photography on cut grass lies frail

canon af35 ml

aubade@cutgrassliesfrail.com — Fri, 09 Oct 2026 00:00:00 +0000

Capsule review: Canon AF35 ML

With its chunky black plastic body, the Canon AF35ML exemplifies the 80s design aesthetic of consumer electronics (anachronistically, given its release in 1981). Its electronic innards betray another characteristic of the 80s : a seeming lack of any concern for reliability or longevity, like so many cameras of the era. Such cameras break easily ; for example, the flash might freeze in the open position, and the design of the body stymies any attempt at DIY repair. Any of the myriad possible failure modes render the camera inert, leaving useless its otherwise appealing set of features, like its fast lens and reliable albeit noisy autofocus. Among its now useless features, the camera burns in the capture date directly on the film, but not past the year 2010. The particular year most likely results from a mundane technical limitation—or perhaps the camera’s design engineers could not imagine a future beyond this horizon.

Rating: ★★★☆☆

minox gte

aubade@cutgrassliesfrail.com — Thu, 08 Oct 2026 00:00:00 +0000

Capsule review: Minox GTE

The ultimate subject of photography, like poetry—like all art ?—is time. Time weighs on film photography in a more prosaic way than on poetry: with a few exceptions, no one now makes high-quality film cameras. Functioning film cameras like the charming Minox GTE remain relatively abundant and affordable for the moment, but their numbers will dwindle, sooner rather than later. As their irreplaceable electronic components fail, what were once solid, pocketable, satisfying devices will become mere shelf decorations. Find one in good shape, pay the premium for its fine state, and enjoy it before the inevitable. Memento mori.

Rating: ★★★★★

nikon z5

aubade@cutgrassliesfrail.com — Tue, 06 Oct 2026 00:00:00 +0000

Capsule review: Nikon Z5

Functional, practical, accessible, acceptable. In a word, fine. Not a device to inspire passion or even affection—can any digital camera ?

Rating: ★★★☆☆

nikon fm

aubade@cutgrassliesfrail.com — Fri, 02 Oct 2026 00:00:00 +0000

Capsule review: Nikon FM

Walk into any decent camera shop with used analog gear and you’ll find a Canon AE-1 or something close. Cameras like the Nikon FM are slightly rarer despite having fewer features: no electronic shutter, no program modes, and needless to say, no autofocus. These limitations represent in fact its strength. Though the Nikon FM is less spartan than an M3, having an excellent three-LED light meter, it has exactly the right amount of features for the casual photographer, and nothing else to distract.

Rating: ★★★★★

film photography

aubade@cutgrassliesfrail.com — Fri, 25 Sep 2026 00:00:00 +0000

Capsule review: Film photography

Objectively worse than digital in almost every way: quality, cost, convenience, etc. Cherish it.

Rating: ★★★★★