oldy-moldy-minolta meets new-and-nifty-nikon

while attacking the horrible mess that is our laundry/storage area last night, i came upon a once familiar friend.
her name: minolta 33mm
this particular lady set me back $500 big ones in her prime, oh-around 1998
as a poor college student at the time, the purchase was quite monumental.
i took her everywhere....even to china several times, where i shot more 33mm pictures than one could even hope to have developed.
her picture quality was stunning, and, according to my memory, her shudder speed was lightning fast.


as i unearthed her, i reminisced our times together...the film changes and smiles captured. i was shocked to discover that there was a bit of battery life still lingering, though it has been nearly 6 or 7 years since her last use. i happened upon some unexposed film, and somehow managed to remember how to load it, much to my surprise.
i focused in on an unsuspecting pile of old toys and prepared to be amazed as i once was with her skill set. much to my dismay, it felt difficult, laborious, even. like i was asking a bit too much of her capabilities. my eyes instinctively shot to the back of the camera to check what i had just captured. the black back of the camera stared blankly back at me. there was no playback screen. no way to know if the shot was in focus, or if the lighting was too dark. i didn't even think to check the settings, as i am so accustomed to shooting 10 or 20 pictures to get a feel for mood lighting. there was no way to know anything.

suddenly it hit me...

i have lost something in all of my digital this and that. a sense of patience. carefully selecting each shot, instead of shooting in machine gun approach. a sense of the beauty and anticipation of film. only having a short lived 24 or 36 pictures to a roll. the drive to the photo shop. the wait for the developer to carefully prepare each print. the glory of finally looking through each shot and the disappointment when a favorite was out of focus.

oh the days of old.

i think i'll shoot a roll or two or even give it to foster to play with...after all, what good is it now? i can't go back. there's no way. i just can't handle the unknown. but she is too beautiful and special to discard or sell (not that she is worth anything anyhow). so back to storage she will go.
although she does make me appreciate the splendor that is my d200 even more than i already do. :)