Retro cameras The collector's guide to vintage film photography

Wade, photographer and independent photo historian, presents approximately 500 full-color photographs with detailed views of approximately 100 cameras; most come from his own collections. Almost all these cameras were issued between 1930 and the end of the analog camera era, around 2010. An introductory section explains in clearly written English the attributes--apertures, lens sizes and speeds, formats, focal lengths, etc.--that used to be the components vital to a successful photograph. The following section presents the cameras, grouping them by type--single-lens reflex cameras, rangefinder cameras, etc. Each camera type is introduced with a "shooting guide," which describes the virtues, vices, and best usage of that type, general advice on its collectibility, and finally a curated selection of photographs made with that camera type. A detailed portfolio of camera models follows. Each of these is presented in one to four pages, with a brief paragraph listing of the cameras' qualities and particular features, and a summary history. Particularly appropriate for collectors and hobbyists, this detailed guide will be invaluable in future years to photo historians seeking information on how particular photographs were created. Summing Up: Recommended. All readers. --William S. Johnson, George Fox University