After seven years and a lot of film, I’m at a point where I’ve run out of places to shoot without being repetitive. Frame Works???, For Your Consideration, and Through the Viewfinder posts focus on a single image that I find interesting enough to write about. But, there are only so many such scenes, and I’ve shot all that I am aware of within a reasonable distance.
Doing user reports for cameras and lenses requires lots of images, but here again, I’ve run out of things to shoot. My usual approach has been to create a list of sites and ideas, then go out and shoot from the list. Over the last seven years, I’ve crossed off most items on that list. As a result, my cameras have been silent for the last few months, except for functionality tests.
I suppose my scattered approach to photography during the last seven years has put me in this bind. At the outset, I was focused on flowers and documenting the garden. Then the VMLP came along, and I decided to shoot all significant Minolta SLRs, which I’ve done. Next, the idea of writing about lenses popped into my head, so I added lenses to the mix. Then, I caught the collecting bug. I wandered off track.
I own collectible cameras and lenses that I fear taking out because of their value. But I feel uncomfortable just having them and letting them take up space. The initial charm for many collectible items was finding a working copy such as the Minolta ER—but that isn’t an everyday camera. The Minolta XK and Maxxum 9, Minolta’s forays into pro gear, I bought because of the VMLP. Having experienced them, I see they are also not everyday cameras—at least not for me.
When I began buying gear in 2019, I was exploring all aspects of photography concurrently. These days, I’m beginning to realize that exploring new cameras and new films is less interesting than looking for interesting scenes or perfecting my still-life and studio skills. Likewise, my interest in writing user reports has waned. For example, I see no value in writing the umpteenth user report on Minolta SR-T models. In my collection, the SR-T 101 wins on nostalgia—it was my first Minolta back in my college days—but I feel no urge to write about it.
These years of exploration have yielded many positive benefits. I have definitely developed favorites—and they are not what I would have expected when I started in 2019. I love my 50s folders—sharp lenses and fun to use. To my chagrin, I also like interchangeable lens rangefinders, so now I have four LTM camera models and six LTM lenses. They are Canon and Minolta models—reasonably priced and quite capable. The meters on my Canon 7 and Canon 7s work and are accurate enough for regular use in good light. A recent rearrangement in living quarters has given me space to leave my studio gear in place all the time. Soon, I will be able to easily use the Autocord and Pentax 645 whenever a still-life project comes to mind.
I have settled on my everyday cameras and lenses. Autofocus cameras: Maxxum 7, Maxxum 5, Maxxum 7000, Maxxum 600si, Minolta AF-C, and Minolta Freedom zoom 160. Autofocus lenses: 35mm f2, 28mm f2, 50mm 1.4, 50mm Macro f2.8, 100mm Macro 2.8, 28-105mm, 70-210mm f4, 100-400mm. The 85mm 1.4 G is a great lens, but I’m not sure it adds anything to what the 100mm 2.8 macro can do. I rarely use the other AF lenses.
For manual SLRs, the SR-T-102 and 202, XD11, XD5, and X-700 made the cut. Lens-wise: 35mm f2.8, 50mm MC PG, 100mm 2.5, 28-85mm, 75-150mm–are keepers; the rest, like the 24-50mm, I’ll have to try a few more times. That being said, I do intend to finish up the user reports for the remaining manual Minolta zooms—MD 24-50mm, 35-105mm, MD 100-300mm, MD 100-200mm, MD 35-70mm, MD 70-210mm, MD 75-200mm, and Vivitar MD 70-210mm 2.8 because I haven’t used them enough to decide what is worth keeping. The 58mm 1.2, 35mm 1.8, and 85 mm 1.7 are collectibles that I can’t afford to replace if lost or damaged—they will be sold. They are exceptional lenses, but their functionality is matched by the MC 50mm 1.4 PG, MD Rokkor 35mm f2.8, and MD 100mm f2.5, which are also smaller, weigh less, and less expensive to replace. All future outings for user reports should go quickly, because I’ll be shooting with a more documentary bent, and not trying to make art. The Sony a7 II, which I love far more than expected, will be used when I don’t feel like developing and scanning film.
Just as I’ve settled on specific gear, I’ve also developed a taste for specific films. I like Lomo color films (100, 400, 800)—I’ll use up my stash (a decent amount), but I won’t replace them because of the price. I like Kodak films and will reserve Portra/Ektacolor for the flowers. Luckily, I bought a decent amount of Fuji Pro 400H in 120 format before it disappeared, and that will be used more often as well. I prefer Tri-X to HP5+, but I am about to experiment with HP5 shot overexposed by a stop. Beyond these, I have enough stuff in the freezer to preclude needing to buy anything for a while.
Having wrestled with organizing my photography future, I realized my artistic efforts are another disruptor. During the pandemic, I discovered that I could draw, which led to experimenting with painting. Being inspired, I’ve enrolled in a few online art classes, which are going well.
Seven years ago, I had too much time on my hands and few things to do. Today, I have to plan what to do on any given day—a good problem to have. The takeaway here is that I am going back to a focus on images, regardless of medium. And, having made this decision, I feel 1000 percent better.
