Blog

Practical articles, research and working methods

The blog is where Classical Eye will publish various aspects of film photography: technique, vintage lenses, bellows and camera making, pinhole methods, FinderView coverage and research of interest to film camera users.

Field practice

Large-format, medium-format and 35mm

Expect articles grounded in actual photographic use, from framing and metering to format choice, lenses, and practical setup decisions.

Workshop knowledge

Bellows, DIY builds and repair techniques

The blog will also feature repair articles, 3D-printing and practical processes that benefit from detailed coverage.

Methods and reference

Methods, calculations and historical context

Some posts will be more in-depth, documenting methods, assumptions and useful background around calculations and historical equipment.

4 July 2026

Oskar Barnack's Exposure Tester

Reconsidering whether Barnack's first Ur-Leica was itself the exposure tester behind Leica's 35mm camera.

10 June 2026

Folding Pocket Kodaks

Large negatives, postcard prints, and Kodak's elegant folding roll-film cameras.

5 June 2026

The Earliest-Born Portrait

Who was the earliest-born person ever captured in a photographic portrait?

5 June 2026

The Easy Way to Colourise Your Photos

Using a digital colour reference to add natural colour to black and white film photographs.

31 May 2026

Old Shutters, New Tests

A practical look at testing vintage leaf and focal-plane shutters, from folding-camera lenses to Barnack Leicas and large format shutters.

30 May 2026

Vintage Lenses, New Cameras

Why vintage camera lenses, especially those from folding cameras, still matter for film photography, large format work, and 3D-printed camera projects.

24 May 2026

M875 Reconsidered

How a disputed Leitz prototype may fit the postwar development of the Leica - not as the first Barnack camera, but as a specialised scientific offshoot.