Author Archives: Robert

well, this is a bit awkward …

Toronto. The American Cinematographer for May, 1938 carried an ad for the new Eastman Focusing Finder. It was used in the 16mm Ciné-Kodak by swapping out the film magazine. The camera had to be on a tripod or use some … Continue reading

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reproduction of a famous camera and lens

Toronto. The evening of February 17th, 2016, I visited the Ryerson University Library along with a number of other PHSC members. A milestone was the display by the late Willi Nassau of a reproduction of the famous Voigtlander brass daguerreotype … Continue reading

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taking one for the team …

Toronto. Sometimes photography can be down right dangerous. In 1931, a movie cameraman experienced this first hand (er arm) as told in a brief article that appeared in the October, 1931 edition of International Photographer. Click on the picture at … Continue reading

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the tin man

Toronto.  “You can even mail them…” This was a big advantage for tintypes in the days when most ‘likenesses’ were glass encased. Joseph Wyman Brown uses the wet plate process to create authentic modern day tintype portraits. An article by … Continue reading

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PHSC News newsletter for March 2022

Toronto. The FED II shown here is from the right top of page 1 in this month’s PHSC News newsletter. The FED was a Ukrainian copy of an early Leica camera, converted to interchangeable lenses. What do you know? It’s … Continue reading

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e is for effort

Toronto. In February of 1937, Kodak advertised this movie camera as the running mate to the inexpensive model EE Kodascope  (movie projector to you) using the American Cinematographer magazine to target potential buyers.  This 16mm movie camera and associated projector were … Continue reading

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spend a wad at waddington’s this March

Toronto. All those image collectors please note! Waddington’s is holding a SNAP Photography Auction March 11 – March 18, 2022. Have a look on their website here and see what you can get for your personal collection. I chose a … Continue reading

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zooming to the future

Toronto. We take zoom lenses for granted today. Almost all digital cameras – mirrorless or DSLR – use zoom lenses. We have grown lazy and just adjust the lens to frame the scene rather thsn moving back or forward physically. … Continue reading

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scanning for memories

Toronto. The folks at Lomography are best known for their odd ball films and inexpensive cameras and lenses. In this digital era, the film aficionados are in a minority. Those of us with negatives galore have discovered the virtues of … Continue reading

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accessorize your Ektra

Toronto.  When the USA joined the WW2 fight, it lost all the Germany minicams. In the mid 1920s, the tiny Leica set the close-focus standard for the normal (50mm) lens at 1 metre (or 39 inches). Closer shots meant using extension … Continue reading

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