Camera Gear Encyclopedia
& Photography Skills Guide
From cameras, film, and lens mounts to equipment use and photography techniques. Understand your gear and learn how to shoot.
Featured Camera Systems
Ricoh GR III HDF
Ricoh GR III HDF is a digital camera from Ricoh, using a aps c format system and released in 2024.
Film Emulsions & Chemistry
Kodak Professional Portra 400
Kodak Professional Portra 400 is a color negative photographic emulsion by Kodak Professional, rated ISO 400 and processed in C-41.
Camera & Film Brands
Photography Principles & Field Decisions
Sunny 16: Starting point for manual exposure estimation on a sunny day
To illustrate the Sunny 16 as a baseline for quick manual exposure estimation on a clear day, and to be clear that it is not a light meter replacement for all weather, scenes or films.
An introduction to the three elements of photography exposure: how aperture, shutter and ISO work together
Explains how aperture, shutter speed, and ISO work together to affect exposure, and the image effects and trade-offs brought about by shutter/aperture/ISO adjustments; no claims are made that any one setting will universally guarantee image quality.
Three elements of depth of field (aperture, focal length, object distance) and real background blur amount control: circle of confusion, out-of-focus spot and blur level
Many photography beginners mistakenly believe that if they want to blur the background, just buy an f/1.4 large aperture lens. However, when I actually took a full-body portrait with the 50mm f/1.4, I was disappointed to find that the background was still clear and cluttered; and in macro photography, even if it was zoomed to f/8 or even f/11, the depth of field was still as shallow as a millimeter. What physical laws determine depth of field? This guide goes deep into the essence of the Circle of Confusion (Circle of Confusion) in geometric optics, systematically dissects the decisive influence of aperture aperture, physical focal length and shooting object distance on the amount of blur, and explains in detail the ‘three-step blur method’ and out-of-focus bilinear avoidance.
Equipment Connection Manuals
Nikon FM2: 35mm Film Loading, Frame Advancement Confirmation, and Safe Rewinding
Load the 35mm film, confirm frame advance, and rewind the film according to the Nikon FM2 manual. All steps apply only to the Nikon FM2; for other models, refer to their respective manuals.
Hasselblad 503CWD + A12: Loading and Unloading 120 Film
Load, align, and remove 120 film in the A12 film back according to the Hasselblad 503CWD manual; the steps are limited to this camera/body and back combination and are not applicable to other medium format cameras.
Ricoh GR III / GR IIIx Using GR WORLD Connection and Image Import Guide (iOS / Android)
According to Ricoh's current official information, this explains the GR WORLD pairing, image browsing, and import for the GR III / GR IIIx, and marks the publicly disclosed dynamic compatibility limitations; it does not guarantee specific phone compatibility, transfer speed, or actual connection success.
Field Photography & Darkroom Tools
Real-time interactive physical calculation tools for mechanical shooting and darkroom chemistry.
Sunny 16 Rule Calculator
Estimate shutter speed and aperture without a light meter.
Crop Factor & Equivalence
Calculate 35mm field of view and depth of field equivalence.
Push/Pull Dev Time Adjuster
Time compensation for push/pull processing and temperature drift.