There's something to be said about OEM lenses with full compatibility, native mount support, and a high level of quality control. That all comes with a cost attached. Then there are third-party manufacturers: companies that often offer the same level of compatibility, quality control, and multiple lens mount options, but many don't carry a price tag as high as the original manufacturers'. So today, we have John and Bill, joined by Mario and Brian, to discuss all things third party, from classic Tokina, Tamron, and Sigma. Modern options from TTArtisans and 7Artisan lenses, and of course, Light Lens Labs, who are painstakingly creating modern, affordable versions of classic Leitz Optics.

So, back in December 2025, Alex handed out some expired film to James and Bill, and today we're back revisiting the topic of expired film. And while Bill & James haven't had the chance to shoot their rolls, Alex did shoot his odd duck of a roll. Everything from colour shifts to fog and bad chemical packs, it's all about shooting and using expired film. From developing without any data to best practices, techniques and chemistry needed.

Today, Alex is joined by David Smith, a Biology professor and researcher at Western University in London, Ontario. While we mostly talk about cameras on the show, David has something unique: microscopes. As many history nerds know, many camera companies we know and love today began producing optics, including microscopes. Dr Smith came by this affinity for collecting honestly, as his mom is an antique dealer. David talks about his microscopes, how he started the collection, and how it led to film photography and a fantastic collection of Leica rangefinders, lenses, and medium-format cameras.

You can find Dr Smith online. Instagram https://www.instagram.com/arrogantgenome/?hl=en

Last year, we were so caught up in our own tenth anniversary that we completely forgot about the fifth anniversary of the K-Mount! While the K-Mount is most often associated with Asahi/Pentax, it was a joint invention by Asahi and Zeiss Ikon. Like the M42 mount, the K-Mount was intended to be a universal, open-source lens mount. But the partnership never materialised, and the two companies parted ways, with Pentax retaining the mount and one Zeiss lens design. Since its introduction, the K-Mount has changed slightly as technology advanced. To celebrate, the team is here to discuss the cameras and lenses for this iconic mount, from K to K-AF4!

Last year, we chatted with James McFarlane about his journey and pilgrimage on the Camino de Santiago. What we did not count on was finding a second film photographer who took his own film on his pilgrimage on the Camino de Santiago. Today, Tyler Cahoon of the Retro Film Project joins Alex and John to talk about his Camino journey, the reasons behind his pilgrimage, the people, the photos, the cameras, and the film that came along.

You can find more from Tyler online... YouTube: www.youtube.com/@retrofilmproject Watch Tyler's Camino Journey Here: youtu.be/uOl7Dkm9VEE Instagram: www.instagram.com/retrofilmproject

We're back for Season 12! While we wanted to include a Mystery Camera Challenge as part of our 10th anniversary season, it just didn't work out. So James, Alex and Bill head into Toronto to kick off the new season with another Mystery Camera Challenge, our sixth! This time around, we each drew a name and used that person's camera, and then grabbed a roll of film from the other person! The cameras in this episode include Alex's Nikon F65 with a 24mm f/2.8 lens, which James used, and a roll of Ilford HP5+. From Bill came the Nikon F90x with the 35-70mm f/2.8D, which Alex shot on a roll of Bergger Pancro 400. And from James came the Nikon F6, which Bill used and loaded with a roll of Ultrafine Extreme 400. Also of note: this episode was recorded live on location at Union Station in Toronto!

Well, we all made it through another season, and not much worse for wear. The team had a relaxing time sitting around the table and discussing everything they did this year, the gear they acquired, the films they tried, and the developers they worked with. Plus a brief discussion of social media, AI, and more. Just some middle-aged guys chatting about photography. It's a little bit of everything to wrap up the year.

The one thing that will always keep a photographer humble is that we all make mistakes, some big, some small, some fixable. So join the gang as they talk about foul gear, forgotten steps, chemical mix-ups, and general issues that keep us humble. Yes, mistakes were made.