Photoclub Alpha

IN 1998 Minolta published, for their 70th anniversary, a large poster featuring all the landmark cameras from their own museum and employee collections. Many of the cameras shown - all fairly small on the poster - were well used and worn examples. The original image-files for the poster, which we have archived, are of poor quality. They are Japanese inkset CMYK sharpened for pre-press, with very dark gamma. This page re-creates all the information from the original poster, complete with the photographs.

1928

The Minolta Co. Ltd was established by Kazuo Tashima in November 1928, under the name ‘Nichi-Doku Shashinki Shoten’

1929 Nifcalette Folding Camera

Minolta’s first camera. 40 x 65mm on 127 film with scale-estimation focusing.

1930

1930 Nifca Sport Folding Dry-Plate Camera

65 x 90mm image, with a standard tilt and shift lens.

1931 Arcadia Folding Dry-Plate Camera

Compact camera using the first ever Japanese-made shutter.

1932 Semi Minolta Folding Camera

45 x 60mm on 120 film, Minolta’s first diecast folding camera and the first use of the Minolta name.

1933 Minolta, Strut-Folding Dry-Plate Camera

65 x 90mm image, the first Minolta camera entirely manufactured in Japan.

1934 Baby Minolta Bakelite body Roll Film Camera

40 x 65mm or 40 x 30mm on 127 film, with a Bakelite body and pull-0ut lens.

1934 Minolta Vest, Strut-Folding Dry-Plate Camera

40 x 65mm or 40 x 30mm image on 127 film, the first Bakelite body collapsing camera manufactured in Japan.

1935 Auto Minolta, Strut-Folding Dry-Plate Camera

65 x 90mm image, the first press camera with a rangefinder to be manufactured in Japan.

1935 Minolta Six, Collapsing Bakelite Body Camera

60 x 60mm on 120 film, collapsing Bakelite body.

1937 Minolta Auto Press, Strut-Folding Dry Plate Camera

65 x 90mm image, the first ever press camera with built-in flash synchronisation system manufactured in Japan. Editor’s note: at Icon, we owned and used an Auto Press during the 1990s. It was equipped with a rollfilm back as well as plate holders. The flash synchronisation worked, and the 105mm f/4.5 Anastigmat lens was sufficiently good to permit one commercial studio shot to be completed using the camera, though contrast and light transmission were both low. The camera has a folding sports finder (the wire frame) as well as an optical coulpled rangefinder and an optical viewfinder. It was a copy of the German Plaubel Makina.

1937 Auto Semi Minolta Folding Camera

60 x 60mm on 120 film, rangefinder and automatic film wind-on spacing (incorrectly described on the poster as ‘auto film rewind stop’). Note the spelling ‘Tiyoko’ in place of the later ‘Chiyoko’.

1937 Minolta Flex Twin Lens Reflex Camera

60 x 60mm on 120 film. Minolta’s first twin lens reflex camera.

1939 Minolta Flex Automat Twin Lens Reflex Camera

60 x 60mm on 120 film, first self-cocking (shutter) twin-lens reflex to be manufactured in Japan.

1946 Semi Minolta IIIA Folding Camera

45 x 60mm on 120 film, the first Japanese folding camera to be exported after WWII. First appearance of the Rokkor lens brand name on the 70th Anniversary poster - previous models generally have ‘Promar’ Anastigmats, or Chiyoda Kogaku (Chiyoko) labelled lenses.

1947 Minolta 35 35mm focal-plane Rangefinder System Camera

Minolta’s first 35mm FP shutter camera with coupled rangefinder and self-timer. The 35 used the standard Leica M39 mount, but had a frame size of either 24 x 30mm or 24 x 32mm depending on the exact date and model, instead of 24 x 36mm. At Icon, we have owned and used one of these for a few years. Ours was 24 x 32mm and took 42 frames per roll. It was fitted with an undocumented Minolta ‘first’, a flash synchronisation through the accessory shoe which proved to be compatible with modern hot shoe flashguns; it was probably a Model A. The lenses have copyright symbol before the Super Rokkor name, which is infilled with blue (not clearly visible). This © symbol actually means ‘Coated’, not copyright.

1949 Minolta Memo 45mm Leaf Shutter Camera

First 35mm leaf-shutter camera with lever-wind film advance to be manufactured in Japan (Editor’s comment: this is surely one of the finest pieces of industrial design of this era, matching the later Purma and Ilford Advocate in looking forward while retaining traditional components).

1950 Konan-16 Automat 16mm camera

Subminiature camera taking 16mm movie film, push-pull advance.

1951 Minolta Semi P Folding Camera

45 x 60mm on 120 film, compact camera with rangefinder and flash synchronisation terminal (this is not a Compur-PC sync socket as used today - it is the unusual item sticking out at about 2 o’clocl as you view the lens. Note the reversion here to using the older Promar lens name with the Chiyoko origin, and the use of the Konan name for the shutter in place of Crown).

1952 Minolta Flex IIB Twin Lens Reflex Camera

60 x 60mm on 120 film, with instant open-and-shut finder hood and magnifier (lens is now named Rokkor again).

1953 Minolta Cord Twin Lens Reflex

60 x 60mm on 120 film, with crank winding and lever helicoid focusing. Editor’s note: although named ‘Cord’, the Rolleicord used knob winding, and the Rolleiflex used lever crank winding. Minolta used a rapid crank from the very first ‘Cord’ model so their naming did not reflect copying the Rolleicord. The lever helicoid focusing below the lens assembly was retained permanently as a unique and very rapid feature of the Minolta TLRs. Sadly, it also spelled their demise, as it was non-availability of the focusing lever and assembly which finally prevented Minolta from servicing and repairing Autocords in the early 1990s. Promar lens again! The Prontor-Compur type (PC) synch socket is for flash Bulbs only, not electronic - type M synchronization.

1955 Minolta Autocord Twin Lens Reflex Camera

60 x 60mm on 120 film, X-synchronization introduced. Editor’s note: from this model onwards, Autocords are fully usable with modern colour films and can produce exhibition-quality results, if in good condition. Note the superior lens coating, the use of ‘Rokkor’ and the Minolta name before the ‘Rokkor’ name rather than ‘Chiyoko’ which appears on the earliest Autocords. We believe this photograph shows a 1960s Autocord, not a 1955 model, because of these clues. The lever next to the PC flash socket moves between a lightning symbol (X, or electronic flash) and bulb symbol (M - if accidentally set to this, electronic flash will not coincide with the shutter opening and images will be unexposed or underexposed).

1955 Minolta A-2 Leaf Shutter Camera

35mm leaf-shutter camera with bright frame viewfinder.

1957 Minolta Super A Leaf Shutter Camera

35mm leaf-shutter camera with interchangeable lenses, rangefinder, accessory selenium meter which couples to the shutter speed dial. Editor’s note: although this camera looks like a Leica M-series, it is of course a leaf-shutter model with a Seikosha MX shutter fitted in the rear section of the lens unit. The next year, Minolta showed a prototype more modern in looks than this at the Brussels Exhibition, of a focal plane rangefinder using the Leica M mount. This camera never went on sale and surviving prototypes are extremely valuable. E. Leitz GmbH took action to prevent the use of their mount by Minolta, who had also been closely copying the inside workings of Leica cameras - specifically, the ‘concentric’ design of the focal plane shutter set round the shutter release spindle. It seems to have been the 1958 exhibition which sowed the seeds of later co-operation between Leitz and Minolta, probably because Minolta agreed not to market a Leica M clone, and because Leitz were suitably impressed by the quality of this clone.

1957 Minolta Autocord RA Twin-Lens Reflex

60 x 60mm, 40 x 40mm or 40 x 50mm on 120 film - model with interchangeable format masks. Note ‘Chiyoko’ Rokkor lens (see comments on 1955 Autocord above).

1958 Minolta Auto Wide 35mm Leaf-Shutter Camera

The world’s first 35mm leaf-shutter camera with a built-in, coupled, CdS exposure meter. It uses a 35mm f/2.8 lens in place of the more common 45mm or 50mm length found on such cameras at this date.

1958 Minolta V2 35mm Leaf-Shutter Camera

The world’s first 35mm leaf-shutter camera with a shutter speeded to 1/2,000th of a second.

1958 Minolta 35 IIB 35mm Focal-Plane Shutter Rangefinder Camera

The final incarnation of the screw-Leica mount Minolta rangefinder series.

1958 Minolta SR-2 35mm SLR Camera

Minolta’s first 35mm SLR system camera. Editor’s note: this was another Brussels exhibition launch. The SR mount was closely modelled on the Leica M mount, before Leitz had introduced their own R-mount for reflex cameras. The shutter mechanism and many aspects of the body design are also modelled on Leica engineering. In particular, the focal plane shutter uses the same principle as the Leica M shutters, where the actuating spindle or rod from the shutter release runs down inside the roller which winds up the focal plane blind, and in concentric with this and the wind-on lever. There were supposed to be benefits in longevity, smoothness of operation and most notably lower camera shake.

This takes us to the end of the 1928-1958 period. In the 1960s, Minolta moved up a gear and the variety and innovative design of their cameras will become even more apparent.

The 1960s and 70s

1960 Minolta Uniomat 35mm Leaf-Shutter Camera

Japan’s first 35mm leaf-shutter camera with a programmed shutter controlled by the light meter.

1960 Minolta SR-3 35mm SLR Camera

35mm SLR camera with the ability to attach a coupled CdS exposure meter.

1960 Minolta 16 II 16mm Camera

Subminiature using 16mm film.

1962 Minolta Hi-Matic 35mm Leaf-Shutter Camera

Built-in selenium meter and programmed auto exposure. This is the famous Minolta which went into space, but the poster text reveals the truth - NASA thought they were using an American brand… “Ansco Autoset selected to board ‘Friendship 7′ Mercury space capsule” .

1962 Minolta 16 EE 16mm Camera

Japan’s first 16mm subminiature camera with a built-in exposure meter.

1962 Minolta SR-7 35mm SLR Camera

World’s first 35mm SLR camera with a built-in CdS exposure meter.

1962 Sonocon

Minolta’s first 16mm camera with a built-in radio. Editor’s note: it would have been around 1962 that my father brought back one of the first Sony transistor radios from a business trip to Japan, a present with a value I did not really appreciate at 10 years old. This camera is rather funny, in the light of so many comments made about Sony maybe introducing a Minolta with a built-in Gameboy - etc! Sorry, the mind of Minolta beat you to it.

1963 35mm SLR with in-lens shutter

SLR with fixed lens, shutter in lens, optional 35mm and 85mm auxiliary (front converter) lenses.

1963 Minolta Hi-Matic 7 35mm Leaf Shutter Camera

World’s first 35mm leaf-shutter camera with CdS photocell in the lens barrel. Editor’s note: this was the start of one of the best performing lines of 35mm compact cameras made. For black and white users in the 1960s, the CdS cell placed inside the filter thread meant that no filter compensation was needed (in theory, had CdS not been highly red-sensitive). The lens hood when fitted also shaded the CdS cell. The coupled short-base rangefinder, rapid lever wind, auto meter coupled exposure and fast f/1.8 lens made this a highly desirable alternative to SLRs of the period.

1964 Minolta 16PS 16mm camera

This camera saw the introduction of symbols for exposure setting, described on the 70th anniversay poster as ’simple weather-mark exposure metering’ which is not a very accurate description, as the camera did not meter the exposure.

1964 Minoltina P 35mm Leaf-Shutter Camera

Extremely compact full frame 35mm leaf shutter camera. Editor’s note: this was the period when two formats, Agfa’s ‘Rapid’ or ‘Karat’ 24 x 24mm system and the more common 35mm half-frame, were being heavily promoted as the solution for economy and reduced bulk in personal cameras. Minolta’s first response was to make something almost as neat as the 1949 Minolta Memo. This is the first camera to use the 38mm f/2.8 lens, a specification which became an industry standard over the next 30 years.

1964 Minolta Repo-S 35mm Half Frame Leaf-Shutter Camera

18 x 24mm half-frame model with built in match-needle exposure metering. Minolta could not ignore the half-frame craze. We have the earlier Repo (30mm f/2.8 lens) in our collection; this official picture has the lens markings obscured but it appears to be an f/1.8 32mm.

1964 Minoltina S 35mm Leaf-Shutter Camera

In its day, the world’s most compact 35mm rangefinder camera with coupled exposure metering.

1965 Minolta Electro Shot 35mm Leaf-Shutter Camera

Minolta’s first electronically controlled autoexposure camera with CdS meter. Editor’s note: previous auto exposure camera used a long travel of the shutter release, or an additional clockwork mechanism cocked by the lever wind, to shift shutter speeds or apertures mechanically. Some positioned a ’stop’ which determined the result, other actually changed settings. This new method, electronic control of the shutter speed, removed the need for a mechanical linkage and the result was an aperture-priority auto metering system. The electron symbol was issued by the shutter maker, which I believe was Copal. Up to this date Seikosha had a virtual monopoly of shutter mechanisms, in Japan. Copal developed the electronic shutter, which they also made available as a separate unit to be fitted to studio cameras. Yashica also used the same model name, Electro Shot, for a series of cameras - and shared the same electron symbol.

1965 Minolta 24 Rapid Leaf-Shutter Camera

24 x 24mm 35mm Rapid system (Agfa Karat) camera with built-in CdS metering. Editor’s note: the Karat or Rapid systm uses normal 35mm emulsions, but in place of a single cassette into which the film is rewound after exposure, there are two identical cassettes. These hold a relatively short length of film, with no central spool, but a spring guide internally which helps the film wind into a cylindrical roll as it is pushed into the ‘take up’ cartridge and leave the ‘feed’ one (the one you buy). After completing 24 square exposures - equal to just 16 exposures on regular film in length - the take-up cassette is removed and sent for processing, and the empty one replaces it. This had disadvantages, not the least of which was that if you changed films, you could end up with slide film in a black and white cassette and have to label all exposed films manually. The film also tended to get scratched by the process, and the re-usable cassettes returned to the film makers by the labs had a variable lifespan. These cameras can not accept normal 35mm cassettes, but if you can obtain used Karat/Rapid cassettes it is very easy to load your own.

1965 Minolta Autocord CdS Twin-Lens Reflex Camera

60 x 60mm on 120 film, built-in CdS exposure metering.

1966 Minolta SRT-101 35mm SLR Camera

Minolta’s first 35mm SLR camera with TTL, full-aperture exposure metering. The Minolta Club of Great Britain was founded by David Shaw of Japanese Camera Ltd, importers of Minolta to the UK, after the SRT-101 was introduced. Photoclubalpha.com is the continuation of this original Minolta Club.

1966 Minolta Autopak 500 126 Cartridge Camera

126 Cartridge camera with auto switch to Auto-Flash. Editor’s note: Kodak introduced the Instamatic format, also known as 126, in this year. Minolta was a partner with Kodak and launched the Autopak range to coincide with Kodak’s own camera. This model was considered a premium product, having much better build quality and a faster lens than other 126 Instamatic cameras. Summary execution is available for any playwrights, journalists, TV commentators or other idiots who refer to instant-picture cameras - Polaroid, Ektamatic, etc - as ‘Instamatic’. That includes Peter André.

1967 Minolta SR-1s 35mm SLR

35mm SLR with clip-on CdS exposure meter. Editor’s note: this is the strangest anachronism of Minolta’s timeline. There never was an SR-1 to launch the range, it started with the SR-2, and almost a decade later one year after updating to modern TTL metering with the SRT-101, this 1950s-style model with huge clip-on meter appeared. We have one in our collection. Just exactly how this got to be released when it was already at least five years out of date, we’ll never guess.

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1968 Minolta AL-E 35mm Leaf-Shutter Camera

Compact shutter-priority AE camera.

1969 Minolta Autopak 800 126 Cartridge Camera

126 Instamatic format cartridge camera featuring automatic film wind-on with spring drive (the poster text incorrectly says ‘automatic film rewind’, which is not required with the 126 cartridge). Editor’s note: the 126 format can be considered similar to two Rapid/Karat cassettes joined together in a single plastic feed/takeup assembly which also included the film gate and focal plane rails. The film is 35mm, but not perforated normally, just a single sprocket hole is provided on one side only, for each frame. This allows a ‘Bantam’ sized frame, 28 x 28mm, similar to the old Kodak 128 rollfilm. The Autopak 800 with its auto wind-on, similar to Canon’s half-frame Dial and the later Russian Lomo Sport 35, was a very expensive high precision model. The lack of film plane accuracy provided by the Kodapak cartridges was the downfall of the system, as lenses such as the 38mm f/2.8 fitted to this model were almost unusable at full aperture. It was a matter of luck whether the film fell close enough to the focal plane for focusing to be correct, rangefinder or none.

1969 Minolta Hi-Matic C 35mm Leaf-Shutter Camera

Compact shutter-priority AE camera with collapsible lens. Editor’s note: we have one of these. The lens pushes back against a spring action, and locks almost flush to the body for carrying. A press of the button pops the barrel out, where it is held in the correct plane by spring pressure. It is possible to push one side of the lens slightly when extended, causing loss of sharp focus, and over time the spring action weakens.

1970s

1970 Minolta SR-M 35mm SLR

SLR system with a built-in - or more accurately, built-on - non-removable motor drive. This ran at 3 frames per second. A 250-exposure bulk film back was avaiolable, and the camera had no TTL metering.

1970 Minolta 16MG-S 16mm camera

16mm subminiature with shutter-priority auto exposure from a built-in CdS meter.

1971 Minolta Hi-Matic E 35mm Leaf-Shutter Camera

Automatic exposure with programmed electronic shutter, and for the first time, automatic parallax correction of the viewfinder image coupled to the rangefinder action.

1972 Minolta 16 QT 16mm camera

The end of a long line of 16mm subminiature cameras for Minolta, this model had selectable shutter speeds and a built-in match needle CdS meter.

1972 Minolta Hi-Matic F 35mm Leaf-Shutter Camera

Automatic exposure with programmed electronic shutter. A downgrade compared to the E, with a slower lens.

1973 Minolta SRT-303/102 35mm SLR Camera

Full information viewfinder showing shutter speed, metering and also the aperture through a ‘Judas Window’ secondary prism visible below the word Minolta.

1973 Minolta XM/XK 35mm SLR System

The world’s first 35mm SLR model which combined automatic electronic-shutter aperture priority exposure with an interchangeable finder. Titanium foil focal plane shutter speeded 16 seconds to 1/2,000th. The hot shoe for flash slips over the rewind knob. This camera was first released with the Finder AE, a CdS module. A silicon-blue version called the AE-S finder was introduced for the later motorized version (see below) and after this date, most XM/XK bodies were also sold with the new AE-S finder, and called the XM AE-S or XK AE-S.

1973 Leitz Minolta CL 35mm Focal-Plane Shutter Rangefinder Camera

35mm interchangeable lens focal-plane shutter camera using Leica M mount, manufactured under mutual technological co-operation with E. Leitz GmbH. This camera body is more often seen without the Minolta name, branded as Leica CL, and fitted with Leica lenses (40mm f/2 Summicron-C). The standard lens was 40mm, unlike the usual Leica 50mm, and only one additional lens - a 90mm f/4 Elmar-C - was offered.

1974 Minolta Pocket Autopak 50 110 Pocket Instamatic format Camera

13 x 17mm on 110 film. Minolta’s first 110 camera. The 110 format was introduced by Kodak as Pocket Instamatic in 1972, and intended to replace both the earlier Kodapak 126 Instamatic format and the fading popularity of 16mm subminiatures. Much greater precision was built in to the cartridge, compared to 126, with a view to allowing high-end cameras and systems to be developed using the newly improved emulsions.

1974 Minolta XE-1/XE-7 35mm SLR Camera

Minolta’s first 35mm auto-exposure SLR camera with fixed pentaprism. It has aperture priority auto only. Editor’s notes: this camera was developed jointly with Leitz, and uses the Copal-Leitz electronic shutter. The chassis, shutter and many parts of the XE-1 formed the basis for the Leica R3, the first auto exposure Leica reflex and successor to the manual Leicaflex SL2 (it was no longer called Leicaflex, just Leica, as the ‘R’ indicated reflex). The XE-1 is regarded as one of the best engineered SLRs ever made. It had a polycarbonate prism top housing. This could be removed quickly giving access to calibration screws for the CdS TTL metering.

1976 Minolta XM/XK Motor 35mm SLR Camera

World’s first TTL AE exposure motor drive camera. The maximum speeds was 3.5 fps and it was capable of selectable 1, 2 or 3 fps operation. Like the SR-M, it was built as an integrated motor and body, which can not be separated.

1976 Minolta 110 Zoom

13 x 17mm format 110 film fixed zoom SLR with externally metered auto exposure. Editor’s note: the lens, 25-50mm f/4.5, is equal to a 50-100mm on full frame 35mm. The unusual aspect of this design is that the light for the porro mirror SLR viewfinder was diverted from the optical path in the middle of the zoom, between lens groups, rather than betwen the lens and film. This system was already in use in many ciné cameras.

1976 Minolta Pocket Autopak 450 E

13 x 17mm format 110 film. Minolta’s first 110 camera with built-in flash.

1977 Minolta XD-7/XD-11 35mm SLR

World’s first 35mm SLR camera with multiple exposure modes. Editor’s note: the XD-7 offered Aperture Priority, Shutter Priority and Manual. Since Minolta lenses were not fitted with an auto diaphragm mechanism capable to moving to a preset aperture, Minolta added an index lug and later on a minimum aperture lock to the MC lens design, which already had one metering lug on the aperture ring. All aperture rings were designed, with MC metering, to use a constant interval of degrees between stops (this had applied since 1965, before MC was introduced). The extra lug and lock allowed the lens to be locked at minimum aperture (say f/22 or f/16) and the position of the MD index lug told the camera body the relative position of maximum aperture. The auto exposure mechanism then moved through an arc of degrees matching the required stop down to reach the target f-stop. Because the system was inherently inaccurate, Minolta devised a very clever silicon-blue metering process. The mirror of the XD-7 does not lift until the lens has stopped down, and the meter cell continues to read the light as the aperture closes. If it detects too much or too little light, the shutter speed that has been pre-set (Shutter Priority) will be adjusted or over-ridden to get good exposure. The XD-7 was capable of compensating for faulty lenses. If you forget to set the lens to the minimum aperture (made easier with later MD lenses with a lock) and used Shutter Priority, you would get you set shutter speed if the set aperture or a wider one allowed it, or an over-ridden shutter speed (faster) if not. It had, in effect, a hidden program mode.

1977 Minolta XG-E 35mm SLR

World’s first SLR camera with touch-sensor meter switch. Editor’s note: the XG series was similar to the XD, but had a polycarbonate body shell in place of metal, and modes limited to aperture priority and manual. The focusing screen was also a dimmer standard type, not the Acute Matte first seen in the XD-7, but many users preferred this as it gave a more realistic viewing image. The ‘touch-sensor’ referred to is the shutter button itself. Many cameras have had metering activated by slight pressure. The XG-E had a shutter release with two metal rings separated by an insulating annulus. When conductive finger skin touch and bridged the two rings, the metering circuit was turned on, without requiring first pressure on the release. This principle patented by Minolta became the basis for the ‘Senstrip’ found on the grips of later cameras.

1978 Minolta Hi-Matic SD 35mm Leaf-Shutter Camera

Minolta’s first 35mm camera with built-in pop-up flash and date imprinting.

1979 Minolta Hi-Matic AF Autofocus 35mm Leaf-Shutter Camera

Minolta’s first 35mm AF leaf-shutter compact.

1979 Minolta 110 Zoom SLR Mk II

The second generation 110 SLR incorporated true TTL exposure metering, and the lens was extended to 25-67mm and increased by a full stop in aperture to f/3.5. It also had a very good close-up facility.

The 1980s and 90s saw the development of the final Minolta manual focus SLR system, the rise and fall of the Disc format, and the introduction of the AF SLR system.

The 1980s and 1990s

1980 Minolta X-7 35mm SLR

Aperture priority 35mm AE SLR

1980 Minolta Weathermatic A 110 Camera

Minolta’s first water-resistant 110 camera. Editor’s note: this camera was better than water resistant by today’s standards - it could be used underwater in most swimming pool, snorkeling and swimming situations. Unfortunately the results from 110 film were terrible, as we ourselves found out, being unable to produce any example pictures which proved the camera to be worth buying! But it was great on the beach.

1981 Minolta CLE 35mm Rangefinder Camera System

The world’s first interchangeable lens rangefinder camera with aperture-priority auto exposure (the poster text gets this the wrong way round, hopelessly - “World’s first AE interchangeable 35mm FP camera with range finder”). Editor’s note: the CLE was produced by Minolta after Leica decided to discontinue the CL model. It has a viewfinder with frames for 28mm, 40mm and 90mm instead of 40mm, 50mm and 90mm and Minolta produced a 28mm f/2.8 Rokkor-C wide angle in addition to 40mm f/2 and 90mm f/4 optics. This Japanese-made lens is now sought after by Leica owners for its compact size, low cost and high quality. The 90mm f/4 lens, though labelled Minolta, was made by Leica. The CLE uses an electronic focal plane shutter and unlike the CL which was limited to 1/2 second can make brief auto time exposures.

1981 Minolta X-700 35mm SLR Camera

Program AE SLR and winner of the first ever ‘European Camera of the Year’ award from TIPA (the Technical Image Press Association) in 1982.

1982 Minolta Hi-Matic AF-2 MD

35mm leaf shutter AF camera with electronic shutter and built-in motor wind.

1983 Minolta AF-C

35mm leaf shutter AF camera - extremely compact design with sliding cover.

1983 Minolta Disc 7

8 x 11mm images on Kodak’s 1982 Disc Film format. Minolta’s first Disc camera, with ‘combined lithium battery’.

1983 Minolta X-600 35mm SLR

Minolta’s first 35mm SLR camera with built-in electronic focus detector. Ed: extremely rare item.

1983 Minolta X-500/X-570 35mm SLR

Aperture priority AE SLR with TTL flash metering.

1983 Minolta Courreges ac301 Disc camera

Disc camera designed by Andres Courreges.

1984 Minolta AF-E/Freedom II

35mm AF leaf-shutter camera. Ed: the AF-E started a downward trend in having fewer AF steps and relying on depth of field. The ‘Freedom’ name eventually came to mean fixed-focus cameras little better than old box cameras in terms of exposure or focus control. This model, at this date, was still reasonable well featured if extremely ugly.

1984 Minolta AF-Sv/Talker

35mm AF leaf shutter camera with voice warning. Ed: note the name - ‘Talkman’! They knew Sony was coming. Notoriously bad marketing concept on Minolta’s part and the first of a continuing series of eccentric highlight features which left enthusiasts baffled.

1985 Minolta 7000 or Maxxum 7000 35mm AF SLR

World’s first 35mm SLR system camera with integrated autofocus. Winner of the ‘Inter-Camera International’ award, ‘Camera Grand Prix 1985′, and European Camera of the Year 1985. All lenses and most accessories introduced with this new AF-mount lens system, completely changed from the previous SR/MC/MD mount models, remain compatible with today’s Konica Minolta and Sony DSLRs. Note the Alpha symbol on the photographs of these Japanese market models, which were all known as Alpha in that market. The 7000 body should also be fully compatible with all the full-frame lenses to be introduced by Sony, except those using SSM (supersonic in-lens motor focusing).

1985 Minolta AF-T

35mm leaf shutter autofocus camera with two built-in lenses, standard and telephoto.

1985 Minolta 9000 or Maxxum 9000

35mm AF SLR camera with attachable exclusive 5 frame/sec motor drive. Ed: this is an understatement. The 9000 is a professional grade camera with manual wind-on unless an autowinder or motordrive is attached, unlike the 7000 with its built-in auto wind. It remains a benchmark design.

1986 Minolta AF-Z

35mm leaf shutter AF camera with the largest magnification viewfinder (0.6X) in its class. For comparison, typical Leica rangefinder viewfinder magnifications range from 0.7X to 0.85X.

1986 Minolta 5000 or Maxxum 5000

Microcomputer controlled 35mm AF SLR. Ed: that’s what the poster caption says, so maybe it really did use a new type of internal control. For the buyer, much cut-down version of the 7000 with press-button operations to control adjustments, and no dials.

1987 Minolta AF-DL or Freedom Dual

35mm leaf shutter AF camera with two built-in lenses, standard and telephoto, and the ability to take close-ups down to 52cm.

1987 Minolta Weathermatic 35DL or Dual

Minolta’s first all-weather 35mm AF leaf shutter camera. Ed: again, this can be used underwater. Results are a massive improvement over the 110.

1988 Minolta Dynax or Maxxum 7000i

35mm AF SLR camera with predictive focus control and intelligent card (that’s what the text says!). Won ‘European Camera of the Year ‘88′ Award. This camera is the first to use the Creative Expansion Card system, optional function and customization ROM cards which slot into a bay on the camera under a door rather like a memory card door for a digital SLR.

1989 Minolta AF-Zoom 90 or Freedom Zoom 90

35mm leaf shutter AF camera with program zoom function.

1989 Minolta Dynax 3000i or Maxxum 3000i

World’s smallest and lightest 35mm AF SLR camera when launched. Note the Japanese market name: Alpha 5700i.

1989 Minolta Dynax 5000i or Maxxum 5000i

Minolta’s first 35mm AF SLR camera with built-in flash. Japanese market model shown - Alpha 5700i.

1990 Minolta Dynax 8000i or Maxxum 8000i

White model - 35mm AF SLR selected to board the Soviet Union’s space station ‘Mir’.

1990 Minolta Riva or Freedom Zoom 105i

AKA the Brick - 35mm AF leaf shutter camera with Auto Programmed Zoom function which automatically sets shooting magnification. Editor’s note: this camera has viewfinder image scale recognition which attempts to frame subjects for you. It works quite well, we have one still in operation. The 35-105mm f/4-6.7 lens is exceptionally sharp and results from this camera are comparable to an SLR. Note the Japanese name on this white version, Apex 105.

1990 Minolta Prod 20’s

Fully auto 35mm leaf shutter AF camera with 1920s concept design.

1991 Minolta Riva Panorama or Freedom Vista

World’s first 35mm AF leaf shutter camera exclusively for panorama use.

1991 Minolta Dynax or Maxxum 7xi

35mm AF SLR with LCD viewfinder and eye sensor. Won ‘European Camera of the Year ‘91′ Award. Editor’s note: ‘LCD viewfinder’ means viewfinder screen with an LCD overlay, not a finder forming an image using LCD technology. The LCD information is limited, and to obtain a grid Type L screen for example it was still necessary to replace the focusing screen with a different one.

1991 Minolta Dynax or Maxxum 3xi

35mm AF SLR with built-in ‘compact and light’ flash.

1992 Minolta Dynax or Maxxum 5xi

35mm AF SLR with built-in Zoom Flash.

1992 Minolta Dynax or Maxxum 9xi

35mm AF SLR camera with a 1/12,000th sec shutter, LCD viewfinder and eye sensor. Won ‘European Camera of the Year 92-93′ Award. See note on 7xi reference the ‘LCD viewfinder’ wording of the poster text. Editor’s note: this camera probably has the best industrial design of all the AF SLR series, combining an unusual streamlined profile with very good balance. The design is in striking contrast with the directions taken by Canon and Nikon at this time. There was no built-in flash, and it was this factor rather than any prejudice against the innovative styling which cost the 9xi sales.

1993 Minolta Dynax or Maxxum 700si

35mm AF SLR with built-in multi-predictive focus control (won the ‘European Camera of the Year 94-95′, TIPA ‘Best SLR Camera in Europe 94-95′ and ‘Camera Grand Prix 95′ Awards). Note Japanese model number - Alpha 707si. Editor’s note: with the ’si’ series, Minolta said goodbye to the Creative Expansion Card concept signalled in the ‘xi’ of the previous series of camera names. Along with this, other features such as the auto-zooming of Power Zoom lenses (’xi’ lenses) were quietly discontinued. The Power Zooms remained compatible with all later AF system bodies, as the extra lens mount contacts to provide the power and zoom control were left in place. Eventually, these extra contacts would be developed into the ‘D’ specification. Powered zoom ‘xi’ lenses can be used even with the Sony Alpha 100.

1994 Minolta Dynax 500si, Maxxum 400si or Alpha 303si

35mm AF SLR camera with Subject Program Selection.

1994 Minolta Riva Zoom 135EX/Freedom Zoom 135EX

35mm AF leaf shutter camera with 38-135mm zoom lens.

1995 Minolta Dynax 600si Classic/Maxxum 600si

35mm AF SLR camera with a dial lever (that’s what the caption says on the poster!) won TIPA Best SLR Camera in Europe 95-96 Award. Editor’s note: the 600si was best regarded for returning to a dial and switch method of operation, similar to traditional SLRs, in place of button presses. It laid the foundation for the design of the later 9 and 7 models, and the 7D in turn. Note the Japanese model number Alpha 507si.

1995 Minolta Riva Zoom 70W/Freedom Zoom Explorer

Capsule-type 35mm AF leaf shutter camera with built in 28-70mm 2.5X wide angle zoom.

1996 Minolta TC-1

The world’s smallest 35mm AF leaf-shutter camera with titanium body, won ‘Camera Grand Prix 96′ Awarsd. Editor’s note: the TC-1 was slightly more than smaller, it cost over £1,000 and the G-Rokkor 28mm f/3.5 lens was designated G series because its outstanding performance matched SLR G-series lenses. It consisted of only four elements, using Minolta’s aspherical lens technology which was already successfully reducing 2X zooms in compact cameras to four elements.

1996 Minolta Vectis 25

Advanced Photo System leaf-shutter camera. Capsule-type design with built in AF 2.5X zoom. Editor’s note: the Advanced Photo System, also known as APS, was introduced by Kodak in 1995. The basic frame size was a semi-panoramic 30.2 x 16.8mm, with letterbox and classic squarer shape options. Every camera took the full image size, and the film itself was on a different type of transparent base, with a magnetic coating capable of recording frame-by-frame erasable and reprogrammable data (IX, or Information Xchange, format). This allowed print formats, actual print orders, orientation of image for slide shows through a digital video based player, etc, to be included for every shot. APS might have been today’s standard format for everyday photography had it not been for the arrival of good quality digital imaging at low prices.

1996 Minolta Vectis S-1

Advanced Photo System SLR Camera. World’s first APS AF SLR. Used a side viewfinder - a mirror prism system similar to the Olympus Pen F models many years before. Further notes: the S-1 was an exceptional camera and the range of Vectis S lenses launched to go with it were said to have resolutions twice as high as the models for 35mm film, accompanied by accuracy of assembly and mount registration to match. In theory the Vectis lens range would have been perfectly suited to digital capture. After the poster was produced, the Vectis RD-3000 digital SLR was made. It is not included in this series of 70 years of Minolta products.

1997 Minolta Vectis GX-4

Advanced Photo System leaf shutter camera with unique design, water resistant. Ed: Three other GX models, each individually styles, were launched as GX-1, 2 and 3 for different lifestyle marketing concepts. The poor quality of the camera within the housing, a basic point and shoot with limited low light capabilities or action stopping, made a nonsense of selling the cameras for water sport, mountain biking, clubbing holidays and similar target users. Our GX-4 jammed underwater in Barbados and overlapped the frames of its only film, losing all the shots.

1997 Minolta Dynax or Maxxum 800si (Alpha 807si)

World’s first 35mm AF SLR camera with a guide number 20 built-in flash. Ed: GN 20 is over twice as powerful as the usual GN11 or 12 common in current cameras. The 800si was also very fast in terms of focusing speed, and well built. It was sufficiently pig-ugly to appeal to Canon owners, a very astute move on Minolta’s part after making such beautiful cameras as the Dynax 9xi, destined to put macho camera-pluggers off Minolta for ever!

1997 Minolta Vectis Weathermatic

World’s first Advanced Photo System leaf-shutter camera with underwater zoom and underwater AF.

1998 Minolta Vectis 300

Advanced Photo System leaf shutter 3X zoom camera with compact full-metal body. Ed: the full metal body was actually a world first because of the systerm of stainless steel forming used to create it, a Minolta innovation. This method of pressing stainless shells has transformed consumer product design since this camera’s introduction - it was the first example of a technique now widely used in Japan, China and other producing countries.

1998 Minolta Dynax 505si Super, Maxxum XTsi, or Alpha Sweet

World’s smallest 35mm AF SLR with built-in flash when launched.

1998 Minolta Dynax, Maxxum or Alpha 9

The world’s highest level power spec. 35mm AF SLR camera for professional use. Editor’s note: that’s the exact wording of the poster. The Dynax 9 introduced titanium body shell moulding using similar techniques to the Vectis 300, producing a kind of exoskeleton word-hardened to provide extreme strength on its corners. It also introduced a true 100 per cent viewfinder, a shutter speeded to 1/12,000th and flash synchronization at 1/300th, then the fastest available of any system made. Some aspects of the 9’s functions were to be upstaged by the Dynax 7 little more than a year later, and bodies had to be converted free by Minolta to make them compatible with the new generation of SSM sonic motor equipped lenses.

With this seminal professional SLR, the last truly new professional SLR design from any maker, the 70th Anniversary poster produced by Minolta at the close of 1998 ends, covering 113 products which may or may not appear to represent the best of that long history. I will, as time permits, add further notes to these captions as the poster was bare-bones only. If you have owned, or still own, any of the unusual and rare cameras shown here and have interesting points to make about them we will do our best to include them for you, and the benefit of future visitors.

Please do not complain that this article omits your camera model, or does not continue from 1998 to 2006, the final closure of Konica Minolta. I have used only the original images and basic texts from the 70th Anniversary Poster.

- David Kilpatrick