This builder of retro film cameras says digital cameras are too easy, and no fun

[Pieter]

https://pdnonline.com/gear/film/this-builder-of-retro-film-cameras-says-digital-cameras-are-too-easy-and-no-fun/

[goamules]

So? It's like saying "modern motorcycles are no fun....sandy beaches are no fun....artificial Christmas trees are no fun." Subjective opinions that should be meaningless to most people.

[Oren Grad]

It's just John Minnicks and his modified Graflexes. They're wonderful cameras, but the "look how exotic this is!" hype is silly. And no slight to Minnicks, who's doing good work, but in this telling there's a fair bit of confusion between "building" and "rebuilding".

[Audii-Dudii]

It's just John Minnicks and his modified Graflexes. They're wonderful cameras, but the "look how exotic this is!" hype is silly. And no slight to Minnicks, who's doing good work, but in this telling there's a fair bit of confusion between "building" and "rebuilding".

As a camera modifier / rebuilder of sorts myself, I agree with Oren: There's a HUGE difference between starting with a camera that already exists and making changes to it and starting with a pile of raw materials and an idea.

I've become reasonably competent doing the former, but almost certainly will be hopeless at the latter. <shrug>

[ic-racer]

The obvious answer is to check for vignetting at the taking aperture;

Link does not work for me. What is it about?

I'm not so keen on retro and vintage film equipment. I have enough trouble keeping the most modern designed and built film equipment working to my satisfaction.

[LabRat]

It's just John Minnicks and his modified Graflexes. They're wonderful cameras, but the "look how exotic this is!" hype is silly. And no slight to Minnicks, who's doing good work, but in this telling there's a fair bit of confusion between "building" and "rebuilding".

As a writer should be concerned with crafting narratives and imagery , but less so about how "cool" their typewriter looks...

Steve K

[Oren Grad]

Link does not work for me. What is it about?

It's about this:

https://johnminnicks.com/

Note to those who haven't visited his website for a while - it's just undergone a major overhaul.

[Greg]

Last year bought a P-90/2 lensless camera (120 panoramic pinhole) from the Mottweiler Studio.
https://mottweilerstudio.ecwid.com/P-90-2-medium-format-lensless-camera-p83484143
Totally 100% hand made by Kurt Mottweiler. At first was taken aback by the price, but I have always wanted one so went for it. The camera is a work of art and just a pleasure to use. Over the years I have constructed several pinhole cameras up to 11x14. My father was a carpenter and I did inherit a lot of his skills, but my cameras aren't even in the same league as the cameras Kurt makes.
Greg

[Pieter]

My take away is that digital cameras make it easy to take a technically excellent photograph. Part of the enjoyment of photography (for me at least) is my participation in the process, from choosing the film, lens, settings, focus, and point of view, through processing and printing the image. And all the decisions made along the way. Although you can do most of that with a digital camera, the temptation is to take advantage of all the automation--and I realize there are film cameras that are (almost) as automated as current digital cameras. Shooting a manual film camera just seems more challenging and more worthwhile. An illusion, but I feel more ownership of the image that way.

[EdSawyer]

minnicks does nice work, as he should considering the high prices ($5-6k). You can DIY one of these yourself for far less. I've built 2, both for well under $600-1k including all parts, etc.