Articles from James Madison

What photographer hasn't thought about getting into medium format photography? This comparison provides some useful side-by-side work for you to make your own comparisons.  

So you say that you’re a landscape photographer and the appeal of new gear affects you like every other photographer? I’ve got just the suggestion for you. 

For photographers looking to get into scanning their own film, the Epson V600 is the perfect first flatbed scanner.   Still made new, the Epson V600 is available for $230 from most retailers that sell camera equipment. It doesn’t have the best reputation when compared with its more refined and expensive sibling, the Epson V850.

For those shooting and scanning 35mm, scanning can be slow and painful. That is, until now.  

Who would have thought to pair Instax film with a vintage medium format camera? I couldn’t stop myself from shooting it if I tried. 

For many landscape photographers, the autumn season brings about the fresh desire to get their cameras out. Here are a few tips for taking advantage of the beautiful colors of the season.  

When the leaves start turning those beautiful autumn colors, it’s prime time to get the camera out and make some photographs.   

Ever thought shooting a wedding on film? Curious about what it takes or what goes into it?  

When it comes to budget film stocks, there is no shortage of options. This guide offers a blinded comparison of 9 options widely available in most of the United States. 

With the popularity of film photography getting traction, it’s time you get caught up. Let’s talk about your film options.  

With the popularity of film photography getting traction, it’s time you get caught up. Let’s talk about your film options.  

When it comes to picking up your first medium format camera, the sheer number of options can be quite daunting. Moreover, the different types of options (SLR, TLR, and rangefinder) can cover uncharted territory.  

For every modern film photographer and every digital photographer who occasionally shoots film, having scans of your images is a must-have. The question remains, however, which method of scanning is best? 

With film getting more and more popular, it’s about time we cover some of the details. Let’s start by talking about your different options for formats and cameras. 

Every film photographer who digitizes their negatives at home has come across the same issue: which negative conversion software is the best? 

Getting untracked photos of the Milky Way is significantly easier than you may think for both digital and film. The approach for film is much different than digital but still attainable with the right approach. 

Film photography has been enjoying a strong revival in the last few years. If you’ve yet to try it, it’s about time you jump on the film photography bandwagon.  

Having very limited experience shooting pinhole photography myself, I found this advice useful and the results quite impressive.  In this video, the 25th installment of Mat Marrash's Large Format Friday, Marrash introduces us to two different 8x10 pinhole cameras. One of which he takes along on a day of shooting different scenes in a Midwestern town.

Of course, any photographer who enjoys shooting film is just as much a film photographer as anyone else. Processing your own black and white, however, is a rite of passage for film photographers. 

The Mamiya RZ67 is hands down one the best medium format cameras ever made.  In this video, Willem Verbeeck offers a relatively extensive review and breakdown of the Mamiya RZ67. For those that are not aware, I own the Mamiya RB67, the older, heavier, less-expensive, and more basic sibling to the Mamiya RZ67.

If you shoot film, you probably lean towards Portra or Pro 400H. For two films that are often compared to one another, how do they compare? 

One experience that every photographer shares, regardless of level of experience or style, is the inevitable experience of looking for new gear. 

The Intrepid camera is likely one of the most popular film cameras today. It became that way through offering a good product at a low price.  

If you’re like me and you shoot a lot film, you lean heavily if not exclusively on the used market. Even then, nearly all of my digital photography gear came to me used.  

The Leica M10-R is soon to be released and boasts impressive camera features. This video review from a predominantly film photographer offers a unique perspective on a full frame, mirrorless rangefinder camera that promises to satisfy even the strictest of photographer's specifications.  

Kodak Portra 400 was the very first film I shot when I get back into film, and it remains my go-to for color negative film. Sure, there are others. None of them come close, however, to the popularity of Portra 400. 

Just about every photographer experiences those moments where they decide their photograph would be better suited monochromatic. How and when to convert it can make a critical difference.  

The Pentax 645 is undoubtedly a great camera. It can be had at a relatively low cost while boasting great features with an excellent lens lineup, making this camera one of the best entry-level medium format cameras on the market. 

For those interested in a extremely compact medium format camera that shoots the most iconic format, 6x6, the Zeiss Super Ikonta 534/16 is here for you.   

Is Pentax even still around? Yes? Who would have known? They need to go back to making the cameras that made them great in the first place: the K1000, 645, and 67 models.   Pentax has, perhaps more than any brand of camera manufactures, fallen from their standing as a major player in the camera industry.  Their first camera, the Asahiflex, made its debut in 1952.

No matter whether you’re using an older crop sensor DSLR, a newer full frame mirrorless, or a vintage film camera, you can most likely get a ton of resolution out of your photographs with this one trick. 

Analyzing data from thousands of film photographs, this scientific analysis sought to assess the characteristics of film photographs that are associated with success on social media.  

If you’d like to get into film and you already have modern glass for a Nikon camera, the F100 is for you. Even if you don’t, the F100 is still for you. The value of this Nikon is almost impossible to beat.   

For many people, starting a YouTube channel can be a creative outlet, an opportunity to educate, or a job. For Matt it was a chance to share his thoughts and opinions about something he loved – the lasting impact on the film community was just a bonus. 

For many Instagram users, hub accounts can be a source of inspiration and being featured can be a game changer. For Jason, it was his opportunity to foster a sense of community.