Minolta Hi-Matic AF2 35 mm Film Camera Review with Example Photos in Nazaré, Portugal | The Perfect Point-and-Shoot Camera for Traveling

(By using the links and/or codes below it supports Myles Katherine Photography. We may get a small kick back by you doing so.)

Before my trip to Portugal, I pulled together all of the cameras in my house (I think I’m getting close to 100 cameras in my collection now!) and dug through them to find a camera I hadn’t used yet. I always like to take at least one camera on my trips that is a bit of a mystery, just to challenge myself and to get inspired. It’s so exciting to send my film off for processing when I get home, but its especially exciting when it’s a camera I’ve never used before. As I was digging through my boxes of cameras, I came across the Minolta Hi-Matic AF2 and noticed that it had a 2.8 lens on it. I was immediately interested. Any lens with an aperture of 2.8 or wider is a camera I’m interested in.

However, right away I noticed that it wasn’t working. I opened the battery compartment only to find some serious corrosion. I spent the day with a pile of q-tips and rubbing alcohol, scraping off as much corrosion as possible. Eventually, I began to hear the camera make high-pitched sounds when I put some fresh batteries in and I knew I was getting somewhere. The shutter still wasn’t working but for some reason, whenever I flipped the camera upside down, the shutter would go off. I still don’t know why that worked, but the more I clicked the shutter release button, the more it started firing. Finally, I felt convinced that it was working enough to trust it with a roll of film.

I was still super nervous the whole time I was shooting with it in Portugal because I didn’t have time to run through a test roll before my trip. But the shutter seemed quick enough to know that I was at least getting something. I was pleasantly surprised when I got my film back from the lab in the mail. My photos had turned out! I still have some learning to do with this camera, and unfortunately, I haven’t been able to get the flash to work still. I think it might be a bit of a lost cause. But I’m just thrilled that my photos turned out at all! And I truly enjoyed using it throughout the trip. I wanted to share a few of the reasons why I love this camera so far and then share all of my favorite photos from Portugal! I also just posted a video about the Minolta Hi-Matic AF2 on my YouTube channel so make sure to check it out and subscribe to see more of our Portugal adventures!

5 REASONS WHY THE MINOLTA HI-MATIC AF2 IS A PERFECT TRAVEL CAMERA

  1. It’s a Point-and-Shoot Camera

    You can’t really get more convenient than a point-and-shoot camera for traveling. They are quick and easy with little to no learning curve. Anyone can use this camera. If you’re a beginner film photographer, this camera is absolutely perfect for you.

  2. It has a 38mm Lens

    In my opinion, a lens that’s anywhere from 24-40mm is a great length for travel photography. You’re able to get wide shots of buildings and architecture, but you could also get a little closer in for a portrait.

  3. It’s Compact and Basic

    Since the lens is a fixed length, it doesn’t take up a ton of space in your bag like a camera with a detachable lens would. It’s super sturdy with no extra parts or awkward accessories. And since it includes a flash, you don’t need to add one of those on either. I’m super sad my flash doesn’t work, but maybe I’ll come across a Hi-Matic AF2 with a working flash one of these days. :)

  4. It’s Fully AutoFocus

    When I’m traveling, it’s hard to work with manual focus film cameras. Sometimes I just don’t have the time to stand there and try to get the focus perfected. My family members are rushing me along, impatient with all of my picture-taking. Or I’m trying to get a photo of a bicyclist or moving subject while they aren’t paying attention. AutoFocus cameras like the Hi-Matic AF2 make street photography so much easier. And especially since it’s relatively small, it’s pretty inconspicuous and makes it easier to get away with taking pictures of strangers.

  5. It Takes 35mm Film

    The great thing about 35mm film cameras is that it’s easy to find 35mm film in almost every city. Sometimes, when I’m shooting with my 120 cameras, I’ll run out of film and have a hard time finding a camera store that carries 120 film. But 35mm is a pretty universal film format. I’ve never had trouble finding extra 35mm film on my trips.

As you can tell, I’m loving the camera so far. I’m a little bummed because I had the ISO setting on 400 instead of 200 for one of my film rolls, so the images turned out a little grainier than I’d hoped. But the film stock I used, Harman Phoenix 200, is also known for it’s grainy and high-contrast look, so maybe it’s just a combo of the film stock and ISO setting that I’m not used to. But I know a lot of film photographers actually aim for that sort of look so I guess it just depends on the person! I usually tend to like my photos a little less grainy and more sharp. But to each their own!

Here are a few film brands I recommend using for 35mm film cameras. Or you can check out my blog post, The Best Color Film for 35 mm Cameras. You can also check out my Amazon storefront for more camera/film recommendations. :)

35MM FILM RECOMMENDATIONS:

Kodak Gold 200

Lomography Color 400

Lomography Color 100

Kodak Portra 160

Kodak Portra 400

Kodak Colorplus 200


WHERE TO BUY THE MINOLTA HI-MATIC AF2:

Amazon

KEH Camera


FILM I USED FOR THE SAMPLE PHOTOS:

Kodak UltraMax 400 35mm film:

Amazon

Adorama

Harman Phoenix 200 35mm film:

Amazon

Adorama

If you enjoyed reading this post and would like to support my work, check out my Patreon and get early access to my YouTube videos, plus seasonal prints and other fun gifts!

And of course, I wanted to share all of my favorite photos from our Portugal trip using the Minolta Hi-Matic AF2!

Thanks so much for stopping by! Have a lovely day!

<3 Myles Katherine


(click to enlarge)




Kodak Gold 200 35mm Review with Sample Photos | My Favorite 35 mm Film to Use with a LomoApparat

(By using the links and/or codes below it supports Myles Katherine Photography. We may get a small kick back by you doing so.)

Kodak Gold 200 has been growing on me. I used to prefer more cool-toned film, but lately I’ve been craving warmth, sunshine and summertime. I always make sure to take Kodak Gold 200 with me now on any beach/island vacation. It just has that magical sunshine glow that makes everything look like golden hour. It’s also super duper affordable! Lately, it’s actually one of the cheapest films you can buy! It’s kind of amazing because I find it to be super sharp and reliable too. Any time that a friend or family member asks me what film stock I recommend, I always include Kodak Gold in my list. It’s a great film for beginners too because it’s surprisingly forgiving and automatically creates that warm Hollywood vibe to give photos a cinematic feel.

I wanted to share a few samples photos so you can get an idea of what to expect with this film. For these photos, I used a LomoApparat 35 mm film camera and I find it to be the perfect combination. The LomoApparat is a ridiculously fun camera by Lomography that has tons of filters and options for making your photos creative and unique. It’s not the sharpest camera in the land though, so combining it with a faster film like Kodak Gold 200 gives your photos a bit more clarity. I have a YouTube video about the LomoApparat here! Also, keep in mind that your film lab can have a huge impact on how your final results turn out. Oftentimes, you can work with your lab to make sure you get scans that you love. You can tell them whether you want more warmth or less warmth. How you want the blues to look. Whether you want the shadows lifted. I scan all of my own film with an Epson V750 so I have a lot of control over my images. I typically try to do a pretty straight scan first though, and then I’ll adjust color tones in post-processing. I find that this gives me the most control. Plus, I know I’ve saved thousands of dollars in the long run by scanning my own film. I just ask my lab to “process only” and they mail me the negatives. I cut them and scan them myself, then store them away in film storage binders labeled by year. I definitely have a system down at this point and it gives my OCD brain so much satisfaction.

Luckily, because it’s so affordable, it’s not a huge risk to just try it out! You can pick up Kodak Gold in 35 mm or 120 formats. You can also check out my blog posts about my Top 5 Favorite 35 mm Color Films or 5 Unique Films to Try to Make Your Photos More Interesting if you’re looking for other fun film options to try out. :) Or you can stop by my Amazon storefront for more camera/film recommendations. :)

Thanks so much for stopping by! Feel free to leave any questions/comments below!

<3 Myles Katherine

WHERE TO BUY

Kodak Gold 200 35mm Film

Amazon

Adorama

Kodak Gold 200 120 Film

Adorama

(By using the links and/or codes in this post it supports Myles Katherine Photography. We may get a small kick back by you doing so.)

(click images to enlarge)

Canon Powershot G7X Mark II Review with Sample Photos | How Does it Compare to a DSLR like the 5D Mark IV?

Is the Canon Powershot G7X Mark II as Good as a DSLR?

(This post contains affiliate links and I will be compensated if you make a purchase after clicking through my links.)

I’m always on the hunt for tiny cameras that can take amazing photographs. But when it comes to my DSLR, the Canon 5D Mark IV, it’s hard to imagine that there’s a pocket-sized camera out there good enough to fill its shoes when I’m traveling. But I bring SO many cameras when I’m traveling, that bringing my giant DSLR just to snap a few photos when I’m attempting to capture a sunset or other difficult lighting situation, doesn’t really make sense either. So for my most recent trip to Portugal, I decided to challenge myself. I left my big, heavy DSLR at home and brought the Canon G7X Mark II with me instead. It’s actually technically my mom’s camera that I got for her before she went on a trip to Africa. She wanted something that was small and super easy to use, but that was capable of taking decent photos. She also wanted a camera with a zoom function, because she was going on a safari and wanted to be able to zoom in on the animals. I did tons of research, attempting to find something amazing within her price point (under $700). She’s not a photographer, so I needed to make sure that I got her something with a full auto setting and that didn’t require a lot of energy to use. When she got home, I went through her photos and was pleasantly surprised by how incredibly beautiful the landscape photos turned out! And since I take mostly landscape and wide shots when I’m traveling, I figured it might just fill the void of my 5D Mark IV if I decided to leave it at home on my next trip.

The G7X Mark II has become a highly sought-after camera over the last few years and is actually kind of difficult to get your hands on these days. If you’ve come across one, consider yourself lucky! They’ve gone up in price too because of the desirability. There’s a newer version of it, the Canon G7X Mark III, which is also quite popular and difficult to get as well. They aren’t extremely different from each other, so either one would be a great option. I think they are so popular because of their combo of photo/video features and the fact that point-and-shoots are quite desired by the younger generations these days. It’s a great camera for TikTokers, YouTubers and vloggers. But it’s so user-friendly that it’s great for photographers and non-photographers alike, at any level.

So, do I regret leaving my 5D Mark IV at home?

It’s kind of complicated. During my trip to Portugal, I loved how easy it was to pull the G7X Mark II out of my purse and snap a photo. It’s just a tiny point-and-shoot, it turns on quickly, it’s digital so I can take as many photos as I want, and it’s inconspicuous. I don’t have to be the “photographer girl” with her giant DSLR and zoom lens walking around on the street. It also has a video feature that we used a few times as well. Not to mention that I did have 8 other cameras with me, so not having the weight of my DSLR was extremely nice! I didn’t really find myself missing my 5D Mark IV, mainly because it was easier to pull the G7X Mark II out of my bag than it typically is to get my 5D Mark IV out. The G7X fulfilled the job of capturing tons of wide city shots, and the f/1.8 lens actually allowed me to get some lovely food and detail shots when I wanted them. Though I will say, it takes a bit of patience to get the G7X to live up to its full potential. Because it does have that f/1.8 lens, if you put the camera on full auto, you probably won’t benefit from the 1.8 lens very often unless you’re in a super low-light situation. If you’re more adventurous, you can set it to the aperture-priority mode to benefit from that background blur that you can get with a wider aperture.

But, the only thing that really matters - were the photos up to par?

I spent last week going through the photos and editing them. I made sure to shoot in RAW so I had as much control over the post-process as possible. The landscape photos are quite beautiful and the camera does surprisingly well in full auto mode. While I do think that having a zoom lens on my DSLR makes it much easier to capture the exact image that I want, I started to get more used to the digital zoom on the G7X as the days went by. It’s definitely a much slower process that using a zoom lens, because you have to sit there and wait for it to zoom in. So it might be easy to miss a shot if you’re doing street photography and trying to capture a specific moment in time.

Where I did notice the lack of quality when compared to the 5D Mark IV is when I zoomed in on the images in Lightroom. The details are much noisier and less sharp. The shadows don’t contain as much information. The portraits aren’t as flattering. Particularly photos that are taken in low light seem to be rather soft. I found myself adding quite a bit of sharpness and noise reduction to make them work. I don’t think they would print well in large-scale, which is another question I was attempting to answer on my trip. I always want the option of being able to print my photos in large-scale for a gallery show. If I magically capture the most beautiful photograph of all time on my trip, I want to know that I captured it in enough detail to frame it and enter it into a fine art exhibition. You could definitely get away with a decent 12x18 print, but anything larger than that might be questionable. The camera does best with bright landscapes and lots of light. You probably could get away with printing those larger, its mainly the low-light images that are more questionable.

In the grand scheme of things though, I was pleasantly surprised by how well it did in low light. I used it inside churches and in wine cellars and it had no trouble at all getting a clear image. I was expecting to have some difficulty getting those sorts of images, but even on the auto setting, the G7X managed it all relatively easily. I always take 2 or 3 images in those sorts of situations, just in case the shutter is a bit too slow and the image is accidentally slightly blurry. But that f/1.8 lens really helps in that regard.

However, for everyday social media posts, blog posts and personal memories and prints, the G7X Mark II does perfectly fine. Amazing, actually. My mom, who is not a photographer, took some incredible shots on her trip to Africa that even made me consider putting together a portfolio of images and submitting them to galleries for her! Though I’d probably be cautious of printing them too large. :) The G7X can definitely up your point-and-shoot game if you’re an amateur photographer. It’s better than a cell phone, that’s for sure! And as a professional photographer, I’m definitely noticing things that the average viewer wouldn’t notice. To some, they may see no difference at all when comparing images from the 5D Mark IV and the G7X Mark II. But on a pro level, I don’t think the G7X is quite capable enough to replace the 5D Mark IV. Maybe I’m crazy to have even entertained the idea! It makes sense that a camera that’s 3 times the price would take better photos! But the fact that it’s a point-and-shoot and can take photos this beautiful, is kind of mind-blowing.

Will I take the G7X Mark II on my next trip and leave my 5D Mark IV at home again?

Honestly, maybe! If the 5D Mark IV was my one and only camera that I took with me on trips, then no, I’d forget about the G7X and only take my 5D Mark IV obviously! But I mainly focus on shooting film when traveling so any digital camera I bring is really just a backup. They mainly come in handy in low-light situations; to capture beautiful sunsets, candlelit dinners or spooky alleyways. It was SO nice not having the weight of my DSLR in my backpack though. My body just simply can’t handle that anymore. There were only a few situations that I ran across where I wished I had my DSLR with me. A moonlit evening over the bay. A sunset cocktail with sailboats in the background. But the G7X Mark II worked well enough that at least I didn’t miss the shot. I had to fiddle with the camera in manual mode to get the photos to turn out the way I wanted. But honestly, for the average person, the auto mode probably would work just fine in almost any situation.

I haven’t officially decided what I’ll do for my next trip, but it was incredibly nice not having to lug my 5D Mark IV around. What I really need is a digital/film hybrid camera that shoots medium format and 35mm, has a flash, a multiple exposure function, a zoom lens, a panorama mode, aperture priority, incredible low-light capabilities and a lightweight body - then I’d have my dream camera! If you happen to know of a camera that fits all of these functions, please please please let me know. :) In the meantime, I’ll be filling my camera bag with dozens of random cameras in search of the perfect one to fulfill all of my needs.

I hope this post helps you decide if the Canon G7X Mark II is for you! I find it to be a pretty spectacular camera, especially because it IS just a point-and-shoot! When I think back to my very first Canon Powershot camera I had back in the 2000s, even then, I was surprised by the quality that I was able to get with it. And now, with all of these modern-day functionalities, it’s kind of amazing what they can squeeze into these tiny cameras.

So… while the G7X Mark II won’t be replacing my 5D Mark IV as my everyday workhorse camera that I use at professional gigs, it does have the potential to be a contender for a decent digital travel camera. I’ll have to sleep on it a bit more before I decide what to do for my next trip. But in the meantime, if someone were to ask me if the G7X Mark II was worth the money, I’d say absolutely. It can take quite stunning photographs, even for the average person. It’s extremely easy to use, but still offers those pro-level settings like manual, aperture priority and shutter priority if you want to get more creative. It has full HD video, which makes the camera a good option for social media and vlogging (and some even argue the G7X Mark II is better for video than the G7X Mark III). And the 24-100mm lens offers a lot of versatility for a point-and-shoot camera. The fact that it made my mom’s photos from Africa look almost pro-level was a huge eye-opener for me, and was really the reason that I had the confidence and trust in the G7X Mark II to be a temporary travel replacement for my DSLR.

I’ve included more sample photos below to give you a better idea of the camera’s capabilities, including some of my favorite photos that my mom took on her trip to Africa. If you are interested in seeing photos from the Canon 5D Mark IV for comparison, you can check out my blog post here!

WHERE TO BUY THE CANON G7X MARK II

Amazon

Adorama

eBay (used)

WHERE TO BUY THE CANON G7X MARK III

Amazon

Adorama

eBay (used)

If you found this post helpful or if you’d like to see more of my work, I’d love it if you considered signing up for my Patreon! For as little as $1 a month, you’ll get early access to all of my YouTube videos, plus tons of photos that I don’t post anywhere else. Depending on which tier you choose, you could also receive seasonal prints and/or discounts! I always use all of the proceeds towards cameras, film & processing. Find out more here!

You can also check out my Amazon storefront for more camera/film recommendations. :)

Thanks so much for stopping by! Feel free to leave any questions/comments below. Have a lovely day!

<3 Myles Katherine

(By using the links and/or codes above it supports Myles Katherine Photography. We may get a small kick back by you doing so.)