As a Minolta fan, it is always heartwarming to read about the former days. Whether those days include innovations and breakthroughs or missteps and dead-ends, the stories are compelling. Unfortunately, many of these tidbits are found in old magazines and forums but rarely in some organized collection. Most books aboutContinue 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
The VMLP is a quest to relive the history and innovation of Minolta SLRs. Accordingly, the next camera up for review should be either the SR-7 with its built-in meter (innovation step) or the older SR-1 (historical). But here we have the XD11. Why? Love. Generally speaking, I prefer autofocusContinue Reading
I have too many cameras and lenses. When buying gear, sometimes it’s necessary to buy an entire lot just to get one item. This happened to me a number of times, and now I need to find loving homes for the overflow. I decided to do the VMLP forContinue Reading
Sometimes things seem destined to go wrong. Last week I decided to try out my new black XD11. It came in a lot, and the owner said it had been stored unused for 15 years. Usually, I would insist on proof the camera worked. But this XD11 was black and said toContinue Reading
There are cameras one dreams about having, and there are cameras that, owning them, one dreams about using. They aren’t necessarily the same camera. My father-in-law had a classic Leica from the 50s and a Rollei TLR. Those were his dream cameras. Until May 2019, the closest I had comeContinue Reading
I hated jazz. In a conversation with an older friend, 30-year-old me held as ridiculous that anyone really liked jazz. I grew up with the last major wave in jazz expression, “free.” This was the style that came with Ornette Coleman in the early 60s. Bitches Brew, the much-heralded 25-minute soundContinue Reading
The “blues” is bespoke, even though you never ask for it. It always fits you exactly, like a well-tailored suit. The blues comes in degrees and gradients. Sometimes, it’s the bittersweet melancholy of pining for a love now far removed. At other times, a mild setback that one combats withContinue Reading
Description: Still life of a metal antelope sculpture Background: I’ve always been drawn to the minimalism of this sculpture. I waver over whether it is a cow or an antelope. It was a gift to my wife from one of her friends years ago, so its origin and background are lost. Continue Reading
This is the first Vintage Minolta Love Project (VMLP) post. To learn more about VLMP, read this. Last year, I bid on a 35-105mm RMC Tokina lens intended for use with my recently-acquired Minolta X-570. There were plenty of pictures. When the lens arrived, I spent 10 minutes trying toContinue Reading
