EvilOne
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Re: I am thinking of buying a Minolta Film SLR (AF models)
3
big aperture wrote:
sybersitizen wrote:
big aperture wrote:
My first pick so far is the Minolta Maxxum/Dynax 7000...
Why is the oldest Minolta AF SLR your first pick? Just curious.
Dirt cheap price and huge viewfinder magnif.( 0.85X)... coverage 94%
Bill also recommended the 7000i which is technically better but seems the design of the camera is more awkward (the grip part)
One of the most important parts of shooting film is to have camera hold discipline. When I was in college getting my engineering degrees, I took photography as an elective. That was almost 50 years ago.. The one relevant thing I took away from that degree and is still applicable today is camera hold discipline.
Most digital shooters do not have hold discipline because its a muscle memory skill. Todays cameras or lenses seem to all have stabilized bodies or lenses. So no need to train hold discipline ( today, people point their camera like a shot gun )( be it a single shot or a burst ). There is no breathing discipline. ( necessary with film ) Trying to compose a shot, and hold it is not as critical as it was back in the 60's and 70's. Not only that , muscle hold memory and breathing discipline was an every shot focus. Since you only had a limited amount of shots ( 24/ 36) this helped us to train our body and mind to lock the camera to our body with arms and shoulders tucked tight to the body. Back then every shot counted. Every single shot counted. Compose, lock, hold breath, let a little out , squeeze the trigger.
So the evolution of the photography train has much to do with when you got on the photography train.. For many ( younger than me ) , the notion of real hold discipline does not existed, because todays cameras do not need it because of the stabilization.
if you have been doing stabilized shooting for 8 or ten years or more, you have relied on stabilization.. Going back to film, after years of stabilization wont be as easy as it seems because you have developed stabilized habits that directly effect un-stabilized camera photography.
OH my point... sorry.. the grips on these Maxxum cameras the 7's, 8's and 9's help with hold discipline.. choosing the right one will help with hold discipline. I found that my 7000i was the most comfortable for my hands. much like choosing custom grips for your hand guns. customs grips specifically designed for hold discipline. grips that will tighten up your shot groups, be it photography are target shooting.
Just a thought , and something I've carried with me for 50 years. Camera Hold discipline. I take it with me everyday even with my stabilized cameras..