Rangefinders, SLRs, and point & shoots: notes on cameras from the 1950s to the 2000s. Documented with their specific quirks, flaws, and viewed in the context of their release years.
Ihagee Exa 1B
A heavy, trapezoid East German M42 response to life between concrete high-rises and Baltic beaches.
Voigtländer Vito CLR
Built like a classic Mercedes Fintail: heavy West German metal with zero gimmicks.
minolta Hi-Matic 7s
This tank-like Japanese rangefinder from 1966 officially dragged light meters into the battery age.
Canon rebel Ti
Autumn 2002 brought this lightweight, whisper-quiet silver swan song of the analog SLR era.
Olympus Pen EE-2
Squeezing 72 exposures out of a standard roll with a battery-free 1968 half-frame icon.
Praktica MTL3
The heavy-duty mechanical M42 workhorse with a shutter that clacks like a closing bank vault.
Pentax Espio 140M
Hopelessly optimistic and feature-packed: a silver-era zoom built for the dance floors of Y2K.
Minox 35PL
Pocket-sized 1982 folding front camera operating with full program automation and a stealthy aesthetic.
Mamiya/Sekor 500TL
Built like a 1966 Toyota Corolla: a heavy-duty M42 SLR for purists who didn’t need a hot shoe.
Voigtländer Vitoret DR
Dependable as an Opel Kadett: a 1960s rangefinder capturing everything from camping tables to Black Forest hikes.