Recently I put back into service:
- Minolta SRT-101 (two bodies)
- Minolta SRT-201
- Minolta X-570
All have meters powered by batteries. The X-570 won't operate without a battery; the others only use the battery to power the meter. I've done enough shooting that I can take a photo without a meter in a pinch. My collection of Minolta prime lenses includes a 28mm, 50mm macro, 58mm f1.4 that I've owned since 1970. I have two Sigma primes, one 14mm and one 24mm. The list goes on.

I find these are the primo lenses. Some equipment I've bought new, some used, and some has been given to me. One person said to me "But you have to pay to have the film developed." My reply was "Yes, but I've already made the investment in lenses." (In a nearby city is a lab that does excellent work.) I use them mainly for B &W. I have two Canon DSLRs that I love, but they're constantly being replaced by something newer and with better resolution. I like to make big prints.

I have one that I hope to use again. I bought it refurbished from Epson in 2006. I have made hundreds of prints with it, many excellent in the opinion of a photo instructor and a Lightroom instructor. Here's the long story: It sat in storage (in a house) for 5 years. Now I want to use it again. While cleaning the inside I broke a $3 part. "encoder strip" It is no longer produced but I found a source. I have an 11 page PDF exploded view showing hundreds of parts. And a Youtube video that explains how to replace it. I have about 20 old ink cartridges that I have been advised to try. But it appears I'll have to take half the printer apart! I'm wondering if I should send it to Epson or do it myself. (Maybe this is worth a separate topic.) Anyone have a thought about attempting this repair??? Many thanks if you do!

Hi Autofocus. I'm in a very similar situation regarding retirement. The only benefit for me is that my stress level is down. (it's time for a new timing belt on my car; I'd rather be buying a new Canon.) Good luck! :)

I wish I had a solution for you. Windows 10 has driven me crazy! I've used Windows extensively at work and home since the 1980s. I used to love Windows and would defend it against any Mac user who said Mac was better. (I learned Pagemaker in the 1980s on an Apple. Currently I use PS and LR as well as other programs.) Now I wish I'd bought a Mac when I got my last new computer. I've spent some serious money on books for Windows 10, but I still think it stinks. Just one man's opinion.

I've always used San Disk cards and have never had one go bad, even after a decade or more of use. But I rarely fill up a card; I switch to an empty one instead. Also, I download my images after every photo adventure, even if there are only two images on the card, which is rare. :) I never go out to take photos with cards that have images on them.

I love my digital Canon and f2.8 Canon lens, but I'm resurrecting my Minolta SRT-101 and 201 film cameras. Someone said "but you'll have to pay to have it developed." I replied that I had already invested in lenses. (Mainly Minolta primes, but a couple of Sigmas and one Vivitar zoom in the mix.) I'm fortunate that there's superb photo lab in a nearby city and a camera store close to me that picks up and delivers from there twice a week. Long live film!
P.S. The battery in the Minoltas only powers the meter, so if it dies I can still take photographs.

I rarely post to Flickr anymore. I've never had a bad experience with it. But over a period of a couple years when I didn't use Flickr, it changed enough that I need to relearn it. I've lost track of most of the very friendly people whose photos I commented on and who commented on mine.

Four years ago the lens didn't have the problem. It was at my brother's house far away, and I didn't see it for four years. I bought that lens (14mm) and one other Sigma (24mm) about 25 years ago. No problem with the 24mm. I first started buying Minolta film cameras as well as Minolta primes and Vivitar primes in the 1970s. I bought a 75-300 Sigma zoom in 1988. No problems -- other than Vivitar image quality -- with any other lenses. The only Vivitar I have left is a 28-105 zoom which is decent enough but it's only what I call a "beach lens." The 14mm Sigma is a honey! (Never any problems with Canon lenses for digital that are up to 15 years old.) Thank you all for your thoughts and suggestions.

I have a 14mm Sigma manual focus lens that I purchased in the 1990s. The rubber rings for focusing and setting the f-stop are very sticky and will leave a black residue on one's fingers. The lens has been stored in a camera bag at someone else's house for 4 years until a few days ago. It was in a first floor room and the house is air conditioned.
A friend said there must have been too much moisture in the camera bag and there was a chemical reaction with the rubber. He suggested putting the lens in a plastic bag with a desiccant such as rice or better yet with the small packets that usually come with cameras or sometimes medicines.
(At the same time I bought a Sigma 24mm lens that I have used and the rubber is fine.)
Has anyone seen this occur or have a solution?

rskoba and mark sturtevant make good points! I don't know enough about image stabilization in cameras to say if maryo's suggestion will work. It is worth considering however. I use two Canon lenses with image stabilization but when I have the shakes -- due to medicine wearing off -- I still get photos that are not sufficiently sharp. (One lens is f 2.8 through the entire zoom range, which is 28mm to 88mm when the crop factor is taken into account.)

An adapter for a larger diameter filter is one way to go. I've done that. But you wrote that you couldn't find one. For an ultra-wide Canon zoom I bought a set of thin filers through B + H. They work fine. Maybe keep looking for an appropriate step-up ring; I see someone posted a link. (And as others have written, don't stack filters.)

I have a touch of Parkinson's and occasionally have tremors. I think most of the advice you've been given here is good. I recently bought a carbon fiber Manfrotto tripod and it's great! It has a quick release plate system that took a little while getting used to but is far easier than screwing into the bottom of the camera. (I sat on my sofa and practised attaching and detaching the camera.) I paid more than I planned. You might have to also. And, like other have written, don't carry the tripod over your shoulder with the camera attached. Good luck!

Thanks jdubu for the good advice. I'm still struggling with the printer driver, as this is a newer computer.

I have an Epson Stylus Photo 2200 printer that I bought refurbished from Epson in 2006. (7-color) Until five years ago I was making lots of color prints up to 12 X 18 that I was usually very happy with. (Occasional B&W also.) A head injury required that I live with my brother for a year. The printer has been in storage, at room temperature, since then. I'm wondering if it can be resurrected and used again. I see some products online, including Magic Bullet Print Cleaner, for cleaning heads. I also see that a new head can be purchased for about $100. Does anyone have experience with heads that have been unused for so long? I'm open to suggestions.

Also, I have about two dozen ink cartridges that are unopened but long since expired. Should I give up on those?

Thank you for any help you can provide!

He hit the nail on the head precisely. My experience is identical, I believe. Once I was "testing" an expensive Canon L series lens and got a once-in-a-lifetime shot, but only as a JPEG, which looks great but I wish I had a RAW file of the image. Now I still shoot in both RAW and JPEG.