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
Unintended Consequences from a Minolta Semi P (Or The Importance of Being In the Moment)
A common reason for taking up film photography is that it forces one to slow down. I started shooting film three years ago, so by that logic, I have already been “taking things slow.” But recently, I had an epiphany about what slowing down must encompass that came by wayContinue Reading
Discovering B&W Magazine: A Great Source of Examples and Inspiration
I found B&W Magazine while struggling to determine the best search term to locate film-based fine art photography magazines. To be clear, I was not looking for magazines about how to do photography or that offer gear suggestions and reviews. Instead, I was interested in seeing examples of fine artContinue Reading
Look What Just Arrived—Lenses, Cameras, and a Book
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
The Return of Rainy Season
Gardening makes one pay attention to yearly cycles. Before I planted a yardful of flowers, rain was a random occurrence with pluses and minuses. It could be welcomed as a respite from the heat or dreaded as the bringer of humidity that makes it unbearable. It could be the reasonContinue Reading
A Minolta Compendium: My Collection of Minolta Camera, Lens, and Accessory Information Resources
Starting in 2019, I began compiling information about Minolta gear for my use. Soon, keeping track of where to find reviews and gear suggestions proved to be tiresome, so I wrote them down, and those notes became “Buying and Collecting Minolta: A Guide for Newbies.” At one point, I neededContinue Reading
All in with Pentax 645
I would wager that anyone serious about 35mm photography wants to try medium format at some point. A point-and-shoot plastic camera can do 35mm, but medium and large format—those are strictly big league. Medium format is not cheap, nor is it easy to get into. There are tons of booksContinue Reading
