Category Archives: history

Kodak shows its mettle

Posted on June 1, 2021 by Robert

Toronto. I often make derogatory sounding comments about Kodak, but the company was a force in the industry and for many decades a true leader. Few others had the support and customer base to create new film sizes. In fact … Continue reading →

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a positive spin on WW2

Posted on May 31, 2021 by Robert

Toronto. Ilex of Rochester NY ran this ad in the February 1944 issue of Popular Photography. The company bravely said, “When war clouds clear **look to Ilex”. The Ilex Optical Company in Rochester made “lenses, shutters, gunsights, and other precision … Continue reading →

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Leica in Peace and War

Posted on May 30, 2021 by Robert

Toronto. Before and for awhile after the second world war, the Leica was the most popular high-end 35mm camera sold. As many readers know, before WW2, the German camera industry was the undisputed world leader. During WW2, German technology was … Continue reading →

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one camera’s wide angle …

Posted on May 29, 2021 by Robert

Toronto. … is another camera’s telephoto. Did you ever wonder why the tiny smart phone camera has an equivalent 35mm camera size? For example my iPod Touch camera has a 3.3mm, f/2.8 lens but images it takes are considered to … Continue reading →

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what’s in a name

Posted on May 28, 2021 by Robert

Toronto. In the early days of photographic lens design there was no established standard for the data recorded on the lens. Early lenses usually had the patent number and/or date shown, but what else was needed? The coverage of the … Continue reading →

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some thoughts on contrast

Posted on May 27, 2021 by Robert

Toronto. The other day as I watched a 1938 movie with Boyer and Lamarr, I got to thinking about contrast. The movie I watched was a dark, contrasty,  flick called ‘Algiers’. Some scenes had inky black shadows, others nearly washed-out … Continue reading →

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having a blast with photography

Posted on May 26, 2021 by Robert

Toronto. For years our thirst for social media images has decimated the numbers and profits of serious professional photographers. The value of these ‘amateur social media’ recordings changed shortly after the huge blast on Beirut’s waterfront. On August 4th, 2020, … Continue reading →

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NJ Photographer GUSTAVUS PACH (1845-1904)

Posted on May 25, 2021 by Robert

Toronto. Our president Lewko (Clint) Hryhorijiw passed along this note from the Monmouth County Historical Association in New Jersey. The MCHA do a number of online presentations. Unfortunately I missed this one on the 20th of May when Gary Saretzky, … Continue reading →

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camera boy

Posted on May 23, 2021 by Robert

Toronto. My good friend and fellow PHSC alumni, George Dunbar spotted this interesting web site and the sample German stereo card added by John Robertson of the UK back on January 18th of this year (2021). Browse the interesting links … Continue reading →

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sink, sank, sunk

Posted on May 21, 2021 by Robert

Toronto. years ago a friend of mine dropped off a camera. Inside was a roll of mostly exposed film. The kicker? The camera was recovered from the glove box of a car that sunk through the ice on a local … Continue reading →

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