Tag: Minolta

Wear

When shopping for a vintage camera or lens online, one must be careful to look for signs of excessive wear and tear

Last summer I bought a Minolta X-700 from a downsizing retiree. When I picked up the camera, she gushed about her love of the camera and wanted it to go to someone would appreciate it. She shared with me some of the photographs she had taken with the camera over the year. We talked about my photography and the beautiful things I had photographed in the woods behind her home.

As we talked, I realised that I was not buying a camera. I was adopting a family member. I promised to make fair use of her cherished camera. I walked away with an X-700, an MD Rokkor-X 50mm f/1.7, Auto Electroflash 132X, a Electroflash 20 Ultra Compact flash, and a Vivitar zoom lens. All for $70. Prices online are considerably higher.

It’s one of the best cameras I’ve ever owned. The first time I used it, I had so much fun I shot a 36 exposure roll each of Portra 160 and Ektachrome E100 on the same day. Then I bought an MD Rokkor-X 45mm f/2 lens, and I began devouring article after article about Minolta. Near the end of 2020, I sold my Spotmatic II and ES II and SMC lenses (except for the 50mm) and bought a black XD-11 (of course).

I’m a casual photographer who primarily shoots digital (Fujifilm X-T2), but it seems I’m becoming a Minolta guy.

When I bought my vintage Minolta X-700 camera and MD Rokkor-X 45mm f/2 and MD Rokkor-X 50mm f/1.7 lenses, I was careful to look for signs of excessive wear and tear. I was fortunate with this purchase. The owner was a local casual photographer who took good care of her equipment. The lenses are spotless, and the body has the minor "brassing" one would expect from regular use. The MD Rokkor-X 50mm f/1.7 lens came with the camera, but it took me several weeks to find an unblemished copy of the MD-Rokkor 45mm f/2 lens. I have not had any CLA (Cleaning, Lube, & Adjustment) done, but the camera has performed flawlessly.

Submitted for the 100DaysToOffload project.

35mm Film GAS

I had planned on keeping all these cameras but and I don’t have criteria for a "why"?

Although I bought new “old” Pentax ES II and Minolta X-700 film cameras this year, I rarely buy new cameras. My first digital camera, a Sony DSC-S70 was purchased over 10 years after my first camera, Pentax P3 35mm film camera, and only because the cost of developing film and making prints was expensive. I purchased my first DSLR, a Nikon D40 in 2006, 7 years later, and upgraded 7 years later to a Nikon D5100. In 2018, I replaced the Nikon kit with a pre-owned Fujifilm X-T2 almost six months after my D5100 was destroyed by a fall from a table.

The Pentax Spotmatic II was a nostalgia purchase made during the time my father was suffering from health challenges. After his passing, last Spring, the Pentax ES II and a few prime lenses were added. With a lens mount adapter, the small set of M42 prime lenses and one zoom lens became "vintage" manual focus glass for my Fujifilm X-T2. However, the Minolta X-700 was an impulse buy after reading an old review on Casual Photophile.

I had planned on keeping all these cameras but and I don’t have criteria for a "why"? However, I found myself using the Minolta more than the X-700.

Despite a thorough “clean, lube and adjust” by, I don’t feel confident using the ES II. The camera and lens combination is much heavier than the X-700. The ES II light meter draws a lot from the battery, and as I am not yet comfortable with the Sunny 16 rule, so I bought an external light meter. That makes the camera feel "kludgy".

After reading your post, I realise that I may have some hidden criteria for whether a camera meets my needs. I’ll describe them based on this morning’s post “35Hunter reading” and based on my experience with the Minolta X-700.

The X-700 offers TT L centre-weighted averaging type metering with full-manual aperture and exposure, Aperture Priority auto-exposure, and Programmed auto-exposure for when I when all I want to do is compose, focus, and shoot. The X-700 looks and feels refined. I can turn it on and quickly get to composing my shots, setting aperture and exposure, verifying focus and pushing the shutter. And it delivers every time. I've ruined too many rolls in the ES II.

The X-700 body weighs 505g, and the MD Rokkor-X 45mm f/2 lens I bought adds just 124g. For comparison, my Fujifilm X-T2 body weighs 503.4 g, and my Fujinon XF27mm2.8 lens (41mm FF equivalent) adds just 78g. The X-T2 and X-700 "grab and do" kit are so close in weight that I quite often accidentally pick up the X-700 from my desk when I reach for the Fuji. The Pentax ES II body weighs 678g, but when I carry the extra 398g for a mounted SMC Takkumar 55mm f/2 lens, my right wrist starts to complain.

I have been away from film photography for a very long time, developing my skill in the digital realm. My Fuji X-T2 makes me feel invincible. The Pentax ES II makes me feel like a notice. The X-700 is the 35mm film "confidence builder" that I need right now.

I guess my criteria for keepers are similar to the reasons I bought the Fujifilm X-T2.

  • It feels great in the hand
  • I like the layout of the controls
  • It's lightweight

A tally of all my camera and lens gear, film and digital.

  • Minolta X-700
  • MD Rokkor-X 45mm f/2
  • MD Rokkor-X 50mm f/1.7
  • Asashi Pentax Spotmatic II/ES II
  • SMC Takumar 55mm f/2
  • SMC Takumar 28mm f/3.5
  • Soligor Wide-Auto 35mm f/2.8
  • Pentax P3
  • SMC Pentax-A 50mm f/2
  • Fujifilm X-T2
  • XF16-55mmF.28 R LM WR
  • XF27mmF2.8

I want my digital and film kits to be as minimal as possible. I want to be sure that I keep only what I will use and use only what I keep. I think that once I have completed the 36 exposure roll in the Pentax ES II, I'll release it and the Pentax Spotmatic II for sale. I think I'll keep one (some) of the SMC Takkumar lenses to use on my Fujifilm X-T2.

Pentax P3 + SMC Pentax-A 50mm f/2 | Thursday 5 November, 2020 | FujiFilm X-T2 | XF27mmF2.8
Asahi Optical Co. Pentax Spotmatic II + SMC Takumar 55mm f/2 | Tuesday 14 April, 2020 | FujiFilm X-T2 | XF16-55mmF2.8 R LM WR
Asahi Optical Co. Pentax ES II + SMC Takumar 55mm f/2 | Thursday 21 May, 2020 | FujiFilm X-T2 | XF16-55mmF2.8 R LM WR
Minolta X-700 + MD Rokkor-X 50mm f/1.7 | Wednesday 26 August, 2020 | FujiFilm X-T2 | XF27mmF2.8
Fuji X-T2 + XF27mmF2.8 | Wednesday 26 August, 2020 | Minolta X-700 | Minolta MD Rokkor-X 50mm f/1.7

Submitted for the 100DaysToOffload project.

Kodak Portra 400 with Minolta X-700 and MD Rokkor-X 50mm F:1.7

With 35mm film, you develop, scan and post your images weeks after the photographs were made.

NOTE: I'll begin this experience report with a brief disclaimer. It's been less than three years since I returned to shooting 35mm film after switching to digital photography over 20 years ago. I've inundated myself with as much film education as possible between web articles and advice from experienced film shooters. But, since my prior experience with film is decades old, this review is from a rather novice point of view.

Kiran, Bhavna and I walked in the Gulick Farm Preserve a few weeks ago. I brought my Fuji X-T2 and XF27mmF2.8 lens, my Minolta X-700, MD Rokkor-X 50mm f/1.7 lens, and a fresh 35 exposure catridge of Kodak Portra 400. Kodak Portra 400 is a fine-grain high-speed colour-negative film. I had never used Kodak Portra 400 before, but based on my experience with a roll of Kodak Portra 160 at Avalon Beach, I expected good results.

Bhavna and Kiran | Gulick Farm Preserve | Minolta X-700 | Minolta MD Rokkor-X 50mm f/1.7 | Kodak Portra 400 Colour Film
Gulick Farm Preserve | Minolta X-700 | Minolta MD Rokkor-X 50mm f/1.7 | Kodak Portra 400 Colour Film

The Gulick Farm Preserve walk was shorter than expected, so we dropped in at Barbara Smoyer Park. The light here was much brighter as we didn't have the forest to provide shade. The Kodak Portra 400 and the Minolta X-700 performed well.

Barbara Smoyer Park | Minolta X-700 | Minolta MD Rokkor-X 50mm f/1.7 | Kodak Portra 400 Colour Film
Barbara Smoyer Park | Minolta X-700 | Minolta MD Rokkor-X 50mm f/1.7 | Kodak Portra 400 Colour Film

Later that week, Bhavna and I were at Brick Fram Tavern for our regular weekly "dinner and chat". At this time of the year, the sun sets sooner. I was interested to see how the Kodak Portra 400 would perform in changing lighting conditions as the sun went down.

Brick Farm Taveren | Minolta X-700 | Minolta MD Rokkor-X 50mm f/1.7 | Kodak Portra 400 Colour Film
Minolta X-700 | Minolta MD Rokkor-X 50mm f/1.7 | Kodak Portra 400 Colour Film
Minolta X-700 | Minolta MD Rokkor-X 50mm f/1.7 | Kodak Portra 400 Colour Film
Minolta X-700 | Minolta MD Rokkor-X 50mm f/1.7 | Kodak Portra 400 Colour Film
Minolta X-700 | Minolta MD Rokkor-X 50mm f/1.7 | Kodak Portra 400 Colour Film

Earlier in the week, I had stopped at the Princeton Fire Department on Witherspoon Street to make some images for the Lens Artist challenge.

Minolta X-700 | Minolta MD Rokkor-X 50mm f/1.7 | Kodak Portra 400 Colour Film
Minolta X-700 | Minolta MD Rokkor-X 50mm f/1.7 | Kodak Portra 400 Colour Film