Year: 2025

I just purchased the Omega C-700 dichroic enlarger and have started enlarging a few b&w 6×6 negatives this weekend. I also bought a Rodenstock 80mm f5.6 enlarging lens to go with it. All-in-all, I’m very happy with the setup. I still need to get an enlarger timer to trigger the enlarger lamp for specific lengths...

The image below demonstrates several problems that can occur during home development. Dust, fibers, and processing errors are all common hazards. This test shot shows what happens when chemistry goes wrong. There’s also a fiber visible near the center—a reminder that medium format’s larger negatives attract and display more debris. The rest of the roll...

These streaks can be surge marks from overly vigorous agitation, bromide drag, or a combination of the two. Bromide Drag: Diagnosing Vertical Banding in 120 Film Development If you’ve ever pulled a roll of 120 film from your development tank only to find mysterious vertical streaks running through your highlights, you’ve encountered one of the...

Kodak Portra has become something of a legend in the film photography world, and for good reason. Here’s the story: Origins and Evolution Portra launched in 1998 as a replacement for Kodak’s Vericolor line of professional portrait films. The name itself is a portmanteau of “portrait” and “Kodak” — it was purpose-built for skin tones...

The Hasselblad 500 series represents one of the most celebrated camera systems in photographic history. Introduced in 1957, this modular 6×6 medium format system became the gold standard for professional photography, famously accompanying NASA astronauts to the moon. Today, these cameras remain beloved by film photographers for their exceptional build quality, stunning image rendition, and...

Search GFX Cameras at KEH.com Making the jump to the GFX 100S is exciting—and if you’re coming from Canon, Nikon, or Sony, potentially disorienting. Fujifilm has its own control philosophy, menu structure, and terminology that can feel foreign at first. This guide will walk you through the camera’s key settings, explain how it differs from...

The above image is my Leica M11-p next to the GFX 100s Search Fujifilm GFX Cameras at KEH.com How I got here is an interesting journey. I confess that some of it was gear acquisition syndrome. This desire of always chasing the highest image quality I could find. Originally, when I was primarily a Nikon...

This image was shot on Kodak Gold 200 with the Pentax 6×7. I also took a similar pic with the GFX 100s, but like this image more. There’s just something about film. Larger image below: Below is the similar image shot with the Fujifilm GFX 100s and GF 63mm f2.8. I prefer the film colors...

Wachusett Mountain, shot with the Pentax 6×7 and 55mm f4, @f4 and 1/500s. Kodak Gold 200. Shot on Memorial day on the way to the summit. Larger image below. The image below is resized for the web. The original image scan is 400mb. There’s something about this image which is so much more pleasing than...

Search Fujifilm GFX Cameras at KEH.com The above shot was taken with the Fujifilm GFX 100s. The lake was entirely frozen, even waves froze before they could crash. Looking at the cropped overlay I added, you really get a sense of the amount of detail you get from 102mp. My wife and I took a...

How 120 Camera Film Is Made: Inside the Craft of Medium Format Photography In a world increasingly dominated by digital photography, medium format film—especially 120 film—retains a loyal following among enthusiasts, professionals, and artists who appreciate its fine detail, wide dynamic range, and immersive aesthetic. But have you ever wondered how this iconic format is...

Here’s an image of me taken by my wife. If you don’t have a medium format camera, or large format 8×10, you can still create images that don’t look like they were shot on smaller formats. In fact, I doubt this image could have even been created on 8×10 and would have actually needed a...

While not medium format, I really enjoy contact printing with my 8×10 view camera. There’s something special about making a direct print without any kind of enlarging, nor scanning process, and the level of detail is astonishing! This is a portrait my wife took of me. I often use the quality of an 8×10 print...

These are 100% crops. The image on the left was shot with the Hasselblad 500cm with Kodak Portra 400 film. The image on the right was shot with the Fujifilm GFX 100s. Lenses were the Zeiss 80mm f2.8 on the Hasselblad, and GF 63mm f2.8 on the GFX 100s. These images were shot on two...

A test image of Kodak Gold 200 taken with the Hasselblad 500cm. Anna took this shot. I’m loving the colors of this film. I noticed there’s a straight line on the photograph. Possibly an issue with scanning. Not really sure. The grain of this film looks great on 120 film. The History of Kodak Gold...

If you’re struggling with dust and newton rings scanning images with your Epson, This may be the solution for you. I find myself preferring this method even over wet mounting. Simply take the 120 frame that comes with the scanner, and remove the clear plastic window. Next, lay the frame upside down on a clean...

I’m really enjoying Kodak Gold 200. The colors are great and the film has just the right amount of grain. Anna took this pic of me. Shot on the Hasselblad 500cm with the Zeiss 80mm f2.8. I can see why Hasselblad made so many f4 lenses. This 80mm is not easy to nail focus at...

Here is a lake shot I took today with the Hasselblad 500cm. Film was Kodak Portra 400. This scan was wet mounted on the Epson V850 and scanned at 1600 ppi. I missed a small bubble in the top right-hand corner of the photo. This was taken at Wachusett’s Reservoir. Link to larger image below:...

I’ve taken a few test shots with the Pentax 6×7. The feel is completely different than my Hasselblad 500cm. Not worse or better, just different. It took me a bit of time to get the film loaded properly. Once loaded I didn’t have the counter all the way to number 1, and thought the camera...

Today’s not a great day for photography as it’s raining and my Hasselblad has no weather sealing of any sort. I really enjoy photographing in the rain but need to find ways of keeping the camera dry. I also have some b&w developer trying to expire so I need to get out and shoot regardless....

I’m currently using the CineStill kit below to develop color medium format film. This kit is easy to use and fairly inexpensive, around $30 and will develop about 8 roles of 120 film. Your results may vary. Temperature is more important when developing color film, lower temps will require increased development times. The instructions are...