For the moment I am also trying to stick to my 'no SLR policy', one has to draw a line somewhere!Ĭonsidering Minolta's success in making compact and SLR cameras, it is probably little known that Minolta started out with making a range of medium format folding and TLR cameras. The same counts for Minolta's flirtation with Leica style cameras. Eventually I'd like to go further back in Minolta's history but money quickly becomes an issue. One could build an enormous collection of Minolta cameras very easily, but so far I have restricted myself mostly to cameras that I find interesting and perhaps less well known (update: this is no longer really true.). A little to my dismay in fact, as prices of some lenses have recently gone through the roof. The popularity of its NEX series, together with four thirds cameras of other brands, is even causing a resurgence of interest in vintage lenses. However, Sony has taken up the legacy and, after a slow start, it is revolutionising the digital market as we speak. Minolta has a long history and was a very innovative company, it is unfortunate it stopped making cameras. When I found out you could buy fantastic older Minolta lenses for reasonable prices I never looked back. My first proper camera was a Minolta, a Dynax 500 SLR, as it was the most affordable at the time (mid 90s). The Minolta 'A' series was developed through the A-2, A3, A5, and then into the AL series that were marketed alongside the Hi-Matics.Most cameras on this site are German cameras from the 1930s to 50s, but Japanese Minolta holds a special place in my collection. It was an entry level camera for advanced 35mm photography that was ahead of more expensive popular American rangefinder camera models. Its coupled 45mm f3.5-22 'Chiyoko Rokkor' lens, with 4 elements in 3 groups, was the first in a Japanese camera to use an equally spaced linear aperture scale. The second version had Optiper -MX shutters with B, 1-1/300s and the version released in 1956 had Citizen -MX shutters with B, 1sec to 1/300sec. Earliest version had two-blade Konan Flicker shutters with speeds B, 1/2sec to 1/200sec. It featured an optical viewfinder with superimposed coupled rangefinder, a shutter speed thumb wheel on top of the camera and a rapid wind advance lever. The Minolta A was launched by Chiyoda Kōgaku Seikō in April 1955 as the first of their new series of rangefinder cameras. Minolta 'A' 1st version with early rewind knob,
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