| Cameras (in alphabetical order): ~ Note - clicking on the camera image will take you to photos taken with these cameras (if any are available) ~ |
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 Canon PowerShot G5 |
The Canon PowerShot G5 is a 5 megapixel digital camera that was released in 2003. After using a 1.3 megapixel Agfa CL 34, this camera's increased resolution and potential for complete manual control made it seem like Christmas to me. The ability to determine aperture, shutter speed and ISO among other things made this camera the closest affordable option to a digital SLR that I could find at the time. Of course technological advances and market forces mean that there are now D-SLR's that cost as much or less than what I paid for this camera back then, which is all good news for me when I finally decide to upgrade! I still think this camera serves my particular digital photography needs quite well though. | |||
 Colorflash Deluxe |
The Colorflash Deluxe is a "toy camera" that was generously donated to me by a nice guy in Sydney named Andrew. I have no idea when & where it was originally made, probably Hong Kong in the 60's. Like many of its ilk, it takes 120 film and has some limited controls for focusing distance and exposure (bright, hazy and cloudy). It has a cheesy plastic lens (I love the Plasticon labelling on the lens rim) and produces some really nice soft results. As an added bonus Andrew has adjusted the hotshoe trigger to work accurately with a modern electronic flash. Thanks heaps Andrew! | |||
 Diana F Camera |
The Diana camera takes 120 format film and is thought by some to be THE "toy camera" Spawning many clones and variations, the "F" in this case stands for "Flash" (you can see the connections for the flash fitting on top of the camera body in the image at left) Every Diana camera has slightly different optical characteristics, unique vignetting, individually idiosyncratic areas of sharp and blurred focus, like a unique fingerprint. For these reasons (and more) they are well loved by toy camera afficianados worldwide. Read more about the Diana here. | |||
 Empire Junior |
This little beauty is called an Empire Junior, and it came to me courtesy of an online raffle held by the lovely Susan Burnstine at the wonderful site outafocus. All I can tell about it is that it was made in Hong Kong, it takes 120 film and has some limited controls for focusing distance and exposure (bright, hazy and cloudy) Once you make sure any joins and seams are taped to prevent light-leaks you can start shooting. I love it! Thanks to Susan's dog Blue for picking me out of the outafocus hat! | |||
 Fujipet Camera |
The Fujipet Camera The Fujipet is a 120 medium format film camera that has a wonderful retro look (described by some as "Thunderbird") Made in Japan by Fuji Photo Film Co. from 1957 to 1963 this camera is unique and very cool to hold and use. Mine has a grungy plastic lens that gives a very toy camera fingerprint to the shots I have produced with it so far. There is a very good site related to the Fujipet here, complete with maintenance, tips & tricks and links. | |||
 Holga Camera |
The Holga camera, made in Hong Kong takes 120 format film & the camera also accepts a Polaroid back. This camera is many individuals first introduction to toy camera & medium format photography thanks to its affordability and potential for user modifications. A few variations of this camera exist, the "GFN" illustrated at left has an inbuilt flash powered by two "AA" batteries (as well as a Polaroid back attached). As with the Diana camera, each Holga has slightly different optical characteristics, read more about the Holga on the numerous sites that any web search for Holga will provide. | |||
 Lomo Compact Automat |
The Lomo Compact Automat is famous (or infamous depending on your viewpoint) for being the little Russian camera that sparked a worldwide movement, courtesy of some Viennese students on holiday ~ read more here. The LCA is the third lomo camera I acquired after the Supersampler and the Fisheye. I had to be a bit different, so I purchased one of the limited edition "snakeskin" versions - only 936 made in total, crafted by LOMO PLC of St. Petersburg to honor the "Centenary of Lomography in Russia (10 years of Lomography + 90 years of Lomo PLC)". This camera sports a handmade leather wrapping and a decorative emblem designed by Alexander Djikia - a famous Russian artist and one of the very first Lomographers. | |||
 Lomo Fisheye |
The Lomo Fisheye Camera is described by the LSI shop as: The world’s only 35mm camera with a built-in fisheye lens! It sees a sweeping 170-degree view – compacting everything around you into a compact circular image. Get right up to your subject’s nose for slamming distortion effects. Huge depth of field renders both the foreground and background in complete focus. Its premium glass lens offers bright colors and knockout contrast. Rocks a built-in electronic flash for use day or night. This camera gives some wicked results. After a couple of rolls of shooting with this and the supersampler camera, I was completely hooked! |
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 Lomo Supersampler |
The Lomo Supersampler is the first Lomo camera I owned. Described by the LSI shop as: "The Queen of all multi-lensed cameras". Four highly light-sensitive and precision Japanese panoramic lenses capture four sequential panoramic shots on a single photo. The patented rip-cord advance ensures that you are ever-ready for action. Normal film, normal processing, no batteries. Mine has the wonderfully-smooth rubberized blue coating. Chopping the regular frame of a 35mm exposure into 4 slices of sequential time, this camera challenged my photographic habits and inspired me to look at the world and compose my shots in a far different way than I had become used to... |
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 Polaroid 600 SE |
The Polaroid 600 SE is the "flagship" professional camera of Polaroid's range of cameras, based on the Mamiya Press camera and indeed it uses Mamiya lenses that produce very crisp images. It is fully manual, very solidly constructed and rather large, so a sturdy tripod certainly comes in handy. It takes beautiful pictures. It comes with a 127mm lens as standard but takes 2 other optional lenses, a "portrait" (150mm) and a "wide-angle" (75mm) lens. It caters for removable/exchangeable film backs and with a Mamiya adapter, 120 film backs can be used (I am fortunate to have a 6 x 9 Mamiya 120 back) You can read my more comprehensive review of this camera at polanoid.net | |||
 Polaroid Packfilm Cameras |
The Polaroid Colorpack Cameras ~ EE44, EE66, EE100, ColorPack 80, ColorPack II & III there are just so many of these Polaroid Cameras, some are solid-body construction, some fold-out, some take 80 series & some take 100/600 series film, some take both. Utilizing the peel-apart type Polaroid pack-film, you can get such lovely vintage looks to your shots with these cameras, and they're such fun to use, if a bit messy. You can also indulge in image transfer and emulsion lift techniques with this film. |
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 Polaroid One Step Plus |
This Polaroid One Step Plus was in my late father's effects along with some superb slides of our early family life taken with his Yashica. I was pleased to find that it still worked. It takes SX-70 film which comes in expensive cassettes of 10 shots. The SX-70 cassettes also contain their own batteries, which supplies the camera its power when a photo is taken enabling that very satisfying electro-mechanical clk-whirrrrrr sound that signals the ejection of the photograph from the front of the camera in all it's tablu-rasa glory ready to magically reveal the image you so recently captured...
"Shake it like a polaroid picture..." |
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 Polaroid SX-70 Camera |
The Polaroid SX-70 ~ the classic folding instant camera from the 70's! This camera truly is fun to use. I'm lucky enough to have been given a SX-70 Sonar Autofocus model as well, which is similar to the camera pictured but has an autofocus capability (as it's name may suggest) - ALL Folding SX-70 Cameras have the following features in common:
*4-element 116mm f/8 glass lens *Minimum focus: 10.4 inches *Front-cell focusing via geared wheel at top of lens/shutter housing *Electronic shutter *Programmed automatic exposure-- sh?tter speeds from >10 sec to 1/175; aperture range f/8- f/22; smaller apertures possible when flash is used. *Auto flash exposure based on *focus distance; Max flash distance 20ft. *Has built-in Flashbar socket for flash. Accessory electronic flashes were also available. *Socket for an electrically-actuated remote shutter release. (from The Land List) |
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 Polaroid Spectra/Image Camera |
The Polaroid Spectra ~ Utilizing the largest format for the integral polaroid cameras the Spectra/Image cameras, like most Polaroid cameras came in a variety of configurations & specifications. The model I use the most in this line is the Spectra Pro which has LCD status panel and electronic menu selection of features, full manual focus override, time-exposure capability, multiple-exposure capability (up to 5 exposures), built-in intervalometer (which may be used in conjunction with the built-in self-timer), backlight compensation mode and improved AF and autoexposure systems. It also has a socket for an radio-actuated remote shutter release.
NOTE: From a functional standpoint, this camera is essentially identical to the Minolta Instant Pro (which was licensed and produced by Polaroid, and predates the Spectra Pro). (from The Land List) |
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 Tektronix C-30 |
The Tektronix C-30 camera was originally designed to capture osilloscope waveforms by being attached to the front of an oscilloscope's CRT display but is conveniently applicable to close-up photography work. With magnifications from 0.7 - 1.5 X this camera can capture tasty close-ups and macros to 100/600 type Polaroid peel-apart instant film to give instant macro happiness!
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 Yashica Electro 35 GTN |
At left is a Yashica Electro 35 GTN ~ my Dad owned a Yashica GS, the chrome version of this camera without hot-shoe. After unearthing some slides Dad had taken when we were young, I became a bit obsessed with finding the camera he used, discovering my brother had thrown Dad's GS out as its shutter didn't work. After three non-working ebay acquisitions I finally did some homework (see the Yashica-Guy's Tips) so I knew what I was looking for and managed to find t?e GTN pictured at left. You can read more about these cameras at ~ the aforementioned Yashica Guy Photoethnography.com Matt Denton's GSN Mike Graham's GTN The Nikonian's Forum |
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 Yashica Electro 35 GX |
The Yashica Electro 35 GX. On my quest for an actual working Yashica Electro 35 G,GS,GT,GSN or GTN - I discovered that there were many other Yashica Electro 35 models...so I read about this model, the GX at photoethnography at around the same time a couple came up for auction on ebay and I managed to successfully bid on this one. I think I can safely say that there is only one GX like this in the world, as its previous owner customized it with rust-coloured padded leather. Aesthetics aside the camera itself takes some great photographs! Update: I now have two GX cameras ~ see here for images of my second Yashica GX. |
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