Blog
Reverse Engineering of an intercom versus local LLMs
![Reverse Engineering of an intercom versus local LLMs]()
Above you see an intercom/Bluetooth player designed for motorcycle helmets, EJEAS X10 Phantom. As a device, it does its job fine, but the…
PC-TEA: Homebrewable, one-shottable, cheap developer
![PC-TEA: Homebrewable, one-shottable, cheap developer]()
After few years, my 1L bottle of HC-110 has finally run out. I saw the remains of the brown fluid at the bottom of the bottle. It's been a…
Tropical Depression: Getting a Motorcycle License in Hong Kong
![Tropical Depression: Getting a Motorcycle License in Hong Kong]()
So, you live in Hong Kong. Are you tired of the crowds, people walking incredibly slowly, zig-zagging without reason? People blasting short…
Lucky C200 review - the REDS are back - cheaper than ever!
![Lucky C200 review - the REDS are back - cheaper than ever!]()
I started film photography at the end of 2018. I was Lucky, for a moment - film prices were at their lowest - but I did not know that at the…
POV: you become an FPV pilot - my path to flying FPV quads
![POV: you become an FPV pilot - my path to flying FPV quads]()
FPV drones were always there, on the fringe of cinema, or model aircraft; it seemed very DIY; some impressive videos would come out from…
One roll with... Bronica EC
![One roll with... Bronica EC]()
Bronica S2(A) is a popular cheap choice for 6x6 SLR, for many good reasons - besides the price, the glass is great, it makes a great sound…
Tropical Depression: Hong Kong Camera Resources
![Tropical Depression: Hong Kong Camera Resources]()
Have you found yourself lucky enough to visit the Asia's World China City? Do you shoot film, or just wanna get some cheap gear? I have some…
Focus On The Negative: Topcor-S 50mm f/2 LTM
![Focus On The Negative: Topcor-S 50mm f/2 LTM]()
Here's a unique piece from a forgotten company. Something I've heard briefly about - the only Biotar lens in LTM, and a favorite of some…
One album with... FiiO DM-13 and CP-13
![One album with... FiiO DM-13 and CP-13]()
Vinyl records have had their resurgence in the last decade or so; but they're not the only popular media from the past. CDs are kind of…
One roll with... Olympus Flex 2.8A
![One roll with... Olympus Flex 2.8A]()
Originally written on 2024-09-23. Or when you learn that Rolleiflex was not the only TLR with an f2.8 lens. Most camera manufacturers that…
How to stop climate change and save the planet
![How to stop climate change and save the planet]()
Ban all marketing. Simple as that. That's your answer. But let's delve a little deeper. It's a bit inspired by my previous Seychelles post…
Pocket development tank - LumiTank
![Pocket development tank - LumiTank]()
I've been searching aimlessly on TaoBao (to my own detriment). Generally I'm not too bad about not buying useless stuff, but unfortunately…
One roll with... Widelux FVI
![One roll with... Widelux FVI]()
A panoramic adventure awaits all hobby photographers at some point. It takes different forms. I've been through a few as well; but I never…
Travelling to... Seychelles? Oh! Tango Suerte
![Travelling to... Seychelles? Oh! Tango Suerte]()
Ever heard a music album that transported you somewhere else, from the first note? That's not that rare. How about made you want to book a…
On travel photography
![On travel photography]()
We can all agree that traveling can be a breath of fresh air and well-needed a break of trying hard to find new places to shoot locally. How…
Loose notes from Konica Pearl II repair
![Loose notes from Konica Pearl II repair]()
I finally got a folder. Konica Pearl II, or going by initials to the horror of all office workers, KPI(I). Rangefinder was not accurate…
My frustrations with Nikon Zf
![My frustrations with Nikon Zf]()
Since corporations get bigger and bigger, technical support gets abstracted away. Or offloaded. Or just doesn't exist anymore and it's a…
Developing film on a budget
![Developing film on a budget]()
First of all: you don't need a darkroom. And also first of all: you don't need a "kit". Developing black and white film can be very cheap…
Traveling to Vietnam
![Traveling to Vietnam]()
Still having some annual leave left, I decided to go for a weeklong trip to Vietnam. That's one destination I've heard great things about…
Quo vadis, Fujifilm? One month with Nikon Zf
![Quo vadis, Fujifilm? One month with Nikon Zf]()
I went to North America again. To escape work, to escape myself, my circumstances. Well, for work-related reasons first and foremost, but I…
One roll with... Rollei 35
![One roll with... Rollei 35]()
There's a bit of a drama recently, with the newly released Rollei 35AF; the original one came into spotlight again. It never really left it…
One box of Instax square with... Mamiya RB67
![One box of Instax square with... Mamiya RB67]()
This is not a review of the RB67. This article is about the joys of instant photography, and exploring potential outlets of your own art…
One year without C41... and Harman Phoenix review
![One year without C41... and Harman Phoenix review]()
"C-41 is digital with extra steps". If you look hard enough, you'll probably see me somewhere saying that. To prove my point, I decided that…
One roll with... Agfa Optima 1535
![One roll with... Agfa Optima 1535]()
Rangefinder. Red dot. Made in Germany. I present to you... the Agfa Optima 1535. The odd one out, and fairly rare camera, the advanced…
Traveling to Phillippines
![Traveling to Phillippines]()
At the end of March I have gone on a small trip to Palawan, Phillippines - a place of beautiful water, beaches, landscapes. Although it was…
Focus On The Negative: LLL 'Summicron' 8 element collapsible
![Focus On The Negative: LLL 'Summicron' 8 element collapsible]()
The lens that started out Light Lens Lab. Rare 8 element Summicron. Remade by the Chinese. I'm not a huge fan of 35mm, but I decided to give…
Agat 18(K) English manual
![Agat 18(K) English manual]()
Press Read More to get to the links. A while back I have translated the manual. However, Dropbox did a thing where it suddenly cut my…
Salt with black and white film...?
![Salt with black and white film...?]()
I saw a post on Facebook a while ago claiming that adding 30g/1L of salt to BW developer would help with contrast and base fog. I looked a…
Can you make a bracket for RX100V for DJI Osmo Mobile 6?
![Can you make a bracket for RX100V for DJI Osmo Mobile 6?]()
Osmo Mobile 6 is a light gimbal dedicated mainly for cellphones. And I got one for free. But you know what? I don't like my phone that much…
What I got in 2023
![What I got in 2023]()
Like in the last year, I have decided to catalogue what I got in the last year. And there has been... Maybe less than I thought it would be…
One roll with... Konica Hexar RF
![One roll with... Konica Hexar RF]()
BRO. GET A RANGEFINDER. BRO. What for? SLRs are superior which has been proven how Lieca was begging Minolta to get them out of bankrupcy in…
One roll with... Konica MG/D
![One roll with... Konica MG/D]()
Run. Point. Shoot. Live. Then complain about Portra 400 prices. That's how an average film point and shooter thinks his life looks like, and…
One roll with... Minolta Repo
![One roll with... Minolta Repo]()
When I first heard of half frame cameras, I thought they're a great idea. 72 pictures! Can save so much on film! And the cameras are usually…
Focus on the negative: AstrHori vs TTArtisan light meters
![Focus on the negative: AstrHori vs TTArtisan light meters]()
As fun as fully manual cameras can be, and Sunny 16 as true as it can be (although it's more like Overcast 4 in Poland), a small and light…
A delayed gweilo's perspective: Double Ducks
![A delayed gweilo's perspective: Double Ducks]()
Front page news: two massive inflated ducks, docked in front of Admiralty, for people to see. They're indeed massive - easily visible from…
A delayed gweilo's perspective: Cheung Chau Bun Festival
![A delayed gweilo's perspective: Cheung Chau Bun Festival]()
After three years of Kung Flu reign, Cheung Chau Bun Festival has returned onto the regular schedule. I haven't had the opportunity to see…
Focus On The Negative: Light Lens Lab Elcan 50mm f/2 LTM
![Focus On The Negative: Light Lens Lab Elcan 50mm f/2 LTM]()
From China with love, without any snark. And a little middle finger towards the red dot, too. The story of the 4-element Elcan has been…
Loose notes from Fuji GS645S repair
![Loose notes from Fuji GS645S repair]()
As much as you say you care about your equipment, accidents may still happen. So yeah, I dropped my beloved GS645S, from about half a meter…
Another guide to scanning film
![Another guide to scanning film]()
Nobody asked, but I'll say it anyway. And everyone has their own method, too, and frankly no method can be considered straight up bad*, as…
What I got in 2022 - an overview
![What I got in 2022 - an overview]()
Wow, last year was gassy. As if I had a bean soup for a week straight. Despite me writing about the void, I still was hungry for more - more…
TTArtisan 27mm f2.8 Fuji X pancake review
![TTArtisan 27mm f2.8 Fuji X pancake review]()
I'm cheap. I'll get it out of the way first. I'm not loyal to anyone, except for low taxes, low prices. TTArtisan did a quick release…
One roll with... Canon EOS 30
![One roll with... Canon EOS 30]()
I mentioned something about the opportunities. Through an incredible stroke of bad and good luck, you may meet good people; and the good…
One roll with... Kodak Tri-X disposable
![One roll with... Kodak Tri-X disposable]()
Reduce, reuse, recycle. All of that in a capitalist society, where you're constantly bombarded with advertisements; where companies with…
One roll with... Minolta 505si
![One roll with... Minolta 505si]()
I had an opportunity. Multiple opportunities, actually, and sometimes you just have to act on them, remembering about the risks. I've been…
Salt Paper Prints
![Salt Paper Prints]()
Salt paper prints were discovered in 1830s, and were the method of making positive prints from negatives. The process has been widely…
Pergear 60mm f2.8 2:1 macro lens - review
![Pergear 60mm f2.8 2:1 macro lens - review]()
A Chinese manufacturer releases a new, cheap lens. Their optics have been getting better and better recently, but you're still skeptical…
Minolta XG-1: A budget option that gets you 99% the way there
![Minolta XG-1: A budget option that gets you 99% the way there]()
The moment I got my hands on my end-all 35mm camera, a black Minolta XD, I decided to sell off the XG-1 to a friend for a decent price. I…
Black and white developer recipes
![Black and white developer recipes]()
The infromation is slowly disappearing from the net. The other day I realized I cannot find the recipe for D-76d I've been using! So there's…
Dealing with expired slide
![Dealing with expired slide]()
We all know how to deal with expired color and black and white negative already. Overexpose one stop per d- I mean, bracket, test…
The Void
![The Void]()
During my first steps in photography, it seemed to me like the gear used was super important. Lenses, bodies. I mean, I had a Zenit ET for…
Gallery launched
![Gallery launched]()
This was a pain. Mostly because of the technology I chose. CV-driven development requires some dedication, and sacrifice. Getting out of the…
Finally bought a domain!
![Finally bought a domain!]()
This is it. Hello, world. (world: Helloo, spaqin) It's working, and it's quite a spectacle. But I'm sure it took less work than this…
