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
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
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
Now that I have a few gear reports under my belt, I’ve become stymied on how to proceed with the Vintage Minolta Love Project. Initially, I laid out a roadmap in chronological order from the SR-2 to the 5D. Well, that is no longer working for me. I have usedContinue Reading
Description: A bellflower cluster (Campanula Carpatica) shot in the late afternoon sun Background: I knew almost nothing about bellflowers when I bought this plant. What little I knew had been gleaned from the label on the pot. They made their way to the garden by overwhelming me with their bluish-purple color presentedContinue Reading
The cost of film has gone up a lot in the past year. The first time I bought Lomography 400 film, it cost about 17 dollars; it’s now 27.00 plus shipping. Ilford raised prices, and Kodak did the same. My five-pack of Portra 160 that I bought for 35.00 atContinue Reading
Until the Maxxum 7000i, I had never used a camera with focus areas, and my metering knowledge was limited to the SR-T 101. With the SR-T 101, I knew to get the circle and needle aligned before I snapped. I never had a flash, so shutter and aperture were determinedContinue Reading
Like everyone else, the pandemic has put a serious dent in my photography. Being able to wander around freely, whenever it becomes possible to do so again, is something I will be mindful to cherish. Castleberry Hill is an upcoming artsy neighborhood just southwest of downtown Atlanta. The night sceneContinue Reading
Viewfinder diopter adjustment is, for me, is an essential camera feature. Since many manual focus cameras lack this feature, using a manual camera can be problematic. However, even when adjustment is possible, it never compensates completely for my changing vision. Autofocus makes this problem moot. Viewfinder magnifiers are available andContinue Reading
I spent my early childhood in rural southwest Virginia. Fifteen-cent chili dogs are one of the fondest memories of my childhood. There were two places to get good ones (as far as I knew at age six). The first was the “Friendly Inn,” run by a friend of the familyContinue Reading
