Camera
Camera Rescue opens repair school in bid to fix world’s film cameras
A camera repair company in Finland is recruiting new technicians for a forthcoming training school that will teach students how to repair, preserve and create parts for discontinued film cameras. The training program will be run by CameraMakers for the Camera Rescue project, and will enroll eight people on a four month course that will show them the basics of camera servicing, testing and maintenance. Those with an ‘almost unhealthy interest in technical gadgets’ will be able to continue with an additional two year course to become a camera mechanic, the company says.
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As the course will be based in Tampere, two hours north of the Finland’s capital Helsinki, students will be expected to relocate to the city. Traveling to Finland is hard enough at the moment, let alone moving there, but hopefully the school with have further in-takes beyond the current 23rd March deadline to allow international applicants. Positions on the training program will be paid for by the government, and those successfully completing the course will be offered a job with a salary.
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Camera Rescue claims this will be the only film-camera repair school in the world, and says that the company behind the program, Kameratori Oy, needs more staff to deal with the growing number of camera repairs it is dealing with. So far Camera Rescue has serviced, repaired or inspected over 100,000 cameras since it began ten years ago, and 25,000 of those were in 2020 alone.
If you happen to live in Finland you have until 22nd March to apply for a place on the training course, and training will begin on 12th April. If you live outside the country you’ll have to wait for the next intake or for when current travel restrictions are relaxed. Talking of relaxing, Tampere, the city in which the school will be based, is known as the ‘sauna capital of the world’ as it has the most public saunas of any city. If you like The Moomins you’ll be glad to know Tampere also has the only Moomin museum in the world.
For more information see the Camera Rescue website.
Press release
We are Building up a Camera Rescue School
Good news.
Mechanical film cameras are the tools that have preserved the memories of humanity for the last 150 years. Now is our time to preserve them. As a part of the new era in the Camera Rescue project Cameramakers is opening a camera technician basic training program. In early April 2021 a team of 8 talents will start a four month long training on the basics of film camera testing and maintenance in Tampere in partnership with TAKK (Tampere Adult Education Centre) and the local unemployment office (TE-palvelut).
What?
In 2020 the current team of four camera technicians and three camera mechanics inspected over 25 000 film cameras and with a growing amount of work in sight, Kameratori Oy (the Ltd company employing the team) is looking to hire more people. As worldwide there are no training programs around film cameras available, this recruitment training was created as a first step for enthusiastic people into the world of film cameras.
The training period will be very hands-on, aiming to give a full overview of all different types of cameras and equipment that passes through our process and leave the trainee with enough skills and knowhow to inspect them. The curriculum has also several weeks of related theory studies – including the basics of electronics, materials and 3D printing.
As the aim of the recruitment program is to build up the technician team based in Tampere, an applicant should be ready to relocate permanently to the city if the recruitment program leads to a job offer. A further two year training program to become a camera mechanic is being developed and can be offered to the camera technicians interested in the most artisanal aspect of the camera world – camera repairing.
The collaboration between the Adult Education Center and the Camera Rescue Project aims to create a sustainable and official way to become a certified Film Camera Mechanic or Technician for the first time in decades worldwide. A trainee will ideally become a self driven craftsman/artisan after approximately three years in the program.
The working environment of Kameratori Oy is bilingual, process driven, constantly learning and growth oriented. Serving final customers in more than 70 countries and reaching over 1 million people yearly, the ecommerce side of the company is well known around Europe, and in recent years most of the growth has come from outside of Finland.
The role of a camera technician involves very little customer service and instead is based on a lot of daily problem solving, working with your hands, and teamwork. If you have an almost unhealthy interest in technical gadgets, it is more likely that you continue from this training towards being a technician or a mechanic. However, if you are socially driven and interested in customer service, this training gives you a strong starting point to become a member of the ecommerce sales team.
Finding meaningfulness in work should be easy for people that understand the heritage, artistic and lifestyle value of film photography. More about how we got here in the last 10 years can be read here or in Finnish here.
Restrictions
During the global travel stoppage, it is hard to get into this training if you have no residency in Finland. If you are from within the EU and super motivated, there might be some workarounds, but email me at juho@camerarescue.org first. Outside of EU will not be possible this year.
Update 9.3.2021 – New travel restrictions will make it impossible to come for the first round of technician training to Finland if you are not a resident / have Finnish nationality.
If you are in Finland already or have a way to come here, the general restrictions for people attending a TE-keskus recruitment training apply to this course, so as an applicant you are to be a jobseeker in Finland. For more info on how to do that you can visit here.
Otherwise no requirements are set for applicants, because we know from experience that a good camera technician can have anything from several university degrees to no degrees at all. We want emphasize that all backgrounds are welcome. Also this program is being built to be ongoing, so more chances will come in later years for international people.
FAQ:
Does it cost money?
No. When we arrange the program as a recruitment channel there are no costs for the teaching to a student. In fact you will be paid the whole time. During the camera technician basic training program you get the unemployment benefits you would get anyhow (amount is based on your recent work history in Finland). After the basic training, the ones chosen to stay in the program will get jobs and a salary.
When?
The crucial dates for applications and the basic training in 2021 are these:
– Application period ends 22.03.2021
– The interviews will be held 29.–30.03.2021
– The training starts on 12.04.2021 and ends on 05.08.2021.
How to apply?
The applications are done through the TE-palvelut application system. You can find the announcement of the open positions here. The application form is available both in English and Finnish, although the page itself is only in Finnish.
Everything should be rather self explanatory in the TE-palvelut system, but in case you are left with questions you can contact me at juho@camerarescue.org or Noora at the TE office: noora.luomaranta@te-toimisto.fi
| Photo: Leica |
With its latest announcement, Leica is furthering its focus on mobile photography, adding a new accessory to its lineup. The company designed the Leica Lux Grip specifically for iPhones, following up on the June release of the Leica Lux iPhone app. The grip is strictly for Leica lovers, as it will only work with Leica’s iPhone app; controls will not transfer to the default iPhone camera app or any other third-party options.
Leica says the Lux Grip is “similar to a classic Leica camera in terms of its handling and feel.” It goes even further and explains that all of the grip’s “physical controls consistently express Leica’s design philosophy and conjure up the familiar experience of using a professional camera.” Any grip will make for a more camera-like experience and make taking photographs with a phone a bit more ergonomic, so users who focus on mobile photography could certainly benefit from it.
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| Photo: Leica |
The grip relies on a magnetic MagSafe connection rather than a case-like design, which is typical in other phone grips. The magnetic attachment makes switching between portrait and landscape orientations easy while maintaining a comfortable grip with easy controls. Plus, removing the grip when it’s not needed and returning to a traditional phone form factor is straightforward. That also means that when users purchase a new iPhone, there’s no need to buy an entirely new grip specific to that phone.
The Lux Grip uses Bluetooth Low Energy (BLE) connectivity to communicate with a phone’s camera, allowing users to control camera functionality without digging into phone menus. That includes a two-stage shutter release that, like cameras, uses light pressure to focus and a full press to take a photo. There’s also a button to switch between shooting modes, two customizable buttons and a dial for adjusting settings.
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| Photo: Leica |
For those who want to go all out, Leica also released a leather case designed just for the Lux Grip, which features an AirTag holder.
The Leica Lux Grip is available for $329 on Leica’s website and B&H. The purchase includes a year of the Leica LUX Pro subscription.
Buy now:
Leica Camera AG is launching the Leica LUX Grip for the iPhone today.
The camera grip impresses with its intuitive operation and high-quality manufacturing while, at the same time, setting new standards for photographic precision using a smartphone. The Leica LUX Grip is similar to a classic Leica camera in terms of its handling and feel. Its clear design, sophisticated operating concept and easy attachment – guaranteed by secure magnetic MagSafe technology – improve the ergonomics and functionality of smartphone photography, taking it to a new level. The LUX Grip and iPhone communicate via Bluetooth Low Energy (BLE) and are perfectly complemented by the Leica LUX app.
All of the LUX Grip’s physical controls consistently express Leica’s design philosophy and conjure up the familiar experience of using a professional camera. The 2-stage shutter release focusses with light pressure and starts shooting when fully pressed down. A button allows you to quickly switch between shooting modes. Two control elements can be individually assigned and customised via the Leica LUX app. While one button provides quick access to frequently used functions, the easy-to-grip control dial enables the precise selection of camera settings – such as zoom, aperture, shutter speed and exposure compensation. This means that photographers have all the essential aspects of image composition in their own hands, even when using a smartphone.
The Leica LUX app rounds off the photographic experience by adding the unmistakable image and colour aesthetics of legendary Leica lenses. The bokeh effect of the Summilux-M or Noctilux-M can be used to deliberately emphasise features while retaining full control over exposure, ISO and shutter speed. Unique Leica Looks – from Vivid to classic Black&White – expand the artistic palette, lending digital photography an analogue character. The Leica LUX app forms a perfect symbiosis with the LUX Grip. The full version of the app is included for one year with every Grip product registration.
The LUX Grip also sets the tone when it comes to sustainability. Thanks to its modular design, the Grip can be easily reused with all electronic components every time you change your iPhone. Only the MagSafe base plate has to be replaced. Weighing just 130 grams, the Leica LUX Grip is comfortable to hold and is equally suitable for left- and right-handed users. Its powerful battery lets you take up to 1,000 shots and will be ready for use again in a flash with a charging time of 2 hours via USB-C.
The Leica LUX Grip is now available in selected Leica Stores, in the Leica Online Store and from specialist retailers. The recommended retail price is EUR 300 incl. VAT.
| Nikon Nikkor Z 35mm F1.2 pre-production | F1.2 | 1/125 sec | ISO 64 |
Earlier this week, Nikon announced the Nikkor Z 35mm F1.2 S, a wide-angle lens with a fast aperture. We were able to spend a few hours on the streets of Seattle with a pre-production model, and got some shots that should give you an idea of what this lens is about.
A few caveats to keep in mind – given that the photos were shot with a pre-production lens, they may not be exactly indicative of how a production model would perform. Our standard lens gallery procedure also involves processing the images through Capture One, giving us precise control over what corrections are and are not applied. However, the images in this sample gallery are straight out of camera JPEGs, and thus may have corrections that wouldn’t usually be applied to images in our sample galleries.
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This image depicts the Sony E-mount version of the AF 28mm F4.5 lens, though the size is nearly identical.
Photo: Viltrox |
After a playful bit of marketing, Viltrox announced a new flavor of its ultra-thin AF 28mm F4.5 lens. It first made the lens available for Sony E-mount cameras last fall, and now it will also be available for X-mount cameras.
Viltrox calls this teeny offering a chip lens. That nickname is in reference to how thin it is, drawing similarities with potato chips, and does not pertain to any sort of technology inside the lens. To stay on theme, the company’s teaser for the announcement featured a bag of chips with AF 28mm F4.5 XF above it, much like the Lays potato chip flavor announcements.
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| Image: Viltrox |
The Viltrox AF 28mm F4.5 is a unique lens because of its diminutive size. It weighs a measly 60g (2.1oz) and is only 15.3mm (0.6in) thick. To keep the size so minuscule, there are some compromises. Most notably, it uses a constant F4.5 aperture. That means no adjusting the aperture based on lighting conditions. Additionally, it lacks a manual focus ring, so you’ll be stuck entirely with autofocus. It also isn’t compatible with filters.
The optical design is made up of six elements in six groups, including two ED and two aspherical elements. Voltrox says it will deliver “sharp images, vibrant colors, and stunning starburst effects.” It uses a VCM for autofocus, which Viltrox promises will be “fast, precise, and silent.” Additionally, the lens features an integrated lens cap with a slide for opening and closing the cover and a USB-C port for firmware updates.
The AF 28mm F4.5 XF is available in black and white colorways for $99.
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