Close Connection.

Film, Inspiration, Kodak Tri-X 400, Minolta Autocord CDS III 75mm Rokkor f/3.5, Print, Q&A, Rolleinar 2, Scanner - Plustek 120, Teaching point

There’s another close connection going on here…

I’ve attached a Rolleinar 2 close-up lens kit to the Minolta Autocord to get this shot.

This is the first test image with the combination.  The buttery-smooth bokeh of the Rokkor f/3.5 is impressive, given the concomitant sharpness in the in-focus areas.  It’s one of the reasons I sought out the Autocord in the first place.  It’s rare to find such sharp-but-smooth rendering — often you only get to have one of these attributes in a lens.  The only other lenses I know of that are as well balanced are the Leica 50mm Summilux ASPH and the Mamiya RZ 110/2.8.

—Peter.

Close Connection

The Minolta Autocord (thank you Karl Bryan).

Inspiration, Minolta Autocord CDS III 75mm Rokkor f/3.5, Q&A

Third time the charm?

For those of you following along, I purchased a “recently adjusted” Minolta Autocord one month ago and it was dead on arrival.

Fortunately, Mr. Karl Bryan restored it to its former glory.

After shooting my very first roll of film (which turned out great), I tried to load a second roll and the frame counter stopped working.

Subsequent to some extensive scientific analysis I concluded that this Autocord was cursed.

I was ready to give up on it and I let Karl know, but he wouldn’t have any of it.  He urged me to stick with it.  When I asked him why, he responded:

“Your camera is way too nice of an example to not get it working… I just want you to use [it] and see what a fantastic camera the Minolta Autocord is.”

His enthusiasm convinced me to send it back to him.  Truth be known, I actually didn’t want to disappoint him.  And so, off it went.

Several days later, I received the following message:

“Hi Peter,

I recvd your camera this afternoon and performed the following services on it:

cleaned Fresnel lens (dirt/grit from deteriorating light seal), your ground glass and Fresnel are in better shape than any of my spare parts
installed waist level finder light seal
adjusted tension of frame counter wheel spring
installed leather neck strap”

The charge for all of this work?

$0 (zero).

My Autocord arrived back home today and I am simply giddy with excitement for this little jewel.  I can’t believe how beautifully it is working.  And the leather strap that Karl put on it is just perfect — it would have been exactly what I would have chosen if given the option.

I let Karl know how I felt, and he wrote back immediately:

“Hi Peter,

you made my day! I am so happy that you are again enthused with your Autocord.

Yes, that “old school” camera strap was one of my favorites (used on my Leica 3F, Minolta 35 rangefinders, Nikon rangefinders and on the Minolta Autocord CDS II that a buddy used for my wedding photos). Glad you have it and will enjoy using it.

If you should have any issues with your camera, please feel free to email me. I so want you to enjoy using your Autocord.

regards,

karl

yeah, Autocords are my favorite camera and I want other people to appreciate how nice they are, so forgive me if I seem biased”

 

Mr. Karl Bryan:  thank you, thank you, thank you.

—Peter.

Minolta Autocord (thank you Karl Bryan)

 

On the aesthetic of photographic media.

Inspiration

Although I’ve always preferred photographing with film, I’m finding it more and more curious, and more and more a relief, that I am developing an outright distaste for the plasticity (pardon the coarse descriptor) of digital imaging.

Curious, because the distaste for digital has been inversely proportional to the gains this medium has made in resolution, dynamic range, and “realism”.

A relief, because with my film photography I am generally more focused, in a word.

And I prefer the results.

—Peter.