I’ve been talking about photography a lot lately, and since some people have asked here’s a current list of my equipment. I’ve tended to avoid the Canon-Nikon debate and the megapixel wars since I assert that the most important piece of equipment is the photographer, but I am admittedly pretty picky about the mechanical items too.

For interchangeable-lens cameras, I’m a proud Minolta girl. For point-and-shoot, I’m far more interested in the lens manufacturer than the camera manufacturer, and that has led me to cameras made by companies better known for their electronics.

My first 35mm SLR was a Minolta Maxxum 5 that a friend found on Craigslist, and another later gave me his XD-s, along with several lenses and filters¹, when he went all-digital. I don’t use them super often — and the XD-s² currently needs some reconditioning — but I have no intent of letting them collect dust from now on. There are still plenty of uses for film photography, and plenty of 35mm film still available.

My dSLR is a Konica Minolta Maxxum 5D. It was one of the cameras in the final run done under the Konica Minolta name; when I bought it, the acquisition by Sony was already final and the Alpha had been announced. In other words, I got a very good deal. Right now I only have the 18-70mm kit lens and a 100-300mm Quantaray³ lens⁴, but I’m hoping to add to that at some point.

Despite having some pretty decent (if older) interchangeable-lens equipment, I actually prefer using compact zooms. They’re far more travel-friendly and although using creative control settings can be a pain, I find the portability worth it. I should note that good compact zooms can cost as much as a low-end dSLR.

My first one was an HP PhotoSmart 945 which I absolutely loved⁵. It lasted for several years, at least 7,500 shots, and a fair amount of abuse — including falling out of a car window — before giving up the ghost. My current compact zoom is a Panasonic Lumix DMC-FZ28, and I’m pretty satisfied with it (I really like the Leica lens).

As I mentioned above, in my view the item that will best contribute to my photography is myself; that’s why I’ve enrolled in classes. Right now, I have no plans to replace my Minoltas or my Panasonic. They’re more than enough; from here on out, it’s about technique.

1. I’ve been looking for an SR-mount to A-mount adapter ever since.
2. By the way, that model number is not a typo.
3. Don’t look at me like that. It came with the Maxxum 5 and it takes decent enough pictures.
4. The electronics on my Quantaray 28-90mm locked up and repair cost is more than replacement cost.
5. The lens was Fujinon.