2 August
I have always liked Minolta camera gear since I first
tried a Minolta XD7 in 1978. Since then I have used a number of different Minolta
camera and lens combinations. However, Minolta didn’t play fair with its loyal
customers. Instead of keeping to just one lens mount, they kept changing it.
Canon and Nikon did stick to just one lens mount and that has lead to them now
being the major players in the DSLR market. Minolta fell by the wayside and was
picked up by Sony. All the current Sony cameras would have been Minoltas if
they had used their noggins a bit more.
When I turned 60 in 2008, my army pension began to pay
out, and was in the market for a now camera. With all the above in mind I tried
a Sony Alpha 350 and a couple of lenses, all bought out of the large tax free
lump sum of dosh that was part of the pension. The A350 was a great camera; in
fact, it still is and is now sitting on my bedside cupboard. But after five
years I fancied an upgrade. Because of the amount of lenses we both had, Jan is
also a Sony users, I went for the A77. Again, it’s a great camera, but I’ve
become aware that I am struggling to carry it and the lenses around with me. So
what can I do?
The obvious thing would be to change to the small and
lighter Sony bodies that around on the market now. Sounds simple eh? Nope, it’s
not! Sony have done a ‘Minolta’ on us and changed the mount on their CSC
bodies. The CSC bodies will take a convertor so the current A mount lenses (which
we have), can be used on the CSC bodies. Those convertors are around £250-300 a
go. OK, but the CSC bodies look daft and unwieldy with the A mount lenses on
them.
If I want a lighter camera system then I have to move
from the A mount. Whichever way I go I will end up spending even more money
than I already have, and money is now getting tight again. So I have bitten the
bullet and ordered Nikon D5100 and 18-50mm lens and a 70-300mm Nikon mount
lens. The prices are a tad higher than they should be, but as I can’t pay up
front, I have to go where the credit is. So now I’m looking forward to playing
with a new, but lighter toy.
And what happens to my current Sony gear? Well, we were
talking about putting it on Ebay last night but I will wait until I know how
the Nikon gets on first.
Last night was sat and watched Noah, the Russell Crow, Ray Winston and Emma Watson film that came
out recently. I have to say that we both enjoyed it. Our local paper did a
review on it and gave it a three star rating; I think they were mean. It has to
be worth a fourth star. Crow and Winston played their normally first rate role,
as did Anthony Hopkins. But the role Emma Watson played was by far the best one
she has played up to now. It’s certainly ‘Goodbye Hermione now’.
Hunting can be dangerous, we all know that. But back
1100AD King Willy II found out the hard way when he was shot by an arrow. The
shooter claimed he thought he was shooting at a deer … hmmm … … … And on the
theme of death, it was 24 years ago today that Iraq invaded Kuwait, which lead
to the first gulf war. Placid people aren’t?
Today’s photo then, and another one from last Sunday …
The bar in the White Horse, Oxford. I just love that pub.
Funny time …
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