2 Weeks of Bad News for Film

In case you haven't heard, and unless you're a photographer, you may not have, Nikon announced last week that it would be stopping its production of Film Cameras, except for two, the F6 and the FM10, Pro and entry level. This, of course, lead to me scooping up a F100 body before it was too late and to get the $200 rebate. This is sad, very sad news...and it is strange that they discontinue the F100 really, one of the best and most revered film cameras for its feel, durability, etc. etc. Blah! Read all about it here.
And another giant fell this week, Konica Minolta, the part I care about being Minolta. I started photography using my Dad's Minolta Maxxum 7000, the first ever fully automatic / fully manual camera. I learned the ropes with this monster of a machine that survived many falls and dings and bangs off of rocks and tumbles down hills. Ever since Minolta merged with Konica, I haven't been happy with their cameras and lenses, but it is sad. They transferred DSLR to Sony and are pretty much leaving the photography business completely to focus more on their optical and business path. For their press release (in what seems like pidgeon English at times), go here.
And on to 4x5...