Film Cameras: Minolta Maxxum 9000

So with a few minutes on my hands today I felt like talking briefly about one of the greatest cameras of all time. Yes, of all time!  The Minolta Maxxum 9000, the worlds first PROFESSIONAL auto focus camera.  I believe it was introduced sometime around 1985-86 maybe, and set the stage for every camera company on the planet to play catch up to Minolta again.

The camera features tank like construction, titanium pinned shutter curtains, high-speed flash sync, and shutter speeds of up to 4000th of a second.  Auto Program, Aperture, Shutter and full Manual modes.  Two professional grips were available with battery packs to extend camera life and high speed shooting.  The camera were impervious to dust and moisture.  Though not 'water proof', mine has seen plenty of time in the wet covering events.

 

The auto focus, slow by today's standards was amazing and made shooting 'grab' shots a breeze.  Minolta had an excellent line of autofocus glass that was lightweight when compared to the competition because Minoltas patented auto focus system brilliantly placed the auto focus motor into the body, and not in the lens like everyone else.  This results in a camera that has superior balance even when using long focal lengths because the only thing in the lens is glass.

 

I really miss using this camera.  It is very heavy, but feels great in the hands.  The solidity and heft harken back to a time when a Professional camera looked and handled like a serious precision workman's tool.  No one picked this beast  up and thought of it as anything but.

 

The all metal construction, composite top, paint over brass and rubberized palm grips both front and back made using the 9000 a joy.  Even the motor drives oozed with quality and offered up that wonderful clean razor sharp click when firing off shots in succession.  The 9000 could blast through a 36 exposure roll of film in about 7 seconds.  

 

 

Additionally, like any professional camera, the 9000 had an endless array of accessories and backs, including multiple user changeable focusing screens. It also sported the most sophisticated flash system of any camera ever made.

 

All in all, it was a huge home run for Minolta.  Oh and it was bullet proof.

 

My 1986 example has gone through countless rolls of film, without ever needing so much as one repair.   I often wish that we could turn the clock back and begin shooting E6 again.  It was so easy and the images were always beautiful.  I don’t ever remember losing a shot with this camera, or it ever delivering a bad one.  Not ever. 

 

If you're up for a modern classic, seek out a clean 9000.  You won't be disappointed.

 

 

 

Creative Spotlight: Level Construction

It is unusual for a company in the commercial construction field to find themselves in our Creative Spotlight feature.  But Level Construction is a very unique commercial design/build company.

With corporate facilities in Chicago and Houston, Level Construction is capable of fielding projects all over the United States.  Everything from your local fast food chain, to hotels, restaurants, banking facilities, retail stores and theme parks.  

Traveling statewide to photograph some of Levels projects and working closely with their team members has left me stunned at how well organized and hands on such a large company can be.  Speaking with many of their corporate clients, one understands how important efficiency; time management and coming in on budget can be to make or break a business. Exceling in these areas and coupled with superb business ethics, Level has become the Go-To construction company when quality, budget and time are a major factor.

If you’re looking for a standout commercial construction company, look no further.  Below is just a small sampling of their extensive portfolio.

 

 

Random 005, 006 & 007 : Expressive Interiors by Marietta Calas

Below are some images from a recent photo shoot along with a quick iPhone shot of interior designer Marietta Calas.  I was setting up a tight shot and went to move something out of the frame.  When I turned around she was on the floor looking at the composition.  We worked hard, had a blast and the results were amazing.

 

Creative Spotlight: Stephanie Nickolson Design

Stephanie Nickolson is one of my favorite interior designers.  We met last year when I had the opportunity to photograph a very diverse portfolio of her work.

Many think of interior designers when building a custom home.  Stephanie’s talents however can be seen in a variety of settings from residential homes, commercial office spaces to college sorority houses.  She is also well versed in working with the hospitality industry, having completed several hotel projects.

Her work was recently featured in KBB online magazine and she has been awarded best in Houzz from 2015-2020 for excellence in service.  If one were looking for a full service interior designer, calling Stephanie would be an excellent choice. 

Below are some of my favorite shots from a recent residential project.

 

 

You Have To Start Somewhere

We've been working a little more at the office, preparing to get back to business.  Makes me smile! 

To pass time while processing a couple of recent product photo shoots, I fired up my ancient, trusty, reliable, bullet proof, amazing 2005 Macintosh G4 with dual chrome doors.  This computer (know as MacZilla) is what I use to run all of my period correct film scanners and related software from.

Recently while archiving a stack of old film negatives , I came across what I believe to be the only exterior photo of our Plainfield Ill, Lockport street portrait studio.  It made me flash back to where we were over twenty years ago.

Seated on the sidewalk bench is my business partner Mary Price and her studio dog Samson.  I am certain that is taken early in the morning, when Mary was out walking Samson and I went across the street to get us some coffee.  I always carry a camera and took a quick snap shot while coming back.  I am so happy that I did.

It’s healthy to look back on your career, to remember how you started.  To ponder the struggles that you overcame, the help that you received from family and friends, the hours spent learning, crafting, honing your skill so that you could be better at what you love.

In our humble studio you entered a comfortable gallery waiting area that highlighted some of our portrait and wedding photography.  Our studio consisted of a formal office, changing room and large open studio, complete with state of the art cameras,  studio lighting and sound system.  Here we photographed scores of high school seniors, families, models, musicians and fine art portraits.  It was a very creative atmosphere and one that we loved working in.  

It is also the location where we received a call from a Michigan architect that asked us to photograph a location he had built just behind our studio.  “Shoot a roll and just send it to me, don’t develop it, I will take care of that myself”.  A week later I got a call from this seasoned architect to tell me that our film contained the best architectural photography work he had ever seen.  Would we be willing to travel and do more?  You bet, and so was the begining of our architectural work, which has now become our specialty.

Below are a couple of film shots from our days on Lockport Street.

Film Cameras: Leica M6

Whether amateur or professional part of our enjoyment of being a photographer is the satisfaction one gets from the camera they use.  No matter what, every camera is a different experience.  We all have our favorites, yet we are also willing to try as many different formats and brands as possible.

Some base their ownership on cost and exclusivity.  Others want to use the cameras that the pros use. For me personally, I have never been a ‘camera snob’, meaning I use what works best. Brand popularity doesn’t mean a hill of beans to me.  Results are what matters most.

In the camera world, especially when were talking about small format 35mm cameras, none have as much mystery or panache as Leica.  Maybe it’s because Leitz invented the 35mm camera or because of the German craftsmanship or that they seem to last forever?  There are so many reasons one can find to own a Leica.  Often still considered the finest cameras in the world.

 

My first Leica was a Leitz/minolta CL, then a Leica CL, then the M6 you see here. I had read all of the stories, all of the professional reviews and even my close friend photographer guru Bruce Starrenburg touted how the M6 was a camera he would never be without.  I think he sold his before I sold mine.

Purchased new, right out of the box the camera needed servicing. The lenses wouldn’t focus to infinity, that and the meter was off a good two stops.  Hmmm.

After a CLA (for a new camera.. really?) I was set.  I loaded some of my favorite Fuji film and went off to shoot.  

Things to like; the build quality is stellar, the viewfinder is crystal clear, the lenses are wonderful.  The shutter fire and wind is smooth, though not the smoothest.  (minolta XE holds the crown).  Easy to carry, fairly compact.

Things not to like; the ‘black chrome’ wears easily and looks ugly after a few hours of handling.  The viewfinder can ‘flare’ in some instances making it impossible to focus.  The bottom plate film loading is out of the Stone Age. Forget having to load in seconds, it’s going to take some time to learn to do this and it will never be quick.

There are also limitations using the rangefinder format.  Lens focal length is best kept to 50mm and wider.  Using a 90mm, the focusing patch is so small and the rangefinder length itself compromises the accuracy. 

  

I used mine regularly for about 6 years.  Diligently carrying it with me everywhere. But I never fell in love with it.  I hated having to remove my eye from the viewfinder to see the shutter speed. I hated having to load film into it.  Every time I had to wind a frame or release the shutter, I missed the precision and smoothness of my minolta XE.

While I did get many good shots, I also got as many over or under exposed images.  I never checked but I am certain that the metering is center weighted, as opposed to being bottomed weighted which yields better results.

I also came to realize why SLR’s took over in the professional field.  When you’re framing, you are actually looking through the picture taking lens, not an offset rangefinder.  

I also found that when I carry a camera for grab shots, I liked the 40-50mm focal length best.  The 45mm Rokkor pancake lens on my minolta XE-7 actually makes for a smaller package then the M6 with the 50mm Leitz Summircon attached. The minolta is also a much more enjoyable camera to use and the results are always perfect.  Always.

So it was an easy camera for me to part with.  Yes, I know some of you will die with your Leica M camera in your hands.  I won’t.  All in all the camera to me, was just another camera.  While I do enjoy using rangefinder cameras, this one really failed me in the ‘magic’ department.  It just didn’t have any. 

Creative Spotlight: Neff of Chicago

For several years I had the pleasure of working with Nancy Olive and Pat Borg, owners of Neff of Chicago.

It’s my understanding the both Nancy and Pat have moved on in their respective careers, but when they were heading up this custom design firm in Chicago, they stood among the top one or two in their field. 

Further, they were a joy to work with.  Especially Nancy.  Her level of professionalism, attention to detail and client satisfaction were evident with every project that we photographed for Neff. 

Here are a few shots of a project that we did back in 2015.