Classic Camera Revival

Episode 226 - Lens Tetralogy II - Normals 23.06.2026 1ч 6мин

While everyone always associates the term "normal lens" with the 50mm focal length, here at CCR, we're going with more of a range between 28mm and 60mm. In reality, normal human vision ranges from 31mm to 43mm, which can be difficult to replicate with readily available lenses. So on today's episode, we're featuring the Pentax-M 40mm, AF Nikkor 35mm, Leica Summicron 50mm, AI-S Nikkor 28mm, Zuiko 35mm, Biotar 58mm, Yashinon 50mm, Takumar 55mm, Pentax-FA 31mm, Pentax-FA 43mm, and Voigtländer 58mm.

Episode 225 - Lens Tetralogy I - Ultra-Wides 09.06.2026 58мин

We're finally doing it, a full set of four episodes, a "tetralogy" all about lenses. In this first part, we're covering ultra-wide lenses. To help keep things ultra-wide, we're using the same criteria as Matt (from Matt Loves Cameras) and going with lenses that are 25mm or wider. Each host picked three ultra-wide lenses from their own kit. And we ended up with a fantastic set of optics, including the AF-S Nikkor 14-24mm, AI-s Nikkor 20mm, AI-s Nikkor 15mm, AF Nikkor 14mm f/2.8D, Maxxum AF 20mm, Auto-Miranda 25mm, Rokkor 24mm, Olympus Zuiko Auto-W 21mm, Leitz Super-Angulon 21mm, Voigtländer 12mm, Tamron 17mm and Carl Zeiss 21mm.

Episode 224 - In the Loupe: Kevin Ealaín 26.05.2026 45мин

In today's episode, Alex sits down with Kevin Ealaín, the founder of Darkroast Arts, a name he chose after discovering the joys of working with Caffenol. Since then, he's expanded into photographing local events and protests, and into promoting the art of working in the traditional darkroom. The conversation goes from camera gear, darkroom practices, coffee, some politics, and a little bit of subject matter! Web: https://www.darkroastarts.com/Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/darkroastartsYouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@darkroastarts

Episode 223 - In the Loupe: Raf Lopes 12.05.2026 1ч 11мин

We love hearing from members of the community as a whole, especially when they reach out to us to talk about life, photography, film and more. So in today's episode, join Alex as he sits down with Raf to talk about his journey from starting with photography to developing his own film at home. From Brazil to New York City, it's a couple of nerds just enjoying life, the process and more. And almost everything is covered, from music to scanning, gear, film stocks, halation and even film simulations! If you want to check out more of Raf's work, you can find him online here.SubStack: substack.com/@raflopes Instagram: www.instagram.com/rafalop.es/

Episode 222 - Pirates of the Leicaflex 28.04.2026 54мин

Join John and Bill with special guest Jeff Greenstein of the smash hit I Dream of Cameras to talk about everything Leicaflex. Everyone connects the names Leitz and Leica with rangefinders, from the classic Barnack to the modern M-Series. And while that is what Leica is known for, they also saw that SLRs were becoming popular in the 1960s and decided to throw their hat into the ring. In 1964, they released the Leicaflex, an SLR based around their own R-Mount. The program dates back to 1955, when Ludwig Leitz was urged by Walther Benser to develop an SLR, as Benser believed SLRs would become popular. The Leicaflex was followed by the SL in 1968 and the SL2 in 1972. A technology-sharing partnership with Minolta in 1971 led to the introduction of the R-Series of Leicaflexes, starting with the Leica R3 in 1976. The R4 in 1980, the R5 in 1987, the R6 a year later, and then the R7. The 1990s brought a radical redesign of the R-Series with the R8 and R9. The entire series ended in 2009. The one thing to look out for is the R-Mount lenses; these come in several categories. One Cam lens works only with the original Leicaflex. Two Cam lenses are good for the SL and SL2. They will work on the R3, but you need to do stop-down metering. Three-Cam lenses are the cream of the crop, as they work flawlessly on the R3 through R9 and the SL/SL2. There's also the R-Cam for R3-R9 only, and the R-ROM for R8 & R9 only.

Episode 221 - The Great Fujifilm Show 14.04.2026 55мин

All Fujifilm, All the Time! We've been talking about doing a show dedicated to Fujifilm for a while now, and the time has finally arrived! While Fuji often catches flak for the number of product line cancellations, especially in the film world, they have maintained a core set of worthwhile products. Today's show, we're talking cameras, lenses, film, and chemistry. From the Texas Leica to Acros 100 II and Microfine. Plus, remembering some of the other products that we enjoyed that are no longer available. The whole team has something to add as we peek inside the massive secret freezer under Mount Fuji.

Episode 220 - Life of the (Third) Party 24.03.2026 1ч 21мин

There's something to be said about OEM lenses with full compatibility, native mount support, and a high level of quality control. That all comes with a cost attached. Then there are third-party manufacturers: companies that often offer the same level of compatibility, quality control, and multiple lens mount options, but many don't carry a price tag as high as the original manufacturers'. So today, we have John and Bill, joined by Mario and Brian, to discuss all things third party, from classic Tokina, Tamron, and Sigma. Modern options from TTArtisans and 7Artisan lenses, and of course, Light Lens Labs, who are painstakingly creating modern, affordable versions of classic Leitz Optics.

Episode 219 - Best Before 10.03.2026 36мин

So, back in December 2025, Alex handed out some expired film to James and Bill, and today we're back revisiting the topic of expired film. And while Bill & James haven't had the chance to shoot their rolls, Alex did shoot his odd duck of a roll. Everything from colour shifts to fog and bad chemical packs, it's all about shooting and using expired film. From developing without any data to best practices, techniques and chemistry needed.

Episode 218 - Now Look Closer 24.02.2026 45мин

Today, Alex is joined by David Smith, a Biology professor and researcher at Western University in London, Ontario. While we mostly talk about cameras on the show, David has something unique: microscopes. As many history nerds know, many camera companies we know and love today began producing optics, including microscopes. Dr Smith came by this affinity for collecting honestly, as his mom is an antique dealer. David talks about his microscopes, how he started the collection, and how it led to film photography and a fantastic collection of Leica rangefinders, lenses, and medium-format cameras. You can find Dr Smith online.Instagram https://www.instagram.com/arrogantgenome/?hl=en

Episode 217 - 51 Years of K 10.02.2026 51мин

Last year, we were so caught up in our own tenth anniversary that we completely forgot about the fifth anniversary of the K-Mount! While the K-Mount is most often associated with Asahi/Pentax, it was a joint invention by Asahi and Zeiss Ikon. Like the M42 mount, the K-Mount was intended to be a universal, open-source lens mount. But the partnership never materialised, and the two companies parted ways, with Pentax retaining the mount and one Zeiss lens design. Since its introduction, the K-Mount has changed slightly as technology advanced. To celebrate, the team is here to discuss the cameras and lenses for this iconic mount, from K to K-AF4!

Episode 216 - Pilgrim's Progress 27.01.2026 34мин

Last year, we chatted with James McFarlane about his journey and pilgrimage on the Camino de Santiago. What we did not count on was finding a second film photographer who took his own film on his pilgrimage on the Camino de Santiago. Today, Tyler Cahoon of the Retro Film Project joins Alex and John to talk about his Camino journey, the reasons behind his pilgrimage, the people, the photos, the cameras, and the film that came along. You can find more from Tyler online...YouTube: www.youtube.com/@retrofilmprojectWatch Tyler's Camino Journey Here: youtu.be/uOl7Dkm9VEEInstagram: www.instagram.com/retrofilmproject

Episode 215 - Mystery Camera Challenge VI 13.01.2026 27мин

We're back for Season 12! While we wanted to include a Mystery Camera Challenge as part of our 10th anniversary season, it just didn't work out. So James, Alex and Bill head into Toronto to kick off the new season with another Mystery Camera Challenge, our sixth! This time around, we each drew a name and used that person's camera, and then grabbed a roll of film from the other person! The cameras in this episode include Alex's Nikon F65 with a 24mm f/2.8 lens, which James used, and a roll of Ilford HP5+. From Bill came the Nikon F90x with the 35-70mm f/2.8D, which Alex shot on a roll of Bergger Pancro 400. And from James came the Nikon F6, which Bill used and loaded with a roll of Ultrafine Extreme 400. Also of note: this episode was recorded live on location at Union Station in Toronto!

Episode 214 - Hosts of the Round Table 23.12.2025 49мин

Well, we all made it through another season, and not much worse for wear. The team had a relaxing time sitting around the table and discussing everything they did this year, the gear they acquired, the films they tried, and the developers they worked with. Plus a brief discussion of social media, AI, and more. Just some middle-aged guys chatting about photography. It's a little bit of everything to wrap up the year.

Episode 213 - The Proud & The Humble 09.12.2025 53мин

The one thing that will always keep a photographer humble is that we all make mistakes, some big, some small, some fixable. So join the gang as they talk about foul gear, forgotten steps, chemical mix-ups, and general issues that keep us humble. Yes, mistakes were made.

Episode 212 - Let's All Shoot One Camera II 25.11.2025 42мин

It's been a while since we've done one of these shows. It was back with the Nikon FA, and in that case, we just passed the camera around the table. But today we have something special, the Pentax MZ-S, the last professional camera from Pentax/Asahi with a rich history. The camera was provided by John Roberts (who is back on the show today). It was used by Alex, James, and Bill, along with the three limited-edition lenses that were released with the camera.

Episode 211 - The 50/50 Draw 11.11.2025 38мин

It's still 2025, and it's still Leica's 100th birthday. And as part of the global celebration, they recently released their first Leica-branded film, Monopan 50. And the Internet was abuzz with speculation about what the film was under the cover. Well, all signs point to Adox HR-50, which makes sense. HR-50 is sharp, fine-grained, and high-resolution. That got us thinking: why not discuss other ASA-50 films? This includes Ilford Pan F+, Adox HR-50, Ferrania ORTO, Velvia 50, and even a mention of Efke 50! We also discuss overexposure and pulling film in development, mainly because there are more 100-speed films out there these days that you can shoot at ASA 50!

Episode 210 - Chasing North 28.10.2025 28мин

Our co-host Chrissie did something to push themselves out of their comfort zone and decided to take a solo trip to Iceland. Armed with a Samsung phone, Sony A7 and a Polaroid I-2 in an effort to rekindle a passion for photography. Join Chrissie and Alex as they discuss the trip, including the reasons, gear, and of course, the photos.

Episode 209 - A Sit Down with Cinemot 14.10.2025 26мин

Here in North America, we're fortunate to have several camera and photography stores dedicated to keeping film shooters like us happy. However, today's guest recognised a need for such a store in the city of Porto, Portugal. Fourteen years ago, Pedro started a small shop dedicated to selling cameras, watches and other antique technologies. Calling it Máquinas de Outros Tempos or Machines Out of Another Time. Today, they sell cameras and film the hungry population of the city, and business is good. In addition to sales, they also handle film developing and scanning. Every camera sold is refurbished by an in-house technician. But that isn't all, there's also Cinemot. Cinemot started as selling respooled Kodak Vision3 motion picture film, complete with a custom-built remjet stripping machine, but today sells exclusive emulsions manufactured in the EU for Cinemot. More recently, they started reusing disposable cameras, loading up Cinemot films, putting their film into these cameras, branding them and giving them a second life away from the e-waste bin. You can visit Máquinas de Outros Tempos in person at: Rua dos Mártires da Liberdade 154, 4050-359 Porto, PortugalMáquinas de Outros Tempos: https://www.maquinasdeoutrostempos.pt/onlinestore/Máquinas de Outros Tempos Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/maquinasdeoutrostempos/Cinemot: https://cinemotfilm.com/Cinemot Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/cinemotfilm/

Episode 208 - Falling For Fall 23.09.2025 47мин

Officially, fall has arrived here in Southern Ontario. Although with the warm weather we've been having recently, it's hard to tell other than the fact that the days are getting shorter. And with the change of season, the team sits down to talk about everything related to fall photography, from capturing the bright colourful leaves on your favourite film stocks to showing off the late fall gloom in stark black and white.

Episode 207 - I Know What You Did Last Summer 09.09.2025 35мин

We're at the end of summer, and, like you, we don't know how it went by so quickly. Also, the constant heat warnings here in Southern Ontario limited when and how long we could get out and practice photography. However, James, Alex, and Bill all had the opportunity to get out or at least intended to practice photography. And today, they sit down to discuss mostly film stocks, such as Phoenix II and Kentmere 200, which were used by the team's cameras. But also when things go sideways and the best intentions to get out and shoot end up with leaving the camera (accidentally) behind.