SilvergrainClassics

28/08/2026

Keep Liverpool Darkroom Alive!

Probably one of the MOST vulnerable and uncomfortable things I've ever done... asking for help.

Rachel has built a beloved community around analogue photography with Little Vintage Photography over the past 15 years, but a recent diagnosis of a neurological disability causing seizures, loss of speech and episodes of paralysis, means she needs support to keep it going whilst she works out a new plan...

She’s facing the costs of treatment, transportation, and maintaining her darkroom and community so If you’re able, please consider donating or sharing to help her get the care she needs and keep her creative, educational space and practice going.

Every bit of support helps ensure her community, knowledge of and passion for analogue film photography and the darkroom can continue to thrive.

https://gofund.me/cdb8619f4

28/08/2026

Charys needs a new little film camera to take on tour with her orchestra.
After spending the summer with a Voigtländer Vito C, she’s hooked on the whole tiny, pocketable 35mm concept. An article about her summer with the Vito C will follow soon.
Now it’s between two cameras:
Balda CS 35 — zone focus, fully automatic exposure, self-timer and backlight compensation.
Minox GT — the classic of the class. Zone focus and aperture priority, so you choose the aperture and the camera chooses the shutter speed. Also self-timer and backlight compensation.
The camera needs to live in a tour bag and be ready for snapshots, group shots and selfies with the orchestra.
Which would you choose: Balda CS 35 or Minox GT? And why?

21/08/2026

What happens if print disappears?
The recent troubles at Steidl raise a much bigger question for photography: what do we lose when photographs increasingly exist only on screens?
A printed photograph—or a carefully produced photobook—is more than an image on paper. The choice of paper, reproduction, sequencing, scale and binding all shape how we experience the work.
At SilvergrainClassics, we obviously believe print still matters. But its future shouldn’t be taken for granted.
Read our new article and tell us what you think:
https://silvergrainclassics.com/en/2026/08/if_print_disappears/

The recent financial troubles at Steidl are more than publishing-industry news.

10/08/2026

It doesn’t always have to be a Rolleiflex.
The Meopta Flexaret is a fascinating example of just how many interesting alternatives existed in the golden age of the twin-lens reflex camera.
Its roots go back to pre-war Czechoslovakia. In 1939, Optikotechna acquired a photographic equipment factory in Přerov and initially developed earlier TLR designs such as the Autoflex and Flexette. After World War II, development of a new camera continued under Meopta, founded in 1946: the Flexaret.
Designed as an accessible camera for amateur photographers, the Flexaret was easy to use and became extremely popular in Czechoslovakia. The series remained in production through the 1960s, with the final cameras produced around 1970.
Rolleiflex may be the name everyone associates with the TLR, but it was far from the only interesting choice.
In fact, we explored several Rolleiflex alternatives in the very first issue of SilvergrainClassics — SGC Issue 1.
If the Flexaret has made you curious about what else was out there, go back to where SGC began and discover some of the other TLRs worth knowing.
SGC Issue 1 is still available in our shop — but back-issue stocks are limited.

https://shop.silvergrainclassics.com/products/photoklassik-international-issue-1-special-edition

Which Rolleiflex alternative deserves more attention?

09/08/2026

📸 One shutter click. One iconic cover. One issue of SilvergrainClassics.

Elliott Erwitt. Helmut Newton. David Burnett. Thomas Hoepker — and many, many more.

Over the years, SilvergrainClassics has featured some truly amazing photographers and unforgettable covers.

If there’s an issue missing from your collection, now is a good time to complete it.

Our back issues are still available individually — but stocks are getting low on some editions, and others are already SOLD OUT.

Browse the archive, rediscover a favorite, or grab that missing copy while it’s still available:

https://shop.silvergrainclassics.com/collections/magazines
Which SilvergrainClassics cover is your favorite?

09/08/2026

They say in China that copying something is a way of honoring the inventor. If so, the Kiev 35 certainly pays quite a tribute to the Minox GT.
There’s really no denying that the Kiev 35 is a copy of the German Minox. The obvious difference is in the quality of construction: the Minox GT is a beautifully made little camera, while the mechanism and electronics of many surviving Kiev 35s no longer work.
That’s exactly why this particular example caught our attention. The seller specifically stated—and guaranteed—that it is fully functional.
If it really does work, there’s another reason we’re curious about it: the lens.
The Kiev 35 uses a 35mm f/2.8 five-element Korsar. Rather than simply copying the Minox lens, Kiev apparently adapted an existing lens from another technical application—and the Korsar has a reputation for being optically very good.
So we’d like to find out what it can actually do.
Conveniently, the little package also contained a Minox GT, giving us the original as a reference camera. We’ll put both on film and compare the results.
Have you ever owned or used a Kiev 35? Did yours actually work—and what did you think of the lens? And which camera do you expect to come out ahead?
We’ll report back once the films are developed.

02/08/2026

Some photographers document history.
Thomas Hoepker helped define how we remember it.
His photographs—from Muhammad Ali's iconic raised fist to countless moments that shaped our collective memory—have become part of our visual culture. With his Leica M in hand, the Magnum photographer captured history with empathy, patience, and extraordinary intuition.
For SilvergrainClassics Issue 23, we had the privilege of working closely with someone who knew Thomas Hoepker personally, allowing us to create one of the most intimate features we've ever published. Looking through his contact sheets reveals far more than the final photographs—it offers a glimpse into the way one of the world's greatest photojournalists saw the world.
There is also a heartbreaking irony to his story. The man who preserved so many of humanity's memories spent his final years living with Alzheimer's disease, gradually losing his own memories before his passing in the summer of 2024.
Issue 23 remains one of our favourite editions, and we believe it is a fitting tribute to a photographer whose work will continue to inspire generations to come.
If you haven't read it yet, now is the perfect time. The issue is currently available at a special price in our shop.
Read more or order your copy here: https://shop.silvergrainclassics.com/products/silvergrainclassics-issue-23-summer-2024
SilvergrainClassics Issue 23 (Summer 2024)

22/07/2026

For years, we've been following the highs and lows of the analogue film industry. We've reported on new products, ambitious projects, and the challenges of keeping film manufacturing alive in Europe.
Back in Issue 20 of SilvergrainClassics, we covered InovisCoat and its role in the future of photographic film. Now, the story has entered an entirely new chapter.
With Optic Oldschool's acquisition of InovisCoat and Filmotec, we take a closer look at what this could mean—not just for one company, but for the future of European analogue film production.
Our latest feature goes beyond the announcement itself, exploring the history, the technology, the people behind the project, and why this development deserves attention.
Read the full article here:
👉 https://silvergrainclassics.com/en/?p=24085&preview=true
What do you think? Could this mark the beginning of a new chapter for European film manufacturing?

18/07/2026

When the rain starts falling, most photographers put their cameras away. Maybe it's time to pack one that doesn't mind getting wet.
Amphibious cameras aren't just for underwater photography. They're fantastic travel companions for rainy days, beach trips, boats, rivers, and anywhere your camera might be exposed to the elements—letting you focus on making photographs instead of worrying about your gear.
In SilvergrainClassics Issue 27, we explore some of the most fascinating amphibious cameras ever made, comparing different models and showing why they're still such enjoyable cameras to use today.
Issue 27 also includes an outstanding feature on the photography of Elliott Erwitt, alongside inspiring portfolios, technical features, and stories from across the world of analogue photography.
Only a handful of copies of Issue 27 are still available. Once they're gone, this issue will be out of print.
Get your copy here:
https://shop.silvergrainclassics.com/