old plastic is simply bullshit. Fortunately, there are a ton of clones, made by the same company with the same warbly lenses, that cost a much saner $10-20. I don’t know about yours, but I’m pretty sure my film doesn’t care whether the camera says Diana or Windsor on the front.

Great! But how do you find the clones? Photographer and camera collector Allan Detrich has a large list of Diana clone names to watch out for. Dig it.

Magnetic filter holder

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Magnetic filter holder by John Kittelsrud of Team Droid

Check out camera hacker extraordinare John Kittelsrud‘s magnetic filter holder. He writes:

The lumps of tape on the sides of the Cokin filter holder are super magnets with a healthy dose of gaffers tape. These are holding on to two pan washers that are held on to the camera body with, what else, gaffers.

I had to carve away some of the holder to get the cable release to fit right. It should still work on a regular camera, if I ever buy a mounting ring.

Suh-weeeeet!

Double-sided lens and pinhole bi-cam

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Double face bi-cam by bricolage.108

Flickr member bricolage.108 hacked a 35mm trashcam into a double-sided lens/pinhole monster. He writes:

If using a normal film roll this camera takes redscaled ["redscale" is where you shoot the film backwards, so the light gets filtered through the antihalation layers before hitting the emulsion and turns the image red/orange or yellow, depending on the film] pinholes from one side, and trashy lens shots on the other. It also makes doubles, exposing both sides of the film.

The same way if i redscale the roll first, i can take redcale shots using the lens and "normal" pinholes, on the same roll with the same camera.

I can, for example overlap the same subject using two "different cameras" and techniques or (and this i think it’s conceptually interesting) create (simultaneously) an image where the shot and what’s "behind the camera" are both visible.

Here’s an image he made with it, more here.

Represent eternity by bricolage.108

New "SX-70 Blend" Polaroid film

Nicolai Grossman 1 Comment

Since Polaroid discontinued Time-Zero film, shooting SX-70 cameras hasn’t been possible without some hacking. The folks at Unsaleable.com, purveyors of Polaroid products, have introduced SX-70 Blend film that works in unmodified SX-70s, no exposure compensation required.

Specs

Film Speed: ISO 640 / DIN 29

Format: 3.5 x 4.25 in. (8,9 x 10,8 cm)

Image Area: 3.125 x 3.125 in. (7,9 x 7,9 cm)

Finish: Glossy

Unique SX-70 Blend features:

  • Special blend-chemistry for unique and pro-quality colour management.
  • Integrated ND (neutral density) filter for optimized film speed correction.
  • Original SX-70 film cartridge that perfectly fits inside all SX-70 Cameras, no physical manipulation required.

The Web site has lots of info: this film compared to 600 and Time-Zero, an info PDF, a PDF data sheet, and lots of sample images.

There’s a discount offer available for Polanoid members, details in this post.

Velvia 50 to be reintroduced!

Nicolai Grossman 1 Comment

Aw yeah! Velvia 50, a very saturated, fine-grained slide film loved by landscape photographers, will return! It’s also really nice to cross process in C-41 chemistry, just shoot at EI 25 for a nice density range.

Fujifilm press release:

Fujifilm Professional is delighted to announce that the company is planning to re-launch Fujichrome Velvia 50 into the UK market.

Production of Velvia 50 was halted at the beginning of 2005 when vital raw materials used in the production of the emulsion became unavailable. The re-launch of Velvia 50 is a further illustration of Fujifilm’s continued commitment to the production and promotion of professional film.

Russ Gunn, Fujifilm Professional Product Manager, made this comment: "We have received many requests from photographers to restart manufacturing, as they had used Velvia 50 for many years and consider it unmatched in terms of quality and character. One of Fujifilm’s main priorities is to nurture the culture of photography, so we have been reviewing the possibility of restarting production."

Gunn continued: "In response to these requests our research and development teams have been working hard to develop substitute raw materials and new manufacturing technologies that enable us to restart production of this famous emulsion. We are planning to re-introduce the new Velvia 50 in the spring of 2007. The characteristics of the new emulsion will mirror that of the previous product. Many photographers were understandably upset when we were forced to withdraw Velvia 50, and we are delighted to be able to announce its re-introduction."

An announcement of specific details, including price, formats and availability schedule will be made as soon as they are available. The existing range of Fujifilm Professional films will remain unaltered.

For further information, please visit www.fujifilm.co.uk/professional