Tag Archives: camera

a penny for your thoughts

Posted on March 1, 2026 by Robert

Toronto. When the widely popular little Leica cameras first came out in the mid 1920s they were very utilitarian in design. To meet demand for features and versatility, Leitz made accessories. In many cases an accessory simply over-came an earlier … Continue reading →

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a closer view

Posted on February 24, 2026 by Robert

Toronto. When supplementary lenses, extension tubes, and ‘spider legs’ proved successful in the early 1930s, Leitz came up with more ways to allow the tiny Leica to operate closer to the subject. One idea was to use a variable depth … Continue reading →

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the itsy bitsy spider …

Posted on February 23, 2026 by Robert

Toronto. … climbed up the water spout. In the mid 1920s, Leitz made the tiny Leica to help retain its well trained mechanics in the face of post war hyper-inflation. The camera was an overwhelming success. In fact it was … Continue reading →

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a really rare one

Posted on January 30, 2026 by Robert

Toronto. I often mention that wet plate cameras usually self destruct as they are used. In this rare example shown in Bill Belier’s column in issue 26-4 it is described by its present owner – Mike Robinson. Bill begins, “Our … Continue reading →

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keeping it small …

Posted on January 25, 2026 by Robert

Toronto. Lot 339 in February’s auction (Feb 15th) is a fine example of keeping cameras small, This Balda folds up like a Retina and can be dropped in a pocket. The auction lots include many small 35mm cameras and a … Continue reading →

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field of view

Posted on January 24, 2026 by Robert

Toronto. In the 1800s professional outdoor photographers were easy to spot: A dark viewing cloth, a wooden tripod and a field camera shouted it out loud! The wooden view camera spanned the wet plate and dry plate eras. Smaller, metal … Continue reading →

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flashy stuff

Posted on January 20, 2026 by Robert

Toronto. The idea of flash powder offered a bright light for photography – and facial burns for the unwary. Magnesium Ribbon allowed a controlled amount of “flash powder” to be used giving the bright light while avoiding the accidental burns. … Continue reading →

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ever see an ‘ugly duckling’ camera?

Posted on January 8, 2026 by Robert

Toronto,  I received my copy of the MiPHSC Photogram (53-4, Winter 2025) a few weeks back. In it was an article by Rob Niederman (known for his collection and knowledge of cameras) titled “My Collection Has An Ugly Duckling”. Join … Continue reading →

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on the move again …

Posted on December 29, 2025 by Robert

Toronto. After Leitz sold its Midland plant to the American military contractor  Hughes Aircraft (Los Angeles), Leica sales and repair in Canada bounced from one distributor to another, landing briefly at Lisle-Kelco who closed in 2003. The brief article accompanying … Continue reading →

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focussing issue resolved …

Posted on December 24, 2025 by Robert

Toronto. Consistent with editor Lansdale’s inspiration to celebrate our 25th anniversary, the folks at the Cascade Panorama Historical Society sent in a juicy article by Milan Zahorcak titled, “What the …?”. Milan describes the problem raised when an old lens … Continue reading →

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