Minolta A3

[ftlno]

Hello! I have got a Minolta A3 after my grandfather. with all accessories. case,color filters,uv filters, manual, original box,flash and so one. I plan to start using it. Is there any tips you can offer me? it is in mint condition. lived a life in case. Looks like it is new.
I cant find anything about this model online.. ? Is there anyone here who is familiar with this camera?
Regards Fredrik

 

[btgc]

I also were able to find only couple of pictures...looks to me like a manual unmetered camera.

I'd check if aperture and shutter work, firing at different F and speed settings against light source with opened back door. Some cameras tend to stick at slow speeds after sitting decades unused, though this is matter of luck and some don't.
You will want to check light seals - if they are in good shape (maybe black rope were used instead of foam, even better then).

Well, take a look at RF patch - if they line up at infinity, you can also check if real distance match reading on scale at closer distances like 1m/3ft. Hope RF patch has not faded so focusing is easy (some cameras suffer more, and some less from deterioration of delicate optics used in RF).

Good luck and come back with pictures!

 

[ftlno]

Thank you very much for the reply! i looks good. I've testet all shutterspeeds and apatures so far. they all work perfect mechanical. the RF patch looks like new so i will try to focus and develope som pictures today. I've got many boxes of fujifilm 200. is it worth it getting a box of b&w film such as ilford xp2 ( i use it in my minilux) ?
I will come back with pictures! Thanks again for the reply.
Regards

 

[ftlno]

Does anyone know more about this camera? i cant find anything except a few photos on a japanese site.

 

[btgc]

Congrats on great find, it's nice if it works well and RF patch is in good shape. I like how camera looks, it were produced before manufacturers started to make straight-shaped bricks of fixed lens rangefinders. I had a chance to have Minolta Auto Wide for couple of days, it also has gorgeous design and quality build.

Superia 200 is one from best consumer films, prefer it over Superia 100 and 400. A few rolls have left from my 40 roll stock.

XP2 Super is great film, many expose it 2/3 to stop more to dig for nicer shadows. On overcast days I routinely do it at ISO200, others expose even at ISO100. Sure get some rolls, you'll like it.

To read Asian sites I boot into Linux and use online translators, could do same on Windows, installing Asian language support but why bother if it already works.

 

[p.giannakis]

The Minolta A3 is the predecessor of the A5. They are almost the same camera, carring the same Rokkor lens, a tessar design 4 elements in 3 groups and a top speed of 1/500th.

You can read the A5's manual here :
http://www.kyphoto.com/classics/manuals/pages/minoltaa5.html
(username: free - password: manuals)

 

[chubasco]

Just arrived from ebay is this Minolta A-2, can't wait to try it.

 

[Dwig]

...
I cant find anything about this model online.. ? Is there anyone here who is familiar with this camera?
Regards Fredrik

This site has the manual for the earlier, and similar, A-2:

http://www.butkus.org/chinon/minolta/minolta_a-2/minolta_a-2.htm

it might be of some help

 

[JasonH]

Minolta A3

Used to have an A3 long ago (and was looking for another recently). The 1959 A3 was the model between the A2 and A5 in Minolta's A-series (Minolta skipped using 'A4' because of the bad luck belief Japanese culture has for the number 4).

The A3, along with the Super-A and Autowide, showed Minolta's first moves toward modern-looking boxed-top RF's. The A3 also showed stylistic traces from Minolta's prototype SKY. The lens was slightly unusual in that it had 5 lens elements in 3 groups (that's what the 'TE' suffix stands for). Mine had great sharpness.

These A3's have become harder to find, so would advise keeping yours, in these lean times, and enjoying it's quiet shutter.

 

[paulfish4570]

i hope to like your A3 as much as i like my A5, which i got for $28 two weeks ago off e-bay. best purchase i've made in a long time. here is one of the first shots, kodak c-41 bw 400 asa, store processing and neg scan:

 

[ftlno]

Thank you all for great replys. Now i know a bit more about my camera. The company how developed the film sayd to my that they calibrated the machine wrong so my film got ruined. I will try again, but this time i will try to develop it myself.
paulfish4570:
Excellent picture, Thank you for the example picture. Do you got more pictures taken with your A5?

Regards Fredrik flickr.com/ftlno

 

[ftlno]

Photos of the Minolta A3

Photos of the Minolta A3

Hey! Here is photo of the camera: