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Vintage Minolta Love Project

Buying Your First Manual-Focus Minolta SLR Film Camera (and Lenses)

2022-12-22
On: December 22, 2022
In: Manual, Vintage-Minolta Love

Manual focus cameras force one to concentrate on the fundamentals of photography. Using a manual focus camera requires a sequence of tasks: compose the image, meter the scene, set the aperture size, set the shutter speed, and shoot. You must be familiar with concepts such as depth of field andContinue Reading

VMLP 28: The Minolta Maxxum 7— I’m Pretty Sure Picard Has One

2022-12-12
On: December 12, 2022
In: Autofocus, Vintage Minolta Love Project

Being in command of an extraordinary machine is an intoxicating experience. I’m a huge Star Trek fan, and the bridge has always held a particular fascination for me. The sense of being in absolute control of an immensely powerful ship–the lights, the screens, the sounds–has never lost its appeal. AlthoughContinue Reading

Look What Just Arrived—Lenses, Cameras, and a Book

2022-11-23
On: November 23, 2022
In: Vintage Minolta Love Project

After settling on a Pentax 645 system, I had little interest in buying more gear. However, a few items have found their way to my door. There are three lenses, two cameras, and a book, and all charmed me with their reputations and unexpected affordability. Clearly, I had no choice.Continue Reading

How I Learned to Appreciate Good Lenses

2022-10-05
On: October 5, 2022
In: Lens Love, Vintage-Minolta Love

My first eBay purchase was a Maxxum 7000i with two lenses: a Minolta 35-80mm and a Minolta 75-300mm from the last generations of Minolta’s AF lenses. At 42.00 for the set, which included a flash, I thought I had done quite well. Generally, I was happy with my purchase, andContinue Reading

VMLP 27: Minolta MC Rokkor-X 80-200mm, f4.5—Better Than Expected (Leica Liked It)

2022-09-12
On: September 12, 2022
In: Lens Love, Manual, Vintage Minolta Love Project

Those following along will remember my quest to try as many Minolta manual zoom lenses as possible. I am doing this for the VMLP and a little bit for the same reason people climb Mt. Everest. However, in the case of the 80-200mm, f4.5, there is a detective story of sorts. When the Minolta-LeicaContinue Reading

VMLP 26: Minolta SR-T SC-II—I never saw it coming

2022-08-29
On: August 29, 2022
In: Vintage Minolta Love Project, Vintage-Minolta Love

About two years ago, I spied what looked to be a nearly mint black SR-T 101 in a large eBay lot of four lenses, three books, an SR-T SC-II, and a pack of SR-T spare parts. Hoping to fulfill my dream of owning a black 101, I wrote to theContinue Reading

VMLP 25: Minolta (1985) AF 35-105mm f3.5-4.54—Buy One (You’ll Thank Me Later)

2022-08-15
On: August 15, 2022
In: Autofocus, Lens Love, Vintage-Minolta Love

The Minolta AF 35-105mm f3.5-4.5 is an oddity. It is widely touted for its sharpness and has an overall rating of 4.64/5 (sharpness, 4.78) on Dyxum, with the main ding against it being relatively poor flare control. I have seen it mentioned glowingly many times in forums. Yet somehow, IContinue Reading

VMLP 24: The Minolta A–Minolta’s Rangefinder Reboot

2022-08-01
On: August 1, 2022
In: Vintage Minolta Love Project, Vintage-Minolta Love

I did not expect much from the Minolta A. I bought it because, having decided to try Minolta rangefinders, I figured why not start with the first member of the modern 35mm fixed-lens line. The Minolta A is the oldest child in the family of cameras that ended in theContinue Reading

VMLP 23: Minolta AF 28-85mm 3.5-4.5—Not Famous, But Good

2022-06-27
On: June 27, 2022
In: Autofocus, Lens Love, Vintage Minolta Love Project

I had heard good things about the AF 28-85mm 3.5-4.5 lens. However, I never set out to buy one—at least not to use. I purchased an “XX” lens from Goodwill but immediately put it on the shelf with the other hard-to-find “XX” items. Perhaps I would have been tempted toContinue Reading

VMLP 22: MC Rokkor-X PG 58mm 1.2—My Precious

2022-04-11
On: April 11, 2022
In: Lens Love, Manual, Vintage Minolta Love Project

Just to be clear, I never imagined owning an MC Rokkor-X 58mm f1.2 lens. I always saw it as too exotic, too far beyond my simple needs. Occasionally, I take it out of its storage case, stare at it, and then gently put it back. A bold streak hit meContinue Reading

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Minolta Guides and Info

  • Buying and Collecting Minolta: A Guide for Newbies
  • Minolta Camera and Lens Repair Services
  • Minolta Cameras, Lenses, and Gear: Books, Guides, References, Magazines, and Links
  • What is the Vintage Minolta Love Project?

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Recent Posts

  • After the Polar Vortex, Survival is The Best Revenge
  • Bubblicious or Development Woe???
  • Overwintering
  •  First Look–2x Teleconverters and +2 Close-up Filters
  • The Rules of Acquisition (eBay Edition) 
  • Perusing the History of Photography, Searching for My Muse…
  • Love a Camera? Adore a Lens? (Go Ahead, It’s Okay)
  • Film Fare—Prices, Questions, Complaints
  • On Being a Hunter-Gatherer, not a Collector (The Vintage Minolta Love Project, Phase Two)
  • Photographs as Remembrance (but Art???)
  • After the Polar Vortex, What of Spring?
  • Failure to Communicate…
  • Minolta Semi P and Konica Pearl II: Medium Format in My Pocket!
  • Buying Your First Manual-Focus Minolta SLR Film Camera (and Lenses)

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