So I finally picked up a camera again after selling my D7500 in the fall. Found a D750 with ~25k shutter count on the 'bay for $1000 CAD. It arrived on Wednesday and holy fuck I can’t believe what I’ve been missing. Bokeh is so easy with this camera. I had full frame lenses that I had shoehorned onto my D7500 and I wasn’t super happy with the results. They were OK, and there were some good ones, but that was down to luck more than me really getting the most out of the camera. Anyway, as there’s 3 feet of snow on the ground right now, I can’t test it out on the course, so I did the next best thing: pictures of our cats! Super jazzed to get out onto the course now and try this out.
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You could do a lot worse than a K1000… An FE2 or AE1 would be a great starter as well. If you just want the film “look” without a lot of manual controls I’d also suggest an Olympus XA2 which has become my go-to golf course camera as of late. Super pocketable, simple, solid lens for the $, and it’s just fun.
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I ended up picking up a Minolta SRT-101 with a Rokkor 50mm f1.7 for $80. I had a few suggest it, read some online lists of best film cams, and reallyyyy loved the look of the pics it takes and the camera. Found a mint one on eBay.
Also ordered some Portra 160 and Ektar 100 - very pumped to use it!
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I just picked up the same camera recently! Extremely simple to use. Super cheap lens options. I just bought a telefoto prime that I am excited to try.
Most satisfying shutter I have ever pressed. Double check the onboard lightmeter with a different one if you can (app or standalone lightmeter)
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I’ve owned Minolta lenses before and have been super impressed at how high quality they are for seemingly next to nothing cost wise.
Great tips on the light meter, I’ll check it out when it arrives.
Do you have any tips for getting the film into digital images?
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Right now I’m sending mine to a local photography store to process and scan. Not super cheap, about $15/roll
It’s possible to buy a scanner / build a setup to use a DSLR to take photos of your negatives, but that is not cheap either ($300-500) plus you need the chemicals and darkroom supplies…
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Ektar is really good. You’ll love it. Especially shoot red colors with it. Even the smallest bit pops like crazy.
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Oh man this is my kind of post.
The main one that comes to my mind is this from Mustafah Abdulaziz in his long term project about water. Similar to the second Epstein one.
There’s an Alec Soth photo as well but I can’t find it at the moment.
Maybe not explaining why it’s great, I guess that’s subjective, but to give a bit more context to the photo. The series ‘American Power’ is about energy production and use, hence the wind turbines, and the extreme change of the landscape creating a lush golf course in the desert ties in as well (could even find a relation to the double meaning of power). Regarding lighting, the stark flat light from the high sun helps make even more of a point of this.
For another example of good use of ‘bad’ light (but for a different reason) have a look at Massimo Vitali’s work.
Hopefully this year I’ll be starting work on a golf adjacent photo project of my own, covid’s pushed it back a couple years so far and looks like pushing things out another 6 months this year. The plan is to produce a book of the work so I’m sure I’ll be on here trying to get some pre-sales in a year or two 
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Huh, haven’t seen the Martin Parr golf work will track it down, thanks! The Edgerton/Jones swings were in that Art of Golf exhibition, fwiw.
Also a pretty great mirroring of both golfers reaching down at the same moment. Very difficult to capture that instant with a large format camera (though Epstein may have switched to medium format digital by then, not sure).
I’ve always sensed a deeper, more sub-textual American drama in the Epstein pic, with race at the center. Irrigation, water rights, manufactured landscapes, energy, power, race & leisure – all on display in that one photograph. As @BD8 said!
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I’m certain that whole project was 8x10, saw a couple them at an exhibition last year, and his more recent New York Arbor stuff is as well.
I remember reading Stephen Shore talking about the below shot, being forced to take a more static photo leading to things like this moment of anticipation.
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Not golf related, but I just got my scans back from my first 35mm roll and I’m freaking hooked man. Seeing the photos after a week of waiting is almost an indescribable feeling.
I have two more rolls in progress with golf photos. Will post those up when i get them. I think i took a great great shot of two pilots on a golf course with helicopters in the background, I sure hope it was in focus.
Minolta SRT 101, FUJI Xperia 400
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Delayed gratification is an awesome feeling that’s pretty rare nowadays
Pictures look great!
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I’m posting this here instead of the Silk Road because I feel like the Silk Road is meant for golf things.
I’m going to sell my Fujifilm X-T20 with a Fuji 35mm f2.0 lens and wanted to offer it here first. Basically in like new condition still - comes with the rubber casing you see on it here, the screen protector on it, and a wall mounted battery charger. I’ve probably taken less than 1,000 pictures on it but it takes incredible pictures.
This kit goes for about $600 shipped on eBay, so avoiding eBay fees and refuge discount means $500 shipped and insured to anyone here.
Let me know if there are any questions!
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That’s incredibly tempting and if I hadn’t just bought a drone, I’d probably be all over it
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It’s a little powerhouse. I know @BD8 has one too and can attest to it.
Just way too much camera for me in both settings and size. Switching back to my Sony RX100V for portability in the Half Light and simplicity. Here’s a random example
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You’re just making it more difficult to say no. Great shot!
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I need to get rid of my garbage rebel t3 and go mirrorless but I can’t buy anything right now, spent a loooot of money this month. GLWS
Dang. I have a Fuji X100F that I absolutely love. The X-T20 is very tempting.
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