Film photography - so what's the big deal? Source

July 17, 2007 Markdown source

1---
2title: 'Film photography - so what''s the big deal?'
3date: '2007-07-17'
4published_at: '2007-07-17T11:07:00.000+10:00'
5tags: ['film', 'minolta', 'photography', 'slr']
6author: 'Gavin Jackson'
7excerpt: 'For the last seven years I have only shot digital, however I''ve now been convinced that film still has a lot to offer (in terms of resolution and enhanced dynamic range). The other beauty is that you...'
8updated_at: '2007-07-17T12:14:54.763+10:00'
9legacy_url: 'http://www.gavinj.net/2007/07/film-photography-so-whats-big-deal.html'
10---
11
12For the last seven years I have only shot digital, however I've now been convinced that film still has a lot to offer (in terms of resolution and enhanced dynamic range).
13
14The other beauty is that you can get your slides scanned in - then you can perform all of the digital post production that we love doing with digital.
15
16I initially started looking at Large Format Cameras (inspired by the photography of Stewart Skelt - [http://www.netspeed.com.au/sgskelt/](http://www.netspeed.com.au/sgskelt/).
17
18It soon became obvious that this is beyond my current financial limits, but it did point me in the direction of Fuji Velvia film ([http://www.fujifilmusa.com/JSP/fuji/epartners/proPhotoProductVelvia.jsp](http://www.fujifilmusa.com/JSP/fuji/epartners/proPhotoProductVelvia.jsp)).
19
20[![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhWlA22eEcb_LjexJzlp3R_jkVBC8Yy4MD4WyXI8r4xC745uOxpf6sriZxhKc6vW6lst6rJOGXl-LuktToAZr3UGy0ynBkGIpp2H7OnkrwEyqCK2TMKEl8JrOqSHSKuFkEN281HbNZYaoM/s320/maxxum7000.jpg)](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhWlA22eEcb_LjexJzlp3R_jkVBC8Yy4MD4WyXI8r4xC745uOxpf6sriZxhKc6vW6lst6rJOGXl-LuktToAZr3UGy0ynBkGIpp2H7OnkrwEyqCK2TMKEl8JrOqSHSKuFkEN281HbNZYaoM/s1600-h/maxxum7000.jpg)
21
22I decided to hit up eBay for a cheap, second hand SLR. I decided to pick a base in the Minolta AF mount (so I can reuse my existing Minolta lenses I bought for my Sony Alpha). I ended up picking up a pretty sweet deal - got a kit of items off eBay ($370 inc postage):
23
24- Flash 4000AF (works with alpha with adapter - manual mode)
25- Minolta Maxxum 7000 base
26- Remote Cord RC1000S (works with Alpha)
27- Camera Case CH-73L
28- AF 28-85/3.5-4.5
29- AF 70-210/4
30
31The 7000 base is actually quite legendary - it was the world's first AF Base and Lens system, it was released in 1985 (meaning that it is 22 years old!). Amazingly, all of the original lenses work with the Sony Alpha 10 MP DSLR.
32
33[http://www.mir.com.my/rb/photography/hardwares/classics/maxxum7k/index.htm](http://www.mir.com.my/rb/photography/hardwares/classics/maxxum7k/index.htm)
34
35The 4000AF Flash was the top of the line flash for the early Maxxum cameras, and can be used on the Alpha (in manual mode) with a shoe adapter ($20 on eBay from Hong Kong). This is great, because I wanted to get into flash photography (without spending $750 on a Sony flash).
36
37The 28-85/3.5-4.5 has a good write up on Dyxxum and looks like a good kit replacement (at least until I get my Zeiss 16-80 next year...).
38
39The 70-210/4 "Beercan" is a legendary Minolta lens - I already own one, and it has to be my favourite lenses - the Alpha has built-in image stabilisation in the base - this lens alone makes the Alpha one of the cheapest options for some of the best image quality on the market (for an F4 fixed aperture lens in this focal range).
40
41The kit also had leather cases for the lenses, flash and camera - and all of the original boxes! Now, time to start shooting film and digital side-by side and compare!
42
43[![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhwtX_v6Lm7smqiIPc9EmYDGKEr-4u4OYmBRSY4ItvgwUf9WcL16MAbUI4QvSvUwuosEKWw-27aNr47ufJa3QJs7FBRyBoV7TEFYSkfsmDdlsNkR-7xi_UHhnN00e6Vp08ndA74nGibDc8/s320/minolta7000_pack2.jpg)](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhwtX_v6Lm7smqiIPc9EmYDGKEr-4u4OYmBRSY4ItvgwUf9WcL16MAbUI4QvSvUwuosEKWw-27aNr47ufJa3QJs7FBRyBoV7TEFYSkfsmDdlsNkR-7xi_UHhnN00e6Vp08ndA74nGibDc8/s1600-h/minolta7000_pack2.jpg)
44[![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjK2RIK9-q1cSY-flX4q_gwaPIFAi4S1a5Osb7M9w5-iNy6sYIKFr86SM_9rcSdH63NSoJcEV6K-j7c1Wr_FCF4jmT756lGiyvfHsX1J-Ynqv3QqT6t_Di_OZafpm7oYuolfXJ61Yv5sOs/s320/minolta7000_pack.jpg)](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjK2RIK9-q1cSY-flX4q_gwaPIFAi4S1a5Osb7M9w5-iNy6sYIKFr86SM_9rcSdH63NSoJcEV6K-j7c1Wr_FCF4jmT756lGiyvfHsX1J-Ynqv3QqT6t_Di_OZafpm7oYuolfXJ61Yv5sOs/s1600-h/minolta7000_pack.jpg)
45
46
47

---
title: 'Film photography - so what''s the big deal?'
date: '2007-07-17'
published_at: '2007-07-17T11:07:00.000+10:00'
tags: ['film', 'minolta', 'photography', 'slr']
author: 'Gavin Jackson'
excerpt: 'For the last seven years I have only shot digital, however I''ve now been convinced that film still has a lot to offer (in terms of resolution and enhanced dynamic range). The other beauty is that you...'
updated_at: '2007-07-17T12:14:54.763+10:00'
legacy_url: 'http://www.gavinj.net/2007/07/film-photography-so-whats-big-deal.html'
---

For the last seven years I have only shot digital, however I've now been convinced that film still has a lot to offer (in terms of resolution and enhanced dynamic range).

The other beauty is that you can get your slides scanned in - then you can perform all of the digital post production that we love doing with digital.

I initially started looking at Large Format Cameras (inspired by the photography of Stewart Skelt - [http://www.netspeed.com.au/sgskelt/](http://www.netspeed.com.au/sgskelt/).

It soon became obvious that this is beyond my current financial limits, but it did point me in the direction of Fuji Velvia film ([http://www.fujifilmusa.com/JSP/fuji/epartners/proPhotoProductVelvia.jsp](http://www.fujifilmusa.com/JSP/fuji/epartners/proPhotoProductVelvia.jsp)).

[![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhWlA22eEcb_LjexJzlp3R_jkVBC8Yy4MD4WyXI8r4xC745uOxpf6sriZxhKc6vW6lst6rJOGXl-LuktToAZr3UGy0ynBkGIpp2H7OnkrwEyqCK2TMKEl8JrOqSHSKuFkEN281HbNZYaoM/s320/maxxum7000.jpg)](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhWlA22eEcb_LjexJzlp3R_jkVBC8Yy4MD4WyXI8r4xC745uOxpf6sriZxhKc6vW6lst6rJOGXl-LuktToAZr3UGy0ynBkGIpp2H7OnkrwEyqCK2TMKEl8JrOqSHSKuFkEN281HbNZYaoM/s1600-h/maxxum7000.jpg)

I decided to hit up eBay for a cheap, second hand SLR. I decided to pick a base in the Minolta AF mount (so I can reuse my existing Minolta lenses I bought for my Sony Alpha). I ended up picking up a pretty sweet deal - got a kit of items off eBay ($370 inc postage):

- Flash 4000AF (works with alpha with adapter - manual mode)
- Minolta Maxxum 7000 base
- Remote Cord RC1000S (works with Alpha)
- Camera Case CH-73L
- AF 28-85/3.5-4.5
- AF 70-210/4

The 7000 base is actually quite legendary - it was the world's first AF Base and Lens system, it was released in 1985 (meaning that it is 22 years old!). Amazingly, all of the original lenses work with the Sony Alpha 10 MP DSLR.

[http://www.mir.com.my/rb/photography/hardwares/classics/maxxum7k/index.htm](http://www.mir.com.my/rb/photography/hardwares/classics/maxxum7k/index.htm)

The 4000AF Flash was the top of the line flash for the early Maxxum cameras, and can be used on the Alpha (in manual mode) with a shoe adapter ($20 on eBay from Hong Kong). This is great, because I wanted to get into flash photography (without spending $750 on a Sony flash).

The 28-85/3.5-4.5 has a good write up on Dyxxum and looks like a good kit replacement (at least until I get my Zeiss 16-80 next year...).

The 70-210/4 "Beercan" is a legendary Minolta lens - I already own one, and it has to be my favourite lenses - the Alpha has built-in image stabilisation in the base - this lens alone makes the Alpha one of the cheapest options for some of the best image quality on the market (for an F4 fixed aperture lens in this focal range).

The kit also had leather cases for the lenses, flash and camera - and all of the original boxes! Now, time to start shooting film and digital side-by side and compare!

[![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhwtX_v6Lm7smqiIPc9EmYDGKEr-4u4OYmBRSY4ItvgwUf9WcL16MAbUI4QvSvUwuosEKWw-27aNr47ufJa3QJs7FBRyBoV7TEFYSkfsmDdlsNkR-7xi_UHhnN00e6Vp08ndA74nGibDc8/s320/minolta7000_pack2.jpg)](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhwtX_v6Lm7smqiIPc9EmYDGKEr-4u4OYmBRSY4ItvgwUf9WcL16MAbUI4QvSvUwuosEKWw-27aNr47ufJa3QJs7FBRyBoV7TEFYSkfsmDdlsNkR-7xi_UHhnN00e6Vp08ndA74nGibDc8/s1600-h/minolta7000_pack2.jpg)
[![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjK2RIK9-q1cSY-flX4q_gwaPIFAi4S1a5Osb7M9w5-iNy6sYIKFr86SM_9rcSdH63NSoJcEV6K-j7c1Wr_FCF4jmT756lGiyvfHsX1J-Ynqv3QqT6t_Di_OZafpm7oYuolfXJ61Yv5sOs/s320/minolta7000_pack.jpg)](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjK2RIK9-q1cSY-flX4q_gwaPIFAi4S1a5Osb7M9w5-iNy6sYIKFr86SM_9rcSdH63NSoJcEV6K-j7c1Wr_FCF4jmT756lGiyvfHsX1J-Ynqv3QqT6t_Di_OZafpm7oYuolfXJ61Yv5sOs/s1600-h/minolta7000_pack.jpg)