Uncle Jonesy's Cameras Podcast #29: Let’s Swap Cameras!

Kevin happily swapped his Nikon FE for this!

All around the world, the seasons are changing, cameras are being loaded, and moments and places are being preserved on film. It’s what we do! In this solo show, Shutter Brother Kevin talks about his recent camera swap with fellow Shutter Brother Kelley. Kelley has been looking for a Nikon manual focus camera body to serve as a back-up to his Nikon F3, which currently is being serviced. Since Kevin has not been using his Nikon FE lately, he offered to swap it with Kelley, and in return he got a super nice Minolta X-570. The X-570 is a very close sibling to the Minolta X-700, but Kevin explains why it could become a personal favorite.

Next, Kevin talks about some seemingly “ordinary” photographs that were accidentally added to his television screen saver but are now cherished memories of places and events from the past that are no longer around. Whenever we photographers are feeling uninspired, using your camera to record the ordinary in life is not only good skills practice, but it helps to avoid regret for the photographs you wished you had taken.

Kevin's drum set and home recording studio are
gone, but this photograph captured the memories.

Red Oak Creek Covered Bridge, Woodbury, Georgia
Minolta Maxxum 7000 and Kodak Pro Image 100 film.

Then, Kevin relates his initial experience with Kodak Pro Image 100 color negative film. Kodak labels this film as a “professional” like Portra, Ektar, Tri-X, and TMax, but Pro Image 100 costs the same as Kodak's “consumer” films like Gold 200, Color Plus 200, and Ultramax 400. The box states that Pro Image 100 is for “weddings, portraits, and events,” but Kevin forgot to read the box and used the film to photograph some landscape and nature scenes. How did the film do? Listen to find out.

Finally, Kevin reviews a wonderful coffee table book from the Anonymous Project called, Mid-Century Memories by Lee Shulman. The book presents almost 300 color images taken from the 700,000 images collected by the Anonymous Project, an organization that collects vintage color slides that have become “orphaned.” An orphaned photograph is one that has been separated from the people who were involved with its making to the extent that the identities of the people in the photograph are unknown. The photos in this book beautifully display everyday (and not so everyday) moments of people who, thanks to the available of affordable color film, were persistent in using their camera to record their lives on film. And the film of choice overwhelmingly was Kodachrome. Needless to say, Kevin loves this book!

You can listen to UJC #29 on your favorite podcast source or by clicking here.

As always, the Shutter Brothers would love to hear from their listeners. You can email them at unclejonesyscamera@gmail.com. You can follow the podcast on Facebook and Instagram at @ujcpodcast.

Happy Shooting!

In Praise of the (not so) Lowly Minolta XG-1 (My First Real Camera)

There can be only one first camera. This is the story of mine.

In late summer of 1980,  having graduated from Tennessee Tech University with my B.S. in Music Education the previous June, I got my first teaching job in the same greater Atlanta area school district where I when to high school. I had to wait for over a month for my first paycheck to be deposited into my bank account, but on that glorious day (a Friday, I think) my brother, Kelley (who like me had also gotten a music teaching job in the same district) got into his car and headed downtown to an Atlanta camera store and purchased our first real cameras. Time has blurred our memories, and neither of us can remember precisely the name of the retailer, nor do we have any paper work still. (UPDATE:  Through some research, I now know that it was Crown Camera Exchange at 980 Piedmont Avenue NE. The building now houses a restaurant.) I do remember vividly, as we drove home with two brand new boxes each (one for the camera body and one for the lenses), how excited we both were to finally have “real cameras,” and straightway we loaded them with film we also purchased and put them to use. 

What cameras did we bring home that day? The lowly Minolta XG-1. Why this camera? Two reasons: First, we were very familiar with Minolta cameras already, as we had eagerly watched our Uncle Jonesy use his SRT-202 many, many times. Second, the cost. Kelley and I had searched the newspaper cameras store ads diligently all summer looking for bargains. As autumn came and we began our new jobs, we found the best bargain yet:  a brand new SLR and lens for less then $200.

First introduced in 1978, the Minolta XG-1 was a budget camera intended beginning photographers who wanted to get into 35mm photography with a single lens reflex camera as cheaply as possible. Although it was a small-bodied lightweight that fit nicely in the hands, it lacked several features found on Minolta's more advanced (and more costly) XD series cameras. For example, although the XG-1 had both an aperture priority auto exposure mode and a manual mode, the meter would not function in manual mode at all. Clearly, the camera was not meant to be used in manual mode, and if you did, you were on your own in determining exposure. Additionally, the viewfinder was limited in the information it gave you. The selected aperture was not displayed, so I had to take my eye away from the viewfinder and look at the lens itself to change the aperture. Also, even though the shutter speeds were represented by LED dots next to the numbers, only a single dot represented between 1/30 and 1second. And like I said, these LED's only lit up when the camera was in auto exposure mode.

Consequently, I used the auto exposure mode all the time. I would set an aperture, and the camera would choose the correct shutter speed and display its choice in the viewfinder with LED-lit numbers. However, the XG-1 did have one very useful feature that I should have taken more advantage of:  exposure compensation. By pushing a small button near the shutter speed dial, you can add or subtract exposure up to two stops in half-stop increments. Why would you want to do this? Because all camera meters want to made every lighting situation "average," and they get fooled sometimes in certain light situations of with certain subjects. For example, when photographing snow, the camera's meter sees a lot of light being reflected back to it and thinks that less exposure is needed.

When you see the resulting photograph, the snow looks gray instead of white. By adding a stop or two, you override the meter's choice and make the snow look like snow. For darker subjects, you would do just the opposite. Some lighting situations require compensation as well. For example, when shooting a sunset, adding stops ("opening up") will give detail to objects in the foreground, while subtracting stops ("stopping down") will make them silhouettes. I made quite a few underexposed and overexposed slides in my early days of using this camera because I did not use exposure compensation.

I should say something about the lens that was bundled with the camera that day in 1980, the Minolta Rokkor MD 45mm f2. Today collectors call this type of lens a "pancake" lens because of its shorter length. I do remember looking at it and thinking that it didn't look as "professional" as those bigger 50mm f1.2 lens I would see in the brochures I collected. However, nowadays the 45mm f2 is sought-after by those who want a lighter and less obtrusive lens and a slightly shorter focal length on a standard lens. 

The XG-1 also lacked some other nice features like depth of field preview, and film memo clip. It didn't have the bright accu matte focusing screen or the silicon cell meters that it's more expensive siblings had. But I didn't care about any of that at all. I had a "real" camera for the first time, and I shot and shot. My film of choice was Kodachrome, and I put dozens and dozens of rolls of film through my XG-1. When I look at those slides today, I have to say that results were pretty good and sometimes really good. The 45mm f2 performed quite well, producing nice sharp images with good color rendition. However, with all cameras, it is the photographer who makes the photograph. The more I shot with it, the more I learned. I think there is a lesson in that. 

Old Salem, North Carolina, 1987
Kodachrome 64, Minolta XG-1, 50mm f2 lens

Salem College, North Carolina, 1986
Kodachrome 64, Minolta XG-1, 50mm f2 lens

Chatham, Massachusetts, 1986
Kodachrome 64, Minolta XG-1, 50mm f2 lens

Today, I hear a lot of film photography hobbyists talking about the ideal first or "student" camera, and the camera that still gets mentioned the most is the Pentax K1000. Why? I suppose it is because the K1000 (like the Minolta SRT series cameras) have full metered manual control, and this is supposed to help the beginning photographer learn how exposure works. But I contend that the only way you can prove that you know how exposure works it to . . . turn off the meter and choose both the aperture and shutter speed yourself. The only way you can do this with the Pentax K1000 is to take out the battery (you can switch off the meter on the Minolta SRT series cameras). Certainly, the K1000 and the SRT cameras also are held in high regard because they have mechanical shutters. But some cameras with electronic shutters are steeples. That is, if the meter calls for a shutter speed in-between 1/60 and 1/125, it could do that.

You probably can see where I am going with this. To my knowledge, the Minolta XG-1 has never been mentioned as the "perfect student camera," but I happen to think that it is a great choice for those just getting into film photography. With an XG-1, you can just rely on the meter at first and concentrate on composition and story, two really important parts of photography that we don't talk about enough. However, it is crucial that the beginner pays careful attention to how the camera chooses the exposure. At some point along the way, the student can (and should) put the XG-1 into manual mode and shoot without the help of a meter. Of course, this requires thinking about the exposure. Sure, mistakes will be made, but that is how we learn! And I think that a greater understanding of light, which is the essence of photography, will become the foundation for exploring more creative techniques and creating a personal style.

The Minolta XG-1 is the perfect camera for this for another reason. Although like most all film cameras, it is quite inexpensive and very easy to find. You might find one at your local Goodwill (or use the Goodwill website) for less than $20 with a lens. Of course, you have to make sure that the camera works first. And here's more. The XG-1 can be used with the full line of Minolta manual focus lenses, which are not only relatively cheap and easy to find, but also very good to excellent in quality. Finally, it takes two LR 44 silver oxide batteries or one 1/3N lithium batteries, which are sold everywhere.

I would love to tell you that I still have my first real camera, that Minolta XG-1 but sadly, I do not (I still have the original owners manual, strangely). Sometime in the late 1980's the shutter locked up. I took it to a camera dealer who told me it wasn't worth fixing, so I sold it to him and bought a used Minolta SRT-201. He probably fixed the camera himself and then resold it. Who knows, maybe it's still out there somewhere.  Now, I do NOT need anymore cameras, so I am not looking to pick up an XG-1 just to add to my "collection." However, if I were to come across a cheap working one that needed "rescuing," I might not be able to retrain myself. Nostalgia can be a powerful thing, but more likely I would shoot with it some and then find a young beginning film photographer to pass it on to. I am plenty blessed with nice cameras, but there can be only one first camera. The Minolta XG-1 was mine. A perfect first camera, at that!

All photographs of the Minolta XG-1 camera are used under Creative Commons.

An Anniversary of Sorts

A year ago today, March 12, my wife, Debbie and I woke up at 5:15 am, performed our normal morning routine, and drove to our respective elementary schools for another day of working with our students. Although I did not know it at the time, it would be the last day I would ever see my students as their music teacher in my classroom. 

That day a year ago (a Thursday) was not a normal day, as we knew something was up. The rumors about school being cancelled for a few weeks had been flying for a couple of days, even though our superintendent sent out a message to employees stating emphatically that the rumors were "not true." Moments after students were dismissed to go home at the end of the school day, however, another message came declaring that schools were to be closed until after spring break. So much for rumors.

At TMR with Ben Blackwell and Jack White

The last job-related task I did that day was to lead a rehearsal of my beloved after school chorus, the Woodstation Singers. I love all my students, but my Singers are a special group of talented, intelligent, artistic, music-loving kids that make being a music teacher seem like working as a taste tester at the Hershey's chocolate factory. We have done some amazing things together over the years.

TMR 447:  Our 2nd release

We recorded two seven inch records for Jack White's Third Man Records, including a cover of one of his most well known songs, "We're Going to Be Friends." When Third Man published a book based on that song, our recording was included with every copy as a digital download, and as a result, the Woodstation Singers have been heard all over the world. We even got to perform at book release events at TMR in Nashville and at Barnes and Nobles in Chattanooga and appear on television. Furthermore, my Singers have premiered two original musicals that I composed (and of which I am quite proud.) At that last rehearsal, we worked on our school talent show music, which was going to be a all out crazy performance of two Queen songs ("Radio Gaga" and "We Are the Champions") with costumes and choreography based on Queen's legendary performance at Live Aid in 1985. The Singers fell in love with "Radio Gaga" (imagine 3rd, 4th, and 5th grade boys and girls going up and down the hall singing, "All we hear is radio gaga - radio goo - radio blah blah; Radio, what's new? Someone still loves you!")

At TMR promoting the "Friends" book

When the last melodies were sung that day, I said my usual goodbyes to each student and tried to comfort their worries about the future. However, a few days later the word came down that schools would remain closed for the rest of the term. I taught daily video music lessons throughout the spring and held video chats with my Singers twice a week. We tried singing together once, but sound delay issues made that impossible. So, we simply talked to each other and shared how we were dealing with quarantine. On what was to be the last day of the term, I went back to the school to help as students turned in their computers in "drive-by" fashion." I wore a mask, of course, so I hope they knew I was there.

I could not have known that my music teaching career would end that day. Certainly, I had been thinking of retirement and was actually planning to do so after two more years. I knew time was catching up with me like an old ballplayer who, after swinging and missing a 98 mph heater for strike three, walks back to the bench knowing that he can't catch up to the fastball anymore, or a pitcher who would never argue with an umpire in his prime but now barks angrily at a missed call on a pitch, not because it actually was in the strike zone but because his arm hurts so bad that he doesn't know if he can even throw another pitch. I once heard David Letterman talk about his retirement, saying that he worked hard at something for most of his life, but he wanted to save some time to do something else.

Debbie and I made the decision to retire in July when our district reversed course and decided to open schools fully for the 2020-21 term. Looking back, I am thankful for the district's decision, because time is precious and two years is even more precious at my age. Retiring was (and remains) the right call. Of course I miss my students and all the magical musical moments we made together, but I have the memories and the satisfaction that their lives are better because of music, just like mine is.

And I'm not through with teaching, either. I joined the team at Safelight District Community Darkroom as an educator, and I am in charge of developing and teaching classes and workshops related to film photography. We have big plans when the pandemic is over, and I even hope to be hosting a "film camp" where I will be teaching children how to shoot film!

That Letterman quote, "Save some time to do something else," rings in my head a lot still. The past 365 days have gone by faster than any year of my life, and I expect time only to go by faster and faster each succeeding year. Each day is a gift waiting to be opened, enjoyed, made use of, and be thankful for. And while you are at it, load that camera up with some film and capture some memories. 

Happy Shooting!

Uncle Jonesy's Cameras Podcast #28: An Interview with Wayne Setser

Today was a very happy day for me, for I got to spend some quality (virtual) time with my friend and photography mentor Wayne Setser. I cannot imagine how I would be able to enjoy doing what I love to do in the darkroom without Wayne. Without a doubt, his photography work can and does speak for itself. He has been at it for decades and knows his way around cameras, film, and the darkroom. I would go as far to call him a master photographer.

However, what makes Wayne such a special person to me is that he is so willing to answer my many questions and offer his advice on photography in general and printing in particular. In addition, he has helped me find gear that I needed. And in these COVID times (which I hope are slowly but surely being resolved) I consider him a true friend, even though we have only met in person a few times. 

Wayne was gracious enough to be interviewed today, and I asked him a wide range of questions. I think you will enjoy today's show very much indeed. You can listen to the Uncle Jonesy's Podcast by clicking here:  https://unclejonesyscameras.libsyn.com/rss

I highly recommend that you follow Wayne on his various social media accounts and study his work.

Thank you for listening and Happy Shooting!

Facebook:  https://www.facebook.com/wsetser

Instagram:  @wayne_setser

Flickr:  https://www.flickr.com/photos/wsetser/

Rice Grist Mill Steps ©Wayne Setser

Base of Richey Ridge Falls ©Wayne Setser

Rockwood Ruins ©Wayne Setser

Spirit of the Fox ©Wayne Setser

Rugby Church Sunrise ©Wayne Setser

Swirling Water ©Wayne Setser

Bare Tree in the Fog ©Wayne Setser

Singing the Praises of the Minolta SR-T 202

Uncle Jonsesy's Minolta SR-T 202

I was doing my daily read through of blog posts that my RSS reader (Feedly) collects for me when I came to a post on the Casual Photofile site by Josh Solomon entitled, "The Ten Best Mechanical 35mm Film SLRs Ever Made." Because I love to read articles like this ("The Ten Best of Whatever") and also because I value the thoughtful and researched opinions of others, I clicked on the link and read the post. However, honesty compels me to say that I had another motive. I wanted to see if Uncle Jonesy's Minolta SR-T 202 was on the list. And the answer is . . . yes! Technically, the author chose the SR-T 102 as one of the ten best mechanical film SLRs ever made, but the SR-T 202 was the 102's successor and virtually the same camera, the mirror lock-up ability being the only feature that did not make it from the 102 to the 202. 

As I read the author's glowing assessment of this classic Minolta SLR, I beamed with pride. But what really caught my eye was when Mr. Solomon wrote this:

"For reasons unbeknownst to me, the Minolta SRT series always seems to get left in the lurch when it comes to the mechanical SLR discussion. This is the camera series that bestowed open-aperture metering to the masses, gave us our first taste of matrix metering with Minolta’s patented CLC System, and, in my opinion, comes closest to the feeling of shooting an M series camera in SLR form.

Did I really just write that last thing? Hell yeah I did, cause it’s true."

Wow, the Minolta SR-T is the SLR version of the Leica M series camera?! I've always wanted a Leica M, and now it turns out that I already own one, albeit in SLR form. Uncle Jonesy sure knew how to choose his camera! Solomon goes on to state:

"Sure, it’s bulkier and louder than the M camera (it’s also, you know, an SLR), but when it comes to feel and optics, the SRT series reminds me most of my M2 (save for just one other camera). The control layout is nearly exactly the same, the advance lever is just as buttery (looking at you, Olympus OM-1), and the optics are some of the finest in 35mm photography. Any doubters to Minolta’s optical and manufacturing prowess can take it up with Annie Leibovitz, W. Eugene Smith, and, well, Leica themselves. Minolta knew what they were doing, and should never have been underestimated – not then, not now, not ever."

As I read these words, I looked from my iPad to the shelf where Uncle Jonesy's SR-T 202 proudly sits and thought to myself, "What am I doing?! I must get this camera off the shelf and make it do what it was built to do." And the very fact that, almost fifty years after it was assembled, it not only can do that but also do it well is a testament to how great these SR-T cameras really are. In fact, whenever someone asks me what is the best camera for getting started in film photography, I always suggest any of the Minolta SR-T cameras, particularly the 101, 102, 201, and 202. Even if the meter is non-functional, the rest of the camera probably will work just fine (and not having a meter might be better in the end.)

So, even though I have been drawn to using an autofocus camera lately, I have a feeling the my SR-T 202 is going to get more use this year. And if you would like to know more about the camera, here are two reviews you may enjoy reading. The first one is from late 2018 and was written by Yours Truly for the excellent Kosmo Mono Foto blog. The second review is by James Tocchio for his equally excellent Casual Photofile website. 

Finally, if you want a Minolta SR-T series camera, you might want to act now. While they have been easy to find and quite affordable, a new movie on the work of photography W. Eugene Smith starring Johhny Depp may cause the price to go up.

Happy Shooting!

Pinhole Possibilities with PinBox

It was well over two years ago when I learned about Robert Hamm and his Hamm Camera's PinBox Kickstarter project. PinBox is a DYI pinhole camera that uses 120 film. The kit comes with precut and scored card stock and a precut aperture. I chose the f200 aperture. The camera is assembled with school glue and quick-dry glue. 3-D printed top and bottom winder keys are also supplied. After viewing the Kickstarter video, I decided to give it a try. After all, a 120 film camera that you can build fairly easily from heavy card stock would a great project for students at the elementary school where I used to teach music. However, when my PinBox arrived, I was crazy busy with putting on a school musical and sis not have time to even open the package. Then came 2019. Getting our house ready to sell and then moving to our downtown Chattanooga condo became priorities, and the little package was soon forgotten. Then came 2020, a global pandemic, sheltering in place, and time on my hands. “Let’s build a pinhole camera,” I said as I took the package out of a cabinet. And so I did.

In case you don’t know, a pinhole camera is a camera that lets light in through a very small hole instead of a lens. The idea of a pinhole camera reaches back to the very beginnings of photography. It likely was by accident that in ancient times someone discovered how light, when passing through a small hole in a wall, will project an upside down image on an opposite wall. Later, lenses were used to better focus the image, and the camera obscura was used a a drawing tool. Put light sensitive film instead of drawing paper in a camera obscura and . . . you have a film camera!

Pinhole cameras are interesting not only because they can be made out of a box or even a can, but also because the small size of the aperture (the pinhole) creates deep depths of field. Pinhole photographs can have an other-worldly look that can be quite attractive. However, this comes at a price:  long exposure times. First, some way of keeping the pinhole camera rock-steady is essential, and this means a good tripod is essential. Second, calculating exposures can be very tricky. Simply taking the aperture size (f200, for example) and then using either Sunny f16 or a light meter to calculate the exposure time will not work with pinhole photography. Why not?

The answer lies with a certain film characteristic known as reciprocity failure. Reciprocity failure is a film's inability to respond to very low levels of light. While every film is different, most films require extra exposure over what your meter indicates. Fortunately, most films come with reciprocity failure information with instructions on how much exposure compensation the film needs. With color films, not only will they need exposure compensation, they also will need filtration to compensate for color shifts. And if that isn’t enough, development times have to be shortened to preserve the highlights. 

This all sounds quite complicated, and I felt like a fish out of water as a loaded my newly bicultural PinBox camera with a roll of Kosmo Foto Mono 100 (a b&w film I quite like). So, thinking that “There's an app for that!,” I checked App Store for some help. Sure enough, I found lots of apps, but the one that seemed to be best is a paid app ($2.99) called Pinhole Assist. Not only does it serve as a light meter, but it had a built-in database of films and their reciprocity failure calculations. Once you have selected the film you are using, it will add the needed exposure compensation to the given time. It will even work with your smartphone's timer to tell you when to close the shutter.

With the Pinhole Assist app, my tripod, and the loaded PinBox camera in hand, I thought I was ready to go. However, I had one more problem to solve:  how to mount the PinBox on my tripod. The little cardboard camera does not have a tripod mount. Channeling my inner MacGyver, I found my smartphone tripod attachment, mounted it on my tripod, and used it to clamp the PinBox onto the tripod. Yay! Now let’s go get some pinhole pitchas! I used the PinBox outside my condo building, at a nearby park with a large outdoor art sculpture, and at a well-known waterfall along the Cherohala Skyway. 

While using the PinBox  I soon noticed some difficulties. First, my DIY tripod mount was flimsy at best. Just pulling or pushing on the little cardboard shutter would move the camera, and when I saw the resulting photographs the effect of camera shake was evident in most of them. The PinBox will require a better tripod setup than what I currently have or can even imagine at the present. Furthermore, somewhere along the way I lost the 3-D printed take up side bottom winder key, and the result was that the film did not wind very tightly and some frames had overlap. Overall, it was a little frustrating using the camera while knowing that I was very possibly wasting time and film.

Ugh! Camera shake. 

One final problem which I will own is my choice of developer. Normally I like using Cinestill's Df96 Monobath with Kosmo Foto Mono 100 (which, of course, is actually Fomapan 100.) But I was not aware of the need to shorten the development time when making long exposures, and I couldn’t have done so anyway with Df96. As a monobath, it tells itself when to stop developing before the fixer takes over. So my negatives have some blown out highlights for sure.

Blown out highlights and frame overlap.

Frankly, I was surprised to see anything on my negatives. But sure enough, I had images. Because I do not plan to make darkroom prints of any of these shots, I decided to go ahead and scan them. Most frames are forgettable, but with minimal exposure tweaking in Lightroom I was able to get some images which aren’t too bad. 

The question now is: Will I use my PinBox again? At the present the answer depend on two things. 1. Perhaps Mr, Hamm will send me another bottom winder key, and 2. I have to make a way to eliminate camera movement. Film is too expensive to waste , and I have better medium format cameras that I don’t use enough. For now my Pinbox will remain a pinhole possibility.

UJC Podcast #27: Autumn to the Max(xum)!

It's that time of year when the seasons change and nature puts on a display worth capturing. If you live in the Northern Hemisphere, then Autumn may be happening right outside your window. Now is the perfect time to capture nature's impressionism period before the fall colors fade to winter grays. Kevin have been doing quite a bit of color shooting lately trying to capture those fleeting autumn colors, and he has some tips on how to make keeper fall photographs.

When the sunlight is coming from your side, be sure to manually override your exposure by +1 stop.
Film:  Kodak Gold 200.

When shooting close ups of autumn colors, the diffused lighting on a cloudy
day makes the colors pop and reduces the contrast.
Film:  Kodak Gold 200.

I actually arranged these leaves to create this autumn portrait. Don't be afraid to move things around
to get the composition you want, because five minutes later it won't look the same anyway.
Film:  Kodak Ektachrome E100.

Neighborhood autumn yard decorations come out once a year and may not reappear next year.
Capture them while you can!
Film:  Kodak Ektachrome E100.

Lately Kevin has been noticing that his eyes aren't what they used to be. Aging eyes can be a real problem for the photographer, and Kevin's eye doctor says that while what is happening is perfectly normal, it is not going to get any better. Therefore, Kevin has decided to make the move to using an autofocus SLR camera for most of his 35mm photography. It just so happens that he already owns a Minolta Maxxum 7000, the world's first successful autofocus SLR cameras, so listen as he explains why he chose this particular cameras and why he felt he needed a second one. Even though this 1985 era camera has been superseded by many subsequent models from not only Minolta, but also Nikon, Canon, and others, it's low price on the used market makes it a superb value for today. 

A tandem of Maxxums! 

Lots of buttons! Function buttons on the left, and
up/down selector buttons on the right. The shutter
button is touch-sensitive to activate the meter.

Another set of up/down buttons placed perfectly for my left hand thumb.

You can listen to show #27 here:  

As always, we love to get feedback from our listeners. You can send comments, questions, advise, and stories in written or audio from to unclejonesyscameras@gmail.com, or you can post or comment on our Facebook page, which can be found at @UJC Podcast. Also, we would love for you to follow us on Instagram @UJCpodcast as well. 

Happy Shooting!