film photography

I love my WLF… There, I said it.

I spent nearly $300 on this one, a DW-3 finder, for my Nikon F3.

Now, I love shooting film, hence the blog and branding, but I really love shooting film on my F3.

The experience is sublime to me, and in many ways, as good as a therapy session (although I can attest to the fact that therapy is generally much cheaper than film photography). Nonetheless, I enjoy both as often as I possibly can.

Now, back to this DW-3 finder.

It’s amazing.

It’s magnificent, and it makes my shooting experience so much more difficult, more cumbersome… and more enjoyable.

When I had my Hasselblad, I always used the WLF — always — for everything.

Although I have a great prism for my F3, I can’t imagine the DW-3 ever leaving the F3, or at least not for long.

Sure, I can’t utilize the meter with the DW-3, which means I have to go old school with the light meter.

Sure, it’s probably harder to nail pinpoint focus, and this viewfinder, unlike the 500cm, is really tiny, and one can struggle to see through it in dimly lit scenes.

But I don’t care… it’s fun.

It’s awesome.

It’s cool.

And let’s face it, looking at that potential image through the ground glass is a crazy-cool experience.

And yes, it’s a crazy amount of money for a viewfinder, especially when the camera may only be worth $500, but I shoot film because I enjoy the process, every facet of it.

Every facet of the process, including the WLF experience.

And yes also to the fact that it’s not a practical accessory for a 35mm camera.

I don’t care about that, either. I just love it, and shooting film, for me, is entirely about love.

Putting myself out there

The newest member of the family, a vintage (circa 1972) F-1.

I know, it’s been a while.

I apologize for that for anyone who checks in on the blog.

In 2021, I made a promise to myself to do more of what brings passion to my life — film photography does this like nothing else. That said, our Instagram is ready and this blog is reborn.

The hope is to become a hub for film shooters all over the world.

We’ll talk about everything from vintage gear, to film stocks, to photographers and just about everything in between for the film photography lover.

I’m also vowing to be totally honest and transparent on this blog, meaning there will be highs and lows discussed. The intention is not just to share my life with each of you, but it’s also to encourage you to share yours with me, as well as other readers.

It’s important to interact, to converse, to engage in the community.

I know first-hand how wonderful and supportive this community can be, and it’s my string belief that this blog can be one of the places people can come for information, education, entertainment and support.

That’s the mission — short and sweet.

Now, let’s do get it done.

-John

Minolta X-700: Film Photogaphy’s Gateway Drug

A true beauty, the Minolta X-700 was a state-of-the-art camera back in the 1980s.

For nearly two decades, from 1981-1999, the timeless Minolta X-700 ruled the roost in the Minolta stable, offering consumer-and-professional-level photographers a camera suited for just about any photographic need — a fact that continues to this day for film shooters.
With program auto-exposure mode, TTL flash metering and state-of-the-art technology for the day, the X-700 quickly became a photographer’s staple back then, rivaling Canon’s A-1 and AE-1 models in both popularity and functionality, and is still a preferred tool amongst many 35mm film shooters even today.
Now, I’d heard a lot about it, read a lot about it, and watched more YouTube videos than I should have about this classic camera. It wasn’t until recently, however, I actually got one in my hands.
After a clean-up and tune-up in the shop, I loaded up a roll of Ilford HP5+ and set off to local parks, downtown areas and just around town— running this body through the paces with the Minolta Rokkor MD 50mm f/1.7 lens firmly attached.
After 36 shots in the freezing cold that day, one thing as clear — the Minolta X-700 is the gateway drug of analog photography.
To me, it’s the perfect camera for photographers looking to delve into the world of film photography, especially those who have lived in the digital realm since the first day they picked up a camera.

The metering on the X-700 is accurate and intuitive.
The focus is wonderful through the standard matte focus screen (other screens are available, but rare), complimented by a bright and vivid viewfinder, with LED lights illuminating pieces of information to the photog necessary for an ideal exposure.
The three exposure modes are rockstars, in my opinion, of the analog photography world.
Manual exposure, which allows the photographer to set both the shutter speed and aperture settings.
Aperture Priority, which allows the shooter to set the aperture setting and the camera’s brain takes over from there with shutter speeds.
Program mode (MPS, Minolta Program System), which allows the photographer to focus on composition and focusing alone. There is a caveat to Program Mode, however. The aperture must be set to f/22 and locked in before the mode is functional, and, the shooter has no idea of the f-stop setting while shooting in this mode. It’s not a deal-breaker, but it is irritating for those who care about depth-of-field.
Myself, as dynamite and accurate as the MPS mode system is, I prefer Aperture Priority. It just gives me some sense of control of the exposure and I enjoy that part of shooting.
That said, the MPS mode is crazy-accurate and perfect for photographers just dipping their toes into the dark, deep waters of film photography.
Despite all the wonderful facets of the X-700, there are a few issues.

First, we’ve brought in four in the past two months to the shop, only one came in without some kind of electrical issue. Minolta worked hard to cut costs on this camera, thus making it competitive with other consumer-level models from Canon and Nikon, for example.
The marvelous metal construction of earlier Minolta models was ditched for plastic. The vertical mega-speedy metal shutter of older model Minoltas was scrapped for a more traditional horizontal cloth shutter. This may not seem like a big deal, but it limits the sync speed to 1/60th of a second — an issue for those who rely on flash.
The entire body is now plastic as well. Don’t get me wrong, the construction of the X-700 is still very sturdy and very good, but keep in mind that plastic is still plastic and can be broken with a good fall or drop. And, it doesn’t have that metal-body vintage-camera patina so many film shooters love.
Of the faults, however, the complete reliance on electronics (a battery) to function is the one that bothers me the most. Like I mentioned earlier, we had three bodies come into the shop with electrical issues, two were repairable but a pain nonetheless, the third was beyond repair. If you’re looking for an X-700, make sure it’s been tested and fully functional. Unlike many mechanical models, a DIY repair on the X-700 body is a tall order.
Still, all things considered, the Minolta X-700 is a wonderful and enjoyable camera to shoot, particularly for digital photographers looking to add their first film camera to the bag. It highly recommend it to anyone who loves photography.

The One Question Everyone Asks…

It wouldn’t be a film photography blog if I didn’t answer this question:

Why do I I shoot film?

Am I right?

Every single film blog seems to, at some point and time, address this issue.

Honestly, after reading through more than my fair share of film photography blogs, some good and some not-so-good, I’ve come to the conclusion that every single plausible explanation has been covered.

“It slows me down,” “It makes me pay attention to every frame,” “There’s a look you can’t get with digital…” “ I love the process…” and the list goes on and on.

And in short, Yes. Yes. And yes again to all these things.

They’re all true, but honestly, the reason I shoot film is simply because I enjoy it.

I don’t really know if I know exactly why, but I just do.

I also love the culture surrounding film… you simply don’t get this with digital photographers.

There’s a certain passion amongst the film-shooting community and a willingness to share that passion with others, too.

I think part of it is because there is such a wide variety of cameras and lenses and film stocks.

Let’s face it, there’s a lot to discuss with like-minded filmophiles.

And this doesn’t even touch upon what goes on during processing and printing in the darkroom.

That’s an entirely difference conversation (we will cover this at a later date).

Back to the culture and community aspect.

I’ve bought, sold, repaired, traded, and found amazing film cameras and lenses at thrift shops, online and at garage sales.

I’ve had wonderful conversations with folks about the advantage of entirely mechanical cameras compared to those with electric components.

I’ve debated the merits of rangefinders verses SLRs, and the joy and frustration of shooting medium format film.

And then there’s that rush that comes with discovering the images after seeing them travel across the country in some cases, to the lab. There’s a certain anticipation that comes along with this process that can’t be replicated on a digital camera.

Of course, there is that very pleasing and wonderful look to film that’s hard to dismiss.

There’s the smell of the film also, just as you open the case and let the odor wash over you. I swear that is addictive stuff.

So, why do I shoot film?

It’s all the things all the other film photography blogs talk about and one more component for me…

It’s the people, the culture, the community.

It’s my hope this site will become somewhat of a hub for all of you.

It’s my hope this site will become a source of information, education, entertainment and a conversation.

Whether it does or doesn’t…. we’re going to give it a go.