Film Fare—Prices, Questions, Complaints
Film prices are skyrocketing, which is news to no one. On one hand, I hate this. On the other hand, looking back, perhaps I’m overreacting. Consider this: In June 1976, I bought my first Minolta, an SR-T 101. It was the bicentennial year, and I spent the summer in Washington,Continue Reading
On Being a Hunter-Gatherer, not a Collector (The Vintage Minolta Love Project, Phase Two)
I have a respectable assortment of Minolta gear, even a few big-deal items like the 58mm 1.2 and an SR-2 camera. I enjoy owning them, but I enjoy using them even more. The Vintage Minolta Love project (VMLP) has motivated me to track down sometimes obscure Minolta objects. The project’sContinue Reading
Photographs as Remembrance (but Art???)
What does a photograph mean? I asked myself this question while recuperating and looking over images of past gardening seasons. When not quite able to play in the dirt, yet longing to do so, those images gave me a sense of place, of being there. While many looking atContinue Reading
After the Polar Vortex, What of Spring?
Since 2014, the garden’s first season, I cannot recall a winter when the local temperature fell below 18. Even then, the cold was limited to nighttime. Typically, nighttime temps in December are, at worst, in the mid-30s with occasional lower temps for a few hours at best. The polar vortexContinue Reading
Failure to Communicate…
From time to time things go wrong–occasionally, very wrong. Maxxum 7, AF 50mm f2.8, Ultrafine Xtreme 400, CineStill Monobath.Continue Reading
Minolta Semi P and Konica Pearl II: Medium Format in My Pocket!
Having obtained all the cameras needed for the Vintage Minolta Love Project, I thought my gear-buying days were ending. Certainly, there is nothing left I need to buy. However, my interest in photography has grown beyond the VMLP, which has led to more reading and a few more purchases. In particular, mediumContinue Reading
Buying Your First Manual-Focus Minolta SLR Film Camera (and Lenses)
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
Minolta XK Repairs: A Bit of Good News
The Minolta XK (XM/X-1) is a storied camera, a fine example of Minolta innovation introduced in 1972 with interchangeable finders and auto-exposure. It was Minolta’s first stab at a professional camera system, offering 8 seconds to 1/2000 shutter speeds, aperture priority shooting with auto exposure, and nine user-interchangeable focus screens.Continue Reading
It’s Time to Say Goodbye
By the time the first frost arrives each year, I am ready to welcome it. Managing a garden, even a small one, is more work than it seems, a fact I discovered within a few weeks of my first gardening season. First, there is digging, fertilizing, and planting. Then, onceContinue Reading
VMLP 28: The Minolta Maxxum 7— I’m Pretty Sure Picard Has One
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
