Analog.Cafe

726 Reviews, Guides, and Essays

Film Photography News — January 2026 Recap
Happy 200th, Photography!, a Conversation With Sissi Lu, and Film Prices 📈
January 27, 2026
The world’s first photo was taken in 1826. Happy 200th, photography! 🎂 In this year’s first issue of the Analog.Cafe newsletter, photographers recall shooting film in 2016; I hold a conversation with Sissi Lu about ethics, wabi-sabi, and her silver jewelry made from film fixer; film prices 📈; a new Instax camera; the return of Film Ferrania; and what to do when you’re short on chemistry.
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200 Years of Photography
A Monthly Newsletter for GOLD Members
January 23, 2026
This year, I want to celebrate not just the individuals who were privileged and passionate enough to discover this incredible technology two centuries ago, but also the progress in art and science that led us to both reinvent it all and hold on to the best parts, like shooting film decades past obsolescence.
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How to Find Deals on Film in 2026
January 20, 2026
In this article, I’ll share a few tips that can save you money on film with Film Price Trends (a web app built on top of film price data for the past 8 years) and discuss the state of film prices as of January 2026.
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Film Photography in 2016 vs. 2026
January 20, 2026
A short, community-flavoured, post to reminisce and review the decade of shooting film — how things have changed and what stayed the same. In this article, I share how the film photography community remembers the changes and the progress of this 200-year-old creative medium.
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My 8 Favourite Film Photo Stores and Labs in Taipei

January 19, 2026
After walking the streets of Taipei, I realized that film photography is not only alive but thriving. There are far more places selling and developing film than I initially thought: there are so many, in fact, that listing them all would be a tedious task. To keep that list short and focused, I've chosen 8 personal favourites.
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Kodak Snapic A1 Film Camera Review & User Guide
The Premium Reusable
January 8, 2026
What I like about the new Kodak Snapic A1 is that it’s cheaper than all the new point-and-shoot options and smaller than all of them. It’s also a well-made camera. Yes, it’s plastic, and it mimics the highly regarded Ricogh GR1/R1 in shape only. But despite its limitations, it can take excellent photos and remain a reliable, fun companion for less than $100.
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Christmas in Mexico City
On Film, of Course
January 6, 2026
We waded among dense crowds, navigated the public transit system, and found a delightful coffee shop. This essay is a snapshot of our December 2025 trip to Mexico City. Featuring “3D” WIGGLE GIFs with Nishika N8000!
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Film Photography News — December 2025 Recap
Kodak A1 1st Impressions, 2026 Giveaways, & the Science of Impactful Images
December 30, 2025
In this year’s closing newsletter, I’ll share my first impressions with the Kodak Snapic A1, why I like this camera, and why it makes so much sense in 2026. I’ll also briefly cover the discontinuation of the Lomo MC-A, the new source of Kodak Aerocolor IV (SantaColor 100), Spot One — a compact 1° light meter, and several new website perks.
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Top 10 Films & the Aesthetic Science of Photography
A Monthly Newsletter for GOLD Members
December 26, 2025
These last few days of 2025, I ran through the Analog.Cafe data to surface the top 10 most-used films, added an early warning system to Chem Log, and published an article with the latest research in aesthetic science, which explains what makes our photos good. This is also the last month I’m giving away free film!
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Ilford Microphen Film Developer Review
December 18, 2025
Push-processing film increases its grain size and contrast, which can lead to undesirable results, especially if the push is significant. However, Microphen uses technology designed to control both for better results. Ilford Microphen is a black-and-white film developer, made with hydroquinone and phenidone by Harman Technology Ltd., for fine-grained results and controlled contrast.
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Lomo LC-A With Kodak Ektar 100
The Perfect Combo for the Tropics?
December 16, 2025
When reviewing my camera options for my upcoming trip to Nicaragua, I knew it needed to have three things: 1) Low enough value so that I wouldn’t worry about losing it. 2) Be able to easily fit in my pocket. 3) Capable of capturing high-quality images. And for the film, I knew I wanted something capable of capturing the vivid colours of a tropical country. I decided to take the Lomo LC-A — a classic Lomography lo-fi camera with Kodak’s high-resolution, high-saturation, fine-grained colour-negative film: Ektar 100.
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How to Retrieve a 35mm Film Leader
With HCL Film Picker 4 + Other Tools and Methods
December 11, 2025
A film picker (a.k.a. film leader retriever) is easy to overlook when shopping for home development supplies. However, it’s an essential gadget for saving time and money, and avoiding frustration. In this guide, I’ll explain how and why you should use a film picker. I’ll also show you a few ways to get your film out without one.
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How to Make Better Photos According to Science
What the Latest Research in Psychology Tells Us About Making Impactful Images
December 9, 2025
Photography is part art, part science. Traditionally, the empirical approach has been reserved for the design and operation of cameras. Unfortunately, the art of photography is often left to the word of authority (which can act as a gatekeeper) and guesswork. But it doesn’t have to be this way. In this article, I will review some of the latest studies, experiments, and findings that explain what makes our brains prefer certain types of images and apply that to the art of photography.
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Kodak Kodacolor 100 Film Review
A New Kodak Film?
December 8, 2025
Kodak Kodacolor 100 is a medium-contrast, medium-saturation colour-negative film with packaging design reminiscent of the classic 1980s branding. In this review, I’ll briefly discuss the origins of this film and cover the basics, such as colours, grain, and price. I will also give a few tips on scanning, exposure, and daily use.
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Ride a Dragon
Instant Photography Series
December 4, 2025
In ”Ride a Dragon”, Canyon turns to the immediate, tactile language of instant photography to explore the body as a vessel of memory and a landscape shaped by time. Working with Instax Wide black-and-white film, the artist constructs diptychs in which fragmented human forms appear alongside natural artifacts as leaves, shells, petals, flowers.
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Top 10 Film Stocks According to 293 Photographers
A 2025 Film Log Report
December 2, 2025
“What are the most popular photographic films sold and used today?” seems like a basic question that should be easy to answer; however, it is not. I combed through the anonymized entries from the Film Log app to reveal the top 10 most popular films amongst photographers from 40+ countries and hundreds of film varieties (nearly 600 brands) logged since 2022, and compiled them into this list by distribution. This is the most accurate/dependable list of top photographic films on the internet!
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Film Photography News — November 2025 Recap
The New Kodak Snapic A1, You Can Shoot Movies on 35mm Film, Lucky Film 🍀
November 25, 2025
RETO Project has just released a new film camera: Kodak Snapic A1. Meanwhile, a team of one is working on a movie camera that uses standard 35mm film to capture footage at higher resolution than Super 8, without the stock, development, and scanning pricing or restrictions of the traditional format. Plus: download all of Analog.Cafe, is Film Ferrania back?, and comparing Lucky C200 to Kodak Gold.
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Movies on 135🎞️, Film Tests & Download Analog.Cafe!
A Monthly Newsletter for GOLD Members
November 21, 2025
I’ve made some changes to the website this month. One makes sharing GIFs a reality; the other turns every article into a high-quality PDF with custom formatting. Though the GIF display may not be a huge deal, the big reveal is the purpose for their existence: a brand-new movie camera that’s in the works.
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Lucky C200 (乐凯) vs. Kodak Gold
Direct & Practical Comparisons With Colour Charts, Exposure Tests, and More
November 18, 2025
Lucky C200 (乐凯 C200, p.: Lè Kǎi) is a new colour-negative film manufactured in China. The technology behind it may or may not be stemming from Kodak’s short-lived collaboration with Lucky in the early 2000s — but as you’ll soon see, it looks very different from anything else on the market today. This article will examine Lucky C200’s colours, grain, contrast, and saturation — as well as physical properties against one of Kodak’s best-known affordable films: Kodak Gold .
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OKTO35: A Genius Invention for Making Movies on Regular 35mm Film
November 11, 2025
OKTO35 is a new motion picture camera, capable of shooting frames 25% larger than Super 8 at up to 25 frames per second on any standard 35mm (135) film cartridge. Better yet, it can shoot ultra-high-resolution films like the Adox CMS 20 II, infrared films like Aerochrome, orthochromatic films, and everything else made for still 35mm film cameras. OKTO35 can make shooting videos on film 90% cheaper than using a lower-res Super8 film, and it also makes scanning the film easy. This is an ongoing project by Blaž Semprimožnik.
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