Minolta Prod-20'S

[Swift1]

I'm starting to really like this camera, and I really like the images it produces. The lens is actually decently sharp. I compare scans from my CV 35/2.5, same film, same subject, and the PROD-20'S held it's own against the highly rated CV lens.
The lens vignettes a fair bit, which I actually like, and it has pretty bad barrel distortion, but that's not the end of the world since it's easily fixed in PP.

Here's a brick wall shot, showing the distortion and vignetting,

 

[Swift1]

The more I shoot with this camera, the more I'm realizing that the lens is actually quite sharp.

This was scanned on my Epson V500 and then processed in my usual.

This is a 100% crop of a 3200 dpi scan of the same negative, this time scanned on my Minolta Scan Dual IV, with no sharpening applied either during scanning or after. Film is Lomo Color 400

 

[Archlich]

The camera is basically a Minolta Riva 35 in brass shell. All functions remain the same including the 35/4.5 triplet lens.

The idea of cheap innards with a designer body was probably inspired by the Olympus O-product released 2 years prior to the Minolta. I wonder if it actually was a commercial success...

 

[Swift1]

The camera is basically a Minolta Riva 35 in brass shell. All functions remain the same including the 35/4.5 triplet lens.

The idea of cheap innards with a designer body was probably inspired by the Olympus O-product released 2 years prior to the Minolta. I wonder if it actually was a commercial success...

Ahh.
Thanks for the info.
I knew it was a repackaged P&S, but didn't which one.
Anyway, it's a fun camera that is capable of good results.

 

[thereabouts]

The camera is basically a Minolta Riva 35 in brass shell. All functions remain the same including the 35/4.5 triplet lens.

Oh, really? I'd been led to believe that it was a re-badged Minolta Freedom 202. Or are these essentially the same camera? Certainly the Flash on the 202 looks closer to the Prod 20's.

https://www.pointandshootfilmcameras.com/content/minolta-prod-20s-retro-camera/

 

[Archlich]

Oh, really? I'd been led to believe that it was a re-badged Minolta Freedom 202. Or are these essentially the same camera? Certainly the Flash on the 202 looks closer to the Prod 20's.

https://www.pointandshootfilmcameras.com/content/minolta-prod-20s-retro-camera/

I was wrong, further (and rather tedious) dig reveals both the Prod 20's (released 1990/08) and the Freedom 202 (1989/08) to be related to the 1987/09 Minolta AF-E II (confusingly called Freedom AF 35 in the US - the Riva 35, which is essentially the same camera repackaged, use the same name). In Japan these were part of the Minolta Mac family of P&S cameras.

All three came with a 35/4.5 lens, autofocus (down to 0.95m), shutter speed from 1/40 to 1/150, and a vertical shaped flash. The Freedom 202 was weatherproof and Prod 20's as we all know it has a different shell.

 

[thereabouts]

Interesting. I wonder why so many cameras - especially point and shoots, it seems - get renamed for different markets? It's not as if the names they think up are particularly exciting either.

 

[btgc]

Interesting. I wonder why so many cameras - especially point and shoots, it seems - get renamed for different markets? It's not as if the names they think up are particularly exciting either.

Probably not only to cater local specifics but also to bump up model numbers and raise upward lines in their charts? Automotive industry also happens to do this.

 

[Swift1]

Here's somewhat recent shot from the PROD-20s and Portra 400.

 

[farlymac]

This is good stuff, Colton. I'd forgotten about the Product 20, since they are so rarely seen in these parts.

PF

 

[Swift1]

This is good stuff, Colton. I'd forgotten about the Product 20, since they are so rarely seen in these parts.

PF

Thanks 🙂

It's a fun camera. It has it's flaws, but it makes cool images if used well.

Minolta PROD-20's
Kodak New Portra 400
Epson V750-M Pro​

 

[FrankS]

Props to you, Colton. Good eye.

 

[Swift1]

Props to you, Colton. Good eye.

Thank you 🙂

 

[k__43]

Crazy - how can such an interesting looking camera have such a poor lens? at f/4.5 everyone should be able to make a decent lens?
Maybe they designed it to be a Lomo thing?

 

[farlymac]

Crazy - how can such an interesting looking camera have such a poor lens? at f/4.5 everyone should be able to make a decent lens?
Maybe they designed it to be a Lomo thing?

They were designed to a price point, not for serious photography. Then it could also be considered that most prints would be cropped, so why worry about the edges. But 4x6 proved that wasn't a viable argument.

PF

 

[Swift1]

I think the better question is, why didn't they choose a better camera to dress up?

The camera that Minolta used to build the PROD-20s from was a very inexpensive entry level P&S camera. It had a 35/4.5 triplet that was typical of that level camera. Why they chose to dress up that camera who knows.

It being a decent lens is a matter of taste. I think it's great 🙂

 

[k__43]

just saw this on the start page of imdb.com
http://www.imdb.com/media/rm1830544128/nm0540441?ref_=nm_phs_md_1

 

[Swift1]

just saw this on the start page of imdb.com
http://www.imdb.com/media/rm1830544128/nm0540441?ref_=nm_phs_md_1

That's pretty cool!

 

[Swift1]

So I just finished putting together a book (MyPublisher) of 80 of my 35mm photos from the past 3 years.
Throughout the process, I was constantly amazed at how much I liked the images that came from the PROD-20s.
In the book I have images from my Contax G2 and Zeiss 35/2, and my Fuji Klasse, and various Pentax cameras usually with the SMC Pentax-FA 43/1.9 Ltd.
One might think that the PROD-20s and it's triplet 35/4.5 was way out of its league among such cameras, but the photos from it are among my favorites in the book.

Here's one from the book,

Ford Sunset by Colton Allen, on Flickr
Minolta PROD-20's
Kodak New Portra 400
Epson V750-M Pro​

 

[Swift1]

Here's a review of the PROD-20s that I wrote up awhile back.
http://www.coltonallen.com/minolta-prod-20s-review-a-sheep-in-wolfs-clothing/