VMLP 18: The Minolta Maxxum 7000i—A Nod of Appreciation (With Affection)
If I were writing VMLP posts based on how much I’ve used each camera, the 7000i would have been one of the first three posts. The 7000i is the camera that drew me into Minolta madness. For the benefit of those who don’t know my photography origin story, I willContinue Reading
Changing My Approach to Evaluating Cameras, Lenses, and Emulsions
I’ve tested a lot of new-to-me cameras and lenses over the last few years, and the process has become something I dread. Fortunately, all basic testing has been completed, and now I am in the “will I keep this” phase of testing. Most earlier tests were driven by the needContinue Reading
Earth, Sun, Film: Looking Back Two Years
Lately, I have spent a lot of time thinking about why I started EarthSunFilm. Maybe it’s the rarely seen snow swirling past the window and the stillness that descends at the insistence of the cold that invite me to reflect on the last two years. The impetus for EarthSunFilm beganContinue Reading
Kodak Tri-X (Mis) Adventures: Tales of Discovery and Woe
As regular readers know, I have taken a fancy to rangefinder Minoltas. That new itch has been scratched by three recent rangefinder buys: 7sII, Super A, and basic Minolta A. The 7sII (my second) was bought cheaply for parts, although the seller said only the meter did not work. TheContinue Reading
Photography, Drawing, Gardening: Looking Forward to a Busy 2022!
Starting a blog is the beginning of an open-ended journey. One never knows what path it will take and where/when it might end. Looking back, some things have turned out well; others are still just plans. For example, I expected that by now, the fourth year of the blog, IContinue Reading
Garden Year 2021—End of Season Review
Every winter, I look back over flower season to rue mistakes and cheer successes. This year has been a mixture of both. Since 2014, the first season, I have documented the garden—first with an iPhone 4s, and now with an iPhone 8 and Minolta Maxxum 7D. Documenting is a separateContinue Reading
Hama Time!
Mark Hama is a legend in the Yashica TLR world. He actually worked at Yashica assembling TLRs for years. I became aware of Mr. Hama after buying my Yashica Mat 124. It seems that, going back years, every mention of having a Yashica repaired referenced him. His continued provision ofContinue Reading
Snake Doctor???
Regional differences in food and dialects fascinate me. I suppose some of that fascination grew out of my having spent time in very different regions of the country. My early childhood years were spent in rural southwest Virginia, tween and teen years in Ohio, a large chunk of my adultContinue Reading
Rangefinder Sneak Attack!
Six months ago, I publicly declared I would declutter and sell off my unwanted gear. It never happened. For those knowingly shaking their heads, I would like to go on record as saying it was not my fault. No, the blame lies squarely at the feet of people selling fully-functionalContinue Reading
Lemon Report, 2021
Not long ago, I wrote about the lemon tree I gave to my mother-in-law. In the ensuing years, the tree has reliably produced at least one lemon in each growing cycle. The cycle is nearly a year long, with honey-scented blossoms appearing in January and ripened fruit in November. OnlyContinue Reading
