Window light fascinates me. Maybe because so many paintings feature scenes with windows as a light source. Since the light typically enters the scene from the side, it throws shadows that increase the depth and texture of the scene. I’ve spent the last four years studying the lighting patterns atContinue Reading
Life is full of surprises, some pleasant, some not. The Maxxum 70 is a pleasant one. The Maxxum 70 was my next purchase after the Maxxum 7000i. This was in March 2019, right before I learned Minolta no longer existed and that the Maxxum 70 was the last Minolta filmContinue Reading
I try to avoid thinking of myself as a collector. That way, I don’t allow myself to get caught up in buying items unless I plan to use them at some point. However, because of the VMLP, I am interested in historic or unusual items. This Super A meter isContinue Reading
The Minolta AF 35-105mm f3.5-4.5 is an oddity. It is widely touted for its sharpness and has an overall rating of 4.64/5 (sharpness, 4.78) on Dyxum, with the main ding against it being relatively poor flare control. I have seen it mentioned glowingly many times in forums. Yet somehow, IContinue Reading
I did not expect much from the Minolta A. I bought it because, having decided to try Minolta rangefinders, I figured why not start with the first member of the modern 35mm fixed-lens line. The Minolta A is the oldest child in the family of cameras that ended in theContinue Reading
If you are new to Minolta autofocus gear, very likely, you are having a hard time deciding on what cameras and lenses to buy. Minolta cameras and gear were marketed in North America as “Maxxum” and in Europe as “Dynax.” There is a lot of info available in blogs andContinue Reading
I had heard good things about the AF 28-85mm 3.5-4.5 lens. However, I never set out to buy one—at least not to use. I purchased an “XX” lens from Goodwill but immediately put it on the shelf with the other hard-to-find “XX” items. Perhaps I would have been tempted toContinue Reading
Just to be clear, I never imagined owning an MC Rokkor-X 58mm f1.2 lens. I always saw it as too exotic, too far beyond my simple needs. Occasionally, I take it out of its storage case, stare at it, and then gently put it back. A bold streak hit meContinue Reading
The Minolta MD Zoom 35-135mm came to my attention through a forum discussion about zoom lenses. Only one of the discussants had heard of or used the lens. At the time (spring 2019), the only images I could find were the few supplied in the forum discussion and this reviewContinue Reading
Df96 has an official shelf life of three months, but experience indicates that’s an underestimate. I began using Df96 right before the start of the pandemic in early 2020. Before then, I had access to a fully-equipped darkroom. I was just getting used to doing B&W darkroom development and printingContinue Reading
