Like “Man in Black” Johnny Cash, Gabe Sachs is never seen without his signature ebon apparel. So what could coax him into donning a white dress shirt? And while we’re asking questions: who’s shooting 220 film, what’s a Zunow, and can Jeff actually perform Tom Lehrer’s “The Elements” on command? Find out in the latest obsidian-dark episode of I Dream of Cameras!

Gabe was plied with birthday gifts!

a camera-print shirt from a Paris boutique

Eyes Wide Open! 100 Years of Leica Photography

a Polaroid Big Swinger and three precious packs of Fujifilm FP-3000b

Jeff made a world-wind trip to LA, where he and Gabe dined with Jeff’s friend and Renaissance-woman Cathy Rogers of indiepop legends Heavenly and Junkyard Wars a.k.a. Scrapheap Challenge

Today is Jeff’s 12th Alpaversary, yet his cherished 11si does not exist!

to celebrate, he replaced the mirror foam in his Alpa 10s, and has a sexy how-to tip!

Gabe bought a thrashed Rolleicord with Rolleinar close-up attachment and is wracked with regret

Jeff shot the Heavenly show with a Pentax 6x7 and 45mm lens and does not recommend

yet he was quite pleased with his wedding shots from the XPan and Olympus XA4

Gabe loved the documentary Uncropped, produced by Wes Anderson, about photographer James Hamilton

also take note of Glen E. Friedman, seminal skateboard, punk and hip-hop shooter whose work is all over Dogtown and Z-Boys

now some questions! ever tried Shanghai 220 film?

ever heard of the fascinating and ultra-rare Zunow SLR?

did you know Tom Lehrer did a version of “The Elements” for a Polaroid sales meeting?

and finally, our Prodigious Mailbag™, featuring a truly devastating missive from John Kelly, late of the Washington Post, in which he compares IDOC to the obscure and little-heard Camerosity podcast