Minolta XG1

[Steven]

Hey Guys and Ladies,

I am brand new to photography and im very interested in learning about it. I recently recieved a Minolta XG1 Camera with a 135mm lense and a 45mm lense. I also have a lense thing that says 2X on it and it looks like you attach another lense to it. Anyone know what that does?
I havn't used it yet so I was wondering if anyone knows if this Camera is any good. I was hoping I could use this for Aviation Photography, but I think my lenses might be to small. Any comments about this camera or about getting start would be appricated.

Thanks,
Steven

[Stina]

Hi Steven
Welcome to the boards. The thing with the 2X on it is probaly a teleconveter. It ataches to your camera and a lens is then attached to it. I will double the focal length of your lens, so your 135mm will now be a 270mm and you 45mm will be a 90mm. Some also cause you to loose a f-stop or more it may be shown with a -1 for example some where on the teleconverter. I know I've seen a few other that do Aviation Photography and I am sure they can help you with the focal length question.

[Steven]

Thanks! That makes some more sence on the 2x lense. I have no idea if the lenses I have will be "good enough" to photograph Airplanes, but I havn't tryed the camera yet. Another question I have is the lense itself rotates to focus and have a bunch of numbers I dont understand then where the lense attaches to the camera theres a set of numbers...2.8 5.6 8 11 16 and a green 22. When I rotate them they dont do anything different on the focusing.

[Lemming51]

Thanks! That makes some more sence on the 2x lense. I have no idea if the lenses I have will be "good enough" to photograph Airplanes, but I havn't tryed the camera yet. Another question I have is the lense itself rotates to focus and have a bunch of numbers I dont understand then where the lense attaches to the camera theres a set of numbers...2.8 5.6 8 11 16 and a green 22. When I rotate them they dont do anything different on the focusing.

The user manual will answer a lot of the questions you're going to have. Download it free from http://kmpi.konicaminolta.us/eprise/main/kmpi/content/cam/cam_SupportCenter/Support_Manual.

Focus is the large fat ring on the lens. The ring with the numbers 2.8 5.6 etc. is for setting the aperture. The aperture is a diaphram in the lens that can be closed down to these different settings to regulate the amount of light the lens lets through to the film. The numbers are referred to as "f-numbers" and are standardized with respect to exposure so that f/5.6 lets roughly the same amount of light through, regardless of the lens focal length. Larger numbers denote smaller apertures (the number is the denominator of a fraction). Besides getting proper exposure, the aperture determines depth of field, the range of distances that will appear in apparent focus. Smaller apertures give greater depth of field.