Minolta 'A'

[muf]

Just picked up this neat little Rangefinder. There's no film speed dial on it anywhere. I ran a 400 ASA film through it and the pictures are really very nice indeed, very contrasty and lovely crisp lush colours. Thing is why no ASA setting anywhere? Is the camera designed to take 400 ASA only because it sure isn't DX coded from 1955. Anyone out there have any advice as there's very little i can find on Google.

http://www.photo.net/bboard/q-and-a-fetch-msg?msg_id=008nGt&unified_p=1

Paul

 

[pshinkaw]

It has no exposure meter. It has no need for an ASA dial. If it had one it would only be a reminder dial. Your ASA film speed dial is on your hand-held exposure meter.

Minolta 35mm cameras in the 1960's had a reminder dial on the center of the back. This predates that. It's a nice camera and not all that common.

-Paul

 

[muf]

Oh dear! I just realised, but thanks for pointing out my obvious mistake. Kind of got so used to using camera's with exposure meters that i forgot that i used a hand held meter. Damn, just need a nice big hole to open up and swallow me now!!!

Pass me a cloth. I got all this egg all over my face... Hehe.

Paul

 

[That Guy]

I have an A2 myself. It's the first rangefinder I bought actually. I think I paid $5 for it.

It doesn't work very well, but makes an interesting display piece. The lens has a bit of fungus and the upper shutter speeds are slow, but they still fire. The RF patch is virtually invisible and the viewfinder clowdy. Needless to say, I've never run film through it.

I took it to a shop in town that specializes in used and vintage Minolta. There's a great collection on display at the shop. The old man owned it but retired. His son "inherited" it and runs it now. Too bad, though, because the guy's a bit of a snooty pants. The camera collection on display is the old man's and I'm told everything still works, even the plate glass view cameras. Anyway, the guy looked at my camera, raised his eyebrows, and effectively said, "You're kidding, right?" He did mention a place in Chicago that might be able to restore it, but that it would be expensive.

I see Minolta A's every now and then on Northwest Camera Collector and Pacific Rim Camera.