Not Just the Paris Portraits (Berenice Abbott)

Posted on February 20, 2016 by Robert
Elizabeth Larew BA, MA

Elizabeth Larew BA, MA

NEXT TORONTO MEETING: Wed, March 16, 2016
Elizabeth Larew: Preserving Berenice Abbott’s glass plate negatives

Ms Larew was one of the recipients of the PHSC Thesis award at Ryerson last fall. Currently she is a collections cataloger at Princeton University. She will speak at our March 2016 meeting about Berenice Abbott and Ms Abbott’s glass plate negatives.

Her research was performed at Ryerson while earning her MA FPPCM. Berenice Abbot’s archives are the fourth artist archives acquired by Ryerson’s Peter Higdon Research Centre. Ms Abbott (1898 – 1991) was a well known American photographer. This talk is based on Ms Larew’s thesis which was a source for the article in the recent Photographic Canadiana (41-4 pp 6-15).

The public is welcome.  Go to our Programs page for times and directions.

Posted in program | Tagged , , , , , | Comments Off on Not Just the Paris Portraits (Berenice Abbott)

Leica Q

Posted on February 17, 2016 by Robert
The famous Leica Q

The famous Leica Q

Toronto. I always wanted a Leica although when I had the chance to buy one in the late 1950s, I chose the more expensive Exakta VXIIa instead. In the summer of 1972, my youngest child was born and a month later I bought a new Leica M4 at Korda’s in Montreal. A year earlier the ill-fated M5 came to market and my particular M4 was one of the few remaining new ones in retail at the time.

A few months after the M5, a Minolta-made compact Leica called the Leica CL went on sale. But a budding photographer could choose instead to buy the much less costly Minolta C. This camera looked the same as a Leica CL. Leitz justified the cost difference by claiming to have a tighter quality control on the cameras and lenses signed as Leica CLs. Nevertheless, the Leica CL shared the same fate as the unwieldy Leica M5. Leitz went back to the basic M4 design with the Leica M4-2 and succeeding  newer models.

Yesterday on one of the blogs I read, Daring Fireball, John Gruber quoted Craig Mod and his review of the Leica Q. I read the article and was surprised to learn the Leica Q is a fixed lens, full frame, digital camera equipped with a 28mm Summilux lens.

Continue reading →

Posted in camera | Tagged , , , , , , | Comments Off on Leica Q

Some NYC stereos: 1850s – 1930s

Posted on February 16, 2016 by Robert

1200Toronto. PHSC member and regular contributor George Dunbar found these NYC stereos from the NYC Public Library (a long time member of the PHSC) collection in an article by Nick Mead in The Guardian, London England.

Stereo cards have been popular over the years slowly coming and going in popularity. While many techniques are used to convey stereo, The Guardian has used animated GIF files which George found a bit annoying. Other stereos photos are simply displayed as dual image cards.

Modern day movies are often made in stereo versions. The audience uses polarized glasses to see the stereo in full colour. I recently joined my youngest daughter and her two children to see Despicable Me 2 in stereo. I found the experience to be very entertaining and free of the eye strain imposed by some earlier attempts at stereo.  The story line tended to avoid the obvious 3D scenes with things whizzing out at the audience strictly for the 3D effect.

 

Posted in processes | Tagged , , , , | Comments Off on Some NYC stereos: 1850s – 1930s

Newsletter 15-9

Posted on February 14, 2016 by Robert
Mystery Tintype Camera

Mystery Tintype Camera

Toronto. Another gorgeous newsletter in full colour from editor David Bridge. Feb meeting news – THIS MEETING ONLY IS AT RYERSON!

This issue contains Toronto Notes on Ralph Beaumont and his book about Heckman’s CPR photos, plus columns like A Second Look (Bob Lansdale) and New Photo Links (Louise Freyburger).

The story of a Mystery Tintype Camera. And many more items of interest. Just click here or on the icon above left to read and print this exciting issue!

Posted in newsletter | Tagged , , , , | Comments Off on Newsletter 15-9

A New Twist on the old Fresnel Lens

Posted on February 13, 2016 by Robert
Thin lens concept at U of Utah Engineering

Thin lens concept at U of Utah Engineering

Toronto. Russ Forfar sent me this interesting link to ScienceDaily.com which reports on the work of a professor and his post grad students at the University of Utah. They have come up with a way to make super thin lenses of glass or plastic. These lenses use diffraction rather than the traditional refraction to focus all colours to a single spot.

“Electrical and computer engineering professor Rajesh Menon and his team reported their   findings in a new paper, ‘Chromatic-Aberration-Corrected Diffractive Lenses for Ultra-Broadband Focusing,’ published in the current issue of Scientific Reports. The study was co-authored by University of Utah doctoral students Peng Wang and Nabil Mohammad.”

Having proved the concept, the trio envisions practical lens in about five years. Cameras, smart phones and even eye glasses will benefit from these super thin lens elements.

Posted in lens | Tagged , , | Comments Off on A New Twist on the old Fresnel Lens

Street Photography in Kabul

Posted on February 12, 2016 by Robert

Street-KabulToronto. Member Russ Forfar, a frequent participant at our fairs and an independent camera repair expert sent me this link to a Youtube video about a street photographer in Kabul, the capital of Afghanistan.

These itinerant photographers with their ubiquitous “picture in moments” cameras have all but disappeared in this day of digital cameras,  smart phones, and selfies.

This Afghanistani uses photographic paper to make a negative image and then rephotographs this image to create his positive – a much longer process than the common old fashioned North America use of a tintype to create the positive image in a single pass.

Take a moment to step back in time and watch this gentleman at work.

Posted in camera, people | Tagged , , , , , | Comments Off on Street Photography in Kabul

PHSC Auction March 20, 2016

Posted on February 10, 2016 by Robert
March 20, 2016 Auction. Click for details

March 20, 2016 Auction. Click for details

Toronto. Our first big event of this year is the March 20, 2016 auction. This event will be held at the Long Branch Legion Hall. Just click here or on the icon at left to see detailed times, directions and rules. All welcome to attend and space permitting, offer photographic goods and collectibles for auction.

The first photos we have received are from the Loban collection. Included are tripods, a unique Minox enlarger, stereo projectors and viewers, and more. Click here then on the thumbnail of the Minox enlarger. Click on any thumbnail to see a larger view. Your left and right arrows will step through all the images.

Posted in auction | Tagged , , , , | Comments Off on PHSC Auction March 20, 2016

Montreal Camera + Image Show April 10

Posted on February 9, 2016 by Robert

Rangefinder-Spring-2016-FleaMarket-Flyer-E-smToronto. If you plan to be in Montreal this April, drop by the Montreal Camera+Image show in the West Island area of Montreal. Sol’s show will be at the Holiday Inn Pointe-Claire from 10am to 3pm.

Click here or on the icon at left to get full details.

I graduated from university in Montreal and the weather in April was always so warm and cheery it was hard to prepare for the final exams. So enjoy your visit to a city of ambiance, charm and great food.

Posted in activities-other, events | Tagged , , , , | Comments Off on Montreal Camera + Image Show April 10

Sony a6300 24 Mpx APS-C camera body

Posted on February 9, 2016 by Robert
Sony a6300 24 Mpx with a kit lens.

Sony a6300 24 Mpx with a kit lens.

Toronto. If the $56,000 USD Phase One is a bit rich for your blood, you might like Paul’s second camera, the soon to be released Sony alpha 6300.

The body-only rings in at $1000 US (about $1400 CDN). This APS-C size “half frame” mirrorless camera touts the fastest auto focus currently offered in a mirrorless camera. That and the 11fps burst feature ensures any one can snap the decisive moment now. Shades of Cartier-Bresson and his trusty Leica screw mount!

This petite camera follows the NEX line in style and is reminiscent of the NEX-7 with its dual adjustment knobs on the top of the camera.

Posted in camera | Tagged , , | Comments Off on Sony a6300 24 Mpx APS-C camera body

100 Mpx Phase One Camera

Posted on February 9, 2016 by Robert
Phase One iQ3 100 MPX

Phase One iQ3 100 MPX

Toronto. PHSC member and occasional speaker Paul Pasquarello of Buffalo sent me a note the other day regarding two announced digital cameras.

The first camera is a Phase One medium format camera which will sell for a modest $56,000 dollars US complete with a  35-mm Rodenstock Alpar lens! Other lenses are optional and include the ultra wide 23mm and normal 70mm Alpagon. The price is about $80k in Canadian dollars at the moment.

Unless you have ignored the last few decades, you know digital technology has swamped film science and relegated it to a niche position as it dwindles in size (we still manage to move many film cameras and accessories at our fairs and auctions).

Posted in camera | Tagged , , | Comments Off on 100 Mpx Phase One Camera