Sometimes things sit in the back of your mind in a mental to do list and every now and then they appear in front of your mind’s eye with such a vengeance that they cannot be ignored. I am tempted to throw in a bit of glamour at this point and say it is like a sign or apparition from a superior being, but I know that would be perceived as being over dramatic. I have no idea where it came from, but this is what made me decide to get this restoration completed sooner rather than later.
I have mentioned before that I still shoot film alongside digital. Nostalgia is a powerful part of this attachment, but I also like the fact that it slows the picture taking process down, This is especially true when using manual focus. That gives me a sense of engagement that is not always there with my digital camera.
The camera you see here is my beloved Minolta XD (sold as the XD7 in Europe and an XD11 in the USA). I have owned this for many years, and I am so grateful that I did not sell it when digital came along. It has just been expertly serviced by the
Camera Repair Workshop, who are Minolta specialists. I have used them before so I know their work is first class. I replaced the original leatherette with an embossed real leather as the original had shrunk. It is a form of pimping, but I think it adds positively to the finish.
There are numerous reasons why I kept this camera over any others. The features and positive aspects are well documented on the internet, so I will not include them here. For me, there are two other reasons why this camera stayed with me. It is made of metal and therefore very solid, and it is easy to maintain or repair. There are electronics inside, but they are simple and durable.
Over the last few years I have consolidated my film equipment into the things that I use and have a desire to keep, which can be for any number of reasons. I made a rule that I cannot buy anything new unless it has been funded by another piece of equipment. I also feel that this is not dead money as it can be with digital. Film camera technology does not progress much now, so you can keep a film camera for decades and not feel like you are missing out on the latest version as you can with digital cameras. Film technology does evolve, but that is a good thing as that is camera food.
My 35mm SLR line up is as follows - the XD camera body, a 35-70 f3.5 zoom, a 50mm f1.4 and a 90mm f2.5 prime lens. I also sourced an auto winder and replaced the leatherette with real leather. I did not spend a lot of money on any of these items, and peanuts compared to digital equivalents. Of course 35mm is also full frame, which has advantages when you are looking to exploit the depth of field without using distance or longer lenses. I am pleased to see that the majority of these carefully chosen items are rising in value at the moment, and I suspect that they will still be desirable or collectable in the future. As more digital cameras get body sensor stabilisation this will probably also help to sustain interest.
Some people say film is not dead – this is still very true for me.
