Part of what makes film photography such a captivating medium is how nostalgic it is, from the gear it uses to the photos it yields. We also can’t deny that many film cameras are works of art themselves. So, it’s not surprising to find many photographers who keep a collection of vintage cameras alongside their digital gear.
Today’s dose of photography nostalgia comes from Paris-based Mathieu Stern, who recently shared some beautiful waist-level views from a 1960 Edixa Reflex SLR camera. He introduced the Edixa Reflex series as one of West Germany’s most popular SLR line following its release in 1954.
Photographers back in the days had the option between a waist-level or pentaprism viewfinder. The former came with a precision viewfinder for fine-tuning the focus. However, unlike today’s tilting LCD screens that allow waist-level shooting, it’s challenging to compose shots with this viewfinder because what you see is a mirror image.
Based on his video, we can see that Stern still enjoyed the experience despite the slight difficulty with focusing and framing. His choice of expired film also turned out to be a good decision, as his scenic shots showed!
Do you also have a waist-level film camera experience? Share them in the comments below, or even at the Photofocus Comunity film photography group!
