I've been involved in photography for more than 40 years but your history video tought me things I never knew. Thank you!

It’s almost silly how undervalued this channel/video series is! No other channel on KZfaq covers the history of cameras in a way that’s concise, easy to digest, and packed full of useful information!

The bbc level of youtube content. I love this channel and your clear professional approach.

this is turning into a binge watch. onto No 3!

Thank you, genuinely wish it had been longer 😊👍😊

Love this series, thank you for making these videos. Growing up in the 70's & 80's, I am very familiar with the point and shoot / disposable cameras. Brings back a lot of family memories.

Glad to see you have a Zenit :o) But please change the prism foam, if it has not already damaged the prism, it will very shortly. The foam degrades then destroys the prism silvering. It starts by looking like a crack in the prism, then rapidly turns it all a horrible smudgy orange. Olympus also have a similar issue. Removing the top of the camera is easy, but there is a little trick to hold the winding spring in place before removing the top, else it unwinds and is a pain to re-tension.

Before I watch the video through , had to say what pleasure it is to view your efforts and also give credit earlier design and manufacturing of film equipment. We are so spoilt for ease of use today and instant gratification that the level of competency , and sheer engineering genius of yesteryear is completely ignored. Thanks for bringing to light the pioneering designs and changes prior to the 1960's and 1970's.

Dear Subscribers, viewers and friends. This video is far longer than I first intended. The more content I included, the more I feared I was missing critical points. (More is less?). I thought about splitting it up into bits. But I’ve decided to post the whole video...with these links to specific sections: 00:00 Introduction 02:24 Film formats 04:36 Folding/bellows cameras 09:04 Reflex cameras (Single and Twin) 12:53 Rangefinders/35mm cameras 16:44 Modern SLR cameras (I) 21:00 Development of lenses 25:46 Modern SLR cameras (II) 27:10 Point and shoot cameras 31:41 Conclusions And here's a like to PART 1: The Earliest Plate and Film Cameras to 1930: studio.kzfaq.infolT5W...

I'm glad you made this video. I found it very interesting. Long videos are not a problem! Keep them coming👍

One camera to note that still used a leaf shutter in an SLR was Zeiss' own Contaflex. One benefit to a leaf shutter back then, these days especially, is the fact that they can sync with flash at any speed. For flash bulbs you do lose some light from using faster shutter speeds, just under half brighteness by 1/500th for fast M-5 bulbs. With a focal plane shutter you'd only get part of your frame exposed properly as it scans from top to bottom. For electronic flashes you get all the light within 1/10,000th of a second, so you can take fill-flash photos in broad daylight without overexposing it by using faster leaf shutter speeds.

Hi Simon, Excellent presentation as always. Really enjoyed Part 2 - as I owned some of the cameras from this timeframe. My father had a Zeiss Contaflex. I also seem to recall using a box Brownie at some stage, as can remember the ruby window on the back. The 126 Instamatic made me smile. I'd forgotten that I had this camera as a child. As well as a Polaroid. That was the coolest thing back in the day. My Pentax ME Super and MX were a big part of my life. I've just recently repurchased them as well as an early Auto-Takumar 55mm f2. So it was interesting to see the original Pentax 'AP' camera.

I really enjoyed that. Thank you.

I love your videos on photography. You present so well and the videos are very professional. Well done!

Very interesting serie here. Congratulations for your researches and this fantastic summary. Good job indeed.

Thanks for great recapitulation how cameras evolved. I still have my first 35mm Exacta Varex IIa, model with pentaprism viewfinder and light meter.

Thank you for sharing

yeahhhhhhhhhh, my fav series :D

I liked the video! I was long, but it was well done. Always nice to learn about a camera I've never heard of.

As a young kid my grandfather supplied me with lots of fantastic cameras. The Rolleflex 2.8 TLR was a favorite. I got to the point that I found no problem dealing with a hand light meter with all my cameras. I still use a meter to this day though the current version is an upgrade. Another favorite was the original Voigtländer Bessa. Regrettably I no longer have the original old equipment.

Thank you for sharing. I love well made machinery.

There is no way I'm gonna watch a "long" history video...... yet I watched Part 1 and immediately started Part 2. 32 minutes? No way I'm watching this "longer" one! But 33 minutes later I am asking, Is part 3 uploaded yet? As a camera lover, tinkerer and historian, I am really enjoying this. Currently testing a 1954 Asahiflex that I just restored.

Nice video. At 30+ mins I thought that it would be too long, but the time flew by...

What an amazing documentary ; thank you !!

Thank you!

I’m of similar mind, being a student of Photographies History I also want to learn by doing it all. So I collect cameras to use them and learn their quirks and individual contributions to history.

Excellent job on the history of cameras. I am a big Pentax fan as well. I own many of the Tak.K, M, A and FA lenses. I do own a few of the pre Spotmatics but never managed to buy the first generation Pentax SLR(s). Your copies look nice. Thanks!

Love my Pentax SV, and M42 lens collection.

The history of cameras from camera obscura to the latest full frame mirror less and cellphones. Remarkable. You have managed to pack all the significant developments into a concise three part package better than any I've seen before. What a great way to spend a Sunday morning. Thank you for your hard work. I learned a lot and enjoyed the journey immensely.

I didn't think it was too long. Especially as you did give Pentax a shout out for their early innovations. Pentax are much under rated today. Now in my 80's and having been introduced to photography at 6or7 by helping an uncle glace contact prints on the kitchen table I grew up in a family of photographers and have seen and sometimes used/owned many of these machines, i twas a trip down memory lane. As well as several Pentax models I still have, and sometimes use my praktica FX2 I am also fortunate To have a working Premier No1 ( circa 1860) with a Thornton Pickard Blind shutter. I have made some adapters so I can take 4x5 and 6x13 vertical (long live large format film) One point if I may; most of the Russian cameras you mention were not Russian but Ukrainian, hence Soviet. I know its a minor point,but credit where its due. Keep up he good work

I have a duaflex camera as well! It is incredibly simple, but it seems to work well. I still haven’t taken many pictures with it (I have only taken 1 picture), but I hope to be able to enjoy it.

When the Russian Copied the Leica 39mm x 26 TPI (Threads Per Inch) Len Mount, they made it 39mm by 1.0mm Lead. The Problem is, 26 TPI equals a Thread Lead of 0.9769mm, that’s a discrepancy of 0.0231mm per turn.

I love these videos, my family was always camera shy even though my mom was beautiful, she hated having her picture taken, as if they were prying her privacy, it's funny how photo taking has changed, anyway this is very interesting, I've always been a photographer wanna be but never followed up on my desire. Thank you for great content.

Btw, the red dot was originally used and patented by Zeiss Ikon. You will not see any red dot on a prewar Leica. Contax II is from 1936, shutter is quite reliable, first model had issues in the first three years, then the shutter was redesigned. I think what also should be mentioned is, how much two WW had impact on camera and lens design, only to mention the change from handcraft to mass production in the 1930’s in Germany, rangefinder and faster shutter designs, low light lenses, portable bodies etc. Early normal Takumars for the Pentax are I believe, double Gaussian, i.e. Planar-type lenses. Sonnars were for rangefinders, as the mirror did not allow the lens to sit as close to the focal plane shutter in an slr. But anyway, thanks for putting up so much valuable information!

You've got brilliant diction.

Love the longer format. The time flew by. Just one question Simon - what's a utak???

Very interesting and informative video, thank you. You asked for any corrections; Rollei rather than Rollie.

@Simon , thank you so much. I have a question to you: I understand that, cameras gets popular/ purchased for its features like lens collection, camera controls, inbuilt light meters, usability etc. When it comes to digital, there is a parameter called 'colour science' .. but with film camera, what matters the most is only the film. Bcoz, quality of exposure is not dependent on the camera, but on the film! Right? Then why were some (film) cameras more popular than others? Can you please share your thoughts?

Do you think you could go over best M42 camera bodies? I recently picked up a AE-1 and a new 50mm 1.2 lens, but it would be cool to get some interesting 42 lenses. Also my 50mm 1.2 has what look like scratches where the aperture blades interact. It still works but I have not seen that before and wondering if this means that things are coming into contact when they shouldn't.

I miss my Minox 35 and my Minolta Hi-Matic but I still use a Rollei 35 and a Mamiya C-330

I thought the TLR was a thing that started in the late 20's, not 50 years earlier. Shows how much I know lol

Where do I can find part 3? Verry nice stories part 1 and 2.

I have a Polaroid Land camera still in the original box with the manual, also a couple of 65 years old Zeiss 35 mm one a SLR all I have owned from new.

I purchased the Nikon Fm2n ..as it had the fastest flash syn at that time at 250 th ..I was a photog ...in the Med and Carribean..and needed flash in bright light

One point I would have liked to have a little info included was the fact (I have read) that Kodak was one of the heaviest users of radioactive glass in their line of point and shoot cameras. In SLR lenses, this info seems more readily available, but seems obscured from the discussion. I’ve always been curious just how prevalent radioactive glass was used in something so causally used in our lives.

Have you seen the new family of disposable but reloadable 35mm cameras. All have to be made by same company but use different camera company names. I purchased an Agfa mode because it came in a coffee color. $35 US. And I have an Agfa Isolette II. I the Isolette.

Hello Simon , can we spect a video on angular lens on m42 mount ?

Is there a part 3 already? :)

The speed graphic camera had a shutter in the lens not a focal plane. You had to cock the shutter for each shot. It also had manual f stop adjustment.

I think the fashionista of cameras worth a mention ...the Studebaker design of cars and coca cola ...the Anscoflex II ..not expensive ..

I know this might sound silly but could the leica 1 take kodachrome pictures at the time?

When are you going to upload part 3?

Pentax LX : )

@19:30 „Ikophot ist mausetot…“ Because of the by now degrading selenium cell, you'd better use a proper light meter today with your brand-new (no joke!) _Ica Icarette 488_ from 1926 - as I do ;-)

Strange thing at 21:31 Many different lenses but the focal lengths are missing...

Wait... POLAROID named a camera SWINGER?!?? 'Guess they knew their market...

127 only lasted into the 60s? I was still using it well into the 90s!!!!!!