December 18th 2022

 Three Other Cameras of 2022

A preview of whats to come

This year, an idea of a different type of article was thrown out to a group of us film photography writers by Stephen Dowling of Kosmo Foto. A collaboration of us all writing similar articles based on three cameras we discovered in 2022 that really stuck out to us. A multitude of excellent writers and websites will be linked below, be sure to check them out!

When I’m not working on a camera article or series retrospective, I tend to gravitate to a handful of other cameras. Ones I’ve already talked about, some that have already been extensively covered, and a few old favorites. I used a fair bit of cameras this year, and narrowing it down was not easy, but these are the three I have yet to talk about and have garnered my attention the most this last year.

The Nikon N8008s

This is the camera I probably have run and will continue to run the most amount of film through, but not for the reason you may suspect. A few years ago I wrote about the Nikon N2020, being the camera I use to take pictures for the site. That camera was retired shortly there after in favor of the best of the N-thousand series, the N8008s.

I probably have run a hundred or so rolls through this camera, using film to take all pictures of the cameras for the site. I know that I’m the odd one out in this regard, but it has helped me drastically improve my macro, compositional, and developing skills with film. The N8008s is not only the ‘studio’ camera but also a benchmark I use for testing out expired film and different techniques. The meter in all of its various modes is one of the most accurate I’ve run across, and the ability to use a large variety of vintage Nikon glass is invaluable.

I really enjoy using this camera. After the past three years, I’ve come to know the camera so well that I do not even have to look away from the viewfinder to select certain functions. The camera is inexpensive for now, made extremely well, and one I will continue to use for a very long time. This last year, I really started to take the N8008s out more, and it inspired me to dive deeper into the N-thousand series and work on a few articles. The Nikon N8008s comes highly recommended.

The Minolta Maxxum 9000

This would probably be up there for one of the cameras I have owned the longest. I have a handful of AF SLR cameras, and the Maxxum 9000 is up there for one of the most advanced of the group. A well thought out and solid camera, but certainly not the fastest focusing. My particular model is a bit rough, and I recently had to fix the aperture mechanism on the body, but its working flawlessly as of late.

As time goes by, this camera falls in and out of favor with me year to year, but this summer I took the camera out with me and really enjoyed using it. I have never used a mirror lens before, or done any fast action photography, but the Maxxum 9000 worked extraordinarily well. I had to manage the focus, but in the ever changing light conditions on an overcast day, it made for a good workout for the camera’s meter. It was unbelievably hot and humid that day as well, and the camera worked without fault.

It’s slower than other Maxxum cameras by a large margin, but the great controls, high build quality, manual winding, and solid feel really make for a great time. I’m slowly upgrading my AF Minolta gear as well, getting some staple lenses and even a motor drive for the 9000. This camera is one of my favorites, but may not necessarily be for everyone. There are arguably better cameras in the Maxxum line, but the 9000 has something that I feel most people will connect with.

The Pentax PC35AF

Over the last year, I found one of my favorite cameras using it on a recent vacation. The Pentax PC35AF is an incredible camera, and such a pleasant surprise when I first developed a roll from it. A quick focusing AF system with a fast lens, optional flash, and a built in lens cover is the ideal camera on a vacation for me. Every picture hit the focus, perfectly exposed, and framed exactly how I saw it.

There were a few initial problems with the camera, having to repair it a handful of times before it would properly work. A stuck focusing mechanism was the biggest issue. Resetting a lot of the components, fixing the shutter button, and film advance were some of the other things that needed to be fixed along the way. This article is certainly in the works, but I was having a bit of trouble with the self timer during the last trip. My finger in the shot was when I would take a picture, not hear the click and move to look at the lens. I may have just been bumping it when I took the camera out of my pocket, so it may be on me.

The Pentax PC35AF is one of the greats, without a doubt. I highly recommend you give this camera or the PC35AF-M a shot. Even in low light when I think a picture will not turn out, I am always surprised at how well it performs.

The other excellent contributors

This was a new type of article for 2022, and one I feel that I want to continue next year. We all wrote the article in our own way, and have mainly very different cameras. I hope you enjoyed this collaboration piece and make sure to check out these other websites’ great contributions as well.

Alex Luyckx at alexluyckx.com

Aly Chiarello at Aly’s Vintage Camera Alley

Peggy Marsh at Camera Go Camera

Alan Duncan at Canny Cameras

Jim Grey at Down The Road

Stephen Dowling at Kosmo Foto

Mike Eckman at mikeeckman.com

Theo Panagopoulos at Photo Thinking