I’m not interested in prints – I usually use a digital camera, but I’ve recently revived my Minolta 500si from deep slumber, and, although I don’t have a big lens for it, I might use it for those odd occasions when I feel it might be more appropriate.
(But you never know, I might be able to get a refurbished long lens later.)
Should I get my films developed to hi-res CD (TIFFs would be best, I suppose – if I can find someone who does it) or simply get the films just straight developed, unprinted, and scan them myself. Will I achieve a better resolution/result then sending them to a developer to put on CD for me?
If I scan them myself, do I need to get the negatives cut by the developer, or will a pair of scissors do the trick?
Thanks.
By: RobAnt - 4th June 2007 at 22:50
Yes, that about explains it. The shutter mechanism is too slow, and is beyond economic repair. It doesn’t see new films either, the film icon blinks as if it’s still rewinding. The other body was even worse – it wouldn’t stop winding on!
I took them to a camera repair shop and the engineer had a good look at them, but quoted a price of over £100 each and approximately 3 weeks for a repair, as Minolta/Konica no longer exist he couldn’t really send them anywhere. I can buy another new body for half that. So they’re both beyond economic repair. I could spend that on a few 1gb xD cards (if I had it)!
Looking forward to Cosford next weekend. Will concentrate on using my digital camera, and mini-dv video camera instead. Oh, and enjoying the show!
Time to move on, I think.
By: Jur - 30th May 2007 at 19:28
I’ve had a go now with this Minolta 500si, and I am extremely disappointed with the results.
Given the quality of results I can persistently, and repeatedly achieve with my digital camera, I can only assume that the body is damaged. That’s two bodies this particular kit has had, and I wasn’t always pleased with the results with either before I transferred to digital.
The only time I got any kind of result was indoors with flash. All outdoors photos are completely out of focus and the white balance is too high, making them seem grey.
I don’t consider the £20 I’ve invested in it to be wasted, though. At least now I know for certain that it isn’t me, and there is definitely a fault with the camera. I certainly don’t think it’s worth investing any more money into it, though.
RobAnt,
I’m sorry that it didn’t work out with your Minolta 500si, but I’m a bit puzzled though. In analog camera’s there is no such thing as white balance. Actually the “white balance” is in the used film and not in the camera as such. Most colour films (daylight variety) are tweaked to 5400K. With incandescent light one has to put a filter on the lens to bring the colour of the light in balance with the colour sensitivity of the film. Also there are (have been) a few tungsten balanced films on the market, which don’t need to be filtered.
What kind of film did you use: slide or negative? Are you sure that the film was fresh (not out of date) and that it had been stored in a cool place? Assuming that of course you did set the correct ISO value, the only other reasons for the disappointing results could have been a faulty light meter in the camera (you can check this against your digital camera) or faulty developing of the film.
Out of focus results indicate that there is something wrong with the focus mechanism of either the used lens and/or the camera itself. This should be apparent when looking through the viewfinder while focusing. Blurred pictures could also be the result of long shutter speeds, possibly because of a fault in the shutter mechanism.
By: RobAnt - 30th May 2007 at 15:17
I would prefer to scan the films myself (as I’ve done frequently in the past). Ask the developer to either cut the films in strips of 6 frames or to leave the film uncut altogether. It is very easy to cut the films with an ordinary pair of scissors. Don’t forget to get some good quality negative sleaves to store your films. Usually they take 6-frame strips.
Jur,
Thanks for your response.
I’ve had a go now with this Minolta 500si, and I am extremely disappointed with the results.
Given the quality of results I can persistently, and repeatedly achieve with my digital camera, I can only assume that the body is damaged. That’s two bodies this particular kit has had, and I wasn’t always pleased with the results with either before I transferred to digital.
The only time I got any kind of result was indoors with flash. All outdoors photos are completely out of focus and the white balance is too high, making them seem grey.
I don’t consider the £20 I’ve invested in it to be wasted, though. At least now I know for certain that it isn’t me, and there is definitely a fault with the camera. I certainly don’t think it’s worth investing any more money into it, though.
By: Jur - 30th May 2007 at 13:47
Should I get my films developed to hi-res CD (TIFFs would be best, I suppose – if I can find someone who does it) or simply get the films just straight developed, unprinted, and scan them myself. Will I achieve a better resolution/result then sending them to a developer to put on CD for me?
If I scan them myself, do I need to get the negatives cut by the developer, or will a pair of scissors do the trick?
I would prefer to scan the films myself (as I’ve done frequently in the past). Ask the developer to either cut the films in strips of 6 frames or to leave the film uncut altogether. It is very easy to cut the films with an ordinary pair of scissors. Don’t forget to get some good quality negative sleaves to store your films. Usually they take 6-frame strips.
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May 30, 2007 at 12:26 am