Lens construction: 16 elements in 13 groups (includes two AD glass elements and two aspheric elements).CCD: 2/3-type interlaced primary-color CCD.Number of effective pixels: 8.0 million.
I would highly recommend the Konica Minolta Dimage A2 for anyone from beginners (many auto-features if desired) to advanced photographers. I was especially impressed with the anti-shake (image stabilization) technology that makes pictures crisper especially when using the telephoto. The camera proved durable (between the heat, humidity, and dust in various parts of Madagascar) and the battery life was respectable. It’s a very competent no-muss-no-fuss shooter with a good lens.Konica Minolta Dimage A2 8MP Digital Camera with 7x Anti Shake Optical Zoomįor my trip to Madagascar, my primary camera was the Konica Minolta Dimage A2. I’d say if you happen across a Hi-Matic S or SD at your local thrift store, pick it up. Probably the camera’s greatest shortcoming is that it’s not very common.
#MINOLTA CAMERA PICTURES ISO#
Some might be put off because the highest ISO setting is only 400, but that’s as fast a film as I ever use, so it hasn’t been a problem for me. Really, there’s very little to complain about with the Hi-Matic SD. I don’t have the camera’s manual, so I can’t say for sure what the exposure range actually is. The shutter on my sample will certainly stay open longer than 1/4 second - for up to several seconds.
Several sources report the shutter speed ranges from 1/4 second to 1/450, but I don’t think that’s correct, at least at the slow end. The camera sports a 38mm f/2.7 Rokkor lens, which is likely a 4 element/3 group optic.
#MINOLTA CAMERA PICTURES FREE#
All my exposures came out fine and the images are pleasingly sharp and free from distortion and obvious vignetting. Unfortunately only the icons are used, which makes it a little less useful than if the actual distances were shown. Unusually, the focus setting is indicated in the viewfinder with a moving-needle display. The lens barrel is printed with the usual distance icons (person’s head, two people, mountain, etc) as well as the subject distance in feet and metres. The three wheel dials above it allow the user to set the day, month, and year.īoth the S and the SD are auto-exposure viewfinder cameras - not rangefinders as some assume. The switch next to the viewfinder turns on the date function. (The selectable years span from 1980 to 1992, which gives some insight into the camera’s vintage and Minolta’s expectations for how long it will last.) Thankfully there’s a switch next to the viewfinder that allows you to turn off this “feature.” So what is the Hi-Matic SD? It’s virtually identical the equally obscure Minolta Hi-Matic S - the “D” means you can have the date imprinted on the picture, for what that’s worth.
Although I haven’t tested it, I suspect the Minolta will run just about forever on a pair of Duracells, so long as you don’t use the flash on every shot. The Yashica uses two AA’s as well, but they only power the pop-up flash - you need a separate LR44/675-type cell to for the camera’s shutter and metering system. One of the features that’s different about the Minolta is that it’s powered by a pair of ordinary AA batteries. But it’s not simply the same camera with different name badge. As the photos show, it bears more than a passing resemblance to the Yashica 35MF. There are tons of Minolta Hi-Matics out there, but this particular model has to be one of the less well known. And in some respects, the Minolta’s a better choice. The Minolta Hi-Matic SD that’s the subject of this review s a good alternative if you’re looking something similar. As a result, I likely see most of the traffic generated by interest in it. Probably that’s because information about that camera is pretty hard to come by. One of the most popular reviews on this site is for the fairly obscure Yashica 35MF.