Camera Reviews Archives

May 30, 2016

Leica IIIc – Camera Review

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What can we say about Leica that hasn’t already been said? The subject of countless articles and blog posts, every inch of every Leica ever made has been scrutinized ten times over. Their reputation often…

Josh Solomon
28

May 23, 2016

Why I Choose the Minolta CLE Over Any Leica M

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The best 35mm film cameras in the world are Leicas. This is a known fact, right? And the best of the best is surely the M series, yes? I mean, at this point in time the…

James Tocchio
112

April 25, 2016

Olympus OM-1 Camera Review

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James reviews the Olympus OM1, one of the smallest and greatest all-mechanical meter-assisted 35mm SLR film cameras ever made.

James Tocchio
86

April 10, 2016

Nikon F3 – Camera Review

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There are rare objects in this world that have the power to stop people in their tracks. Works of art so beautiful that they demand a lingering gaze; music so lovely that it pulls us into a…

Josh Solomon
50

February 13, 2016

Contax 139 Quartz – Camera Review

https://i0.wp.com/casualphotophile.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/02/contax-139-quartz-review-8-of-11-e1471610836949.jpg?fit=1280%2C720&ssl=1 1280 720 James Tocchio James Tocchio https://i0.wp.com/casualphotophile.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/01/james-square.jpg?fit=96%2C96&ssl=1 February 13, 2016 June 5, 2021

I recently found myself the reluctant owner of a Contax 139 Quartz 35mm SLR, a camera about which I knew little and for which I cared even less. After all, if this rebranded, electronic Yashica…

James Tocchio
81

January 14, 2016

Canon AE-1 – Video Review

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After much filming, lots of trial and error, and countless hours of editing, we’ve finally finished our very first video review. We’ve started with a camera that’s among the most popular film cameras of all…

James Tocchio
8

January 1, 2016

Minolta XE-5 – Camera Review

https://i0.wp.com/casualphotophile.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/01/minolta-xe-5-camera-review-1-of-16-e1478964645709.jpg?fit=1280%2C720&ssl=1 1280 720 James Tocchio James Tocchio https://i0.wp.com/casualphotophile.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/01/james-square.jpg?fit=96%2C96&ssl=1 January 1, 2016 June 11, 2020

I began my photographic journey with a Minolta DSLR, the rather fantastic-in-its-day Maxxum 5D, so when I felt the urge to try some film shooting more than a decade later, Minolta became my launching point.…

James Tocchio
17

November 25, 2015

Argus C3 – Camera Review

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I love film cameras. But the idea that film will ever again be the dominant medium in photography is unthinkable. The technical mastery and convenience of today’s digital machines is just too amazing, and we love…

James Tocchio
18

November 7, 2015

Polaroid Snap – Camera Review

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Polaroid is back with a brand-new instant film camera. Good stuff! But wait, what year is it? Did we slip backwards through a wormhole? Did the space-time continuum rip itself to shreds? Does anyone have…

James Tocchio
23

October 12, 2015

Pentax ME – Camera Review

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Well, it’s finally happening. We’re reviewing a Pentax. It’s the Pentax ME, an entry-level 35mm film SLR that entices with its promises of creative photographic controls, exceptional optics, and adequate build quality, all joined with…

James Tocchio
21

September 17, 2015

Canon AE-1 Program vs AE-1 – Camera Review

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If it ain’t broken, don’t fix it. A good philosophy, and one that Canon kept in mind when designing the follow-up to their massively successful AE-1 SLR. After five years of that machine’s unprecedented sales…

James Tocchio
23

August 31, 2015

Leica Minilux – Camera Review

https://i0.wp.com/casualphotophile.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/08/leica-minilux-35mm-point-and-shoot-camera-review-2-e1474470835908.jpg?fit=1280%2C720&ssl=1 1280 720 James Tocchio James Tocchio https://i0.wp.com/casualphotophile.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/01/james-square.jpg?fit=96%2C96&ssl=1 August 31, 2015 June 11, 2020

There are few cameras that elicit the kind of lustful ogling as those made by Leica. For many photophiles, Leica’s machines are the holy grail of cameras. And for many devoted followers, Leica is a…

James Tocchio
17

August 8, 2015

Minolta X-700 – Camera Review

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I’ve long been a fan of Minolta’s cameras and lenses. The boys and girls working in Osaka were always among the most innovative, forward-thinking, and truly exceptional camera-makers. And while they had their share of…

James Tocchio
27

July 2, 2015

Zeiss Ikon Contina II (524/24) – Camera Review

https://i0.wp.com/casualphotophile.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/07/zeiss-ikon-contina-camera-review-8-scaled.jpg?fit=2560%2C1440&ssl=1 2560 1440 James Tocchio James Tocchio https://i0.wp.com/casualphotophile.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/01/james-square.jpg?fit=96%2C96&ssl=1 July 2, 2015 July 19, 2020

When shooting vintage cameras there exists something of a sweet spot- a kind of “Goldilocks zone” that only a certain number of cameras occupy. For most photo geeks, a camera needs to be old enough to have…

James Tocchio
22