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The teeming millions have waited MONTHS for a new episode and will brook no further delay! In this epic rewind, Gabe talks about becoming the designated shooter at P & J’s wedding; Jeff bruises the XPan on his honeymoon; Gabe scores at Bobby Sherman’s estate sale; and so much more!

Here’s a link to Rachel Brewster-Wright’s GoFundMe page. Please help however you can!

As if the festivities around our 100th episode weren’t enough, we now have even more to celebrate: Jeff and P are getting married in Italy on July 3rd. How is this real? How did we get here? And most importantly, what camera will Gabe use to shoot the wedding? Tune in for tutti i pettegolezzi!

this time Gabe’s the world traveler! New York, London, Italy…

he spent some time in New York City with Sissi Lu and her Brompton folding bike

hopped the pond to London, ate at Dishoom and Borough Market

and bought a Kodak Retina IIIc, the little c, details to follow - he’ll be shooting with it this week!

then he was off to Turin in Piemonte

and then back to London as an honored guest at the Ivy Club

Gabe did plenty of shooting with his Leica M10

but discovered that his famous 35mm f2 Summicron, the one with the giant crack which doesn’t affect image quality, has a small new crack, and it does affect image quality!

meanwhile, Jeff’s awash in pre-wedding madness, getting married in Italy on July 3rd

a brief recap of his improbable romantic journey over the course of IDOC’s 104 episodes - when Jeff and P first connected, Gabe worried Jeff was getting catfished and would end up in a bathtub full of ice with one kidney

but on to the wedding itself! who’s the wedding photographer? nobody!

Jill Greenberg might shoot a bit, if someone will lend her a camera

Gabe’s experience with wedding photography, shooting Martin Starr’s wedding

what’s he bringing to Italy? the M10 for starters, but maybe Jeff will toss him the XPan or the Olympus XA4

in less happy news, Gabe got scammed by someone posing as a lens donor

and on a related note, KEH finally did right by the guy whose Leica M4-P had been stolen

we remember the mighty Duane Michals, the brilliant photographer who died last week at age 94

Jeff’s over his infatuation with the Leicaflex SL2 50 Jahre, because now he’s got an eye on an early SL2 with the original logo - anyone wanna get him a wedding gift?

and finally, we do not quite empty our Prodigious Mailbag™

The big news is, Jeff is now able to pull blurry, postage-stamp-sized images off his 2001 Casio WQV-10 watch camera, but there’s so much more! Gabe has a slew of new camera gear; there’s a raft of queries in the Prodigious Mailbag™; and we even throw a few compliments at our most hated rivals. Join us for the tick-tock!

Gabe has a few new acquisitions, far more than the “thirtyish” to which he swore he’d limit his collection:

a sweet little Ricoh 500 with trigger-wind on the bottom

a Kiev 60 with monster 180mm lens

and a dud Contax 167MT with a killer Zeiss 35-70 zoom

our Trusty Dusty Camera Repair Guy™ tuned up Gabe’s Rolleiflex 2.8F white face and he can’t wait to shoot with it

discussed: finding the right resources on the internet for your camera needs - which are your favorites?

Gabe went to the LA Camera Expo again - hey, why not set up your own camera fair?

has the XPan spoiled Jeff for all other cameras? he brought no backup on his recent European trip!

but what if it dies? Jeff says he’d buy a cheapie in Paris at Aux Vieux Format!

please convince Jeff he doesn’t need a Leicaflex SL2 50 Jahre, even though our T.D.C.R.G. says it’s more refined

there’s a Petri Color 35 Custom on eBay - go get it!

Jeff’s ultimate Casio WQV-10 triumph came courtesy of American hero Roger Braunstein - will WQV prices spike on eBay? watch the IDOC Effect in action!

is the “I’m Back” digital sensor for 35mm cameras absurd? they had a $44,000 goal on Kickstarter and raised a million! all I want is the image, Shrevie, do you agree?

Gabe implores you to print your stuff and share your work

and finally, we empty our Prodigious Mailbag™

“Gonna be your man in motion, all I need’s this pair of wheels...” The IDOC men are indeed in motion, with impending trips to exotic ports of call. Also discussed: the Film Forever meetup in Brooklyn, the conclusion of the watch camera saga, many things Rollei, and a great Slovenian hockey player!

IDOC be trippin’! Gabe’s going to London in June, Jeff to Paris and Italy this weekend

Our trusty dusty camera repair guy is gently nursing Gabe's Rolleiflex 2.8F, and has rejuvenated his cherished Leica M6

Jeff is celebrating both the 49th birthday of his Alpa and the three-year anniversary of his absurd purchase of XPan Two

Rest in pano to Raghu Rai, noted XPan photographer

Gabe has been shooting his Rolleiflex 2.8c and a Ricoh 500G from Brandon Steadman

He's also curious about Rollei flash units, so chime in!

Jeff finally succeeded in pulling photos off his 2001 Casio WQV-10 watch camera — it's surprisingly like shooting with the Minox

He also rhapsodizes about Portra 400 a.k.a. Ektacolor Pro

Gabe demands you attend Film Forever at the end of May at Bogart House in Brooklyn — all our friends will be there, but probably not Jeff, so you gotta go!

Hey, Where Are The Legendary Photographers?

The Prodigious Mailbag™ features more devoted listeners singing our theme song à la Debbie Gibson

Finally, congratulations to Anže Kopitar on concluding a brilliant 20-year career with the Los Angeles Kings

It’s P’s birthday, but she’s working, leaving Jeff languishing at home with nothing but his vapid glad-hand for company. Perfect time to summon up Gabe on the ol’ Zoom-o-Matic and pump out an episode! In this one, we speak of acquisitions both big (huge honkin’ Pentax zoom) and small (stealthy Casio wristcam). Also discussed: being mocked for your puny glass by a bird photographer with a 600mm, many upcoming LA photo meetups, and a deep dive into our Prodigious Mailbag™!

Gabe snapped up a big-ass Pentax 6x7 zoom lens

and had his beloved Leica M6 CLA’d by our trusty-dusty camera repair guy

shout-out to the Film Fridge app — it’s better than a spreadsheet!

Jeff speaks of his millennial obsession with the Casio WQV-3 watch camera, how he used it to surreptitiously photograph Will & Grace guest stars, and his late frustration with a recently acquired top-of-the-line WQV-10

also, he’s just returned from photographing sandhill cranes and prairie chickens in Kearney, Nebraska with the XPan, which was apparently the wrong camera to bring, because other large-lensed photographers mocked him

Wilber, Nebraska is the Czech Capital of the US!

Dave Grohl laments option paralysis, something we camera collectors know all too well

there are plenty of upcoming photo meetups in LA — check out LA Film Camera and Analog Con

Jo Geier of Mint and Rare is torturing us all on Instagram

ever heard of the Ricoh 500RF?

we rifle through an exceptionally Prodigious Mailbag™

and speaking of watches and photography, check out the crowdfunded wristwatch light meter from Increment Labs LTD

Three months without a new episode — you thought there’d be No More Rhyme? That Gabe and Jeff might go on shootin’ and chattin’ Without You? Ha! Out Of The Blue comes IDOC № 100, in which these two Electric Youth Shake Your Love to a Foolish Beat and get Lost In Your Eyes. They’re Staying Together! Anything Is Possible!

Leicaflex, Contarex, Rolleiflex, Magicflex, Omegaflex! Olivia Dean and Debbie Gibson! Seth Rogen’s gone pano and the Swiss Army’s gone XXL! It’s IDOC’s jam-packiest episode yet, ’cause unless Debbie sings our theme song, it could be the Olympus Pen-ultimate! Tune in for all the mayhem!

Birthday madness! Gabe got Jeff a Leicaflex SL at B&H Photo, whatta guy!

The SL’s PX625 battery presents some challenges

Chad GPT misled Jeff regarding the 50mm Summicron-R - turns out it takes a Series VI filter with a retaining ring

the new camera prompted the customary orgy of book-ordering; however, only Jeff wants a Leicaflex book signed by author Theo Kisselbach

please note: chromogenic Ilford XP2 Super scans much better than HP5 or Tri-X!

Gabe visited with Sissi Lu, who has a new podcast and showed off her Kodak Charmera

also, her googly-eyed lens cloth charm is back in stock at sissilu.com

Gabe went on a sudden mad hunt for a Contarex Bullseye and a 50mm lens

…and got a lens board for his Beseler 67C enlarger, thanks to Steve Pinter from pintercreative.com - honorable mention to Gabriel Butensky

check out the “24 things from the Leica archive” reels on Leica’s Instagram

Gabe met up with our pal Chris Smirnoff, who deluged him with photo books: Yul Brynner, Comedians, Salgado, a Sears photo catalog…

the two also chatted up Instagram shooters Connie and Stewart

in search of brighter focusing screens for his Rolleiflex TLRs, Gabe got some from Magicflex Camera and they’re incredible

Michael Herring (colorblindfish on IG) sent Gabe a gorgeous camera strap from Couch Guitar Straps

hey, the LA Camera Expo is bigger than ever! Gabe took a hard look at an Omegaflex and backed away

Jeff attended the Olivia Dean Soho Session and this time did NOT interact with Danny Clinch

P is on the cover of Numero Magazine, one of Gabe’s favorites

Seth Rogen is a Widelux and XPan aficionado - let’s get him on the show!

speaking of which: whither Debbie Gibson…?

it’s holiday gift time, check our merch page!

P got Jeff a Swiss Champ XXL Swiss Army Knife for his birthday because she’s wonderful

and finally, we dip a few toes into our Prodigious Mailbag™ 

How did these two mumbling malcontents pump out pods for five years and ninety-eight nattering episodes? In this one, the boys barely discuss that at all! Instead Jeff recaps his trip to London, to the shop where he bought both his Alpa and XPan, and Gabe recounts his acquisition of a legendary lens owned by an even-more-legendary photographer. A cop knelt and kissed the feet of a priest — tune in!

November 20 marks IDOC’s fifth anniversary, and the 21st marks Jeff’s birthday!

Jeff briefly recounts his trip to London, including a stop at Camera City, the shop where he got both his first Alpa and his first XPan

Gabe’s birthday bonanza included a Lab-Box and a Negative Supply scanning rig…

…he found a Beseler 67SC enlarger on FB Marketplace…

…and went to (basically) Spahn Ranch in the Hollywood Hills to secure a 80mm f4 Rodenstock Rodagon enlarger lens… which, it turns out, used to belong to Herb Ritts!

our continuing adventures with the maddeningly inconsistent Chad GPT: it misled Jeff about the fate of the final penny, and lied to Gabe about a mysterious TLR which turned out to be a rare Rolleiflex 2.8F white face

what do the boys think of the soon-come Widelux XX?

sad news: Freestyle Photo is closing their brick-and-mortar location 

should Jeff buy an O.G. Alpa-Reflex on the ‘bay to complete his collection?

once again, we improbably empty the Prodigious Mailbag™

and now you must run to the L.A. Camera Expo in Burbank ‘cause it’s happening at this very moment!

More like L.A. De Da, because both hosts are together in the City of Angels: scoring sibling Olympi at a camera show, talking “new” Kodak film stocks with tasty typography, and shooting the works with a half-frame Swiss, a square-frame German and an American GOOSE. Tune in - it'll change your wife!

this episode is dedicated to the memory of the great photographer Diane Keaton

our second bad review has utterly vanished!

Jeff’s results with the half-cookie Alpa 10s were delightful...

shooting with the Polaroid GOOSE was a total kick...

and the square-frame Zeiss Ikon Taxona - two-thirds of a cookie! - is a fun alternative to the elusive Mamiya Sketch

at the wondrous L.A. Camera Expo, Gabe snapped up an Olympus 35RC, while Jeff went for big brother 35SPn, a rarer version of the 35SP with better typography

Chad GPT misled us again! he made Jeff buy a Kilfitt Makro-Kilar in Exakta mount, insisting it was Alpa

Kodacolor returns - or does it? once again, all we care about is good typography!

how embarrassing: Jeff’s nemesis has entered the world of fashion

we had a blast at the Bike Shed complex in DTLA’s Arts District

we actually empty the Prodigious Mailbag™ for a change

and finally, we urge you continue imploring Debbie Gibson to perform our theme song for the 100th episode

Is it enough for these two “middle-aged men” to merely share “what they’ve been up to”? One peevish iTunes reviewer doesn’t think so! But for the rest of you, tune in to this XL episode to hear the felicitous end of Jeff’s half-frame Alpa saga, news of Gabe’s bag-quisitions and camera meetups, a screed about how the new tariffs are crippling our hobby, a impassioned defense of free speech, and so much more!

rejoice, for Jeff’s half-a-cookie Alpa 10s finally arrived! not only that, after he emailed the CEO of UPS, he got a personal response and an apology!

Gabe loves his supersnazz Bleu de Chauffe camera tote, yet couldn’t resist snapping up Jeff’s cheap Strand Bookstore messenger bag as well

Gabe (along with Rafael Hernandez) went to the Susan Meiselas event at the Aero Theatre…

…and crashed the LA Camera Exchange meetup from imstilldeveloping.com and Fridge Film

the new hot camera is the Nikonos V — clearly the IDOC effect in action!

Jeff has been kitting out his new Polaroid GOOSE…

…but finds a 50mm lens a bit too tele-ish on the Alpa 10s, since a half-frame focal length × 1.44222 = full-frame, so he put in an offer on a 40mm Kilfitt Makro-Kilar

guess what? we got another bad review!

Gabe hung out with friend-of-show Chris Smirnoff and also Robert Capron, who played Rowley in Diary of a Wimpy Kid, and went to a screening of Anvil: The Story of Anvil with the mighty Fred Coury

the end of “de minimis” is a catastrophe if you buy stuff from abroad; check this eBay page for all the grim details - and thanks to tariffs, Ausgeknipst no longer ships to the US

the boys take a graceful swan dive into quite the Prodigious Mailbag™

the folks at AOK Camera Repair win the coveted IDOC endorsement

Gabe’s pictures feature in a Judd Apatow article in the latest Vanity Fair

and Camera Maintenance & Repair by Thomas Tomosy is super-expensive, so grab the PDF from the Internet Archive or from here

Ach, der Schmerz! Aïe, la douleur! Jeff’s insanely rare, perpetually coveted, and newly repaired half-frame Alpa 10s has been lost by UPS. As you listen to the latest episode of our Smash Hit Podcast™, globally acclaimed yet eschewing of praise, spare a thought or a prayer for the grieving cohost!

yes, the Alpa 10s half-cookie is MIA at UPS - should we be putting AirTags in our important packages?

Gabe is obsessed with which film cameras were used by legendary photographers to take legendary shots - are you?

Gabe went to the LA Camera Expo and came home with a slew of darkroom equipment

Jeff got great results from Atlanta Film Co. with Kodak Vision 3, but is it worth the extra cost, time and effort?

the Osiris F1 is a fun ’n’ freaky (’n’ patent-infringing?) film-processing robot

we urge you to check out the Cameradactyl Master System from mad scientist Ethan Moses

Gabe is back in the hunt for camera bags - his new obsession is the sexy, stylish and super-expensive Bleu de Chauffe

meanwhile, Jeff’s Strand Bookstore messenger bag is dirt cheap!

we both flipped for Sissi Lu’s new googly-eyed hang-tag lens cloth

Jeff snapped up Langdon Clay Cars: New York City, 1974-1976 book shot with a Leica CL and Kodachrome 25 - yet everyone on Instagram thinks the pics are AI slop!

Gabe found Jeff Bridges’ elusive and highly prized Pictures Vol. 1 at Goodwill for six bucks!

who sent Gabe a 110 camera? do tell!

happy birthday to our friend Vance DeGeneres - check out his incredible New Orleans New Wave band The Cold!

Los Angelenos! look into imstilldeveloping.com and the LA Camera Expo - Gabe will be there!

and finally, we stick a pinky toe into the Prodigious Mailbag™

Jeff’s been engaged for over a month, and is suffused with bonhomie and goodwill, while the normally sanguine Gabe is ENRAGED! At eBay sellers who say “make an offer,” but don’t actually want one; at overpriced camera straps and thumb drives — he’s seething! Next, the boys note some stereotypically male behavior from “Chad” GPT, discuss the financial state of our beloved Kodak, examine the controversy over Nick Ut’s “Terror of War” photo, and take a swan dive into an exceptionally Prodigious Mailbag. Finally: will Debbie Gibson record a vocal version of our theme song for the upcoming (and final?) 100th episode, or is that Only In My Dreams? Shake Your Love and find out!

Gabe traveled to Lake Muskoka north of Toronto and shot no film

Jeff asked ChatGPT to compare the Closter Princess Junior with the Galileo Condor II, and it claimed they were bikes! We now dub the app “Chad GPT,” because he’s a man who'll never say “I Don't Know”!

is Kodak in trouble? Calm down!

we discuss the emergent controversy over the authorship of Nick Ut’s “Terror of War” photo, as recounted in the new documentary The Stringer - for example, even AP admits the negative was not shot with Ut's preferred Leica M2, but a cheap Pentax, and our trusty dusty camera repair guy confirms this

Gabe rails at eBay sellers who say “make offer” but don't want an offer

also, when is the asking price too high? for straps, thumb drives, Alpa strap lugs...?

Jeff openly derides absurd packfilm prices

Gabe rhapsodizes about OC Camera in Laguna Hills

we both love Sissi Lu's recent photo shoot with her mom

our trusty dusty camera repair guy replaced the focusing screen in Gabe’s Rolleiflex 2.8E, and the results are glorious

the Prodigious Mailbag™ includes an unexpected eyewitness update on Jeff's Alpa 10s half-cookie

Gabe will be at the LA Camera Expo this Sunday, August 17th

our designer (and award-winning photographer) Keith Greenstein is back on Instagram

check out The Darkroom Rumour, The Darkroom’s amazing new streaming site for photo documentaries

and let's get Debbie Gibson to record a vocal version of our theme song with composer Fred Coury for the 100th episode!

Vapid glad-handing? Try happy wed-banding, because Jeff and P are engaged! This blockbuster XL episode features a brief recap of the proposal and a lengthy recap of the engagement-moon that followed, with a smattering of camera content along the way. Tune in for all the romance!

Gabe went to New York!

at B&H, the mighty Shlomo hooked him up with a Rolleiflex 2.8E - so much for that 30-camera limit!

hung out with Sissi Lu and Chris Chu

shot nothing but film with the Leica M6

went to an event at Kodak House, saw some great stuff shot with with a Kodak Baby Brownie

and left J + P a cool old Christie’s auction catalog from the Chelsea flea market

Jeff lingered in Europe!

bought and then returned a Zeiss Tenax II

picked up film, books and apparel at the Zurich Ars Imago

snagged a Freitag Lassie bike-messenger bag at their flagship store as an all-weather beach-friendly camera tote

back home, his half-cookie Alpa 10s is undergoing major surgery

while the recent Leica auction featured a similar Alpa 10s half frame

and also the last original Alpa ever built! the 11es Jubilee

Kodak Vision 3 may yield gorgeous results, but getting it processed is challenging - Atlanta Film Company to the rescue

at Nice airport, the Sissi Lu Do Not X-Ray bag was a lifesaver

we share news of big Chattanooga photo walk we’re sadly missing!

and finally: two gods have ascended to a higher plane, Ozzy Osbourne and Tom Lehrer

Episode № 92 finds the boys in Sunset Strip rock clubs and sun-baked Czech vineyards, sampling exotic cinema film and strange European cameras, taking in celebrity gallery shows and nibbling koláče. What happened to those two humble kids from the oak groves of Riverdale and the pine forests of Atlanta — and who is Mike Sopko? Tune in to IDOC’s latest and find out — they’ve only got eight more to go!

question: were we crisper and more cogent in earlier episodes? does this guy have a point?? buy a mug if you concur!

Gabe (and resident rock god Fred Coury) took Canadian hockey reporter Scott Laughlin to the Rainbow Room, then Mini-Kiss (a Kiss tribute band consisting entirely of little people) at the Roxy

Gabe also went to a Cameras and Coffee…

saw the amazing Paul McCartney show at Gagosian Gallery

hunted for a replacement for his beloved Canon R5 and Sigma 85mm Art Lens… and Roberts Camera a.k.a. UsedPhotoPro came through! Meredith put together an incredible package for him

Gabe returned to the LA Camera Expo at the Hotel Burbank and snapped up a Leicaflex SL with a 60mm f2.8 three-cam lens

but it didn’t stop there! he also nabbed a Hasselblad 501CM from Ethan Ingram, and a point-and-shoot to be named later - he’s arrived at the promised 30-camera collection

hold on there’s more! with an assist from Brandon Steadman, he (might) also (have) snapped up a Leica R8, which would bring the collection to 31 (not including some broken ones) - okay, maybe we’re calling it thirtyish

Jeff’s been in a Prague for a month, has shot 22 rolls of film, and cannot live without his XPan exposure compensation dial - how ’bout you? do you use yours?

when the paint chipped off his e.c. dial, Jeff did a quick fix with a white paint pen from a local art supply store

also, he found a new local lab to complement the mighty FotoŠkoda: FilmStore Prague, which has excellent prices for developing & scanning

plus they roll their own Kodak Vision 3 cinema film, leaving the remjet on, and process it ECN-2 - Jeff shot their 250D and found the palette beautiful and the images stunningly sharp, and it’s half the local cost of Portra!

(n.b.: it’s not the same as CineStill’s old 250D, which had the remjet removed)

Jeff bought a rare Minox photo book from a seller in Germany and had it shipped straight to his Prague apartment, thereby saving tons of money and time - check out the preview on YouTube of Oktaeder: Spy-cam Sketches Minox 8x11 by Peter Bernard

he also bought a vintage Alpa employee badge on eBay and vows to wear the late Mike Sopko’s nametag with pride - Mike repaired cameras at the also-late Crick Camera in Kansas City for over forty years - here’s to you, Mike!

seller goKevincameras is struggling mightily with tariff issues

of course we must rifle wildly through our Prodigious Mailbag™

Gabe’s advice on how to how to find people to photograph? ask local artists!

a final note: mere hours after recording this episode, Jeff’s XPan suffered its second bout of Sudden Fujifilm Battery Death™ in less than a month!

Once again I Dream of Cameras spans the globe, with Jeff in Prague and Gabe in Los Angeles, and not even a nine-hour time difference can slow us down! In fact, one might say we are utterly devoid of camera viscosity, or “camerosity” for short. In this supersized episode…

Jeff unknowingly chatted up Danny Clinch about his Leica Q2 at the Trombone Shorty Soho Session, and the acclaimed photographer was faintly dismissive

for the next two months Jeff’s in Prague, where the camera shops (FotoŠkoda, Jan Pazdera) are far too alluring

he’s been eyeing a lovely Zeiss Tenax II, a flawed Olympus 35SPn, and a beautifully brassed black Canonflex RM

before departure, Jeff did the unthinkable: snagged a bargain-basement half-frame Alpa 10s on the ‘Bay - it’s half a Swiss cookie and the realization of a lifelong dream!

talking Leicas with Dave Tada, Gabe realized he needs a 35mm lens for his Leica III - he already has the 50mm Serenar, so any suggestions?

Gabe went to the Fujifilm event for their bizarre new half-a-cookie digital - what did he learn about the elusive x100vi?

Gabe has gone half-cookie INSANE with his Olympus Pen FT, so now our friend Sissi Lu has enticed him to give the Pentax One Seven one more try - what will he grab next, the chunky plastic Pentax or the mighty meterless Olympus Pen FV?

he’s got a portrait shoot coming up, and plans to use the Kiev 60, the Leica III and the Mamiya RZ67

as for replenishing his collection, he’s up to 27 of a planned 30 cameras 

Jeff was shooting around Prague when Sudden Fujifilm Battery Death struck again! Fuji’s battery displays in both the XPan and GA645 are pure fiction

Gabe’s also been rebuilding his book collection with Duane Michals Portraits and volumes by Sarah Moon and Clifford Coffin

let us now praise John Wade’s Retro Cameras, which is what Ralph Bellamy’s book should have been

once again we make it halfway down the depths of our Prodigious Mailbag™

Gabe unleashes a raft of thank-yous

and adds a final postscript: nature is healing and he’s back in the bag business, welcoming a new Nomatic Luma McKinnon

This episode starts out great, then gets better and better. It’s informative and witty, talking about the real joys of film. There are distinctive gear reviews, as Jeff raves about his new Pentax MX, possibly triggering the IDOC effect on eBay. And of course, there’s plenty of vapid gladhanding, as Gabe hits one LA camera show after another. Plenty to hear here, so tune in!

well looky here! Bad Review Guy updated his bad review on iTunes! guess he's still listening! as for the rest of you, leave us a good one, OK?

Busy Gabe went to his first camera meetup since the Palisades fire: Beers & Cameras in Venice…

saw a pristine Widelux F7 with the coveted filter set, purchased from Blue Moon Camera…

got gifted the beat-up black-paint Nikon F of his dreams…

went to the LA Camera Expo in Burbank…

also received from spider_dude two Walker Evans books, incl. Walker Evans & Company…

and met up with Claire Hinkley to shoot with the Mamiya C33, the Leicaflex SL and the Nikon FE

Jeff's yearning for a Pentax MX took him from MX to ME SE to (courtesy of the good folks at K&M Camera) the Nikon FG…

but then back to the MX, which is lovely - it's a K1000, only better and smaller!

podpal Ollie grabbed a groovy Kiev 10 at Unique Photo in Philadelphia

Jeff took in the excellent Weegee and American Job shows at ICP…

and had coffee with Sissi Lu, discussing the triumph of her Do Not X-Ray bag and her love of the Pentax One Seven

now Jeff's Eurotrip is imminent... and ChatGPT’s camera recommendations were uncanny!

finally, we tackle as much of the Prodigious Mailbag™ as we can handle till it’s time for Jeff to have burritos with his girlfriend

Jeff’s back from the Caribbean island of St. Barth’s with a report on his new favorite beach camera, while out in the West, Gabe’s renewed camera collection continues to burgeon... as does the enmity of one listener each time Jeff mentions the Pentax 17. Find out why in the latest un-dour, un-flaccid episode of I Dream of Cameras, because provocation is our forte!

Gabe shot his Kiev 60 and the Bronica ETR-Si

and is eyeing:

black Leicaflex SL

35mm f4 Schneider lens for Leicaflex

and Mamiya Universal

meanwhile, Jeff is eyeing:

Pentax MX

Weltron 2007

Atari 4-Player Football

Alpa Si 3000

Nikkor F

Jeff's St. Barth's report: the Ona Union Street camera bag was ideal

of course he brought the Hasselblad XPan, but at the last minute subbed in the Canon EOS Rebel 2000 for the Olympus XA4, and it was the perfect beach-party nighttime-flash trash camera

he shot mostly Portra 160 and 400, but also tried some Santacolor 100 and Film Washi X, which it turns out are the same thing! Kodak Aerocolor IV

no hand-check madness on this trip - Sint Maarten, Saint Barthélemy, all security personnel were totally obliging - once again we credit the Sissi Lu DO NOT X-RAY bag, now available at a camera store near you

good travel buddies: Zeiss lens wipes and a rocket air blower

let’s help Lina Bessonova and handcheckfilm.com! when you travel, send a report to her contact page so she can keep this valuable resource up to date

Gabe recommends Graination in Toronto, a coffee shop and film lab

we stick our snouts deep into the Prodigious Mailbag™, where a listener savagely upbraids Jeff for calling the Pentax 17 by its proper name (here’s proof)

finally, look for our appearance on an obscure podcast called Camerosity, talkin’ Alpas

Gabe spills the tea — about the cameras he’s hunting for as he rapidly rebuilds his collection — while Jeff spills the coffee. That’s it. He spills it. Then recounts a whirlwind European trip featuring a phantasmagoria of phenomenal photographica. New York, London, Paris, dry-dock — everybody talk about pop IDOC!

Jeff bought a camera bag! okay, he found a used Ona Union Street at B&H, but whaaaaat????

… then he went to London …

got an odd little book at The Photographer's Gallery on Analog Photography

visited Camera City, said hi to Pany, did not buy a Bronica RF645

visited Aperture Photographic, gaped at the amazing inventory, talked with Simon about photography with a Pentax Stereo Adapter, did not buy an absurd Contax Preview

visited Mr Cad, kibitzed with the legendary Alex Falk, did not buy a rare and tantalizing Wrayflex, once again got the book instead

… then on to Paris …

visited Photo-Vincent, met the man himself, drooled over a black Alpa 6c and the 30mm lens for the XPan

there was zero hand-check madness on this trip! we credit the Sissi Lu DO NOT X-RAY bag

the sainted John-Michael Mendizza sent Gabe a Rolleiflex 2.8c and Jeff a Zeiss Taxona

how’s Gabe getting on with his half-a-cookie Olympus Pen FT? he’s on frame 56…

the viewfinder’s a bit dim, so Jeff unfortunately altered him to the existence of the Pen FV

Gabe’s up to twenty cameras of his planned thirty-camera collection, and here are the items on his hit list:

Mamiya RZ67

Kiev 60 with Volna-3 lens

Mamiya C330

black Leicaflex SL

Pentax MX (he’s already got the 40mm pancake!)

a brassed black Nikon F

and the 35mm Sigma art lens for the Canon EOS 3

Gabe got a Yashicamat LM and a Minolta SRT-101 from Maria Elena Rodriguez

opened the time capsule camera bag, went back to the Palisades house with Brandon, and unearthed more cameras

Jeff has a final book recommendation: Tight Heads by Candy Clark

we finally voyage to the very bottom of our Prodigious Mailbag™ 

and end with a challenge: write lyrics for our theme song! you could win fabulous prizes!

A long-awaited catch-up in which Gabe reviews the events of the past month. The biggest news: he bought a half-frame camera! WHAT IS UP WITH THIS DUDE? Tune in for the rollicking debrief!

how’s Gabe doing? well, he:

took some trips to the Palisades house with Brandon

found the remains of many cameras, including Rolleiflexes

was interviewed by National Geographic reporter Gideon Mendel, who documents such things

and has returned to shooting! with the Rolleiflex 3.5E, Nikon FE, Leica M6…

...but not the cameras in the bag he grabbed on the day of the fire 

Trev Lee thoughtfully returned the Rolleiflex Gabe had traded him for his Leica M5

Gabe went to the LA Camera Expo, which is shaping up great

while in LA, Jeff shot with:

Rolleiflex SL350 — sublime!

Canon F-1 Lake Placid Olympics edition — underrated!

Rollei C35 — ridiculous!

FujiFilm GA645 — confounding!

upon departure, he removed all batteries from idle cameras ‘cause he’s compulsive

and he swapped Alpas! the 11si and 50mm Kern-Macro-Switar came east, while the 10s and 24mm Angenieux stayed west!

shocking half-a-cookie news! Gabe bought an Olympus Pen FT!

while Jeff failed to snag a Zeiss Tenax II, so he bought the book by Wes Loder instead

and he received a cool Lego Retro Camera as a gift from Todd and Mistie

may we draw your attention to Andy Gray’s amazing IDOC-inspired Pentax MF mod page

a rare treat! Jeff dined with Sunny 16’s Clare Marie Bailey and her brilliant musician friend Gwenno at the storied Chelsea Hotel

we take an emotional dip into our Prodigious Mailbag™

and finally, we urge you to see Bob Trevino Likes It, starring our friends Barbie Ferreira and French Stewart

Wednesday, January 8, 2025, 8:11 a.m. PST. Text from Gabe Sachs:

“Well, all I can say is… I bet I have culled my camera collection faster than anyone else in history.”

In this episode, Gabe recounts his experience during the Palisades Fire, which destroyed over a hundred Rolleiflex TLRs.

Tune in for all the details.

I Dream of Cameras kicks off the new year with another blockbuster XL episode! Jeff chillingly limns the hundred-degree delta between Jamaica and Iceland, and how the Fuji GA645 and Hasselblad XPan fared in each. Gabe exhumes some old warhorses from the back of the camera cabinet. And they top it all off with some STRONG OPINIONS about a new film-camera book. Tune in for all the fireworks!

a scant 13 days after returning from a beach vacation in Jamaica, Jeff jetted off to Iceland for New Year’s, toting along the Fujifilm GA645 Professional and the Hasselblad XPan — how did they fare?

Gabe recounts a recent photo shoot with the lovely Lyliana Wray, featuring the Nikon D700, Canon Sure Shot Owl and Jeff’s beloved Olympus 35 RC

in the course of reorganizing, Gabe unearthed a few long-neglected cameras he wants to shoot with:

Exakta VX IIa

Zeiss Ikon Super Ikonta

Pentacon Six TL

and the mighty Graflex Super D

at Jeff’s behest, the heroes at Ausgeknipst made a PX450 adapter for the Alpa 10 series

welcome to another edition of Jeff’s deeply nerdy “Nobody Cares” Corner! this time he does a lengthy exegesis of camera serial numbers — there’s so much you can learn! some examples:

Fujifilm

Hasselblad, using the VHPICTURES code

Kodak, using the CAMEROSITY code

Konica, using the MY BEST KONICA code

Leica

Polaroid SX-70

Rollei 35

Jeff reviews Ralph Bellamy a.k.a. Bellamy Hunt a.k.a. Japan Camera Hunter's new book Film Camera Zen. shots fired!! come at me, Ralph!

and finally, we take a graceful swan-dive into our Prodigious Mailbag™

Episode № 84 is a special rush-released super-sized Christmas / Hanukkah episode — unwrap it and enjoy!

Gabe’s been shooting with the Polaroid Big Swinger, Rolleiflex 2.8E2, Nikon F2, Leica M4…

he had a lab mishap! they made it right, but it still shakes your confidence

Polaroid peel-apart camera rollers vs. blades

Gabe went to Alcove Café with Rafael Hernandez and Dave Tada, members of the elite Fuji X100VI club, and now he's lusting for one

submitted for your approval: the mighty Fujifilm GF670 Professional

when was the last time Jeff shot with the Leica M6 TTL? August 2021… so we’re both culling our collections! message us!

is there a camera that’s too perfect? that you shoot too quickly with? like the Canon EOS Rebel 2000 or Canon 5D?

Jeff didn’t shoot much in Jamaica, and here’s why: he wanted no barriers between him and the experience - do you sympathize?

the Fujifilm GA645 Professional gave Jeff a scare - as with the XPan, Fuji’s battery indicators are wildly deceptive

are CR123 and CR123a the same battery? maybe!

final reckoning: which cameras will Jeff bring to Iceland? meanwhile, Ollie’s bringing a Kodak Medalist!

expired 220 film is super-intriguing!

Gabe feels he can always count on his Rolleiflex - what are the cameras you rely on?

our Prodigious Mailbag™ is bigger than Santa’s bag of toys

next episode, Jeff reviews Bellamy Hunt a.k.a. Japan Camera Hunter's new book Film Camera Zen - tune in for the tea!

I Dream of Cameras storms into the fifth year of its five-year mission with new life and new civilization! Gabe went on a photo tear through New York City. Jeff cut an astounding deal on new gear at the Chelsea flea market. And there are imminent trips to Jamaica, Iceland and downtown LA. Will your enterprising interlocutors boldly go where no XPan has gone before? Pluck our latest pod and find out!

welcome to IDOC Year Five!

Gabe recounts his visit to B&H Photo in New York with rockstar street-shooter Sissi Lu and repair guru Shlomo

who killed Fotografiska NYC? could it be… Satan?

to find out, Jeff and P watched Finding Vivian Maier

at Sissi’s behest, Gabe will be giving the controversial Pentax 17 another half-a-shot

Jeff’s coveted 24mm Angenieux for the Alpa arrived, and it's gorgeous

he also made an impulse buy at the 25th St. flea market in Chelsea…

a Fujifilm GA645 Professional, complete with original box, papers, case and caps!

it’s a medium-format half-a-cookie autofocus point-and-shoot! 6x4.5 but not a big ugly box!

negotiation strategy: Jeff and Ollie cut a package deal with the seller for the Fuji, a Contax III and a Konica Big Mini - what a bargain!

the GA645 image size is 56×42mm = 2,352mm² (XPan is 1,560mm²), so should it replace the XPan on Jeff’s forthcoming trips to Jamaica… and Iceland?

Gabe’s planning a night shoot with Leicas M10, Monochrom and M4.. and flash!

and of course, we close with an exceptionally informative and Prodigious Mailbag™

• • go to our merch page for all your holiday gift-giving!

“Four more years! Four more years!” Could you have ever imagined, when these two miscreants launched I Dream of Cameras on 11/20/20, that four years later the show would be an unstoppable juggernaut and the toast of seven continents? Neither could we! In this epic-sode, Gabe dons a dopey hat and Jeff a dopey visage to reflect upon IDOC’s journey from to zygote to Smash Hit. There’s a quiz! A truce! A song! A rundown of panoramic aspect ratios! Tune in for all the persiflage and badinage, which is NEVER, EVER BORING!

It’s our fourth anniversary show, and Gabe wore a stupid hat! Celebrate four years of our Smash Hit Podcast™ by giving us notes!

Gabe went to a Beers and Cameras meetup at Canyon Coffee in Echo Park…

… and William Piper let him try his Plaubel Makina 67 - but Gabe has an issue with it!

Gabe quizzes Jeff about how well he knows his podpartner

Jeff bought himself a birthday present, the rare and coveted 24mm Angenieux for the Alpa… waited all day for it to arrive… and the mailman passed him by! We invite you to share your own maddening “waiting for new equipment” stories

Jeff embarks on an ill-advised and deeply nerdy rundown of panoramic aspect ratios (XPan, Minolta P’s, Widelux) vs. various cinema formats

No more animosity with Camerosity! we love those guys, and not just ‘cause they wanna collaborate on an Alpa episode

Gabe went to a Catalina wine mixer, POW! - USC’s Distinguished Leaders Program - and led the participating CEOs through a cool photography exercise

finally, we take a relaxing dip in our prestigious and Prodigious Mailbag™, perhaps our best yet! prepare to be moved!

Like “Man in Black” Johnny Cash, Gabe Sachs is never seen without his signature ebon apparel. So what could coax him into donning a white dress shirt? And while we’re asking questions: who’s shooting 220 film, what’s a Zunow, and can Jeff actually perform Tom Lehrer’s “The Elements” on command? Find out in the latest obsidian-dark episode of I Dream of Cameras!

Gabe was plied with birthday gifts!

a camera-print shirt from a Paris boutique

Eyes Wide Open! 100 Years of Leica Photography

a Polaroid Big Swinger and three precious packs of Fujifilm FP-3000b

Jeff made a world-wind trip to LA, where he and Gabe dined with Jeff’s friend and Renaissance-woman Cathy Rogers of indiepop legends Heavenly and Junkyard Wars a.k.a. Scrapheap Challenge

Today is Jeff’s 12th Alpaversary, yet his cherished 11si does not exist!

to celebrate, he replaced the mirror foam in his Alpa 10s, and has a sexy how-to tip!

Gabe bought a thrashed Rolleicord with Rolleinar close-up attachment and is wracked with regret

Jeff shot the Heavenly show with a Pentax 6x7 and 45mm lens and does not recommend

yet he was quite pleased with his wedding shots from the XPan and Olympus XA4

Gabe loved the documentary Uncropped, produced by Wes Anderson, about photographer James Hamilton

also take note of Glen E. Friedman, seminal skateboard, punk and hip-hop shooter whose work is all over Dogtown and Z-Boys

now some questions! ever tried Shanghai 220 film?

ever heard of the fascinating and ultra-rare Zunow SLR?

did you know Tom Lehrer did a version of “The Elements” for a Polaroid sales meeting?

and finally, our Prodigious Mailbag™, featuring a truly devastating missive from John Kelly, late of the Washington Post, in which he compares IDOC to the obscure and little-heard Camerosity podcast

Our blockbuster eightieth episode includes talk of wedding shoots and model shoots, German Rolleis and Swiss Alpas, plastic Pentaxes and Pano Portrait Snobs. Tune in for all the badinage!

Eighty episodes — even the hosts can’t remember the highlights! So which three episodes would you recommend to the uninitiated?

Gabe went to a Cameras & Coffee meetup at the Culver Steps…

…where he drooled over an Olympus OM-4Ti and a Mamiyaflex

He also brought five cameras to a shoot with Claire Hinkley:

the rare and coveted Tele-Rolleiflex lent to him by the sainted John-Michael Mendizza

the old faithfuls: Rolleiflex 2.8E2 and Leica M4

the mighty Nikon FM3a

and a long-languishing Hasselblad 500C

When Jeff and his siblings met up in Philadelphia for their yearly Fourphans™ Weekend, the Canon EOS Rebel 2000 with 40mm lens was his faithful plastic companion

He also went to Unique Photo and gaped at some rare Alpas, including the freakish 8b, which is both an SLR and a rangefinder

Which cameras did he use to cover his girlfriend’s son’s wedding?

Canon EOS Rebel 2000 for pre-wedding prep

Olympus XA4 with A11 flash for the rehearsal dinner

and of course the Hasselblad XPan for rooftop beauty shots of the betrothed

Yearning to get some new gear, Jeff grabbed an 24mm Angenieux lens for the Alpa at KEH… only to return it because it was not Alpa mount, but Exakta

He also handled a Pentax 17 and recoiled from its icky extruded body

And despite his devotion to the XPan, he bombed at the Epson Pano Awards — could he be a victim of the pano portrait snobs?

As requested by faithful listener Gaetan Cormier, may we present the “So good” t-shirt, a loving tribute to Gabe’s catchphrase

And finally: a deep dive into our Prodigious Mailbag™

Gabe Sachs, 25 years after Freaks and Geeks, is the Astrid Kirchherr of American comedy; Jeff Greenstein, 25 hours after Paris Fashion Week, is the Derek Zoolander of European modeling. Tune in for their rollicking adventures!

Jeff’s just back from a wild trip to Paris! Including:

P did a runway gig for Balmain for Fashion Week…

while Jeff modeled for renowned photographer Leslie Kee of Super magazine…

suffered hand-check travails at Orly Airport…

and browsed overpriced gear at Euro-Photo

our friend Chloe Kissner now has a photo business

Gabe did a photo shoot with Raven-Symoné

mysterious lightning marks on film - could it be static electricity?

Freaks and Geeks just turned 25, and Gabe Sachs is the Astrid Kirchherr of contemporary comedy

Gabe did a lightning-fast photo session with new dad Eoin Macken

is the Wandrd Prvke Lite the platonic ideal of camera bags?

our Prodigious Mailbag™, including a passing mention of lost folksinger Connie Converse, whose music and new biography you should investigate

Hear the crushing steel, feel the steering wheel! Gabe lingers in NYC for more photographic and culinary adventures, while Jeff sees his reflection in the luminescent dash of his newly beloved Alpa 10s. But what will happen when he gently caresses its warm leatherette? Tune in and find out!

presenting… our bad-review mug! however, you gotta listen to the episode to find out where to get it, ‘cause it’s not on our merch page

Gabe recounts further New York exploits with Sissi Lu, Chris Chu and Chris Lowell

Sissi gave each of the boys one of her super-cool DO NOT X-RAY film travel bags

Gabe test-drove the Pentax 17 and had some criticisms - pictures came out great, though!

Gabe’s palate was enslaved by Xi’an Famous Foods

he visited the new Leica Store in the Meatpacking District - turns out they are still carrying used equipment

his only dud of the entire trip: three rolls of film purchased from Willoughby’s turned out to be both expensive and expired

erratum! apologia! mea culpa! we found Louis Mendes, namesake of our last episode (oops), and he’s a national treasure

Jeff has been finding the Alpa 10s an utter joy to shoot with

but beware of dry (ba-dum-bump-bump, ba-dum-bump) leatherette - Jeff did a quick fix with a replacement strip from cameraleather.com (and also procured a replacement sheet from Polar Bear Camera)

Jeff bought a tiny Reveni light meter Mk. 1 on eBay and it is nice

Ausgeknipst

(“switched off”), makers of the charger to replace the PX625 with the rechargeable Varta V80H, make their own version of The Thingy and so much more - check ‘em out

Mint’s new Rollei 35AF will cost $800, making the Pentax 17 seem like a bargain

we urge you to learn the story of the Salmon of Knowledge so you will be spared Jeff’s Irish accent

P

dusted off her old Nikon F5 and 85mm f1.8 Nikkor to shoot a newly engaged couple, burning through two rolls of FPP Color 125 in fifteen minutes

exciting news! John-Michael Mendizza plans to lend Gabe his new Tele-Rolleiflex

we take a shallow dive into our Prodigious Mailbag™

and finally, our art director Keith Greenstein wrote and illustrated a new children’s book - it’s called Why Don’t You Marry It? and you should buy it!

It’s Talking Heads: 77 as the boys convene in New York City for a pilgrimage to B&H Photo, where they ambush veteran camera guru Michael Armato at the used counter for what proves to to be a truly phenomenal interview. Then it’s off to Fotografiska for the long-promised visit to the Vivian Maier and Bruce Gilden shows. Who will emerge victorious when Jeff confronts his photographic nemesis? Tune in and find out!

Hurricane Debby brings a downpour of camera gear! Gabe’s out with his Leica III and Mamiya C330, while Jeff samples some digital Leicas. Gabe chats with Toronto photographer Jessica Devic, and Jeff recounts his acquisition of a rare Alpa 10s from a seller in Alaska. Tune in for all the fish stories!

It’s raining cameras! So much to report…

Gabe figured out how to adjust his Leica III rangefinder

and he’s acquired a Metz 45 CT-1 flash, the Bruce Gilden Special

and he’s been shooting his Mamiya C330 with the chimney finder

Jeff wanted to shoot portraits with a Leica M Typ 240, but the charger was missing…

…so he tried a Leica V-Lux 4 and did not enjoy it

meanwhile, his girlfriend’s Nikon F5 turned up under a pile of winter clothes and ski boots

his “poor condition” Petri Color 35 Custom turned out to be perfect

but most improbably, he found an insanely rare Alpa 10s on craigslist… with Schneider-Kreuznach lens and tons of accessories… from the original owner in Alaska… for only $400! However…

it was missing the takeup spool — thank goodness for eBay

and there’s a tricky battery problem, for which he MacGyvered together a neat solution

speaking of batteries, there’s a new thingy in town! Could KaptainKugelkopf’s rechargeable Varta V80H + this inexpensive charger be the ideal replacement for the long-discontinued PX625 battery? Jeff ordered one to find out!

Gabe’s bookstore recommendation: Untitled Books in Echo Park, Los Angeles

Fred Coury

is loving his Leica Q2

turns out Gabe does know who Vincent Peters is

Gabe’s interview with Toronto photographer Jessica Devic

Gabe’s friend is a descendant of (and dead ringer for) the mighty Ernst Leitz!

finally, a dog-paddle around our Prodigious Mailbag™, including how Jeff’s Strong Opinions about Vivian Maier cost his brother Steven a chance at love

One of the Best Photography Podcasts To Listen To In 2024 (per Amateur Photographer magazine) returns to bask in some praise for a change! In this blockbuster XL episode, we run down our travels in Europe and Canada, recap recent celebrity photo shoots, exult over exotic gear acquisitions, and dive to the bottom of our Prodigious and Informative Mailbag™! Tune in to see what the fuss is about!

THE BIGGEST NEWS: our smash hit podcast earned global acclaim, as Amateur Photographer named us one of the best photography podcasts of 2024! Thanks, Jess Miller!

you’d be wise to consult Lina Bessonova’s invaluable hand check guide before traveling

Jeff once again experienced sudden XPan battery death after less than a month (= 30 rolls), so mock his spreadsheet at your peril

a Czech photographer picked on Jeff for daring to do portraits with a pano camera - also, he failed to make the cut for Brooklyn Film Camera’s photo show - the shame!

finding film in far-flung locations is HARD, so stock up

Jeff recounts an extremely bad experience with a Rome photo lab

not to be out-traveled, Gabe went to Canada with his Leica M10 and Noctilux - what’s more, he:

…visited Leitz Road in Midland, Ontario so his lens could see its birthplace

…hung out with Jessica Devic at Youthful Vengeance Coffee in Toronto - she’s a tremendous photographer, check her out

…toured Memento Film Lab in Toronto

…shot Claire Hinkley with the peerless Olympus 35 RC and monstrous Mamiya C330

…and had a Fred Coury rock ’n’ roll idyll at the Rainbow and Whisky a Go Go with Taime Downe of Faster Pussycat

Jeff harpooned a long-sought white whale you’ve never heard of: the Petri Color 35 Custom

Gabe bonded with a TSA agent at Toronto Airport who turned out to be a film shooter

behold the B&H Lego set!

check out the Half Frame List of half-cookie cameras in current production

we’ll be at the Bruce Gilden and Vivian Maier shows at Fotografiska in August

and finally, our Prodigious and Informative Mailbag™, featuring plenty of fierce clapback about the Pentax 17

Two glasses of white wine reduces Jeff to drunkenly raving about travel cameras, airport hand-check injustices and (predictably) his usual cast of bêtes noires. Meanwhile, stone-cold-sober Gabe offers sharp, reasoned takes on the new Pentax 17 and the cameras of 1955. Tune in to Episode № 74 (not 75) for all the mayhem!

Jeff recorded this episode from Rome after imbibing two glasses of cheap white wine, which is why he keeps calling it Episode 75

Why the two cameras Jeff picked for his extended European trip — Olympus XA4 and Hasselblad XPan — have been ideal

Lisbon Airport is the worst — they abjectly refused to hand-check Jeff’s film!

Jeff had 18 rolls developed at Ars Imago in Rome, and here’s what he learned: Kodak Portra 160 needs tons of light

Gabe unexpectedly presents: Cameras in Focus 1955!

Miranda T

Canon IIs2

A $200,000 Leica accessory the Leica UW underwater housing

Olympus Wide

Gabe visited our lovely friends at LA Film Camera and you should too

The boys drop some Strong Opinions™ about the new Pentax 17 half-frame film camera

Gabe considered trading his Rolleiflex 2.8F for a Plaubel Makina and finally opted not to…

…but because he’s Gabe, he stumbled across a garage sale in Pacific Palisades and came away with all this for only $200:

Olympus 35RC

Topcon RE Super with three lenses

Leica V-Lux 3

Gabe revisits his chronic bouts of which-camera-to-bring anxiety

We drop a small I Dream of Pizzas travel tip: the best pizza Jeff’s girlfriend has ever had was at Ai Marmi in Rome

A dip into our paltry yet Prodigious Mailbag™ 

Gabe reacts to the NY Times article about film shooters trashing their negatives

And Jeff offers one more shout for the RitchieCam,  an iPhone app that can emulate the XPan

“I am sitting in the smallest room of my house. I have your review before me. In a moment it will be behind me.”

— Max Reger, German composer (1873–1916), responding to a savage review

Jeff’s in Lisbon at the start of a month-long European trip; Gabe’s in LA developing his own film for the first time in years. But what’s obsessing them the most? Their first rotten review! Tune in for all the merriment and NO PRAISE!

Jeff’s choice of cameras and film for a month-long European trip:

the Hasselblad XPan with both the 45mm and 90mm lenses

the mighty Olympus XA4 macro

24 rolls of Kodak Portra 400 and Portra 160

Gabe’s eBay misadventure in pursuit of the Pentax 50mm 1.7: 

the “as-is” Pentax ME Super and S1 turned out to be nonfunctional, the lens was dented…

…but he did get a Watson bulk loader!

He lent his Canon EOS 3 to Martin Starr… so he had to buy a replacement: the EOS Elan 7NE. Which was perfect — even better than our beloved Rebel 2000!

More eBaying: Gabe also got the Nikon 85mm f1.4D

and he got his beloved Leica M3 repaired by our trusty dusty camera repair guy! whom he interviewed! and who may finally be unmasked in an upcoming episode!

Jeff was on the cusp of buying an Olympus OM-3 when his cherished 12” Retina MacBook dropped dead… hence no OM-3

Gabe went shooting with the Elan and his Rolleiflex and processed the film himself — it’s a new era!

In Lisbon, Jeff visited Vintage Dream Cameras and took a hard, hard look at a Snoopy 110 camera and a rare Leica IIIc with sharkskin leatherette

We got a terrible review!

Gabe compared Rolleiflex TLRs with Dave Tada, but it turns out there are lots of differences between the 2.8E and the 2.8E2! Also, Dave’s has an RZ67 finder!

Our friend Oliver’s exotic Chinese Pearl River SLR

Jeff experienced sudden XPan battery death

We empty out our Prodigious Mailbag™ 

Some notes on our composer Fred Coury: his former band Cinderella’s Night Songs was released on this day in 1986; also, Fred just won his 6th Emmy!

A transformational live-on-locational supersensational IDOCstravaganza! First we go to a Los Angeles Photography Club Cameras and Coffee meetup in Koreatown to talk to folks about their cameras and dogs. Then we SPAN THE GLOBE to interview Jo Geier, proprietor of Mint and Rare, a phenomenal camera shop in Vienna, Austria. You won’t want to miss this one, so TOON IN!

Consulting Producer Tucker Sachs, the real brains behind I Dream of Cameras, has long lurked in the shadows with a bone and a chew toy, but in this episode he finally steps into the light. Also discussed: photo books, photo contests, photo walks and photo acquisitions, along with every syllable of your deathless prose from the Prodigious Mailbag™.  It’s a doggie-dog world!

Daido Moriyama’s ’71 NY is an incredible photo book shot on an Olympus Pen W

Gabe had a blast at the latest Beers and Cameras feat. Joe Stitt

Spotted: a Fujica ST 801

check out Walker Evans' subway photo book, shot with a Contax II: Many Are Called

Jeff entered an Epson pano competition - any favorite photo contests?

Gabe really should get a Nikon SP, but in the meantime he finally snagged an ugly black-paint Nikon F from KEH

our new cult favorite film: FPP Color 125

bulk-loading and its discontents

Gabe scored a slew of point-and-shoots at a yard sale for a total of $28:

Olympus Infinity II

Fuji Discovery

Pentax IQ Zoom

Olympus Infinity Jr.

Polaroid announced an upgrade to their B&W 600 film - kudos!

The IDOC gang are planning a Polaroid-peel-apart-film-shooting festival

check out Sissi Lu's reels and IG live shots

Jeff is performing at the Ruskin Theatre in Santa Monica on Mother's Day (click See a Show and then look for Library Girl)

The Prodigious Mailbag™ features the Osmond brothers doing Crazy Horses

Hank Haddock’s ISO 3200 stickers (designed by Suné Horn) will help you avoid arguments at airport security - find them at tinyurl.com/savemyfilm

do you make photo books, and if so how?

and finally, Consulting Producer Tucker Sachs puts in an appearance

He wouldn’t…. Now that the long-raging and ill-advisedly-ignited Vivian Maier debate has finally died down, Jeff wouldn’t throw gasoline on those embers by expressing a Strong Opinion about some recent Viv-related news, would he? Well, you’ll just have to tune in to find out. Also discussed: the boys swap cities, Gabe in New York and Jeff in Los Angeles; recent shooting adventures with a slew of cameras both old and new; and the proper way to express your love of our smash hit podcast: through lavish gifts!

we had a tremendous response to the last episode — clearly 69 is something people really enjoy

heh heh heh, the folks at Camerosity took the bait — haven’t y’all read The Mouse That Roared?

Gabe’s adventures in New York shooting his Rolleiflex and Leica M10 with Sissi Lu (shoutout: Katz’s Deli) and Chris Chu (shoutout: Salt’s Cure), plus drive-bys at B&H and picturehouse + the small darkroom

Jeff sold his Robot Royal 24, but shipping to South Korea was twice as much as what the UPS website originally quoted, so he realized a net profit of $3.32

however, he still wanted a square-format 35mm, so bring on the Mamiya Sketch… which is delightful and quirky!

shooting the Canonflex R2000

shooting the Pentax MF with FPP Color 125 (see Jeff’s article in Casual Photophile)

a hearty thanks to super-listener Jeffry Pittman, who sent us a Baby Rollei, a Hermes 3000 typewriter, and lots of film

iPhone iOS 17.4 now includes podcast transcripts so you may enjoy our soaring rhetorical flourishes

Jeff mildly reacts to some recent Vivian Maier news

Gabe’s planning an all-medium-format film shoot with the Pentax 6x7, the Mamiya RZ67, and the Hasselblad 501CM

a passing mention of new friend Peter Kagan, about whom you will hear more

a bold voyage into our Prodigious Mailbag™ 

and finally, a fond farewell to the great Joe Flaherty

Paulina Porizkova joins the boys to offer her unique perspective on the art and business of fashion photography. How’d she get into it? What’s the most important thing a photographer should know about working with models? Why does Paulina call Irving Penn “Mr. Penn”? Does the fact that Jeff has a spreadsheet of when he last changed the batteries in his cameras render him more attractive? All this and much, much more in our sexy Episode № 69 — nice!

how Paulina got into modeling at age 15, how she learned the craft

her growing awareness of lighting and cameras

the dance between photographer and model, and how it’s altered by different types of camera

how a photographer’s behavior influences a model’s confidence

how real is the Veruschka scene from Blow-Up?

do you know if the shot is good?

how aware are you of camera equipment?

can what you know about modeling be taught?

pay attention to lighting! take a selfie when you look great!

were you ever interested in photography yourself?

her late husband Ric Ocasek’s interest in photography

studio vs. location shooting

the business of modeling is not what you think!

does the fact that Jeff has a spreadsheet of when he last changed the batteries in his cameras render him more attractive?

what is the most important thing a photographer should know about working with models?

is it different working with a female photographer?

working with Irving Penn and why P always calls him “Mister”

Bill King

the one photographer she wishes she’d had a chance to work with: Helmut Newton

the resurgence of 35mm point-and-shoots in fashion photography, e.g. Marie Tomanova’s shoot for Czech Vogue

can you get a good shot of a model by being mean to her?

what’s it like shooting with your boyfriend, former photographer of plants and buildings?

the portrait by Jeff that P loves

her Top 5 photographers she enjoyed working with:

Mr. Penn

Arthur Elgort (author of Camera Ready and Camera Crazy)

Patrick Demarchelier

Marcus Bard

Marco Glaviano

what’s it like being constantly confronted with images of your younger self? do you have a favorite?

It’s an xlent xlerated xtralarge xtravaganza as Gabe and Jeff hack and slash their way to the bottom of the Prodigious Mailbag™, which features a slew of emails penned by celebrities under the pseudonym “Alan Peres.” Also discussed: cameras of ’55, cameras of ’24, Dune 2, SB2, SL3, FP4, HP5, Number Six and Zippora Seven! Tune in as we run the numbers!

Cameras in Focus 1955:

Olympus Wide

Rolleiflex 2.8D

the Nikon SP was in development (which prompts a reprise of Jeff’s astonishing SP acquisition story)

Pentaflex

Graflex Stereo Graphic

a 1955 survey of 35mm cameras by price range

Jeff briefly acquired an Asahi Pentax SB2, rare variant of the H3/S3 sold only on Japanese military bases… but it was broken, so back it went

Gabe launches the Under $40 Camera Challenge!

The soon-come Pentax film compact camera will be a half-frame model with zone focusing

For the third straight time, Leica reports record revenue, plus the new SL3 is out

Gabe rhapsodizes about the monstrous Gowlandflex

Dave Tada picked Gabe up a coveted Nikkor 28mm f2.8…

…but he still yearns for an ugly black Nikon F

Dune 2 was shot on a $50 Helios-44!

Nikon is buying RED

Jeff watched the great Yu Tsai in action at the Sports Illustrated swimsuit issue 60th anniversary shoot in Fort Lauderdale

We go XL to empty out the Prodigious Mailbag™ 

Our IDOC Discord channel is hoppin’! Join us!

“Pablo Larraín, the film’s Chilean director, felt [Jackie] Kennedy’s love of beauty was so integral to her character that he requested [Natalie] Portman utter ‘I love beauty’ at some point during the shooting of every scene.” This is absurd, but not as absurd as Episode № 67 of I Dream of Cameras, “Your Extra Time and Your Kiss,” in which we discuss cameras called Beauty and Kiss and Super. Tune in for all the mayhem!

Jeff made yet another math error! 64 is 2 to the fifth

Gabe presents… Cameras in Focus, 1956:

Canon VT

Pentacon FB / Contax FB

Mamiyaflex Automat BII

Beauty 35 Super(“I love beauty”)

Beier Precisa IIA

Bolta Photavit 36

Duplex Super 120

Flexora III

Kodak Signet 40

original Leica MP

Jeff snagged a Canon EOS New Kiss Panorama (a.k.a. Rebel G, a.k.a. Rebel 500N) for $14.50 and gave it to his brother Steven

After much equivocation, and after handling the lens at B&H, he concluded he does not need the extravagantly-priced 30mm for the Hasselblad XPan

Gabe did an all-film photo shoot with Claire Hinkley during the recent L.A. monsoon

Also shot Kylie Silkman and her sister Danica with the stunning Helios-44 lens

Jason Schneider's books on camera collecting are amazing

Perplexity.ai is a useful tool for camera comparisons

We will try to chat with y’all on Discord - check the #idoc-podcast channel under Sunny 16

Don Goldberg at DAG helped Gabe fix the broken strap guard on his Leica M6 TTL

And finally, a deep dive into our Prodigious Mailbag™!

It’s a voyage to the bottom of the Prodigious Mailbag™ on our Smash Hit Podcast™, but before that there’s talk of the year in photography 1957, the revived Southern California camera show, Jeff’s trip to the Caribbean with a sexy Swede and also his girlfriend, eBay execs sending pig fetuses to their critics, and so much more!

Jeff made yet another major math error! 64 is 2 cubed

Sorry, but Parenting Hell is not a smash hit podcast

Gabe presents The Year in Focus 1957:

Nikon SP

Ilford Sportsman

Hasselblad 500C

Kodak Retina Reflex

Concava Tessina watch camera TLR

Leica M2 (for real) which when new went for $276, or $2,884.37 in today’s dollars

Arsenal Salyut

Asahi came out with the original Pentax

Olympus Wide E

Gabe went to the new Huntington Park camera show (very exciting) and nearly bought a Contax T

Jeff visited 5R Photo Lab in New York and met proprietor Alec

A trip to St. Barth’s, French West Indies occasioned the return of the XPan, and a love affair was reignited

Jeff shot with both Portra 400 and 160… and liked 160 better!

Gabe visited Jeff and P in NYC, went to B&H Photo, bought nothing…

…but then ordered an Exa 1B and a Helios-44 lens

Mint unveiled their coming-soon Rollei 35AF — apparently anyone can license the name “Rollei” for a buck fifty — but who needs this thing?

A bunch of eBay execs were creepy criminals

Jeff got a cool Minox film slitter from camerhack.it

Check out RitchieCam, a camera app for iPhone with an XPan emulation mode

A dive so deep into our Prodigious Mailbag™ that it requires a bathyscaphe

Gabe wants to hear about online photography websites you love - blogs, magazines, whatever

You want more and you want it fast? Tune in to Episode № 65 of I Dream of Cameras, “Rebel Rebel,” in which Gabe and Jeff wax rhapsodic about the trash-table treasure Canon EOS Rebel 2000. How did this grubby chunk of plastic capture the hearts of two men devoted to the cult of Leica? Pluck this pod and find out! Also, we call out great cameras NOT from the big-name brands, recount recent shooting adventures, and take a shallow dip into the deep and prodigious mailbag!

Jeff made a major math error! 64 is 2^8

Cameras of ’58:

Nikon S3

Leica M2

Rolleiflex T

Minolta SR-2

Mamiya Elca (and from ’59, the fascinating square-format Mamiya Sketch)

Ricoh 519

Zeiss Ikon Ikonette

And now, the long-promised Minority Report (great cameras not from the big-name brands)

Alpa 11si (of course)

Pentacon Six

Petri Color 35

Plaubel Makina 67 (Gabe’s gonna get one!)

Rectaflex

Balda Baldaxette II

Voigtländer Vitessa L

Widelux

The trash-table Canon EOS Rebel 2000 is dirt cheap and packed with features — we both love ours!

There’s also an even-cheaper EOS Kiss Panorama with a stupid panorama switch!

The 40mm f2.8 pancake lens is delightful

Check out Casual Photophile's impassioned defense of “Dorky AF” SLRs of the late ‘90s

Gabe’s been shooting portraits (?!) with Leica’s 28mm Elmarit

And finally, a dip into our Prodigious Mailbag™ 

The big news in Episode № 64 of I Dream of Cameras is the release of Harman Phoenix, a brand-new experimental color film from the company we insist on calling Ilford ‘cause they didn’t give us free stuff. Also covered: notable cameras of 1959; fun with Lomochrome Turquoise; Gabe’s recent five-camera all-film photo shoot; the growing cult of the Minolta P’s; last-minute holiday gift ideas; and tons of blowback in the Prodigious Mailbag!

Cameras of 1959:

Leica M1

Minolta SR-1

Tele-Rolleiflex

debut of the Nikon F

the original one-lug Olympus Pen (made not by Olympus, but Sanko Shoji)

Asahi Pentax S2 / H2

Zeiss Ikon Contaflex Super

The Russian Mir (a simplified Zorki 4)

Gabe went to The Darkroom for the exciting debut of Harman Phoenix, a brand-new film from a company we insist on calling Ilford ‘cause they didn’t give us free stuff

Labs working with this film are running smack into The Scannenberg Uncertainty Principle

Jeff had a blast shooting Lomochrome Turquoise with his rare and exotic Mamiya/Sekor 2000 DTL

Meanwhile, Gabe’s been shooting with his cheap ’n’ cheerful Canon Rebel 2000 + 40mm f2.8 pancake lens — the results blew him away!

He also recently did an all-film shoot with the Contax 645, Rolleiflex 2.8E2, Yashica T4, Leica M6… and Minolta P’s! P's Mania rolls on! 

Directing NBC’s new sitcom Extended Family, Jeff did some set photography with his beloved Olympus Pen EE-3. 78 shots on a roll!

Holiday gift ideas! Jeff recently acquired some excellent photo books:

Apollo VII - XVII

Hasselblad - The Camera System 50 Years 1948-1998

New York in Photobooks

Why not our new Alan Daly t-shirt, or something else from our burgeoning merch page?

Or Rachel's Brewster-Wright’s Ultimate Film & Darkroom Workbook

A dip into our Prodigious Mailbag™, featuring:

More Vivian Maier blowback from our 50th episode - as revenge, Viv will be getting a one-woman show at Fotografiska New York in May 2024

An excellent photo club, The Slow Camera Exchange

A wonderful 1942 article from The Atlantic, The Dream Camera

It’s our third anniversary episode, featuring celebrations galore and talk of cameras past, present and future. Plus the return of our Prodigious Mailbag™, featuring NO PRAISE! Tune in for all the merriment!

Cameras of 1960:

Nikkorex 35

Nikon S3M

the original Canonflex

Pentax Spotmatic shown at Photokina

Rolleiflex 2.8F

Rolleiflex Rollei Magic

Zeiss Contarex Special

Yashica 35M

Leica R5

Gabe and Jeff got great birthday gifts!

the original Kodak Instamatic

Kodak Retina IIIC

Lego Rolleiflex

Leica IXMOO

A golden Minolta P’s

Gabe’s been trawling eBay for early LIFE magazines

Please tell Jeff he doesn’t need a Nicca IIIL

He’s also fascinated by the ridiculous Contax Preview

Gabe’s got some shoots coming up, and plans to use:

Contax 645

Minolta P’s

and the super-cheap Canon Rebel 2000 with the 40mm pancake

Jeff’s quasi-repaired Pentax ES II is cursed… never again!

…but he’s loving his rare and delightful Mamiya/Sekor 2000 DTL

…and will soon be shooting on set with his beloved Olympus Pen EE-3

A deep dive into our Prodigious Mailbag™ 

and finally: Gabe throws out the Under $95 Camera Challenge!

Gabe goes to a celebrity wedding; Jeff appears in Vogue Portugal. Gabe has a birthday; Jeff has a breakdown. And all the while, they scour the globe in search of the world’s finest vintage camera shops. Tune in for pulled pork and wienerschnitzel and much, much more!

Cameras of ’61:

Olympus Pen EE

Canon 7

Rolleiflex wide-angle

Pentax H1/S1

A vintage Hasselblad 500c ad: What could possibly make a camera worth $550?

Gabe had a birthday and received a photo-themed gift: Life Magazine and the Power of Photography, featuring his beloved Gordon Parks

Our corporate retreat in Austin, Texas featured visits to The Camera Exchange and Austin Camera, followed by BBQ at Rollin’ Smoke, where you get a free beer with your tip

Gabe’s verdict on the Nikon 28Ti: he agrees it’s boring and prefers the Yashica T4!

Jeff’s Pentax ES II mega-saga: if your stuff gets damaged by UPS, submit a claim! As for Electro Spotmatics of all sorts, never again!

The new I'm Back digital insert for 35mm cameras is larger than it appears - would you do it?

We were gifted a complete set of Atlanta Film Co. films from Bill Manning

Jeff returned to Vienna, which is vintage camera heaven! Notable stops included Camera 31, Westlicht, Jo Geier, United Camera and the astounding Photo Börse

More security hassles in Frankfurt - next time, lie about your ISO!

Gabe’s been shooting with his Rolleiflex and Leica M6

Jeff spent some time with Leica photographer Pat Domingo

Also a shout-out to Branislav Simoncik, who shot P for Vogue Portugal

Starting with Episode 17, the subtitles on the episode page at idreamofcameras.com became delightfully obscure references, yet nobody ever mentions them. Y’all paying attention?

A rare treat: IDOC № 61 is dedicated to you, our legions of devoted listeners. In this XL episode, we take a deep, deep dive into our Prodigious Mailbag™, which as of recording ran 46 emails deep. Tune in as Gabe and Jeff respond to inquiries, sympathies, clapbacks and condemnations. It’s sixty-wonderful!

Cameras of ’62:

Minolta Hi-Matic

Nikon F Photomic

Hasselblad 500C in space! Wally Schirra aboard Mercury 8

Canonflex RM

Pentax SV

Miranda DR

Fujicarex

Ricoh Singlex

After we revealed our eBay watch lists, people did indeed skunk us! The mint Minolta P’s, the bulk roll of Panatomic-X, the rare Pentax SB2, the Alpa 10d half-frame and one of the two Nicca IIILs are all gone!

and for the remainder of the episode, a deep dive into our Far Beyond Prodigious Mailbag!

In Episode № 60 of I Dream of Cameras, Gabe and Jeff stun the photography world by boldly revealing the contents of their fiercely guarded eBay watch lists. That’s right — you could go on the ‘Bay right now and steal their Precious right out from under them! What are the white whales and black beauties they’ve been eyeing hungrily? And which would they choose if a magical djinn offered them just one? Cross your arms and blink to find out now!

Cameras of 1963:

the original Kodak Instamatic

the original gothic Olympus Pen F

Canon Demi

Polaroid Polacolor film for Land cameras

Gabe promised a purge! there was no purge

Which cameras did Jeff bring to New York in anticipation of a month of travel?

Jeff’s Pentax ES II misadventure

Gabe shot with the Nikon 28Ti, verdict to come

Gabe’s take on the new Polaroid I-2

Jeff and Gabe boldly reveal the contents of their eBay watch lists — feel free to skunk us!

If a magical genie offered you one thing from your watch list, what would you pick?

The Prodigious Mailbag™ will be the bulk of our next episode, so please write to us at eye dream of cam rahs at gee male dot calm

Gabe recommends an excellent YouTube series: Wrong Side of the Lens

Fred Coury’s beloved Amy Motta is a Canon film shooter now

Don’t praise us in an email — leave us a review on iTunes!

“So no one told you life was gonna be this way / Your Nikon’s in the shop, your XPan’s D.O.A....” Join Jeff and Gabe in Noo Yawk Cit-tay for a very special episode, featuring a schmear and a Dr. Brown’s and the most underrated Canon SLR of the modern era. We’ll be there for you!

Cameras of 1964:

the O.G. Leicaflex

the elusive Canon FX

the wildly undervalued Pentax SV

the freakish Nikkorex Auto 35

the large and unwieldy Koni-Omega Rapid

Gabe’s NYC photo walk with the great Sissi Lu

The team’s visit to B&H Photo (and Russ & Daughters) with Chris Chu

Jeff bought a Canon F-1 Lake Placid Olympics edition, the only classic-era Canon SLR he’s never owned

Comparing the XPan with the Minolta P’s: field of view and aspect ratio are quite similar!

Another roll-the-dice segment! Adapting this lens for that camera, and the worst camera we’ve ever used — fight us!

Plus a dip halfway down our prodigious mailbag!

There's fever in the funkhouse now for Episode № 58 of I Dream of Cameras, in which we introduce a startling new segment: we ROLL THE DICE to choose from a bumper crop of listener-suggested topics. Tune in ‘cause the deuce is still wild!

Cameras of 1965:

Leicaflex MK2

Minolta Autopak 700

Hasselblad EL/M

Olympus Pen EM

Nikkormat FT

and something else that came out in 1965

Jeff saw the Terry O’Neill show at Fotografiska…

…went to Overland Photo Supply in Overland Park, Kansas…

…and bought a Pentax Spotmatic F for cheap! you K1000 devotees are crazy!

Gabe did a nighttime photo shoot at Mel’s Diner on Sunset with his beloved Nikon D700, experimenting with flash

Jeff got the first roll back from his Minolta P’s, and likes the results… though he misses having backlight compensation

Recommended documentary: All the Beauty and the Bloodshed, about photographer Nan Goldin, streaming on Kanopy (free with your public library card)

It’s been a year — how’s Polaroid Music going?

A new segment where we roll the dice and pull from our list of undiscussed topics!

Celebs with film cameras

Our oddest cameras:

Contarex Bullseye

Voigtländer Vitessa L

Alpa 11si

Werra

Minox

Nikonos

Pentax Auto 110

Ricoh Mirai Zoom

Minolta 110 Zoom

Scale-focus cameras - Gabe can’t stand them!

the prodigious mailbag!

and finally: Chloe Kissner has a photography business, and her mom is buying a film camera

In Episode № 57 of I Dream of Cameras, we mind our P’s — Minolta’s little-known pocket XPan killer — and Q’s — diving into a particularly prodigious mailbag. Also, Gabe’s gone digicam kray-zee, and Jeff’s still obsessed with that Nikon Year of the Dog camera. Tune in for all the chitter-chatter!

Cameras of 1966:

The troublesome but alluring Rolleiflex SL66

The unreleased yet tantalizing Pentax 220

The well-named Petri Racer

Gabe’s recent acquisitions — he’s a digicam hipster!

Nikon Coolpix S1000pj with built-in projector

Nikon D700

Nikon Coolpix P7000

Jeff’s thoroughly besotted with the delightful panoramic point-and-shoot Minolta P's — it leaves the tab out when rewinding! And it comes in four other colors, red, blue, green and black — does he need 'em?

Olympus Stylus, mirrored chrome edition — are these special finishes worth the premium?

Revisiting the Nikon FM2/T Year of the Dog camera — the price continues to plummet, but the dog looks like the dogecoin Shiba Inu, so does that ruin it?

Gabe’s recent use of the Leica M6 on the WGA picket line reminded him how nice it is to use a lighter, less bulky camera

eBay annoyances, suspicious sellers…

and our super-prodigious mailbag!

“On Wednesday evening, at the start of the opera in the St. Margarethen quarry, the unbelievable happened: Carmen survived.” And this is just the start of Episode № 56 of I Dream of Cameras, which features a harrowing escape from certain death, an enigmatic Central European supermodel, exotic cameras from East Germany and Czechoslovakia, and Jeff Bridges! Tune in for all the intrigue.

On the final night of his Central European trip, Jeff was almost killed at an outdoor performance of Carmen

Cameras of 1967:

Olympus Trip 35

Hanimex Praktica Novo I B

Zenit E

More on Jeff’s recent observation of fashion shoots, including two different professionals’ use of the Olympus Stylus

Look for many behind-the-scenes XPan shots on Jeff’s Instagram

Gabe finally found his long-lost Leica R6.2… he’d sold it to LA Film Camera!

Our composer Fred Coury went to an LA Photography Club meetup and got hooked

The Argus C3 is terrible — fight us on this!

On Alan Peres's recommendation, Jeff visited FotoŠkoda in Prague and it was incredible

Picked up a Zeiss Pentacon FM and a Carl Zeiss Jena 35mm f2.4 Flektogon lens

In Český Krumlov, Jeff visited the fascinating Museum Fotoatelier Seidel…

…and found a Czech-made Meopta Stereo-Mikroma at a local antique store

Gabe got a black Olympus OM-2…

…and a Nikon D700…

…and is seeking a waist-level finder for his Contax 645

The challenges of shooting film abroad: do you wrestle with unsympathetic airport security personnel? Ship your film home and risk it getting x-rayed along the way? Process it locally? After equivocating for days, Jeff rolled the dice and took 18 rolls to the lab at FotoŠkoda… and it was a smashing success!

Also: Portra 400 is totally worth it, and the XPan is a great travel camera

Exciting news: a new Widelux is inbound from Jeff and Susan Bridges and the team at Silvergrain Classics

While the Widelux has a 126° field of view, the XPan with 45mm lens covers 71° — is that panoramic?

What do we think of the Minolta P’s and other “fake” panoramic 35mm cameras which merely mask the frame?

Finally, a dip into our prodigious mailbag!