Episode 218 - Now Look Closer
From Classic Camera Revival by Alex Luyckx
February 24, 2026 · 46 min · Episode 211
About this episode
Alex Luyckx interviews David Smith about his unique collection of microscopes and its connection to film photography.
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
People in this episode
Host: Alex Luyckx
Guest: David Smith
Topics covered
- microscopes
- film photography
- camera collection
- optics history
- Leica rangefinders
Keywords
- microscopes
- film photography
- camera collection
- Leica
- optics
Mentioned in this episode
Organizations: Western University, Leica
Places: London, Ontario
More episodes of Classic Camera Revival
- Episode 225 - Lens Tetralogy I - Ultra-Wides · June 9, 2026 · 59 min
- Episode 224 - In the Loupe: Kevin Ealaín · May 26, 2026 · 46 min
- Episode 223 - In the Loupe: Raf Lopes · May 12, 2026 · 1h 11m
- Episode 222 - Pirates of the Leicaflex · April 28, 2026 · 55 min
- Episode 221 - The Great Fujifilm Show · April 14, 2026 · 56 min
- Episode 220 - Life of the (Third) Party · March 24, 2026 · 1h 22m
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