Journal.

March 2024

8 min read

Why the Leica M3 is still the best camera ever made

I've been saying this for fifteen years and I'm still saying it. The M3 viewfinder is the best optical viewfinder ever put in a 35mm camera. The shutter is quiet. The build quality is extraordinary. Nothing made since has improved on it in any meaningful way.

January 2024

10 min read

What a CLA actually involves

Most people who shoot film have heard the term CLA. Fewer know what it actually means. Here's what happens when a camera comes in for service, from the initial inspection to the final shutter speed verification.

November 2023

6 min read

Shooting Cinestill 800T in Florida at night

Cinestill 800T in Florida at night is a specific combination that produces results I haven't been able to replicate with any other film. The tungsten balance, the halation, the grain. Tampa at 11pm on a Tuesday looks like a different city.

September 2023

7 min read

Buying vintage cameras on eBay without getting burned

I've bought hundreds of cameras on eBay over twenty years. I've been burned a few times. Here's what I've learned about reading descriptions, asking the right questions, and knowing when to walk away.

July 2023

9 min read

Switching to medium format for Florida landscapes

I shot 35mm exclusively for the first eight years. Then I bought a Hasselblad 500C/M and shot a roll of Portra 400 in the Everglades. The difference in the negative was not subtle. I've been shooting medium format for Florida landscapes ever since.