Next in line in the Cheap Camera Shootout for a roll of Kodak ColorPlus is my Minolta Dynax 4, an ebay bargain from a friend and a superb entry level 35mm SLR. A beginner to film would probably want to shoot colour film and be able to get decent quality photos, I know I did when I returned to film in 2017. I loaded a roll of the greatest colour film ever made into my Dynax 4 and hopped onto a bus into town.
I headed straight to Wigan Parish Church to make the most of the Cherry Blossom that was in full bloom on the trees in the church gardens. The blossom was making its appearance a little earlier this year. April really did start with plenty of sunshine, which always brings the blossom out, and I was able to use the strength of the cameras electronics to use fast shutter speeds as I photographed nature's finest display of colour.
The Minolta Dynax 4 has a fastest shutter speed of 1/2000th of a second and I used it on a few close ups with a wider aperture for a shallow depth of field. These are things to think about when taking a photo, there's always something that needs to be the focus of the composition and I isolate it with a shallow depth of field.
A wide aperture and fast shutter speed does that and using aperture priority takes a little bit of thinking out of the equation for me. The camera selects the shutter speed based upon the aperture I choose and the light meter reading. With this camera, that little bit of automation is bang on and ensures the blossom is in focus whilst the background falls away into a blur.
I always seem to miss photographing the Cherry Blossom at Wigan Parish Church so catching it at peak flower was a fortunate opportunity I really wasn't going to pass by. The sun was high and bright and the blossom truly bloomed for me. I took full advantage of the blossom on the cherry trees and also the blossom on the young apple trees in the Church Gardens. There was also a couple of Poppies too and I soon finished a full roll of film and headed off for a bit of shopping before heading home.
I sent my roll of Kodak ColorPlus to Analogue Wonderland for development and a few days later had the scans downloaded ready for my first good look at the photos I shot with my Minolta Dynax 4.
Again, I was not disappointed!
The colour that Kodak ColorPlus produces is indicative of a film that punches way above it's weight class. I have enjoyed other Kodak colour films, both stills and cinema, but I will always come back to ColorPlus. Kodak made their name from making memories and the colours from ColorPlus are true to life, which for me makes those memories especially vivid.
Here's a few favourites from my roll of Kodak ColorPlus shot with my Minolta Dynax 4. I have placed them and more in an album on Flickr for you to visit using the link below. Also a reminder that "Opaque", the new publication from the Photozine Collective is now on sale via the link below. This is a limited edition run with all profits going to Asthma + Lung UK in memory of John Whitmore who inspired us to do this. I hope you enjoy them.
Minolta Dynax 4 - Kodak ColorPlus 200
Opaque - from the Photozine Collective
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