What is the logic for thinking that expensive = high qualities or super-standard qualities, and so-called "cheap" (which I did NOT mention) = low qualities or sub-standard qualities?
Every Leica shooter could (and might) look down upon us "lowly Minolta" shooters and say what you said - "What is the logic in spending all that money on a ... Minolta?!?"
So-called "cheap" film my be far superior and overkill for some of my own personal photographic needs, and yet, the most expensive film may be inferior for other of my own photographic needs.
What works for you?
Cheap and expensive have nothing to do with it.
Appropriateness is all.
I find the qualities of some film and some of the local photo labs to be appropriate in their results and cost for some of my photographic goals, and the qualities of some digital home brew prints to be inappropriate in results and cost for some of my photographic goals.
What works for you?
I have more than 200 photo labs within 10 miles of my home, and probably 1,000 within 20 miles, so "cheapness" is a byproduct of competition, and the appropriate "qualities" I receive are a byproduct of my careful comparison shopping and developing a relationship with the photo lab people, and inspecting what I expect to get the results I prefer.
Look, we're all Minolta Photographers here, why bash each other?
Why not just ask questions, like:
"Oh, you prefer local photo labs? Is there more about that for you?"
Then you might learn what is MY experience.
Conversely, I might ask you:
"Oh, you prefer ...? Is there more about that for you?"
And I might learn what is YOUR experience.
Neither of us is right or wrong, especially for the other!
On topic, though, as I write on my
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/minoltaphotography/ group:
"Since the 1920's, Minolta Japan, and it's factories around the world have been making fine cameras of many types with many names and model numbers marketed around the world and into outer space. Photographers have found Minolta cameras uniquely: - easy to use; - reliable; - affordable to purchase, maintain, expand and upgrade; - uncompromising in their picture producing quality; - well balanced all around."
... and that is MY experience.
"Why Minolta at all?" for you?
"Why Minolta at all?" for everyone else?
Looking forward to all our responses, and thoroughly enjoying the responses so far,
Click!
Love and hugs,
Peter Blaise Monahon
Minolta Vivitar Tamron Fujifilm Ilford Kodak Adobe Hewlett Packard et cetera Photographer
peterblaise@yahoo.com
http://www.peterblaisephotography.com/
PS - Go out and shoot something - and bring it back alive! ;-)