I never set out to buy an SR-2 in a deliberate sense—that is, in the same way I searched for my Maxxum 7. The Maxxum 7 was going to be the camera I used to achieve photographic perfection. At the time, the SR-2, and all SRs, for that matter, wereContinue Reading
Well, first of all, thanks for reading all the gardening journey posts. As best I could, I have taken you every step with me from the vague idea of creating a front yard garden in 2014 up to the end of the first season. A lot of sweat went intoContinue 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
Mindlessly browsing through eBay, I came across a collection of Minolta miscellany, which included a camera, a few flashes, and a fanny pack with a Minolta blue and white logo. I actually paused and looked at it. Then I immediately had one of those “at the precipice” moments—the kind where your lifeContinue Reading
Generally speaking, I don’t like shooting cameras without built-in light meters—the process is too cumbersome. At times, however, it is unavoidable. For example, I have a Yashica Mat 124 with a busted meter, and the pandemic hit just as I was about to have it repaired. A light meter isContinue Reading
The day I held the Maxxum 7000i for the first time proved to be a turning point in my life. I thought I was buying an inexpensive AF camera to take pictures of my garden. In reality, I was joining the ranks of Minolta collectors. I started down this pathContinue Reading
Once upon a time, I bought a Minolta XG-M to get the Minolta MD 28-85mm lens that came with it. A review on the Rokkor Files had raved about the lens, calling it as good as a prime at some focal lengths. The bad news for my cheapskate self was that thoseContinue Reading
Buying cameras based on images and brief descriptions can be rewarding or frustrating. Happily, even though I have purchased many items from both eBay and ShopGoodwill, my experiences have been overwhelmingly positive, with only a few duds. There was the person who sold me a Maxxum 70 that “probably worked,”Continue Reading
Around the time the fifth camera arrived, it dawned on me that I had become a Minolta collector—that certainly wasn’t my goal initially. My first purchase, the Maxxum 7000i, was solely for the purpose of solving the bokeh problem. Awareness of the 7000i had been with me for years asContinue Reading
On learning that Minolta no longer existed, naturally, I wanted to find out what happened. After having read every website I could find about the history of Minolta, I reflected on what the company accomplished. What I found was a history of risk-taking, notable firsts, unfortunate missteps, and a fewContinue Reading