Digital takes no prisoners...

I forgot to mention in the previous post that Nikon also has recently announced it will no longer produce film cameras, other than the FM10 (through Cosina) and the F6. Opting for a nearly digital-only arsenal, Nikon’s move was definitely the precursor for things to come; and now with the death of Konica Minolta’s photo divisions, modern options for 35mm film users are getting thin. I for one will fight ‘til the bitter end when they pry the Maxxum 7 (and as many classic cameras that I can carry) out of my cold, dead hands.

Digital killed the photo star!

“Dammit!” Konica Minolta has announced the withdrawal plan for its camera business and photo business. Today’s revelation marks the end of over one hundred years in the photo business for this once great company. I’m a Minolta guy, proud and loyal. In regards to a quality for the cost ratio, Minolta SLR cameras can’t be beat. The Maxxum 5 and 7 are perfect examples of ‘more bang for the buck’, but digital imaging is picking off film related divisions one by one. Kodak recently announced it’s out of the black and white photo paper business, and Polaroid is discontinuing several films, but I believe this is the first big photo company to completely throw in the towel. I can’t think of a film SLR that has more features than the Maxxum 7, for the price. Of course opinions vary, but budget-minded shooters love Minolta. Because the Maxxum 7D has the Anti-shake technology built into the camera, all current Maxxum lens can be used to take advantage of stabilization. Not so with Canon, who built the technology into the lens, making lens prices two to three times that of Maxxum-mount lenses. We can argue the finer points of Canon DSLRs vs. Minolta DSLRs, with the main issue being Minolta only has two; the 5D and 7D. I’m the first to admit Canon has the bigger arsenal when it comes to camera bodies and lenses, both in film and digital, but I always find myself rooting for the underdog, which may be another reason I like Minolta products. This is a photo company that has made many historical innovations within the camera world, the Maxxum and XD series being fine examples, but they never quite reached the level of Nikon and Canon.

Although I’m sure the suggested Sony product will be good, (the new Sony Cyber-Shot R1 10.3mp is getting excellent reviews) I’ll miss the Minolta logo on the front. I haven’t made the leap to a DSLR yet, mainly because the 7D was only 6mp and I’m too cheap to drop a thousand bucks on a camera. Hey, I love photography and have earned some nice money for my services, but my slightly-used Maxxum 7 (that I picked up for a song) keeps the overhead fairly low. Depending on what the Sony/Maxxum DSLR (that they claim is coming) offers I will probably have to make the plunge soon. If it’s not a Sony/Minolta product I’d lean toward Canon for the sheer vastness of their product lines. With heavy heart and bowed head, I say ‘Minolta we will miss you.’

Another one bites the dust!

Polaroid has announced that they will discontinue its 665 instant film within the first six months of 2006, due to production limitations. This is a high quality, 3 ¼ x 4 ¼ inch, black and white, peel apart film that produces a usable negative along with positive print. I’ve used this film with Polaroid 340 and 360 Automatic Land cameras, achieving pleasant results. Recently the fate of Time-Zero film was sealed with a similar announcement. No more emulsion manipulation using the classic SX-70 instant cameras, and now no more Polaroid negatives, as 665 will be sharing the same fate. For the time being 55 film has dodged the bullet; this is used for 4x5 inch instant usage.

Don’t shelve those old land cameras just yet, 664 and 672, two great, peel apart, black and white instant films are also still available. Hopefully 669, color print peel apart film won’t be on the chopping block in the near future. I’ve had some 665 waiting patiently in my fridge for several months, this news gives me the inclination to slap some in the 360 Automatic Land camera and do some shooting. I quite enjoy the looks I get from passers-by when I’ve got this huge photographic throw-back held up to my eye. Plus these classic instant cameras are very common finds at yard sales and swap meets for next to nothing. While the film still exists, I highly recommend picking up any old Polaroid that accepts this peel apart film and experiment. In fact the cameras themselves are cheaper than the film used in them, as well as the batteries often needed. The 340, which has a glass lens, many of these cameras have plastic lenses, requires a 4.5v battery (hard to find) which will set you back up to 7-14 dollars. These aren’t the most practical cameras to use but they sure are fun. Check out The Land List site for more information regarding most instant cameras from Polaroid.

New Year Bargin

EBay can be a camera collector’s worst nightmare, or a place where dreams can come true. Fortunately this time around it was closer to the latter (maybe.) While scanning the Minolta auctions recently I came across an XD-11 listing. This 35mm single lens reflex has been described as one of the best manual focus SLR cameras made by Minolta. It was developed in association with Leica (another camera brand I’ll probably never be able to afford), for their ‘R’ series of Leica SLR cameras. Introduced in 1977, the XD-11 (XD-7 outside of the USA), features TTL metered Manual, Aperture and Shutter Priority modes. Shutter speeds from one second to 1/1000 plus Bulb, and will even function without a battery at 1/100 when set to ‘O’ on the speed dial. It has a faster X-sync than the popular X-700 camera, 1/100 versus 1/60 for the X-700, and even a separate exposure compensation dial with a range from -2 to +2. All-in-all a great camera from the 70’s and this auction caught my eye due to the current low bid. There were only a couple of hours to go, and the seller described the camera as functional but with some possible exposure issues. The Minolta f/2 45mm MD Rokkor-X lens attached to the body was apparently in perfect condition as well. So I bid. What the hell, it was late, I didn’t expect to win it and I went to bed after submitting a maximum bid amount. To my surprise the next morning I had won this classic SLR for about twenty bucks. Yeah, 20 bucks!? A great deal for just the lens let alone a camera too. It’s a good thing the XD-11 has a tough metal chassis. Upon receipt of the camera it is obvious this baby has been dropped at least once. Even small dents can mean trouble. A portion of the plastic around the eye piece is broken, but the viewfinder is still bright, albeit slightly dusty. The lens is perfect, and since it will fit all of my other MD mount manual Minoltas, I’m not out anything if the camera won’t function properly. The original soft leatherette is pealing back due to shrinkage, which I later read is a common issue with early models. Again, www.cameraleather.com will solve that problem. After closer inspection the camera does seem to function accurately. Of course I won’t know for sure until the first fateful roll of Agfa APX 100. If she works it will be proof that Minolta built cameras to take a beating and still perform well. There is a great repair shop here in Phoenix called Ritz Collectibles (www.ritzcam.com) that may be able to work some magic if I discover this XD-11 has been abused beyond use. If possible; results coming soon.

Visions of Minolta dancing in my head…

Two classic Minolta cameras made their way to me this holiday season. Something I’ve wanted for quite a while is an Autocord. I’ve read this underrated and often overlooked Twin Lens Reflex can hold its own against the other classic TLRs of that era. It’s always Rollei this and Rollei that from classic camera users, but hey, I’m a Minolta guy. I’m also a working stiff, so although Nikon, Canon, and Rollei products are in my sites, my wallet and the dark, gaping chasm within it, prevents me from owning any of these ‘signature’ cameras. When I can pick up two to four cameras (sometimes even more) for the price of a single Rolleiflex or Nikon rangefinder, it’s hard for me to justify the purchase of either. OK, I admit it, I’m Cheap! Minolta has always produced high quality products at affordable prices. The Autocord is no exception, and who knows, one day I may bite the bullet and join the ranks of Rollei owners. Of the 24 models of Minolta 6x6 TLRs this model of the Autocord was produced in 1958 and is referred to as simply the ‘Autocord (Export).’ It’s essentially an Autocord LMX without a built in selenium meter. The Seikosha-MX leaf shutter is still snappy, although the slower speeds need some TLC. It has a nice speed range of one second to 1/500 plus Bulb for long exposures. The f/3.5 75mm Chiyoko Rokkor lens is clean and I’m looking forward to discovering what this lens can produce. Overall the camera seems to function correctly, but the leatherette is history. It’s all but gone on one side and crumbling everywhere else. This gives me a great excuse to utilize www.cameraleather.com a resource I have visited many times but have not yet patronized. Also the Autocord has a PC connector and X-flash sync so I’m excited about testing it in the studio with my B800 Alien Bee flash unit. I may even do some side-by-side testing with another ‘non-Rollei’ TLR, the Ikoflex Ib from Zeiss Ikon. Fun to be had…results coming soon.

New Year Gear!

The camera elves were kind to me this holiday season. Three new additions to the camera collection have arrived and I’m itching to clean them up and give them some deserved attention. I’ll give a quick profile for each one here, however, more in-depth information can be found on my website (once I finish the site’s facelift – hopefully soon.) I don’t have any image samples at this time from the cameras, as they have only recently arrived on my doorstep. The first camera I received this holiday season was the Ansco Super Regent, also known as the Agfa Super Solinette. Although dusty, as most EBay samples are, it seems to be functioning normally upon initial inspection. One of my favorite classic 35mm cameras is the Kodak Retina IIIc, and the Ansco Super Regent is obviously Agfa/Ansco’s attempt to compete. Both cameras were introduced in 1954, and both produced by German companies. Nagel produced the German-made cameras for Eastman Kodak, while Agfa Camera Werk in Müchen engineered this camera. Both cameras are 35mm folders with a coupled rangefinder, however the Retina IIIc opens to the side, while the Super Regent opens down. Both feature a Synchro Compur leaf shutter with speeds from 1 second to 1/500 plus a Bulb setting for long exposures. Both have flash sync and feature a quality 50mm lens. Although I doubt the f/3.5 tessar-type Solinar on the Super Regent will impress me as much as the first class f/2 Schneider-Kreuznach Retina-Xenon. I still expect good things from the 4-element Solinar. The Super Regent lacks the built-in Selenium meter of the Retina IIIc, but since the meter on my Retina IIIc is dead (a common drawback to using a 50 year old camera) I won’t miss not having one on the Super Regent. Focusing on the Super Regent is a little tough, as the dial is very close to the camera body. It’s just a knurled ring and doesn’t have an easy-to-use lever like the Retina IIIc. Luckily the rangefinder on this little gem seems to be calibrated correctly (I’ll find out soon enough), and adjusting it seems to be easy, if necessary. The Super Regent does not have a self-cocking shutter so you will have to remember to cock the shutter using the lever on the lens barrel prior to making an exposure. The Ansco Super Regent is an affordable, quality alternative to the more expensive Kodak Retina IIIc, which I’m sure was Agfa/Ansco’s original intention. Now to put some film in this baby and put it to good use…