Tag Archives: darkroom

its a digital time after all …

Posted on March 29, 2026 by Robert

Toronto. In the fall of 2001 we recognized the potential impact of digital technology with the devotion of almost all of issue 27-2 to this new technology. Probably to the surprise of many folk today, the initial impact was digital … Continue reading →

Posted in fair | Tagged , , , , , , | Comments Off on its a digital time after all …

I can see you clearly now …

Posted on March 26, 2026 by Robert

Toronto. Leitz marketed this long base rangefinder in 1923 – before the Leica as announced. Earlier, Leitz made much larger rangefinders for specialized uses where precision distance measurement was critical. After the original Leica cameras were marketed (fixed lens, viewfinder … Continue reading →

Posted in fair | Tagged , , , , , , , | Comments Off on I can see you clearly now …

time to talk of many things …

Posted on March 25, 2026 by Robert

Toronto. … of SLRs and TLRs and whether pigs have wings (with apologies to Lewis Carroll). In an earlier post, I noted the introduction of film stopped the use of ground glass in the focal plane to frame and focus … Continue reading →

Posted in fair | Tagged , , , , , | Comments Off on time to talk of many things …

before auto-focus – I

Posted on March 23, 2026 by Robert

Toronto. Before auto focus came along, photographers needed to both frame and focus the subject as well as decide on the best exposure (shutter speed/lens aperture/lighting). With the digital technology of today, many folks don’t even think about focussing. For … Continue reading →

Posted in fair | Tagged , , , , , , , , | Comments Off on before auto-focus – I

open wide, wider

Posted on March 22, 2026 by Robert

Toronto. As a camera collector, old lenses have always been an interest – especially wide angle lenses such as the Protar at left or the Pantoscop by Emil Busch. The traditional ‘portrait’ lens is a medium Telephoto. The focal length … Continue reading →

Posted in fair | Tagged , , , , | Comments Off on open wide, wider

not so far, far, away

Posted on March 21, 2026 by Robert

Toronto. I took this shot a couple of decades ago at our Fair in 2006. Along with cameras, I collected lenses, books, brochures, etc, that offered information on the history of photography. I imagine other camera collectors collect lenses too, … Continue reading →

Posted in fair | Tagged , , , , , , | Comments Off on not so far, far, away

a DAR mystery train

Posted on March 19, 2026 by Robert

Toronto. Collectors of old images sometimes concentrate on transportation photos, or have a subset of their collection comprising of transportation/train photos. Here is a mystery you perhaps can solve. Jeff Ward in Halifax dropped me a line the other day … Continue reading →

Posted in history | Tagged , , , , , , , | Comments Off on a DAR mystery train

everything old is new again

Posted on March 12, 2026 by Robert

Toronto. There is a saying that there is nothing new under the sun. As a kid, I made a radio with a tiny bit of ‘fools gold’ (iron pyrite) and a thin copper wire ‘cat’s whisker’. This rustic semi-conductor radio … Continue reading →

Posted in history | Tagged , , , , , , , | Comments Off on everything old is new again

it’s here … it’s here …

Posted on February 15, 2026 by Robert

Toronto. … our first 2026 event, that is. The February 15th auction kicks off the events for this year. The auction starts around 1:30 this afternoon with an hour of viewing the lots on offer. The slightly flexible timing will … Continue reading →

Posted in auction | Tagged , , , , | Comments Off on it’s here … it’s here …

lots of cameras

Posted on February 13, 2026 by Robert

Toronto. Our first event this year is this Sunday, February 15. Our auction will feature many great items for your collection and user gear. The cameras range from very old to newish models like the Pentax collection in lot 645 … Continue reading →

Posted in auction | Tagged , , , | Comments Off on lots of cameras