Camera reviews have always been a feature of this blog, which is going on 16 years old now. In the blog’s early days I loved to collect cameras more than I enjoyed photography. Now it’s the other way around. But I still enjoy experiencing how a new-to-me old camera feels in my hands, and seeing the kinds of images it produces.
Here are all of the cameras I reviewed in 2022. Click a camera’s name to read its review.
Fujifilm Instax Square SQ6. I’ve always been drawn to instant photography. I’ve tried all manner of Polaroid cameras over the years, but until this camera I’d never tried a camera in Fujifilm’s extremely popular Instax series. This is a fun camera to use! The image quality is so-so, though.
Minolta Maxxum 5. You can hardly find a more enjoyable auto-everything 35mm SLR. This small and light camera can be used as a point-and-shoot, but also has a reasonable selection of modes that give you more control.
Kodak Retina Ia. This was one of my earliest reviews, and I significantly updated it and republished it. This all-manual camera has a terrific lens but a frustratingly tiny viewfinder.
Pentax ME SE. This is the same camera as the Pentax ME with a couple of minor tweaks. This is an aperture-priority manual-focus 35mm SLR that’s small and relatively light. I love the ME, so of course I was going to love the ME SE.
Reto Ultra Wide and Slim. This small all-plastic 35mm point-and-shoot camera was The Hotness early this year, and I jumped on the bandwagon. It performs surprisingly well for what it is.
Ansco Viking Readyset. This 1950s folding camera for 120 film has basic specifications and a good enough lens for the snapshots it was meant to take.
Yashica-D. With the release of my book, Square Photographs, which collects images made with my Yashica TLRs, I updated my review of this camera. I’ve used it a lot since I first reviewed it and was able to bring more information and nuance to the review. This camera for 120 film does lovely work. You can buy Yashica TLRs with better features, but the Yashica-D delivers a lot of bang for the buck.
Nikon Coolpix 950. This 2.11-megapixel digital camera from 1999 was one of the first digitals with image quality that could replace 35mm film, at least for non-pro photographers.
Pentax Spotmatic SP II. This 35mm SLR from 1971 improved on the original 1964 Spotmatic in a few ways, but otherwise worked just the same. These are terrific all-mechanical SLRs.
Kodak EasyShare Z730. This point-and-shoot digital camera from about 2005 was very good for its day. I still get it out sometimes because of the wonderful color it delivers. It’s still a passable camera today, when you use it in good light.
If you like old film cameras, check out all of my reviews here!
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