The Vintage Minolta Love Project is my plan to shoot every major Minolta SLR along with selected period-appropriate lenses and accessories from the Minolta SR-2 released in 1958 to the Maxxum 5D, introduced in 2004.
Think of this project as both an homage to a great company and a chance for me to fulfill my dream of shooting the best Minolta SLRs. My first real camera was a Minolta SR-T 101. I bought it and a third-party 50mm lens from a pawn shop while in college. I used to look at photography magazines and imagine what it would be like to own a Rokkor-X lens. Well, with the Vintage Minolta Love Project (VMLP), the time for wishing is past.
I don’t particularly appreciate shooting with rangefinders and have no need for a P&S, so only SLRs (and DSLRs) will be included in the project. Of course, one day I may change my mind. An Autocord may find its way in, assuming I can get one for a reasonable price.
VMLP posts will be numbered and appear approximately twice every five to six weeks, life permitting. Each post will consist of the following sections:
- Introduction – the backstory of how I got the camera
- Historical Perspective – how the camera fits into Minolta’s product history in terms of innovation, lenses, gear, and the photography marketplace in general
- Inpection and Appearance – the design features and cosmetic condition of the camera
- Function and Handling – user experience (good and bad) including size, weight, ease of loading, metering, etc.
- Shooting – an account of shooting one or more rolls of film including specific shots, lenses used, locales, or situations (e.g., night, rain)
- Impression – whether I like the camera and why
Once the project is completed, I intend to thin the herd and keep only my favorite cameras and lenses. So far, I know that two of those keepers are the Maxxum 7 and the Minolta XD11.
I will be writing posts in parallel manual and autofocus tracks. So, each period will have one manual camera post and one autofocus post. Much of the enjoyment of writing a blog is interacting with readers, and I hope to connect with Minolta lovers from everywhere. I’m living a dream; join in and share the experience.
VMLP Posts
- VMLP 1: A Visual Guide to Minolta Lens Mounts—SR to A
- VMLP 2: Sony–The Revenge of Minolta, the Re-birth of the Cool
- VMLP 3: The Minolta SR-2, the Start of Something Big
- VMLP 4: The Minolta Maxxum 7000—Let There Be Autofocus!
- VMLP 5: The Maxxum 9000—Nice and a Little Confusing
- VMLP 6: Exploring Manual Minolta Zooms
- VMLP 7: The Minolta SR-3–The Best Version of the Minolta SR-2?
- VMLP 8: Minolta Maxxum 28-105mm — Very Good, Rarely Mentioned
- VMLP 9: Minolta Maxxum 8000i — “i” Is for Intelligence!
- VMLP 10: Minolta 50mm f2.8 Macro (AF) —The Everyday Macro
- VMLP 11: The Minolta ER—Strange Quark
- VMLP 12: Minolta MD Zoom 28-85mm, f3.5-4.5—Yeah, You Want One of These
- VMLP 13: The Minolta XD11—A Love Story…
- VMLP 14: Minolta Maxxum 70-210mm (Beercan)—It’s De Rigueur
- VMLP 15: Minolta Maxxum 7xi—Comme ci, Comme ça
- VMLP 16: Minolta (1985) AF 35-70mm f4–Short and Sweet
- VMLP 17: Minolta Freedom Zoom 160—A Tiny, Capable P&S
- VMLP 18: The Minolta Maxxum 7000i—A Nod of Appreciation (With Affection)
- VMLP 19: The Minolta XG-M Second Time’s the Charm
- VMLP 20: The Minolta MD Zoom 35-135mm, f3.5-4.5—The Jury is Still Out
- VMLP 21: The Minolta Maxxum 600si: A Perfect First Camera
- VMLP 22: MC Rokkor-X PG 58mm 1.2—My Precious
- VMLP 23: Minolta AF 28-85mm 3.5-4.5—Not Famous, But Good
- VMLP 24: The Minolta A–Minolta’s Rangefinder Reboot
- VMLP 25: Minolta (1985) AF 35-105mm f3.5-4.54—Buy One (You’ll Thank Me Later)
- VMLP 26: Minolta SR-T SC-II—I never saw it coming
- VMLP 27: Minolta MC Rokkor-X 80-200mm, f4.5—Better Than Expected (Leica Liked It)
- VMLP 28: The Minolta Maxxum 7— I’m Pretty Sure Picard Has One