Not Digital... But still photography.

[Plymouthbreezer]

So someone is giving me their old Minolta XG-1 SLR:

I'm excited - it will be my first film SLR. I'm getting it with an 80-200 zoom, 50mm fixed, and a 18-135 (or something in this range). It's in excellent condition, and has a flash too.

While it's not Nikon, it has enough stuff to get me started with film. I was planning on picking up an old Nikon film body so it's lenses could be shared with my D70s. But, hey, for free, I will be happily snapping away with this Minolta!

 

[Father Jack]

Well done ...... Minolta was also one of my first SLR's

Enjoy.

FJ

 

[aricher]

My first SLR was a Minolta X-700 - loved it. Have fun using your new baby and post some photos when you have a chance.

 

[Lovesong]

Minoltas are beautiful cameras. Though I started with the 600si and moved to a Maxxum 5 when I went digital, and finally ended up getting rid of all my film stuff, I still think fondly of those days. You should enjoy this. Minoltas were every bit as good as the Nikons back in the days.

 

[jordygreen]

I just got my dads old Pentax P30 film camera and i like just hang of it at the moment.

 

[Westside guy]

Wow, if that one zoom actually is 18-xxx that'll be a very nice wide angle on a film body! To get that wide on a dSLR (or at least the ones most of us have, that have the smaller APS sized sensor) you need roughly 12mm at the wide end.

I enjoyed shooting with my old film SLR very much (Pentax K1000). I would recommend you keep some sort of small notebook with you to help you learn - make note of things like what aperture or shutter speed you've used, if you're not in "auto" mode, for instance. I found it handy to even write down why I took particular shots, since I learned through experience that I wouldn't necessarilly remember the stuff I was certain I'd recall later!

 

[Plymouthbreezer]

Thanks for the replies!!

I don't have it in my possession yet, but when I do, I'll post pictures of it!

Thanks for the suggestions. Any tips/hints/suggestions are helpful, as I'm new to film SLRs!

 

[jlcharles]

Go for some color slide film. Velvia is good for landscapes and gives super saturated colors. Also, I like Kodak E100G. It's saturated, but not like Velvia.

 

[seenew]

no fun unless you can print your own shots!

if that's the case, enjoy!

 

[Plymouthbreezer]

no fun unless you can print your own shots!

if that's the case, enjoy!

My grandfather had a full darkroom... Hasn't been used in least 10 years... Might be time to dust everything off.

 

[seenew]

My grandfather had a full darkroom... Hasn't been used in least 10 years... Might be time to dust everything off.

indeed. Fun times to be had!

 

[Plymouthbreezer]

Alright. she's miine!

I'm lovin' it.

Okay, so I have yet to load some film, but everything looks and feels great. To clarify, here's the goods:

• Minolta XG-1 SLR
• Rokinon Auto Zoom 28-80mm 1:3.5-4.5
• Minolta 50mm 1:2
• Vivitar 80-200mm 1:4.5 zoom
• Vivitar shoe mount flash
• Case, all body/lens caps, & various filters...

I'll be sure to keep everyone updated on my journey with this new, old toy.

 

[wmmk]

Ooh, a 50mm f/1.2! That's fast. (REALLY fast). What kind of flash is the Vivitar? The 280 series (283 and 285HV especially) is great. Vivitar flashes are real workhorses.

Have lots of fun! I'm switching from Pentax to Canon this soon, and am going back to film for the summer because I can't afford the original 4.15MP 1D yet (it's $700 used or so). I can't wait to get my hands back in some nice chemicals!

 

[Plymouthbreezer]

Thanks. I'm reallllllly excited about shooting with the 50mm.

The flash is a 215 Auto. Nothing high end, but it works good from what I can tell.

I'll lay everything out tomorrow and get some good pictures for posting on here. I'm gunna give the manual a read through tonight when I head off for bed.

Side note... How much would all this be worth?? Not that I intend on selling, but just so I have an idea of the generosity of this gift. The person who gave it to me is also pushing for me an internship with a large news paper here... I think a thank you card is in order!

 

[wmmk]

Thanks. I'm reallllllly excited about shooting with the 50mm.

The flash is a 215 Auto. Nothing high end, but it works good from what I can tell.

I'll lay everything out tomorrow and get some good pictures for posting on here. I'm gunna give the manual a read through tonight when I head off for bed.

Side note... How much would all this be worth?? Not that I intend on selling, but just so I have an idea of the generosity of this gift. The person who gave it to me is also pushing for me an internship with a large news paper here... I think a thank you card is in order!

Nice!
If you have $30 around, get some radio triggers from gadgetinfinity.com and learn about off camera lighting at strobist.com.
You could probably get all of this for not much at a website like keh.com, but if this is all in good condition, it could be worth, oh, let's say $400-$600 or so. That said, the internship could be worth lots. Out of curiosity, how old are you, and what paper is it?

 

[puckhead193]

The person who gave it to me is also pushing for me an internship with a large news paper here... I think a thank you card is in order!

what paper? Either way, i would take it. You never know what can develop from an internship

 

[Plymouthbreezer]

Nice!
If you have $30 around, get some radio triggers from gadgetinfinity.com and learn about off camera lighting at strobist.com.
You could probably get all of this for not much at a website like keh.com, but if this is all in good condition, it could be worth, oh, let's say $400-$600 or so. That said, the internship could be worth lots. Out of curiosity, how old are you, and what paper is it?

The Worcester Telegram & Gazette . Readership is about 280,000.

I'm young - only 17. The paper normally doesn't take high schoolers, but they are willing to give me a try sometime around August. I'm excited!

 

[Clix Pix]

Mmmmm......niiiiiiice! This sure brings back wonderful memories for me. Like so many others, I started out with a Minolta 35mm SLR back in the day. I loved it and learned a lot from it! Went from my first one to an upgrade of it in a couple of years and was thrilled with its new features.... You will learn a LOT from using this baby and it will definitely enhance your appreciation for digital imaging and the features we have on today's cameras. Enjoy!!

 

[jlcharles]

Ooh, a 50mm f/1.2! That's fast. (REALLY fast). What kind of flash is the Vivitar? The 280 series (283 and 285HV especially) is great. Vivitar flashes are real workhorses.

Have lots of fun! I'm switching from Pentax to Canon this soon, and am going back to film for the summer because I can't afford the original 4.15MP 1D yet (it's $700 used or so). I can't wait to get my hands back in some nice chemicals!

Actually, it's an f/2. 1:2 = f/2, 1:3.5-4.5 = f/3.5-4.5

 

[shieldyoureyes]

How cool!!! I am sure you will have tons of fun! Just be careful...shooting film is addicting. I started on digital and now, 80% of what I do is on film.