Minolta Hi-matic 9 questions

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wcurtiss

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Hello everyone, a couple simple questions for any Hi-matic 9 owners. I just received a new to me Hi-matic 9 in the mail from ebay (camera is in mint condition, couldn't be happier) but I have a question about the auto exposure. The owners manual isn't very clear on the matter. Can I set my desired aperture and leave the shutter speed dial on A and have it automatically choose the shutter speed or do I have to use the EV number supplied in the viewfinder and set the shutterspeed manually? I would like to take the camera out soon for a test run but I would like to be sure first if there are true AV/TV modes. Also the camera came with a new 1.5v alkaline battery that seems to run the meter just fine, is the higher voltage going to make a big difference in exposure? Any insight is greatly appreciated. 🙂
 
Thanks for the responses, I think I will try to bracket some shots to see what the battery does to the exposure. The only film I have right now is some ektar 100 which is pretty unforgiving compared to a lot of films. I should get a decent idea of how the camera performs.
 
Hi-Matic manual metering

Hi-Matic manual metering

Hi, I have had a couple of those Hi-Matic 9's, they are probably the best of the Minolta fixed-lens RF's, although I still like my Hi-Matic 7s.

The early Hi-Matics are unusual in that they can still provide light level information in manual mode. With the camera on manual, when you aim at the subject an EV number will be indicated on the right-hand scale in the finder. If you look at the lens barrel there is a square window machined into the chromed aperture ring which displays the EV rating of the current speed/aperture combination.

My Hi-Matic 7s shows a metering range from EV3.7 (f/1.8@1/4sec) to EV18 (f/22@1/500sec) on the lens barrel, but the metering scale in the viewfinder only works over the range EV5.7 to EV17.

Early Hi-Matic manual metering as steps:

(1) Disengage the Automatic metering system by pressing the 'Auto' lever on the side of the lens barrel.
(2) Shift the speed ring first!
(3) Then move the aperture ring to whatever stop you desire
(4) Aim at the subject whilst looking through the viewfinder
(5) Read the EV level from the scale on the right of the viewfinder
(6) Move the aperture/shutter speed rings to achieve the indicated EV reading

Of course you can always set the speed manually first, then adjust the aperture.

The later small-bodied Hi-Matic's supposedly have better lenses, but I never found them any better. However construction-wise, they small Hi-Matics are really cheap. I sure was glad to sell a 7SII for £190 a while back. I bought more Leica stuff with the money.

One thing to keep in mind is never buy a Hi-Matic 11. A friend of mine was a Minolta tech in the 1960's. He told me the Hi-Matic 11's had an early electronic shutter and were trouble from the start. Many had shutters replaced under warranty. Many didn't get fixed...

Regarding the 1.55v battery, it will probably be worse at low light levels. Check it with a hand-held meter before you trust it!
 
Wow, thanks for all the info, now I know what I need to get some pics with my new camera. I also have a Hi-matic E which I love, its lens is very sharp and contrasty and the exposure always seems spot on but it only works in automatic. Still, it's a great camera for quick snapshots and small enough to fit in a jacket pocket.
 
I have a 7S and the manual does not describe a situation leaving the shutter speed on A and moving the aperture in manual. Both are on A for automatic program exposure (the camera sets both the speed and aperture). Move both rings off A for manual exposure. The reason the rings are close together is that you can turn them together and maintain the same EV exposure but at the speed or aperture you desire. For exposure compensation, you need to manually change either the speed or aperture to provide the exposure compensation you need.

One nice thing I didn't realize initially, and it's not in the manual, is that you have exposure lock in A; lightly press the shutter button and you'll see the meter stays set. This is nice for exposure compensation based on judgment as you can meter off your scene in a darker or lighter area, lock the exposure, and re-compose to your scene.

Excellent cameras, very sharp lens and well built.

With respect to the battery, I recommend using a 675 zinc-air hearing aid battery in an adapter that Jon Goodman sells (JGood21967@aol.com) for $14 including mailing and one 675 battery. This provides the 1.35 volts that the old mercury batteries provided. If you remove the battery when not in use and cover the + side the battery lasts a long time. They are inexpensive anyway.
 
It actually says in the hi matic 9 manual that the metering won't work 'properly' on tv/av, a little further after saying how it works on auto. No biggie. I used a silver oxide varta sr44 type battery in the metal ring off a 'wein cell' battery. Varta was the only one that worked, energizer was too big to fit.
 
Minolta Hi-Matic 11 Correction

Minolta Hi-Matic 11 Correction

Peter de Waal said:
One thing to keep in mind is never buy a Hi-Matic 11. A friend of mine was a Minolta tech in the 1960's. He told me the Hi-Matic 11's had an early electronic shutter and were trouble from the start. Many had shutters replaced under warranty. Many didn't get fixed...
Click to expand...

The Hi-Matic 11 does not have an electronic shutter. Never did. The 11 has a Seiko ALA mechanical shutter. It's a somewhat different shutter than the 7, 7S, or 9, but a mechanical shutter, nonetheless. The shutter on my 11 works fine after 40+ years.
 
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