Myself and most of the people listening to this podcast are well aware of what it's like to buy film cameras and photography gear, but less of us know what it's like to sell it.  On this, the 30th episode of the Camerosity Podcast, the gang and I bring on some current and former employees of various camera stores to give us some insight into what it's like on the other side of the counter.

From Gene's Camera in South Bend, Indiana, we have owner Jack St. Pierre and regular guest Jon Gilchrist.  From Alpine Camera in Des Plaines, Illinois, owner Chuck Miller.  From South Florida, former camera store employee of Gold Triangle Department Store is Stephen Grasso, and finally, our own host and former camera store employee and owner, Paul Rybolt share with us stories of how things used to be, and also discuss some of the biggest changes they saw in the industry during their time.

Joining our camera store crew are returning callers, Hong Lee, Mark Faulkner, Andrew Smith, Jess Ibarra, and Michael Gossett, and first time callers Andrew Almendarez and Steven Lederman who bring up other interesting topics like whether buying cameras make for good investments, whether lens fungus is contagious, and where the origins are of Kodak film.

In addition to all of these exciting discussions, we witnessed the first ever "IN SHOW" purchase where Stephen Grasso buys something from Paul's eBay store!  Make sure you listen in and find out what camera it is!

As always the topics and discussions on the Camerosity Podcast are entirely up to you.  While we make an attempt to have a general idea on how to get a show started, the topics almost always veer off into wild and unexpected directions.  If you'd like to ask us a question or wish to hear us discuss your favorite brand of camera or film, consider joining us on our next episode and steer us in that direction!

Be sure to look for our next show announcement coming soon, and we will record Episode 31 on Monday, July 25th!

This Week's Episode

• Introducing Gene's Camera in South Bend, IN and Alpine Camera in Des Plaines, IL

Show Notes

If you would like to offer feedback or contact us with questions or ideas for future episodes, please contact us in the Comments Section below, our Camerosity Facebook Group or Instagram page, or email us at [email protected].

The Official Camerosity Facebook Group - https://www.facebook.com/groups/camerositypodcast

Camerosity Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/camerosity_podcast/

Camerosity Twitter - https://twitter.com/CamerosityPod

Mono No Aware - 35mm Film and Short Ends - http://mononoawarefilm.com/film-stock

Jack St. Pierre and Jon Gilchrist - Gene's Camera - https://www.genescamera.com/

Chuck Miller - Alpine Camera - https://www.alpinecamerausa.com/

Mark Faulkner – https://thegashaus.com/

Andrew Smith - https://www.youtube.com/channel/UClXrAlbnU3gvdRrJ5gAR4mw

Jess Ibarra - Viva La Film - https://www.vivalafilm.com/

Theo Panagopoulos - https://www.photothinking.com/

Paul Rybolt - https://www.ebay.com/usr/paulkris

Anthony Rue - https://www.instagram.com/kino_pravda/ and https://www.facebook.com/VoltaGNV/

We're back with another fascinating installment of the world's most popular open source film photography podcast!  For Episode 29, we dig into the vault and bring back a guest from the very first Cocaine and Waffles episode, mister "Sexy" himself, Cheyenne Morrison!

As always, Cheyenne doesn't hold back with his unique blend of colorful commentary on recent pickups like his Nicca III-L, Texer SR, and AGFA Isoly IIIa.  Joining him are returning guests Mark Faulkner, James Allen, and Jess Ibarra and new guest Andrew Smith who discuss with us a number of interesting cameras.  We go deep into the world of early auto focus SLRs, cameras with bottom "trigger" film advances, and shooting very expired film.

As always, many of the topics discussed on the Camerosity Podcast are not planned, and this time we go pretty deep into the world of repairing cameras, and how dire things have become with the number of skilled technicians who are either retiring or dying, leaving no one else to take their place.  Cheyenne makes a very plausible, yet very sad prediction that in 10 years, there will be no one left alive who can CLA a Contax rangefinder.

Yes, we have new talent like Jess Ibarra to share her thoughts on learning camera repair, but there's only so many cameras one person can master, so if you have a camera you'd like to one day get repaired, NOW is the time!

Be sure to mark your calendars for our next episode in which we will talk to a number of current and former camera store employees, who will share their stories of what it's like working in a film camera store now and in the past.  Good camera stores are like camera techs, they are getting harder and harder to find, so it should be an interesting episode hearing these stories.  If you'd like to join and ask some questions, be sure to look out for our next show announcement for Episode 30, which will be recorded on Monday, July 11th!

This Week's Episode

• Mike Visits Dan Tamarkin at Tamarkin Camera and then Stops by Central Camera in Chicago

Show Notes

If you would like to offer feedback or contact us with questions or ideas for future episodes, please contact us in the Comments Section below, our Camerosity Facebook Group or Instagram page, or email us at [email protected].

The Official Camerosity Facebook Group - https://www.facebook.com/groups/camerositypodcast

Camerosity Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/camerosity_podcast/

Camerosity Twitter - https://twitter.com/CamerosityPod

Radu Lesaru - Alpa, Tessina, Robot, and Zeiss Repair - http://www.3rcamera.com/

Andrew Smith - https://www.youtube.com/channel/UClXrAlbnU3gvdRrJ5gAR4mw

Jess Ibarra - Viva La Film - https://www.vivalafilm.com/

Cheyenne Morrison - https://www.instagram.com/bigshotphotos/

Mark Faulkner – https://thegashaus.com/

Theo Panagopoulos - https://www.photothinking.com/

Paul Rybolt - https://www.ebay.com/usr/paulkris

Anthony Rue - https://www.instagram.com/kino_pravda/ and https://www.facebook.com/VoltaGNV/

Freshly rescued from our tropical getaway where we started fires with Nikkor lenses, beat away native beasts with Arguses, and swam underwater with our Nikonos, the guys and I have come to the realization that we've spent a lot of time in recent episodes talking about some of the same camera brands.  We thought we would devote our next episode to some of the most underappreciated camera brands.

Of course, this being the Camerosity Podcast, we don't always have control over what we talk about, so while some very underappreciated camera brands do get discussed, we go down several rabbit holes that are just as interesting.  If you want to hear about burglaries and what happens to camera collectors after they die, this is the episode for you!

Joining us on this episode are returning callers, Robert Rotoloni, Ira Cohen, Mark Peterson, Larry Effler, James Allen, David Ortega, Howard Sandler, and Mark Faulkner, and first time callers Joseph Brunjes and Tony Colvin.  As always, the topics we discuss on the show are heavily influenced by our callers and for this episode, a great number of cameras and models are brought up by our callers that a scripted show would likely never cover.

Every episode, the topics we discuss on the Camerosity Podcast are decided entirely upon you, so if you’d like to join us next time, be sure to look out for our next show announcement for Episode 28, which will be recorded on Monday, June 13th!

This Week's Episode

• Robert Clarifies Why the Nikon F Has a Strange Mirror Lockup / 21mm Lenses

Konica Auto-Reflex and Autorex / The Original Konica F / Konica F-Mount / Konica FS / Koni-Omega Rapid

Show Notes

If you would like to offer feedback or contact us with questions or ideas for future episodes, please contact us in the Comments Section below, our Camerosity Facebook Group or Instagram page, or email us at [email protected].

The Official Camerosity Facebook Group - https://www.facebook.com/groups/camerositypodcast

Camerosity Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/camerosity_podcast/

Camerosity Twitter - https://twitter.com/CamerosityPod

Joseph Brunjes - https://www.josephbrunjes.com/index

Robert Rotoloni – https://www.facebook.com/Nikon-Historical-Society-193619477350338/

Mark Faulkner – https://thegashaus.com/

Howard Sandler – https://www.flickr.com/photos/hsandler

Theo Panagopoulos - https://www.photothinking.com/

Paul Rybolt - https://www.ebay.com/usr/paulkris

Anthony Rue - https://www.instagram.com/kino_pravda/ and https://www.facebook.com/VoltaGNV/

This week on episode 27 Anthony, Paul, Theo and I get our passports ready and board onto a boat for a tropical getaway!  While there, we will be taking a three hour tour to a remote, non-descript island, where us and our friend Gilligan will soak in the sights and take lots of photos in the hope of having some beautiful images when we get back!

Of course, with any trip comes the difficult decision of what gear should we bring?  Is compactness, performance, or ruggedness a deciding factor?  Should you bring in a large format camera to maximize detail on the tropical vistas you aren't likely to see again, or would a compact folder be a better option so that there's less for you to lug around?

Joining us this week is Aiden Dean, back from last episode, who travels with us and brings with him three very interesting selections.  Listen in as everyone talks about their "Tropical Island Cameras" and why we selected them!

Every episode, the topics we discuss on the Camerosity Podcast are decided entirely upon you, so if you’d like to join us next time, be sure to look out for our next show announcement for Episode 28, which will be recorded on Monday, June 13th!

This Week's Episode

• The Gang Goes on a Three Hour Tour

Show Notes

If you would like to offer feedback or contact us with questions or ideas for future episodes, please contact us in the Comments Section below, our Camerosity Facebook Group or Instagram page, or email us at [email protected].

The Official Camerosity Facebook Group - https://www.facebook.com/groups/camerositypodcast

Camerosity Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/camerosity_podcast/

Camerosity Twitter - https://twitter.com/CamerosityPod

Aiden Dean - https://www.instagram.com/chefboyar__dean/

Theo Panagopoulos - https://www.photothinking.com/

Paul Rybolt - https://www.ebay.com/usr/paulkris

Anthony Rue - https://www.instagram.com/kino_pravda/ and https://www.facebook.com/VoltaGNV/

This week on episode 26 we play catch up on a lack of GAS discussion over the past couple of episodes.  Theo, Paul, Anthony, and Mike all have a large number of cameras that they've come across, and not always from the usual sources.  In addition to GAS, we share a story about the Ohio Camera Collector's Society Auction earlier this month in Columbus, Ohio in which bidding got really out of hand and the state of regional camera shows.

Other topics discussed are ways to develop 116/616 film using regular Paterson reels, the best way to store a large camera collection, and Mike's recommendation on a cheap way to shoot wide angle Nikkor rangefinder lenses.

Joining us are returning callers, Robert Rotoloni, Dan Tree, Miles Libak, Jon Gilchrist, Mark Beadle and Wannes Scheipers, and first time callers, Aiden Dean, Alex Dietrich, and all the way from Johannesburg, South Africa, Dean Blumberg who also share in their latest pickups, questions, and general camera collector miscellany.

Every episode, the topics we discuss on the Camerosity Podcast are decided entirely upon you, so if you’d like to join us next time, be sure to look out for our next show announcement for Episode 27, which will be recorded on Sunday, May 29th!

This Week's Episode

• Paul Proxy Bids at the Ohio Camera Collector's Society Annual Auction

• Braun Super Paxette

Show Notes

If you would like to offer feedback or contact us with questions or ideas for future episodes, please contact us in the Comments Section below, our Camerosity Facebook Group or Instagram page, or email us at [email protected].

The Official Camerosity Facebook Group - https://www.facebook.com/groups/camerositypodcast

Camerosity Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/camerosity_podcast/

Camerosity Twitter - https://twitter.com/CamerosityPod

Loading 116/616 Film Onto Paterson Reels - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=f9REyP3gLjo

Jon Gilchrist – Packard-Ideal Shutter Company – https://packardshutter.com/ and https://genescamera.com/

Dan Tree – https://www.instagram.com/dantreephoto

Robert Rotoloni – https://www.facebook.com/Nikon-Historical-Society-193619477350338/

Theo Panagopoulos - https://www.photothinking.com/

Paul Rybolt - https://www.ebay.com/usr/paulkris

Anthony Rue - https://www.instagram.com/kino_pravda/ and https://www.facebook.com/VoltaGNV/

This week on episode 25 we go beyond the world of film and bring to you a whole episode talking about the history of digital cameras.  In order to do that, we called upon a man who can speak to the earliest history of digital photography like no other, Steve Sasson.

In 1975, at the age of only 25 while working for Kodak, Steve created the world's first digital camera.  A crude looking blue and metal box with exposed electronics inside, a lens from a Kodak XL movie camera, and a cassette recorder as it's data storage device, the camera worked, and set the world on a path that leads us to modern smartphones today.

Not to be outdone, Steve is joined by Robert Shanebrook who we have spoken with before as a 35 year employee of Eastman Kodak, Robert worked in the same lab with Steve and shares with us his memories of that time at Kodak and how things progressed from there.

Also, with us is Todd Gustavson, author and curator at the George Eastman Museum, Todd knows Kodak history like no one else, and has access to a whole collection of the earliest digital cameras.

Finally, Daniel Koons is a Kodak collector and early digital camera enthusiast who has meticulously built the world's only replica of Steve's prototype digital camera.  Using high resolution images provided to him by Todd, Daniel was able to recreate the camera with an impressive level of precision and can speak to the inside workings of the camera second only to Steve.

It wouldn't be an open source podcast without some callers, and this time we have returning guests, Mark Faulkner, Mark Peterson, and Jon Gilchrist who ask their own questions and share their own experiences.

Every episode, the topics we discuss on the Camerosity Podcast are decided entirely upon you, so if you’d like to join us next time, be sure to look out for our next show announcement for Episode 26, which will be recorded on Monday, May 16th!

This Week's Episode

• Steve's Introduction / How He Got Involved / One Man Skunkworks

Show Notes

If you would like to offer feedback or contact us with questions or ideas for future episodes, please contact us in the Comments Section below, our Camerosity Facebook Group or Instagram page, or email us at [email protected].

The Official Camerosity Facebook Group - https://www.facebook.com/groups/camerositypodcast

Camerosity Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/camerosity_podcast/

Camerosity Twitter - https://twitter.com/CamerosityPod

Steve Sasson - https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Steven_Sasson

Robert Shanebrook – http://www.makingkodakfilm.com, [email protected]

Daniel Koons (Norman Camera) - https://www.normancamera.com/

Todd Gustavson (George Eastman House) - https://www.eastman.org/

Mark Faulkner - https://thegashaus.com/

Theo Panagopoulos - https://www.photothinking.com/

Paul Rybolt - https://www.ebay.com/usr/paulkris

Anthony Rue - https://www.instagram.com/kino_pravda/ and https://www.facebook.com/VoltaGNV/

This week on episode 24 of the Camerosity Podcast, we hit the holiday road and travel to a more European friendly time zone to allow more of our British, German, and Belgium listeners to join us!

Along with Anthony, Theo, Paul, and I, first time callers Calum Tilson, John-Michael Mendizza, and Wayne Scheipers joined returning callers Alan Duncan, Nick Lyle, Mark Faulkner, Bill Smith, Larry Effler, and James Allen to discuss a wide variety of topics from Instax to LOMO to Minolta SRTs.  Camerosity GAS struck John-Michael and he bought a Rollei 35, and Calum gets a ton of great tips on camera repair.

Amazingly, we go this entire episode without once mentioning Nikon, Zeiss, Leica, King Regulas, or panoramic cameras (no wait a minute, we did).

Every episode, the topics we discuss on the Camerosity Podcast are decided entirely upon you, so if you’d like to join us, be sure to look out for our next show announcement for Episode 25, which will be recorded on Monday, May 2nd!

This Week's Episode

• The Olympus OM-101 is the Worst 35mm SLR Ever Made

Show Notes

If you would like to offer feedback or contact us with questions or ideas for future episodes, please contact us in the Comments Section below, our Camerosity Facebook Group or Instagram page, or email us at [email protected].

The Official Camerosity Facebook Group - https://www.facebook.com/groups/camerositypodcast

Camerosity Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/camerosity_podcast/

LOMO Spinner - https://shop.lomography.com/us/spinner-360

Selenium Cell Repair - https://ian-partridge.com/cells.html

Re-Ionizing Selenium Cells - https://www.reddit.com/r/AnalogCommunity/comments/rrmxtb/how_to_ionize_a_selenium_meter_cell_recipe/

Alan Duncan - https://austerityphoto.co.uk/

John-Michael Mendizza - https://www.jmm-photos.com/ and https://www.instagram.com/jmmendizza/

Calum Tilson - https://www.instagram.com/calum.tilson/

Mark Faulkner - https://thegashaus.com/

Nick Lyle - http://homemadecamera.com/

Bill Smith - https://funwithcameras.blogspot.com/

Theo Panagopoulos - https://www.photothinking.com/

Paul Rybolt - https://www.ebay.com/usr/paulkris

Anthony Rue - https://www.instagram.com/kino_pravda/ and https://www.facebook.com/VoltaGNV/

This week on episode 23 of the Camerosity Podcast, we finally get a chance to talk to Nafis Azad about his work with large format Polaroids at the 20x24studio in New York.  If you have a hard time picturing what a two foot tall instant photograph looks like, you're not alone.  Listen in on the history of the 20x24 Polaroid, how it works, and other stories.

Not to be outdone, Anthony, Paul, Theo, and Mike, along with returning guests Mark Faulkner, Howard Sandler, Jess Ibarra, James Allen, and Dan Tree talk about everyone's favorite Voigtländers, the strangest looking TLRs, and why Soviet cameras often need service, even when new.  Paul shares us with how knowledge of the f/stop system can help you when ordering a pizza, and Mike shares another PSA recommending everyone insure their cameras!

Every episode, the topics we discuss on the Camerosity Podcast are decided entirely upon you, so if you’d like to join us, be sure to look out for our next show announcement for Episode 24, which at this time, we haven't yet decided on, so stay tuned!

This Week's Episode

• Nafis Azad and the 20" x 24" Polaroid Camera / 20x24studio in New York

Show Notes

If you would like to offer feedback or contact us with questions or ideas for future episodes, please contact us in the Comments Section below, our Camerosity Facebook Group or Instagram page, or email us at [email protected].

The Official Camerosity Facebook Group - https://www.facebook.com/groups/camerositypodcast

Camerosity Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/camerosity_podcast/

Nafis Azad - https://www.nafisazad.com/ and https://20x24studio.com/

Dan Tree - https://www.instagram.com/dantreephoto

Jess Ibarra - Viva La Film – https://www.vivalafilm.com/

Mark Faulkner - https://thegashaus.com/

Mark Beadle - https://www.instagram.com/mark_beadle90/

Howard Sandler – https://www.flickr.com/photos/hsandler

Theo Panagopoulos - https://www.photothinking.com/

Paul Rybolt - https://www.ebay.com/usr/paulkris

Anthony Rue - https://www.instagram.com/kino_pravda/ and https://www.facebook.com/VoltaGNV/

This week on episode 22 of the Camerosity Podcast, we welcome special guest Dan Tamarkin of Tamatkin Camera in Chicago, Illinois to regale us with many tales of his life selling Leicas.  Originally started in 1971 by his father Stan, Tamarkin Camera has been one of the most trusted Leica dealers in the country over the past 51 years, so there is little that Dan doesn't know or hasn't seen.

Listen in as Anthony, Paul, Theo and Mike, along with regular guests, Jon Gilchrist, Robert Rotoloni, Mark Faulkner, Nafis Azad, and Mark Peterson join first time callers Andre Domingues and Dan Tree who ask questions and chat about Leica cameras, the company's rich history and much more.  You may have never thought you needed a hot pink Hello Kitty Leica M3 before, but you will after hearing this episode!  Listen in to hear all the other nonsense we discuss!

Every episode, the topics we discuss on the Camerosity Podcast are decided entirely upon you, so if you’d like to join us, be sure to look out for our next show announcement for Episode 23, which we will record on a special night, Sunday, April 3rd at 8pm CDT (UTC -5), 9pm EDT (UTC -4).

Audio Warning: Once again, I had problems with my own audio this episode.  All of the other guests are fine, but there was an issue with my levels that I did the best I could to correct.  The good news is, I figured out why this keeps happening so I should be able to prevent it for future episodes.

This Week's Episode

• Introducing Dan Tamarkin / Reminiscing About Camera Shop Owners and Shutterbug Magazine

Show Notes

If you would like to offer feedback or contact us with questions or ideas for future episodes, please contact us in the Comments Section below, our Camerosity Facebook Group or Instagram page, or email us at [email protected].

The Official Camerosity Facebook Group - https://www.facebook.com/groups/camerositypodcast

Camerosity Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/camerosity_podcast/

Dan Tamarkin - http://www.tamarkin.com/

Andre Domingues - https://www.podbean.com/podcast-detail/3mf4p-5fc4e/Negative-Positives-Film-Photography-Podcast

Dan Tree - https://www.instagram.com/dantreephoto

Nafis Azad - https://www.nafisazad.com/ and https://20x24studio.com/

Jon Gilchrist - Packard-Ideal Shutter Company - https://packardshutter.com/

Mark Faulkner - https://thegashaus.com/

Theo Panagopoulos - https://www.photothinking.com/

Paul Rybolt - https://www.ebay.com/usr/paulkris

Anthony Rue - https://www.instagram.com/kino_pravda/ and https://www.facebook.com/VoltaGNV/

This week on episode 21 of the Camerosity Podcast you better hide your credit cards and deactivate your eBay accounts as there is a whole lot of GAS coming your way!  Without a special guest, Mike, Theo, Paul, and Anthony were free to discuss all their recent pickups, with everything from Niccas to Noblexes.

Joining us were returning callers Mark Faulkner, Jon Gilchrist, Miles Libak, and first time callers Nafis Azad, James Allen, and David Ortega who share with us their Wideluxes, Gallus Derluxes, Miranda Sensorexes, and Kiev rangefinders.  

In addition to GAS, we cover controversial topics such as whether it's better to advance your film immediately after each shot or before the next one, what the best flatbed scanning software is, and whether or not Paterson or Stainless reels are everyone's favorite.  Of course there's a lot more, including one of the rarest cameras ever talked about on a Camerosity episode, so be sure to listen through to the end to find out what that is!

In two weeks, we will record episode 22 and will welcome special guest, "America's Premier Leica Specialist", Dan Tamarkin from Tamarkin Camera in Chicago, Illinois.  Dan is a huge fan of the show and will be bringing with him a wealth of knowledge about Leica rangefinders and SLRs, so if that's something that you'd be interested in, be sure to join us at 7pm CDT (UTC -5), 8pm EDT (UTC -4) on Monday, March 21st. 

(Note that Daylight Savings Time will start on March 13 in the United States, so the time may be different for you in other parts of the world.)

This Week's Episode

• Show and Tell: Theo's Plaubel Makina IIS

Show Notes

If you would like to offer feedback or contact us with questions or ideas for future episodes, please contact us in the Comments Section below, our Camerosity Facebook Group or Instagram page, or email us at [email protected].

The Official Camerosity Facebook Group - https://www.facebook.com/groups/camerositypodcast

Camerosity Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/camerosity_podcast/

Nafis Azad - https://www.nafisazad.com/ and https://20x24studio.com/

James Allen - https://www.lomography.com/homes/wv_cactus

Jon Gilchrist - Packard-Ideal Shutter Company - https://packardshutter.com/

Mark Faulkner - https://thegashaus.com/

Theo Panagopoulos - https://www.photothinking.com/

Paul Rybolt - https://www.ebay.com/usr/paulkris

Anthony Rue - https://www.instagram.com/kino_pravda/ and https://www.facebook.com/VoltaGNV/