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
| Images: Godox, Fujifilm, Aura and Sony |
It’s been a busy week here at the DPReview offices, but we’ve still been able to comb through the accessory releases to find some new and interesting products. We’ll be taking a look at an upgraded digital picture frame, some new flashes and more. But first, as always, the deals!
Sales of the week
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| Photo: OM System |
OM System’s OM-5 is a small, lightweight camera that comes with a bunch of computational photography features and an IP53 weather resistance rating. It’s currently on sale for $300 off, which means you can pick it and a lens up for under $1000.
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| Photo: Panasonic |
Like the OM-5, Panasonic’s G9 II uses a Four Thirds sensor, though it packs it into a much larger body. It can shoot at much faster burst rates and has an extremely capable suite of video features, and it’s currently $200 off.
Bring on the light
This week, both Sony and Godox each unveiled updated versions of their flash units. Sony quietly released replacements for its HVL-F46RM and HVL-F28RM units, adding an A to the name of both, while Godox announced the third iteration of its TT520.
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On the left is the HVL-F46RMA with the HVL-F28RMA on the right.
Image: Sony |
The HVL-F28RMA is a compact and relatively affordable unit. Sony says it redesigned the flash head and internal layout, resulting in a smaller flash that suits compact mirrorless cameras. It offers wireless radio communication and a dust- and moisture-resistant design.
The HVL-F46RMA is a wireless radio flash that supports the a9 III’s ultra-fast sync speeds, syncing up to 1/80,000 sec. It also offers intelligent communication with compatible cameras, allowing you to control various parameters within the camera itself and it works with the camera’s face detection autofocus.
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| Image: Godox |
Godox’s updated flash, the TT520 III, features an LCD screen, which the previous model lacks. It offers eight levels of power control in 1/3 stop increments and Godox promises up to 400 full-power flashes with a 1.8 sec recycle. The flash also supports 433MHz wireless triggering for flexible off-camera use. Godox didn’t provide specifics on when it would be available or how much it’ll cost, and retailers – including the Godox website – currently don’t have it listed.
Show off your work
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| Image: Aura |
Digital picture frame company Aura recently announced its latest model, the Aspen. It offers a 12-inch anti-glare HD display with a paper-textured mat around it. Even with the built-in stand, it’s just 1.1 inches thick, so it won’t take up much space on an end table or bookshelf. A built-in speaker allows you to play videos, and the app provides unlimited storage and simple sharing tools.
A pricing update
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| Image: Fujifilm |
On April 8, Fujifilm announced the Fujifilm Mini 41, but at the time, it didn’t reveal US pricing for its latest instant camera. Fujifilm recently informed us that the camera will cost $130, though B&H has it listed at $100. B&H may be behind on updating the pricing, but it isn’t clear at this time.
The most adorable cameras
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| Image: Bandai Namco |
While not a broad release that you can purchase online, a fun find this week was broader access to Nikon gashapon. Nikon announced a collaboration with Bandai Namco last year, bringing a set of miniature Nikon cameras to gashapon capsule vending machines in Japan. Now, they’ve made their way to the US. If your local store has the Nikon machine*, you can put some money into it, and it’ll spit out either a Nikon F, Z Fc, SP or Z9, complete with a matching lens that can actually be removed from the camera and placed onto another one.
* – We here at the DPReview office took a field trip to our local Uwajimaya to try and find one and were partially successful – the machine was there, but the capsules were sadly out of stock.
A surprising use for the Sony a9 III
Finally, for this week’s video, we’re sharing a unique use of the Sony a9 III. Arc Eye is using multiple a9 IIIs along with ILX-LR1 industrial box cameras to create 3D photogrammetry & 4D volumetric content for both creative and industrial use. The video only shows the setup, not the final results, but it is a wild contraption and fascinating to see the broad application of the camera.
| Photo: DPReview |
This week brought a wave of firmware updates from Sony and Nikon, targeting full-frame and APS-C models. Sony released new software for the a7C, a7 III and ZV-E10, delivering stability improvements and minor tweaks. Nikon released updates for its flagship mirrorless Z9 and the newer Z50II, aiming to refine performance and fix a few lingering bugs. Here’s a quick rundown of what’s new.
Sony
a7C updates for Version 2.01 (Mac) and (Windows)
a7 III updates for Version 4.02 (Mac) and (Windows)
ZV-E10 updates for Version 2.02 (Mac) and (Windows)
- Allows the camera to display a notification when new software is available
WPA and WEP functionalities are no longer supported. - You can no longer select WPA or WEP when connecting to Wi-Fi. Please use the more secure WPA2 moving forward.
- Improves the operational stability of the camera.
- Note: This update is only available for Windows and macOS. A memory card version is not provided.
Please note: the firmware updates are identical across these three camera models.
Nikon
Z9 updates for Version 5.20 (Mac) and (Windows)
- Added support for “NX Field,” a remote shooting system for corporate users. Note: “NX Field” app for smart devices may not be available in some countries and regions.
- Renamed d14 [Display on during burst] in [CUSTOM SETTINGS MENU].
- Fixed the following issues:
- Pressing the playback button after repeatedly shooting bursts would in rare cases corrupt the display of all images.
- In rare circumstances, optimal exposure could not be achieved during burst shooting after changing the exposure in mode M.
- In synchronized release, pressing the shutter-release button of the master camera halfway initiated autofocus on the remote camera with the following setting selected. ▸ [CUSTOM SETTINGS MENU] > a6 [AF activation] > [AF-ON only]
Z50II updates for Version 1.01 (Mac) and (Windows)
- Pre-Release Capture is now available using a SmallRig SR-RG2.
- Added “русский” (Russian) to [Language] in [SETUP MENU] for Z50II cameras sold in the Middle East region.
- Renamed d13 [Display on during burst] in [CUSTOM SETTINGS MENU].
- Fixed the following issues:
- In rare cases, the camera would stop responding when it was reconnected to SnapBridge after it was connected to Nikon Imaging Cloud while connecting to SnapBridge.
- In synchronized release, pressing the shutter-release button of the master camera halfway initiated autofocus on the remote camera with the following setting selected:
▸ [CUSTOM SETTINGS MENU] > a6 [AF activation] > [AF-ON only]
That’s it for this week. Make sure to check in every Friday, from here on out, for a round-up of firmware updates on all major camera models. Have a great weekend!
The photography industry has weathered economic uncertainty, technological disruption and rising operational costs. However, according to Zenfolio’s newly released 2025 State of the Photography Industry report, conducted in partnership with other creative businesses including Format, ShootProof and Professional Photographers of America (PPA), it’s also finding strength through adaptability, community and more thoughtful business strategies.
Now in its 6th consecutive year, the report draws on insights from more than 4,500 photographers in 70 countries. North Americans accounted for 79% of the participants, while photographers from Korea and Bolivia chimed in for the first time. The findings reveal an industry in transition but not in retreat.
One of the standout trends is the return to personalized service. Photographers who conduct viewing appointments after a shoot see as much as 20% more revenue than those who rely on online delivery alone. “Clients value the personal touch,” the report notes, adding that face-to-face sessions create opportunities to upsell prints and foster long-term relationships.
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A sign of the times? Full-time, self-employed work is on the rise compared to part-time.
Copyright: © Zenfolio |
As it turns out, adaptability pays off. Photographers who expanded their service offerings by pivoting to additional genres such as corporate headshots, drone photography, newborn portraits or sporting events were often rewarded with lucrative revenue streams. The report highlights that being open to last-minute gigs and unfamiliar styles that breach one’s comfort zone is now a competitive advantage instead of a compromise.
Nevertheless, the financial pressure is real. Between 65 and 70% of photographers reported increased business costs in 2024, including equipment and insurance. Zenfolio encourages professionals to revisit their pricing strategies and delivery models. Many new photographers still rely on selling digital files, but seasoned pros continue to profit from print sales. Print credits and tiered packages are recommended methods for boosting margins.
Technological change, particularly AI, is also reshaping the industry. Rather than replacing photographers, AI tools are helping them streamline their workflows. From culling and editing to delivering final images, that efficiency frees up more time to focus on the creative vision and client service that can’t be automated.
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AI tools help with workflow so photographers can focus on other aspects of the business, especially creative vision.
Copyright: © Zenfolio |
Drone photography was introduced to the survey for the first time this year. The findings include that it is not only gaining traction but outpacing smartphone use among professional photographers. While the adoption of mirrorless cameras saw a slight dip, traditional cameras remain dominant.
Finally, the report underscores a less tangible but perhaps more critical theme: the value of community. From online forums to local peer groups, photographers who engage with one another are more likely to grow in business, confidence and creativity. State of the Photography Industry 2025 is free to view and includes helpful advice and actionable tips.
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