The Big Film Photowalk 2026
- Jul 14
- 3 min read
Analogue Wonderland and Kodak organise a national film photowalk each year. You buy a ticket for one of the 50+ photowalks, all taking place on the same day. You receive a lot of information and when you turn up for the walk, you are handed a roll of 35mm film. The price in 2026 was £20 and that includes developing and scanning, so a real bargain.
I chose to go on the walk in Rye, I knew the organisers and one of them grew up in the town so I knew we would be taken to interesting places and learn a little of the history. The film we were given this year was Kodak Ultramax 400, not the best choice for a very bright, sunny day! The exposure meter in my Minolta XE-1 was regularly ready 1/1000 at f16, the fastest shutter speed and smallest aperture available. Fortunately I had gone prepared with a polarising filter for the standard lens and an ND4 for the 24mm Variable Field Curvature lens. This was the first time I had use the 24mm lens with a filter and when I received my scans, I found the lens hood unfortunately causes vignetting when mounted on a filter, even though it is the proper hood for that lens.
The Gear
The Minolta XE-1 is a fabulous camera, "the cheapest Leica you can buy". It was developed through the partnership between Minolta and Leica; other than the lens mount, it is almost identical to the Leica R3. It was the last "all metal" SLR Minolta made and is lovely to use. The wind-on is really smooth, the shutter release has just the right resistance. It has their "Contrast Light Compensated" exposure meter which meters the sky and ground separately and is very dependable. The viewfinder is bright and clear, and the meter offers aperture priority or manual - all I need.
The 24mmVariable Field Curvature Lens is interesting, I think Minolta were the only people who ever made one for a 35mm SLR. There's an extra ring on the lens which allows you to curve the focal plane from convex through flat (like a normal lens) to concave. They also made a 35mm shift lens with this feature, both are rare and expensive. I also used the 50mm f1.2 and the 135mm f2.8, I have both the 4 element and later 5 element versions of the 135 and prefer the rendering of the older lens.
The Results
I received my scans from Analogue Wonderland very quickly, and put them on Flickr here. I also ordered some "proper" prints and created a simple book using folded A4 card and sticking the prints in with glue. I sometimes use online book printing services but for film work I like to use "proper" prints when I can.
Conclusion
I really enjoyed using the Minolta XE-1. They were such an innovative company, ahead of Canon and Nikon with many developments, but today their camaras and lenses are less expensive than those makes. The service from Analogue Wonderland was excellent and I'll definitely sign up for the photowalk next year. I've learned not to use the 24mm lens with a filter and the lens hood, one or the other is fine. And hopefully, next year I'll be handed a roll of film more suitable to the conditions!
Comments