Minolta Maxxum 7000i aka Dynax and a-7000i

October 14, 2021October 14, 2021Chris and Carol Leave a comment

Hello all! The next camera from my collection is headed to my online camera shop at http://www.ccstudio2380.com

Everything was still Made in Japan with this model.

Everything has been tested with a fresh Panasonic 2CR5 battery and all is good. The flash “talks” to the camera controls making nearly automatic flash photography simple and easy. The Minolta bag is like new and so is the camera – only a few scuffs here and there on the outside finish. It’s super clean inside and out (just like all of my cameras). The AF Minolta 50mm f1.7 lens is optically clean, clear, and sharp. Two Minolta camera straps are included as is the front and rear lens caps and body cap. The eyepiece, hot-shoe cover, and 2 expansion cards are also included. What I like is just how simple this camera can be to operate in full automatic mode or go old school and go full on manual.

Comments are always welcomed as I’ve learned quite a bit from reader feedback. As always, thanks for stopping by and while you’re at it, feel free to visit my camera shop at http://www.ccstudio2380.com (CC Design Studios hosted by Etsy). – Chris Whelan

Please respect that all content, including photos and text, are the property of this blog and its owner, Yashica Pentamatic Fanatic, Yashica Sailor Boy, Yashica Chris, Chasing Classic Cameras with Chris.

The Minolta 35 – updated info from Paul Sokk

October 14, 2021October 14, 2021Chris and Carol Leave a comment

Hi all. I wanted to share my good friend Paul Sokk’s outstanding website that mainly deals with TLR cameras made by Yashica, Paul has added a comprehensive outline and history about the early years of Minolta and concentrating his research on the Minolta 35. Here is the link to his Minolta pages. http://www.yashicatlr.com/Minolta35.html

I hope you take the time to pop on over to Paul’s site as you’ll be drawn in with his excellent facts, advertisements, charts, and of course, pictures of each model and any known varieties and types. Let me just say his works are always well researched and presented in a clear telling of the entire lineup of cameras and lenses.

Thanks for stopping by and have a beautiful day!

Sigma Minolta 100-300mm Zoom

October 11, 2021October 11, 2021Chris and Carol Leave a comment

I discovered this wonderful lens locally as it was for sale by the original owner. This one was mated to a Minolta Maxxum 7000i 35mm SLR film camera (1988).

Awesome auto-focus telephoto zoom lens with a Minolta mount.

It’s a large lens with a wide zoom range – not heavy so it’s a joy to use.

I have this lens in my online camera shop and I’ll be listing the Minolta Maxxum 7000i shortly.

Thanks for stopping by and have a great day!

New items in my Camera Shop for September

September 13, 2021September 13, 2021Chris and Carol Leave a comment

Hello and thanks for stopping by! I’ve added some really unique and rare items in my online Camera Shop which is hosted by Etsy at http://www.ccstudio2380.com

Lots more to see at http://www.ccstudio2380.com

The Minolta 35, a Leica re-imagined

September 9, 2021September 9, 2021Chris and Carol Leave a comment

I know that the camera brand Minolta conjures up many different images depending on which decade you experienced your first encounter with this popular brand. My good friend and fellow Yashica collector (sorry, we’re researchers) Paul Sokk from Australia has written one of the most comprehensive articles you’ll ever read about the early days of Minolta. I highly recommend you pop on over and give his latest post a good read. While you’re at it, be sure to check out his articles about Yashica, Nicca, and Leotax. Paul’s latest can be enjoyed at http://www.yashicatlr.com/Minolta35.html

Just a small sample from Paul’s site. Thanks for stopping by and have a great evening!

Asahi Pentax 6×7 – one that got away*

August 23, 2021August 23, 2021Chris and Carol Leave a comment

*Sold actually before I really got a chance to bond with it.

After chasing after a really nice Asahi Pentax 6×7 set I found myself in a familiar place. I had collected bit by bit a nice set in mint condition only to discover I was too hesitant to actually use it. So I sold it for way less than I should have and went with a Fujica GW690 with less features and a few more road miles on it. Turns out it was the right thing to do as I enjoy shooting these larger medium-format cameras as the quality of the images are simply awesome. My advice? The AP and Pentax 6×7 are awesome cameras packed with tons of features but if you just want to go big then check out the Fujica.

Fixed lens, no meter, just lots of detail packed into this beast.

A size comparison between a typical 35mm SLR and the Fujica 6×9.

Fernandina Beach (Amelia Island) post office on Fujifilm Acros 100. I couldn’t ask for any more detail and clarity.

Thanks for stopping by and have an awesome day!

Hong Kong streets – 1979

August 10, 2021August 10, 2021Chris and Carol Leave a comment

Both of these images were captured with my Canon F-1 on Kodak Kodachrome slide film – handheld at 2-3 seconds. The colors are not the best but sometimes Kodachrome behaves badly at night at long exposures (well, that’s my excuse anyway). I don’t remember where in Hong Kong these were taken except the second image must have been near Fleet Landing if I recall correctly.

It’s just a box

August 7, 2021August 7, 2021Chris and Carol Leave a comment

Chasing boxes — sounds pretty lame and it is in the big picture of collecting classic and vintage cameras but a camera box from the early 1960s can be either a rat or a gem after all these years. They’re just colorful cardboard with some stickers here and there after all and cardboard doesn’t do well if stored improperly. Moisture, bugs, sunlight, heat, pollution and crushing are just a few of the nasty things that can degrade 40, 50, and 60 year-old cardboard.

So, knowing all of the things that are stacked against finding a collectible camera box I’m happy to say that this one is a pleasant surprise. It’s far from perfect but it’s still very nice (no not so funny smells either).

My best guess is that this box was made in late 1962 based on the serial number of the camera that’s written on the bottom of the box.

Originally the area that’s blacked out said 50mm f1.4 lens but a previous owner carelessly modified the box when the body was separated from the lens when sold.

Here’s the camera that came with the box (a nice bonus). The box is nice because the camera is in near mint condition and is fully functional. The Canon Model 7 accepts LTM screw-in lenses from Canon, Nikon, Fuji, Leica, and a bunch of others. The bayonet part around the opening was designed to accept Canon’s ‘dream lens’ the 50mm f/0.95 which you can discover more about it at https://global.canon/en/c-museum/product/s43.html

So there you have it… another aspect to collecting classic film cameras, collecting the boxes that went with them. Most people dispose of the camera box right after they took their new camera out of the box (I’m guilty) and some left the original box at the camera shop when they took their camera home (not guilty).

A scan from a *Canon Product Catalog* from March 1967 (the Canon 7S had already been released). Note the ‘dream lens’ is affixed in this catalog’s image.

Chasing the Canon Model 7

August 5, 2021August 5, 2021Chris and Carol Leave a comment

Being a fan of most of Canon’s cameras and lenses it was only a matter of time before I started chasing after the Model 7. Although this model was released while the world was catching the SLR craze, it stood out as one of the best rangefinders Canon had produced up to that point. It also served notice to Nikon and Leica that Canon was a serious competitor capable of building outstanding cameras and lenses. Here’s my Canon 7.

Super bright and accurate view-rangefinder (Leica M challenger).

Dual range selenium cell light meter that’s still very much active and hopefully still accurate.

I haven’t decided on a lens for it yet but I’m looking for a nice 50mm f1.4 lens that would have a serial number in the range of this body. From what I can tell, this camera left the factory with a lens in the range of 114000 to 116000. The chase is on!

I’ll post additional updates on this camera as I get the original box and case “in the studio” for some glamour shots. I’m also chasing after the appropriate instruction booklet for it in either English or Japanese (or both), a brochure, and of course, the proper lens. For now, my trusty Nikkor fits nicely.

New in the Shop – Fuji Discovery 90

August 4, 2021August 4, 2021Chris and Carol Leave a comment

New in my camera shop is this beautiful Fuji point & shoot 35mm compact film camera set in new, never used condition. These still new in the box cameras from the 1990s are getting harder to find and this one is from our “vast” collection of these types of cameras.

Some of its impressive specs:

Fujinon 34mm f/8 glass lens with 3 elements in 3 groups
* 1/40 to 1/600th Shutter
* Built-in Auto Flash
* Drop-in Film Loading
* Uses DX Coded Film
* Automatic Film Rewinding
* Self-timer
* Macro Mode
* Auto Focus
* Red-Eye Reduction