Etc. — Blog

Friday ramblings….

I have some cameras in the review queue right now. I have Kodak Tri-X in a newly acquired Minolta SRT-202 sporting a nifty early generation Minolta MC Rokkor-PF 58mm f/1.4. I had one of these Minolta SLRs some years ago that didn’t work right, so it never got a proper test drive. This one is freshly CLAd and the attached Rokkor prime lens is quite special.

I also have some Tri-X in the Nikon F2A that I picked up a few months ago at my local camera shop. I sold my last F2 body several years and ever since, I’ve had the itch to own another. This one is very nice and everything seems right on it. I will see how the shots come out and then send it off to Sover Wong for a CLA. I’ve gushed over the F2 many times in the past. After shooting so many different film cameras since reviewing my first F2, I wonder how it’ll stack up this time around?

I think this maroon Nikon strap looks nice on my chrome body F2A

Gear Acquisition Syndrome (G.A.S.) is real and I sometimes succumb to a version of it I call Boomerang GAS. With Boomerang GAS, you find yourself longing for and then re-acquiring a camera that you sold. In my case, it’s the Minolta X-700. I have had two, sold both and due to Boomerang GAS, just picked up my third. I honestly had forgotten how much fun these cameras are to shoot. I have some Kodak ProImage 100 in my latest X-700. An updated review on and some images from this great SLR are coming soon.

I tried using “portrait” mode on my iPhone for this image of my latest Minolta X-700

My eyes are getting old and using manual focus cameras is getting to be a bit more of a chore. Cameras with viewfinder diopter adjustment help, but I do see a day coming when I’ll be using auto-focus cameras almost exclusively. I sold my last two auto-focus film cameras; a Nikon F4 and a F100 to friends of the blog some months ago. I probably should have kept one of those but hindsight is 20/20. Since my eyesight isn’t, I’ve begun a quest to find a new auto-focus friend. I owned a Contax RX once that had focus assist. The RX was a sweet camera and the Contax/Yashica Carl Zeiss lenses for it were extraordinary. I did not realize that Contax ever made an auto-focus 35mm film camera until I saw a Contax N1 at my local camera shop. The N1 was the last film camera Contax made. Remembering my RX fondly, I made a sweet deal on the N1 which appeared unused and still its original box with a “remove before shooting” insert in the film chamber. Finding the N1 body was one thing. Finding a lens for it was another. Hoo-boy. That story and a complete review is coming but I will say one thing…the Contax N1 is an amazing camera!

Contax N1 with Carl Zeiss 28-80mm Vario-Sonnar zoom

In other camera news, my Nikkormat EL is in the shop getting new light seals and whatever else it might need. My Nikkormat FTn is also in the shop getting modified with a split-image focus screen (my old eyes again), retrofit for 1.5v batteries and general CLA.

I’m shooting some color film again because Freestyle Photo has a sale on Kodak ProImage 100 film. I like this film and $36.49 is a great price for a 5-pack. As of this writng, it’s still available here.