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Minolta Camera Co., Ltd

Minolta AL-F

 

Minolta AL-F

The Minolta AL-F was introduced in 1967. It is was a quite progressive and full-featured camera at a time..  It has a 38mm f/2.7 Rokkor lens. Just pick the shutter speed and the camera selects the correct aperture from f2.7 - f22 , so It's a shutter-priority, auto-exposure camera. Manual exposure settings are not possible.
For easier flash photography it has an automatic mode for flash, Easy Flash . You set the guide number and the camera takes care of the rest. The selected f-stop is visible on a scale in the viewfinder as are over- and under-exposure marks.The shutter speeds are 1/30 - 1/500 sec and B. You have to have one 625 battery in it. The camera weight is 510g and the size is 123x76x58mm.

"The Minolta AL-F is a pursable and pocketable camera having many versatile features. It is a coupled rangefinder 35mm camera with shutter-speed-first EE principle, selected over 1/30 to 1/500 of a second range with the Electric Eye aperture control provided by a CdS exposure meter cell, with Contrast Light Compensator system, built into the lens barrel. It incorporates the Easy Flash system over a scale of guide numbers between 32 and 180 (in ft), 10 and 56 (in mi, allowing automatic setting of the aperture by merely focusing on the subject once the control ring is set to the guide number and flash index mark. Moreover, it is equipped with easy loading take-up spool for rapid, fumble-free loading."

Specifications of Minolta AL-F

Lens: Rokkor 38mrn F/2.7, 4 elements in 3 groups, 61° of angle of view
Filter: 4omm screw-in
Shade: 46mm screw-in
Shutter: Seiko, speeds: 1/30 to 1/500 sec.
F/stop: f/2.7 to f/22, controlled by electric eye
Synch: X contact
Frame size: 24 x 36mm, 20 or 36 exposures on sfandard 35mm film
Viewfinder : Tinted bright frame viewfinder coupled to superimposed rangefinder with automatic parallax correction. Correct F-number and warning signal visible in finder

Focusing : Helicoid focusing to 2,6 ft. 10.8 m)
Exposure meter: Built in CdS exposure meter with CLC in the lens barrel, coupled to shutter speed. Lens opening is automatically set.
Working range: EV 7.9 to EV 18
Usable film: ASA 25 to 500, DIN 15 to 28
Battery: 1.35V, button-shape mercury battery for photographic applications.
Easy flash : Lens opening is automatically controlled by focusing.
Guide number setting: (ft) 32 to 180, (m) 10 to 56
Others : Easy loading system by multi-slot lake-up spool. Automatic resetting film counter
Size and weight: 128(W) x 76(H) x 58(D) mm, 18.6 oz. (530 g)
HI-Matic 

Minolta HI-MATIC F

The Minolta Hi-Matic F was released in 1972 . It is very light and compact camera of good quality and it has a very sharp Rokkor 38mm f/2.7 coated lens (4 elements in 3 groups). Exposure is fully automatic and gets down to 4 sec.
I received this Minolta from one of my colleaque. She had difficulties in getting adequate batteries. Now we know that you can find battery adapter allowing to use today's batteries with cameras requiring the discontinued PX13 and PX625 mercury batteries. Battery Pages
Its main drawbacks are the total lack of any manual exposure control and a dependence upon batteries. There was also a black version called the Hi-Matic FP

"The Minolta Hi-matic F is an extremely light, compact, easier-handling camera that features a highly accurate electronic shutter, with speeds from 1/724 to 4 full seconds, and a coupled, superimposed-image rangefinder. The CdS EE system provides perfect automatic exposure in conditions where flash is not need­ed. Its flashmatic system switches on automatically when flash is attached and couples aperture to focus for accurate exposure adjustment throughout the flash range. Convenient signals visible in bright-frame viewfinder tell you when there is enough light for normal hand-held auto exposure without flash, warn you when to use a tripod or flash, and confirm when camera is switched over to flashmatic mode."

Dial

 

Film speed setting dial is around the lens just like in Miranda Sensoret.
Lens : 38mm, f/2.7, Rokkor (4 elements in 3 groups)
46mm filter mountMinimum focusing distance = 0.8 meters 		HI-Matic cover
Shutter:

Seiko ESL Electronic Shutter 4 sec ~ 1/724 sec. X-flash sync at all speeds
Exposure meter : Program automatic electronic exposure Lights on top of camera / rangefinder warn of under/over exposure conditions EV 0.9- 17(at ISO 100) ASA 25 to 400 Silicon cell above the lens
Battery : 2 x 1.35V PX640 mercury cells (compatible with PX640A alkaline)

Size and weight :

113 x 73 x 54mm ; 360g
©2009 Reijo Lauro