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  #21  
Old 29th November 2016, 10:12 PM
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Roy in Silver Roy in Silver is offline
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Default First photos from Minolta Hi-matic AF2

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Originally Posted by Roy in Silver View Post
Well, now you've got me at it, too! I stumbled across this thread a couple of days ago and it reminded me of a Minolta Hi-Matic AF2 that I had seen, in my peripheral vision, in a stack of old cameras in a thrift store (charity shop) here in the US. (It's criminal, how they had just thrown everything into a pile: precision optics being tumbled and pawed on a daily basis by an unthinking public.)
So I went back to the shop, fool that I am. There were no batteries in the camera and I couldn't check it out, so I went home for lunch, downloaded the Operating Manual from the Internet, grabbed a couple of my rechargeable batteries, and sallied forth again.

Everything worked perfectly as far as I can see ! The camera was complete with the dedicated lens cap and the leather carrying case, both of which had been removed and tossed to one side, into an adjacent box.

I have thoroughly cleaned the exterior of the camera and its case and it is now proudly gleaming, almost like new. Despite all the rough handling in the shop the lens is not scratched.

I can hardly wait to put my first roll of film through it!
Well, a few weeks ago I did get the results from my first roll of film. For anyone who is interested I created my first album on this website and inserted a couple of the photos.
http://www.film-and-darkroom-user.or...bum.php?u=3569

The film was FP4+, the processing and scanning was carried out by The Darkroom lab, here in the US.

I was gob-smacked by the startling clarity of the results. The greatly compressed images shown will not do them justice. The Minolta f2.8 lens must be very good indeed ad the autofocus, autoexposure and flash seem to be excellent.

Pretty good for a $7 outlay!
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  #22  
Old 2nd December 2016, 12:37 AM
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Roy in Silver Roy in Silver is offline
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Since acquiring my first compact camera, the Minolta Hi-matic AF2, I have also been unable to resist getting a second, related camera. This one is an older "cousin" of the AF2, namely a Minolta Hi-matic G.
I got in the same thrift store at which I got the AF2. It was again priced at $7.
The Hi-matic G is really pretty and petite: I gave it a good cleaning and bought a siver-oxide battery for it, soit is now "living and breathing"! I haven't processed any film yet but have loaded it with FP4+ and already taken a few snaps. It didn't come with a case and, having no success in seeing any for sale, I have bought (wait for it) a lady's shoulder bag which internally is just the right size to take the camera.
As I am still like a child at Christmas with my new toy I shall, as soon as they are available, post some pictures into my newly created album.
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  #23  
Old 2nd December 2016, 09:57 AM
Paulographic Paulographic is offline
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I loved my Minolta Hi-Matic G in the 1980s, a '70s model given me by my mother-in-law who broke it on holida and had claimed on insurance. All it needed was three spots of epoxy adhesive to refasten the bezel (the only damage) and I got five years playing. When it gave up finally I got an Olympus XA2 which was even better. That started me off buying compact cameras, 35mm and later folding 120s though what really started it was finding a 1930s Russian Fed copy of the Leica II with the Industar copy of the f3.5 Elmar in an Oxfam shop for -75pence, £10 to get it serviced, a Photax lenshood made for the Elmar (the Industar flared badly) and away I went.
I've recently been given a Voigtlander Vito IIa (an uncle used it in the 50s/60s) which has a jammed shutter, OK apart from that. As it's barely worth the cost of a service I'll give it away to anyone wanting it along with other surplus cameras to dispose of.
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  #24  
Old 22nd December 2016, 06:18 PM
cesare cesare is offline
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I've got a few 35mm systems, but i've tried really hard not to get too many of them (limited shelf space!).

However, i've got a number of 35mm SLRs which have been either gifted to me, or acquired at minimal cost. I love my pentax MX, it's just about perfect, as is an Olympus OM1 i got from an uncle.

On the 'small and wonderful', i'd suggest the Olympus XA as a fantastic camera with a great lens. It's very pocketable, and seems limited until you realise it's got a rangefinder, some degree of exposure compensation, and generally meters very well. The only real downside is that these seem to suffer some electronics fault that means they just die, and there are no spares for them, so once they go, that's that.

I have a lovely Olympus 35RC which has a 40mm/f1.7 fixed lens that gives good results, although a bit soft wide open. Batteries for some of these older cameras is a bit of a problem as they use a mercury battery which is no longer made, so you have to be careful with voltages to ensure the meter is right.
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  #25  
Old 22nd December 2016, 07:14 PM
Alan Clark Alan Clark is offline
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Cesare, you and I seem to have the same refined good taste when it comes to 35mm cameras. I have an Olympus 35RC that I bought in 1975. It is still going strong, the meter still works, and I have a voltage conversion thingy in the battery compartment so I can use 1.5volt batteries in it. I have used it quite a lot this year, and recently acquired another as a spare, in very good condition.
I also have an OM1 bought about 1980, that has seen a lot of use, and still gets used very regularly. The meter no longer works so I use a hand-held meter. I love its big bright viewfinder. It was getting rather blurred because my right eye is even older than the camera. So I bought a lens off my optician that matches the one in my long distance glasses, and cut a rectangle out of it and fitted it into the viewfinder of the camera. Works a treat.
You also mention your Pentax MX. An old friend has recently given me one of these. It is in mint condition as he didn't use it much. I've got new batteries and a film in it all ready to try it out, but a dose of the 'flu, and dull grey days have stopped me so far.

alan
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