The Phoblographer

All Images by Matt Hamon. Used with Permission.

Matt Hamon is harvest hunter in Montana, meaning he hunts as a primary source of meat for his family – not for sport. One day while searching for information on butchering wild game, Hamon came across a blog about the Buffalo Scavenging Project. “Each year they attend the Native American treaty hunt on the boundary of Yellowstone National Park and assist Native American hunters with field dressing and packing of buffalo.” Hamon tells the Phoblographer about his project The Gleaners. The discovery inspired Hamon to reach out to the scavengers about coming out to their annual camp to capture the event. Long story short, they accepted his offer/request.

These animals, like many others, are usually protected by US law. However, a little known fact is that due to treaties from that era, today’s modern Native Americas retain their hunting rights in Montana, on the border of Yellowstone National Park. Once a year they gather in the winter, when it gets so cold the Buffalo leave the park and enter public lands where the Native Americans can hunt them.

“I consider myself a portrait photographer and I’m interested in making portraits of people living authentic, meaningful lifestyles. I was inspired by their raw, committed, and immediate relationship to the land and their food.” Hamon said of the project. “Most of the interest in the photos, has been from news and journalism media. I unintentionally became a photo journalist overnight.”

Hamon has been into photography since studying Graphic Design in college, and though he has strayed into illustration and painting since then, he attributes that to his relatively slow transition from film to digital. The Gleaners was produced utilizing Hamon’s current kit, a Phase One Medium Format camera paired with an off camera strobe/softbox. “The addition of a strobe is primarily aesthetic, as it allows me to underexpose background elements while illuminating the subject. This offers a separation of figure-ground that offers the narrative context of the background while intensely focusing the subject.” he said, “Essentially, I’m co-mingling the aesthetics of observational journalism and formally staged portraiture.”

You can find a selection of the images from The Gleaners below–it’s a fascinating look into a way of life very foreign to many of us these days. Just a quick warning if blood, guts, or hunting makes you squeamish, you may want to avoid going any further.

All images by Zeno Spyropoulos. Used with permission.

Zeno Spyropoulos is a photographer who has been working on portraiture for a while, but is also into analog means for a number of reasons. He’s very much against the Photoshopping trends, loves poetry, and involves emotions in his portraiture. All of this is clearly evident in a lot of the work Zeno does. Polaroids have always been looked at as something fun, simple and great for many moments in life. And as Zeno tells us, he’s finding ways to combine it with his love of poetry.

Phoblographer: Talk to us about how you got into photography.

Zeno: I used to write poetry way before I even picked up a camera. I used to get frustrated at times where I’d come across something that inspired me to write, to only have the diluted thoughts about that moment when I’d have time to sit down and write. Soon my little notebook where I scribbled in sentences or ideas had became a disposable camera. They were cheap initially and easy to work with so it was perfect for what I needed. The more I looked through its lens the more I was motivated to do other things with photography. I started to see poetry and stories in an image.

Phoblographer: What made you want to get into shooting instant film and Polaroids?

Zeno: I actually got an Instax Wide from a girlfriend of mine at the time because she noticed my little dabbles in photography from my use of disposables.

Instant film and disposable cameras were all I had for the longest time and eventually I learned to appreciate the format of it compared to other methods. Not everyone might agree, but I think there’s something unique about the format and aesthetic which instant film comes in. It hot wires us to think the relationship between photographer and subject much closer than it actually might be. I’ve also decided to start photographing my polaroids rather than scanning them in, because the subtle details of shadow, depth, light makes it look closer to how it’s meant to be seen, which ideally is in person.

“The reason I stick with analog is because I want to resist to this sort of “photoshop culture” that seems to be dominating fashion photography for instance. I’d like to be in a position where I could do portraits for a brand or company and show them that a photographer with talent and thought into his work will add more to the model showing off their products.”

Phoblographer: The majority of your work is portraiture. So what made you want to get into portraits?

Zeno: I guess being so heavily influenced by poetry my preference will always go to emotions, story and personality. The way that photographing people drives me I can’t recreate on anything else and I really try to aim for an image that displays well how I perceive that person to be. The process of doing a “shoot” with someone is for me is also great in the sense that I like to be social and like to meet people.

Phoblographer: Your work seems to be pretty unique in a subtle way where it seems like you’re creating images that more or less are you own blend. But which photographers are influencing you right now and what makes you like their work?

Zeno: The photograph of Willian Eggleston where he photographs the red haired girl laying on the grass with her camera next to her is one of my favourite works because I’ve known it for such a long time and absolutely love the colours and the story and subtlety it seems to bring. In his work in general you can see him play with light, shadows, colour in a similar way that I like working with.

A photographer who I recently discovered and adore is Ryan Plett, his portraits are something to aspire to, and his work has a sense of elegance much to what I look for in portraits too.

Phoblographer: Talk to us about the gear that you use. How do you feel it helps you with your creative vision?

Zeno: I only photograph analog, this be it disposable cameras, Instax wide or film on my canon ae-1 with varying film is used, but Kodak is my favourite. The ...

Instant Film, and film in general really, is enjoying a burst of popularity recently and it is bleeding over into all genres of photography. Many photographers are using instant prints, be it [amazon_textlink asin=’B00G6C7XUG’ text=’Instax’ template=’ProductLink’ store=’thephobl-20′ marketplace=’US’ link_id=’6a75d295-658d-11e7-a5c1-6390a05ab344′], [amazon_textlink asin=’B01LX5RTQX’ text=’Impossible’ template=’ProductLink’ store=’thephobl-20′ marketplace=’US’ link_id=’770b423f-658d-11e7-95bd-c577930df58e’] or one of the many other options on the market for whole projects with really interesting and wide-ranging results. One such project that may be of interest to some of you is a new nude photo book over on Kickstarter called Instants.

Instants is an 8.5×11 Magazine/Photo book with 80 full-color pages of ‘mostly nude’ images that were shot exclusively with Impossible Project film. The project is the work of Brooklyn, NY based photographer, and writer Nathan Wahl. “I started this project because I was spending too much time editing photos. I wanted a project where I could shoot and be done,” Wahl says of the project on the Kickstarter page, “In a world saturated with filters, presets, blemish removal, thinning, plumping – this is the exact opposite. Every image exists exactly as I took it. Every woman looks exactly as she does in reality.”

For the prints used in the book Wahl shot Impossible Project’s 600 film with an old Polaroid One Step camera that he purchased on Craigslist for cheap – a simple, but effective solution.

Images By Nathan Wahl

On Kickstarter Wahl is hoping to get $1,000 in funding to make the Photobook/Magazine a reality and you can back the project for as little as $5. If you pledge $10 or more you can get a digital copy of the instant prints, or for $25 you can get printed physical copies of the instants. If you would like an actual copy of the book itself you can pledge $125 (limited availability left). Instants have 42 days remaining on its campaign, and with 28 backers so far Wahl is already at $825 of his $1,000 goal.

Wahl says that all the design and layout is done, the images are also obviously done – he just needs the additional funding to get the book printed. If you are interested in supporting Wahl and his nude photobook project you can find all the details over on Kickstarter – here.

All images by Liam Warton. Used with permission.

“Women are often over-sexualized under the notion of art.” says photographer Liam Warton about his views on portraiture. “Shot in strips of beautiful light and shade on grainy black and white film. Their bodies are consciously bent and curved, lead onto display to indulge a particular crowd.” Liam describes the way that many women are portrayed is being vulnerable, weak and naked. To him, they don’t really seem to own their own bodies. To that end, he compared it to the way that men are portrayed and their own stereotypes.

That’s all part of what Liam is trying to explore in his series.

Phoblographer: Talk to us about how you got into photography.

Liam: I bought my first SLR camera four years ago when I was living in London at the Brick Lane markets for an upcoming trip to Ireland to meet my extended family for the first time. This trip really opened my eyes to photography and in particular the fun that shooting analog offered.

I didn’t really know what I was doing but I shot through a heap of film on the trip and when got back to London I immediately purchased more film to shoot. From there it really snowballed for me, I moved back home to Australia and I have been working since then on going pro with my photography. I feel that shooting analog is one of the best ways to learn the basics and learning how to read light, compared with starting off on digital where you can shoot the camera in full automatic mode.

Phoblographer: What made you get into portraiture?

Liam: Like many I started by taking photos of everything however I soon got bored and I realized I needed a subject matter to engage with in order to create something meaningful to me. Also, I found out quickly that I wasn’t all that good at other forms of photography.

Phoblographer: So what motivated you to create this series?

Liam: I was motivated to create this series as I am a photographer who belongs to an industry where it is acceptable to exploit and oversexualize women in the name of art or for some form of cheap likes. I would rather not contribute to the male gaze and strengthen the already engrained stereotypes but rather portray both men and women equally. On the other side of the spectrum men are portrayed to be strong, muscular protectors and if they don’t fit this mold then they are labelled at homosexual or pussies. As a heterosexual male who does not strongly relate to this outdated masculine stereotype I find this particularly troubling. Therefore, I decided to flip the scales and place myself as the model in the same vulnerable, weak, contorted sex positions which women are continuously subjected to.

In short I want to launch an alternative discourse by highlighting the absurdities in the current structures.

Phoblographer: Why do you think that much of female portraiture is “soft porn?” I’ve often had this same thought, and on the other side of the gender table, I’ve had women genuinely say to me “what if the women consents or wants to be portrayed in that way?”

Liam: The reason why much of female portraiture is soft porn is a construction of the male gaze. Traditionally photography has been through the gaze of the male (control of the camera), meanwhile the object has been the female, with the assumption of heterosexual men as the target audience. The soft porn or hypersexualisation of women within photography results with women deriving their self worth only from their physical attractiveness (with the exclusion of other characteristics) and therefore an object for others’ sexual use, rather than person with the capacity of independent thought. With the perpetuation of degrading images today, this undermines womens’ social and political power.

In stark contrast the female gaze (women in control of the camera) gives women the opportunity to no longer be suppressed and take control of their actions. Therefore, if women decide to own their sexuality and take sexualised images then of course they shoul...

All images by Lachlan Walker. Used with permission. Also please remember to fund our Kickstarter.

Instagram: @lachlanjames_

Website; lachlanwalkercreative.tumblr.com

My name is Lachlan Walker, I’m a 23 year old photographer from Melbourne, Australia. Photography is omething relatively new for me.

Up until 2 and a half years ago I’d never touched a camera in my life. It was only when I met my girlfriend, who had always had a passion for photography, that I first picked up a camera. It was an old Nikon D3000, not much good on a technical level, but it was enough to spark my interest.

A few months later I purchased my first camera of my own, a Canon AE-1 Program.

This was the camera that made me fall in love with photography in a big way.

This was also the camera that gave me such an appreciation of black and white photography.

I almost exclusively shot Ilford HP5+ and through this I think I developed a real sense of seeing light and shadow in my photography. I’d always known it played a role in capturing a good image, but it wasn’t until I started shooting black and white film that I really understood (without the distraction of colour) just how important it was.

Today I shoot with a Fuji X-Pro 1 and my work is almost exclusively colour, but I still use what I learnt from shooting black and white film in the early days of my photography every single time I pick up my camera. I honestly think if I had just one tip for someone starting out with photography, it would be to get an old film camera and shoot black and white until you really get an understanding of the role light and shadow play in your images.

Anyway, that’s my back story and how I got into photography, and why I have such an appreciation for black and white images, let me tell you a little about my project ‘Beauty in Simplicity’ and how it came to be.

Early on with my photography I almost exclusively shot landscapes however after a while I started to find them relatively boring, so I started moving towards lifestyle/fashion work.

I absolutely loved the challenge of working with a subject, getting to know them and capturing a real sense of who they were as a person.

While I still thoroughly enjoy lifestlye/fashion work, and professionally it’s what I intend to continue doing, I’d always toyed with the idea of somehow combining my landscape and lifestyle/fashion photography, which is how my ‘Beauty in Simplicity’ project was born.

The purpose of the project is exactly as it sounds, to find beauty in simplicity. I wanted to shoot my subjects in minimalistic landscapes in black and white. I didn’t want the distraction of colour to take anything away from the model and how they were a part of the landscape.

I also wanted to shoot my models topless/nude for this project to further add to the idea of ‘beauty in simplicity’.

To me the female body is the most beautiful thing on this planet, much more so than any lake, mountain, river etc. I wanted to make a point with these images that nudity doesn’t equal sex. Society continues to sexualise and objectify the female body in such a horrible way, and I really wanted to show that skin doesn’t necessarily have to be seen as something sexual or ‘offensive’.

This whole project is about stripping everything right back to the bare minimum and just showing things for what they truly are with no distractions.

I think the fact that I was able to show friends and family, especially my mother and grandmother these images and have them understand the point I was making proves that I’ve somewhat succeeded in what I was trying to achieve.

I think black and white imagery will always play a part not only in my photography, but in photography in general. As a learning tool it is invaluable.

For more stories like this, please subscribe to the Phoblographer.

The Oliday Journeyman backpack is a bag that I was known to use by many other journalists and folks in the industry. It looks nice, functions well, and overall just feels good. Long-time readers know that we’ve reviewed the most camera bags of any photography outlet still standing. I’d probably argue that we’d done the most, ever. We often get things for free, that we declare, from manufacturers. But I also tend to get frustrated with camera bags. Like you, few of them are ever everything that you want. The Journeyman came so close that I repurchased it. And before you go on, I’d recommend that you not rough it around too much.

First off, the Oliday Journeyman isn’t expensive at all. It’s made of leather and canvas both. There is a waist strap, but not a sternum strap. There are side pockets, side straps, and lots of padding. And most of all, it’s stylish. I can’t tell you how many times I’ve begged Gura Gear, Tenba, and WANDRD to make their bags in canvas and leather. But they won’t do it either as a branding philosophy or as a supply and cost issue. And all those brands do something better than the Oliday Journeyman does: build quality. The reason why I repurchased this bag is that the first one broke around a strap. Indeed, Oliday’s stitching quality can’t outdo the other brands. And for what it’s worth, no bag from those other brands has ever broken on the Phoblographer staff or I.

In fact, I tried reaching out to Oliday to develop a press relationship. They made me try to fill out a ton of information and a press deck larger than some NDAs. It really seemed like they weren’t interested, which shocked me.

I reviewed the Oliday Journeyman back in 2018. And at that point, I had been using the bag for over a year already. So what does the Oliday Journeyman do right?

Canvas and leather: it’s a million times better looking than the nylon and other stuff that other brands use. I once had someone tell me that nylon bags are stylish, like a Peak Design bag for example. Maybe if you’re into wearing cheap Amazon athleisure wear all day and in every situation. But trust me, it’s not stylish in any sense.

Two very different sections: A bag I was recently very much let down by was the Manfrotto Legende. The camera compartment had the most non-sensical entry point. And you couldn’t even pack your gear effectively in the bottom. But other brands do have that issue. The Oliday Journeyman surely doesn’t have this problem at all.

Very comfortable shoulder straps: Do I need to say more about comfort? Tag onto this that you’ve got a waist strap. I’d also like a sternum strap, but that’s not happening any time soon.

Good dividers: These dividers aren’t too big, too thin, or too complicated. They’re soft, padded, and just right.

Weather resistance: I’ve brought my older bag into rain, the desert, and so many other locations. It always stood up to the elements.

So what’s not to like about the Oliday Journeyman?

The stitching around the top of the shoulder straps will break after a while. Years, for what it’s worth.

I wish the top of the bag were a roll top, but this works.

I also wish that there were a sternum strap.

Yet again, though, I should also be even more forward. No camera bag is perfect. But this is close. I have a camera bag for every camera system I use regularly. My Leica L system lives in a Tenba bag. My Canon RF system stays in WANDRD. And my Sony system is in a cheap BAGSMART. In between all of those, I use Billingham bags in varying degrees. All of these we’ve gotten for free after reviewing, mind you, but I bought the Tenba myself. However, the Oliday Journeyman is for when I need to head out and actually use a bit of gear in combination with other stuff. The rest are for storage, organization, or for when I really need all that gear with me.

I suggest you check out my old review of the Oliday Journeyman. It still stands up. If anything, you might end up buyin...

We just gave our Leica L-Mount lens guide a new coat of paint. And you can check it out right here! Lots of journalists contributed work to this guide over the years. As of today’s publishing, it contains 35 independently reviewed lenses for the Leica L-Mount. These lenses include options made officially by the three partners: Leica, Panasonic, and Sigma. You’ll find our table of contents, product images, snippets from our reviews, buy-links, and links to our full reviews to peruse.

The big update to this guide has come with reviewing nearly every single L-Mount lens made by Leica. At the moment of writing, we’re missing only one. There’s also one or two more that we need to get from Sigma. And there’s only a single other lens from Panasonic that we need to review. But otherwise, we’ve gotten all of them done.

Photographers have trusted our reviews and our ethical roundups for years now. Because of this, Leica signed on to be a sponsor for the site this year. As such, we had to ensure that we’ve reviewed more of Leica’s products. Each review has been done honestly and while abiding by our ethics. In fact, I made sure that Reviews Editor Hillary Grigonis and Reviews Writer Brittany Smith got as much exposure as possible. Believe it or not, Leica products ended up changing their minds about photography in general! Hillary comes from Digital Trends and Brittany came from SLRLounge. Neither publication paid much attention to Leica in regards to reviews. But they started to see that the photo world doesn’t need to be as sterile. This is one of the reasons why Hillary switched camera systems earlier this year.

Still, our reviews aren’t sponsored. As we’ve told several manufacturers this year, even if they sponsor us, they’re not allowed oversight into Editorial directives. If we’ve got a fact wrong, then we’ll fix it. But we’re rarely wrong.

What’s more, I personally bought a Leica SL2-S. If you’ve paid attention to our reviews, you’ll know how much I care about build quality. So if a camera has an IP-rating attached to it, then I care about putting that out there. Overall, it’s been one of the most reliable cameras I’ve owned. It’s versatile, and I can’t deny the quality of Leica’s lenses.

I’ve also bought a few Panasonic and Sigma lenses. This way, when a new body comes out, I can test a variety of lenses on the camera bodies. Sometimes there are slight differences with autofocus performance between one camera body and various lenses. Panasonic tells us it has to do with motors. Sigma, who cut off communications with us for speaking our minds transparently on their products, never commented on this. Leica says something similar to Panasonic.

And then there are oddities — like the fact that the Leica L-mount has three different 24-70mm f2.8 lens offerings. Indeed, there are a lot of lenses. But the three manufacturers should work together in order to not pollute their own systems. It all starts by thinking a bit different. Unfortunately, that seems really difficult for a lot of camera brands in general.

We invite you to dive into our Leica L-mount lens guide. We put a lot of work into it over the years. And there’s been a ton of effort put into all the reviews too. Enjoy!

The joke with Sony cameras is that you used to buy it along with five batteries. Indeed, there was a time when their battery life was pretty dismal. That’s around the time period the original Sony a7 comes from. And yet, when I bought mine, I was head over heels for it. This was a time when I wanted more than what my X Pro 1 gave me. I yearned for the full-frame output my Olympus OMD EM5 lacked. And I demanded the innovation Canon refused to give us with the Canon 6D. During that time, Sony was the only one to really answer the call. And they changed the industry greatly. They also delivered cameras at a furious pace, which made the rest of the industry look like snails. Now, years later, is the original Sony a7 still any good?

No Joystick

I will start this by going over all the things that aren’t in the original Sony a7. We reviewed it favorably back in the day. First, lots of photographers will be turned off by there being no joystick. It’s the same as the Sony a7c–I really wonder why Sony didn’t put one there. With that said, choosing an autofocus point is a tad more arduous. This translates into problems with how you use the camera.

Poor Battery Life

The Sony a7 comes from a time when the batteries were small, and the battery life was awful. Indeed, even with the a7 turned off and in my camera bag, it drains the battery. When I put the camera into airplane mode, it still exhausts the battery. Seriously, it’s the worst battery life of any camera I’ve ever used, with Sigma cameras being the exception.

It Lacks the Weather Sealing Improvements

Sony still suffers from issues around weather sealing. But the original Sony a7 really embraced it. Sure, it’s weather-sealed, but not well. Your sensor is bound to get dirty. However, your camera will continue working in the rain to a point. It feels good, but it’s seriously just not that well built.

The Autofocus Isn’t as Advanced

Getting back to the autofocus, the big problem is with face detection. You have to do the old-school thing of focusing on a face and then pressing in the middle button. Only then will it select a face or eye. It’s rudimentary compared to today’s autofocus algorithms!

But the Sensor and Size!

The original sony a7 has the original 24MP full-frame sensor in it. It’s rich, vibrant, vivid, and versatile. I wouldn’t shoot portraits with it unless I had a very muted lens or wanted to spend lots of time in post-production. But for randomly walking around at night and shooting photos with it, you can’t beat it. It delivers a beautifully vivid look. It’s not like chrome film the way that the Leica M9 delivers. But instead, the colors are just richly colored. It’s easy to fall in love with this sensor. And I’ll often use it with vintage lenses or as a backup camera to my Sony a7r III. It delivers a totally different look than my Sony a7r III.

Possible Infrared

I’ve debated giving my Sony a7 new life by converting it to infrared. But haven’t pulled the trigger yet. Would it make me use it more? Sure! It would be so fun. But I’d still be a bit anxious regarding all the weather sealing issues.

So is the Sony a7 still a good camera in 2021? Honestly, yes. I’ve used it for product images with no issues. It can deliver spectacular images. But making those images, and working for them, feels almost like picking up an old DSLR. The process is antiquated and not in a charming way. And at best, it’s only slightly ahead. This is old-school mirrorless camera tech at this point. And if you’ve got an original Sony a7, hold onto it.

The season for travel photography is quickly approaching! Besides taking all the safety precautions for a cold-weather trip or to a remote area, you’ll probably want to pack some great camera gear with you, too. Lucky for you, we know exactly what you need if you’ve got a Sony camera, and we’re rounding up some of the best lenses for travel photography. And we didn’t forget about you folks shooting with APS-C cameras either!

Editor’s Note: In a previous version of this article, we forgot to put the disclaimer. We apologize for this.

This piece is presented in partnership with BRAND. We’ve independently and ethically reviewed all the products in this round-up already without sponsorship. And we worked with them to recommend a few key gems to you.

The Phoblographer’s various product round-up features are done in-house. Our philosophy is simple: you wouldn’t get a Wagyu beef steak review from a lifelong vegetarian. And you wouldn’t get photography advice from someone who doesn’t touch the product. We only recommend gear that we’ve fully reviewed. If you’re wondering why your favorite product didn’t make the cut, there’s a chance it’s on another list. If we haven’t reviewed it, we won’t recommend it. This method keeps our lists packed with industry-leading knowledge. Some of our stories include affiliate links. If you buy something through one of these links, we may earn an affiliate commission.

Table of Contents

Pro Tips for Using Lenses for Travel Photography

Tamron 17-28mm f2.8 Di III RXD

Tamron 18-300mm f3.5-6.3 Di III-A VC VXD

Tamron 35mm f2.8 Di III OSD M1:2

Pro Tips for Using Lenses for Travel Photography

Here are some tips from the pros on choosing lenses for travel photography:

Go lightweight. No one needs or wants to drag around big, heavy lenses unless it’s a paid gig.

The lenses we’re showcasing have weather sealing. They’re great for the rain forests, cities, deserts, snowy mountains, etc.

Lenses for travel photography should be able to fulfill a variety of tasks. Portraits, landscapes, cityscapes, long exposures, etc. These lenses are great for these photo opportunities.

These lenses are pretty compact, so they won’t take up much room in your camera bag.

Tamron 17-28mm f2.8 Di III RXD

In the field: This lens survived some of the hardest rains that we’ve tested a lens in. We were incredibly shocked at how well it did.

Use it for: Grab this lens when you want a more normal field of view and want to shoot wider. Exploring architecture in Europe? This lens is the one you should bring along with you. It’s one of our favorites.

In our review, we state:

“The autofocus on the Tamron 17-28mm f2.8 Di III RXD is mostly what surprised me. Of course, it’s going to be fast to focus because this is a wide angle lens. But then I remembered that Sony owns part of Tamron. And so I’m pretty sure the two are probably talking and working together in some ways. Photographers using the AF-C function with face detection and AF-Lock tracking will have a lot of joy using the Tamron 17-28mm f2.8 Di III RXD. Not only is it fast, but it’s also accurate most of the time.”

Buy Now

Tamron 18-300mm f3.5-6.3 Di III-A VC VXD

In the field: This lens survived a lot of abuse on both camera systems that we’ve tested it on. And it’s really hard to not recommend it as a general photowalking lens. It’s one of the most perfect lenses for travel photography and remains super compact when carried in a camera bag.

Use it for: A lens like this belongs on your Sony APS-C camera. Use it as a general travel lens to shoot everything. Indeed, it really can do everything you need or demand from it.

In our review, we state:

“That’s a 1:2 magnification ratio, which is excellent for a lens that’s not a dedicated macro. And frankly, it’s also impressive for a lens that goes from 18-300mm as well. The close-up capabilities aren’t as good on the telephoto end at 1:4, so photographers will have to remind themselves to zoom out, then physically bring the lens closer.”

Buy N...

If you’ve ever wanted to get into medium format cameras and have a single one to stick with you, then this is it. Lots of photographers say that you should get a 6×7 format camera. But the truth is that you can still make great work with a 645 camera. As a matter of fact, everyone that touts the 6×7 format would probably not mind owning a Contax 645. But if you’re not ready for that sort of plunge, there’s the Mamiya 645 AF in the Rare Camera Store. It’s in great condition, and photographers have used the lenses to do fantastic photos.

Welcome to the Rare Camera Store: a joint initiative of The Phoblographer and the wonderful folks at Blue Moon Camera. We work to bring you some of the coolest and rarest items for a great price.

Here’s the blip from the description over at Blue Moon Camera:

“The Mamiya 645AF camera is a medium format, auto focus camera that creates a negative that is 6cm x 4.5cm on 120 film. The Mamiya 80mm f2.8 645 AF lens is the “standard” lens for the Mamiya 645 auto focus cameras. The 80mm lens on a 6×4.5 negative is roughly equivalent to a 46mm lens on a 35mm negative.”

“This camera is clean and ready to shoot! “

Indeed, this is in great condition, and it’s only $1,800. Photographers can do great work with this system. Although it’s not the same, we’ve featured photographers who’ve bought into it. Photographer Cyrus Arnieri said in an interview with us that they love using the 70mm lens and Portra 400. They specifically talk about the clarity of the photos. Granted, this kit is coming with an 80mm f2.8 lens.

Similarly, Rob Walwyn has used the system with Kodak Aerochrome before.

I’m going to also state a few pretty obvious facts here:

The 645 system still gives you a bigger negative than 35mm.

Photographers geek out over the Fujifilm GF system, and the sensor isn’t as big as 645.

645 lets you have more photos per roll of film. And that’s not really a bad thing at all. Sometimes it’s better to shoot a bunch of 645 photos than possibly get something in 6×7 format that you don’t like.

Wedding photographers, for many years, used 645 medium format cameras.

645 medium format cameras like this Mamiya 645 AF use beautiful lenses. Mamiya has arguably some of the best ever made.

Unfortunately, you can’t covert to this a 645 AFD, which can then use digital backs. Mamiya used to do it, and I’m not sure of anyone that knows how to do it anymore.

Some of my favorite medium format photos were shot on a 645 system.

Seriously, it’s hard to go wrong here. If you shoot a lot of black and white film plus develop it yourself, you’ll get beautiful images. If you shoot slide film, you’ll be in love with the look of the slides once you get them back from the lab. Even if you shoot Portra the way that Cyrus does, you’ll get lovely images. But just image how CineStill will look?

Blue Moon Camera also has a six-month warranty on the camera. That’s one of the many reasons why we chose them as a partner for the Rare Camera Store; because they’re fantastic.

Head on over to the listing at Blue Moon Camera. Dive in and enjoy shooting with this camera! And don’t forget to get insurance with the Photography Care Plan!