The 1980s
1980 Minolta X-7
35mm SLR Aperture priority 35mm AE SLR
1980 Minolta Weathermatic A 110 Camera
Minolta’s first water-resistant 110 camera. Editor’s note: this camera was better than water resistant by today’s standards – it could be used underwater in most swimming pool, snorkeling and swimming situations. Unfortunately the results from 110 film were terrible, as we ourselves found out, being unable to produce any example pictures which proved the camera to be worth buying! But it was great on the beach.
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1981 Minolta CLE 35mm Rangefinder Camera System
The world’s first interchangeable lens rangefinder camera with aperture-priority auto exposure (the poster text gets this the wrong way round, hopelessly – “World’s first AE interchangeable 35mm FP camera with range finder”). Editor’s note: the CLE was produced by Minolta after Leica decided to discontinue the CL model. It has a viewfinder with frames for 28mm, 40mm and 90mm instead of 40mm, 50mm and 90mm and Minolta produced a 28mm f/2.8 Rokkor-C wide angle in addition to 40mm f/2 and 90mm f/4 optics. This Japanese-made lens is now sought after by Leica owners for its compact size, low cost and high quality. The 90mm f/4 lens, though labelled Minolta, was made by Leica. The CLE uses an electronic focal plane shutter and unlike the CL which was limited to 1/2 second can make brief auto time exposures.
1981 Minolta X-700 35mm SLR Camera
Program AE SLR and winner of the first ever ‘European Camera of the Year’ award from TIPA (the Technical Image Press Association) in 1982.
1982 Minolta Hi-Matic AF-2 MD
35mm leaf shutter AF camera with electronic shutter and built-in motor wind.
1983 Minolta AF-C
35mm leaf shutter AF camera – extremely compact design with sliding cover.
1983 Minolta Disc 7
8 x 11mm images on Kodak’s 1982 Disc Film format. Minolta’s first Disc camera, with ‘combined lithium battery’.
1983 Minolta X-600 35mm SLR
Minolta’s first 35mm SLR camera with built-in electronic focus detector. Ed: extremely rare item.
1983 Minolta X-500/X-570 35mm SLR
Aperture priority AE SLR with TTL flash metering.
1983 Minolta Courreges ac301 Disc camera
Disc camera designed by Andres Courreges.
1984 Minolta AF-E/Freedom II
35mm AF leaf-shutter camera. Ed: the AF-E started a downward trend in having fewer AF steps and relying on depth of field. The ‘Freedom’ name eventually came to mean fixed-focus cameras little better than old box cameras in terms of exposure or focus control. This model, at this date, was still reasonable well featured if extremely ugly.
1984 Minolta AF-Sv/Talker/Talkman
35mm AF leaf shutter camera with voice warning. Ed: note the name – ‘Talkman’! They knew Sony was coming. Notoriously bad marketing concept on Minolta’s part and the first of a continuing series of eccentric highlight features which left enthusiasts baffled.
1985 Minolta 7000 or Maxxum 7000 35mm AF SLR
World’s first 35mm SLR system camera with integrated autofocus. Winner of the ‘Inter-Camera International’ award, ‘Camera Grand Prix 1985’, and European Camera of the Year 1985. All lenses and most accessories introduced with this new AF-mount lens system, completely changed from the previous SR/MC/MD mount models, remain compatible with today’s Konica Minolta and Sony DSLRs. Note the Alpha symbol on the photographs of these Japanese market models, which were all known as Alpha in that market. The 7000 body should also be fully compatible with all the full-frame lenses to be introduced by Sony, except those using SSM (supersonic in-lens motor focusing).
1985 Minolta AF-T
35mm leaf shutter autofocus camera with two built-in lenses, standard and telephoto.
1985 Minolta 9000 or Maxxum 9000
35mm AF SLR camera with attachable exclusive 5 frame/sec motor drive. Ed: this is an understatement. The 9000 is a professional grade camera with manual wind-on unless an autowinder or motordrive is attached, unlike the 7000 with its built-in auto wind. It remains a benchmark design.
1986 Minolta AF-Z
35mm leaf shutter AF camera with the largest magnification viewfinder (0.6X) in its class. For comparison, typical Leica rangefinder viewfinder magnifications range from 0.7X to 0.85X.
1986 Minolta 5000 or Maxxum 5000
Microcomputer controlled 35mm AF SLR. Ed: that’s what the poster caption says, so maybe it really did use a new type of internal control. For the buyer, much cut-down version of the 7000 with press-button operations to control adjustments, and no dials.
1987 Minolta AF-DL or Freedom Dual
35mm leaf shutter AF camera with two built-in lenses, standard and telephoto, and the ability to take close-ups down to 52cm.
1987 Minolta Weathermatic 35DL or Dual
Minolta’s first all-weather 35mm AF leaf shutter camera. Ed: again, this can be used underwater. Results are a massive improvement over the 110.
1988 Minolta Dynax or Maxxum 7000i
35mm AF SLR camera with predictive focus control and intelligent card (that’s what the text says!). Won ‘European Camera of the Year ’88’ Award. This camera is the first to use the Creative Expansion Card system, optional function and customization ROM cards which slot into a bay on the camera under a door rather like a memory card door for a digital SLR.
1989 Minolta AF-Zoom 90 or Freedom Zoom 90
35mm leaf shutter AF camera with program zoom function.
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1989 Minolta Dynax 3000i or Maxxum 3000i
World’s smallest and lightest 35mm AF SLR camera when launched. Note the Japanese market name: Alpha 5700i.
1989 Minolta Dynax 5000i or Maxxum 5000i
Minolta’s first 35mm AF SLR camera with built-in flash. Japanese market model shown – Alpha 5700i.
Great post. I grew up with Minolta, first one was a SRT100-something model aged 6 (thx to my mom), followed by XG-2/XD-7 with the f1.4/50mm (first one still usable, second lost) which were very exiting for nightly sky shots and ideal to cope with the basics. After a short period of 5xi with the very limited Minolta 28-80 kit tube (forceful terminated by robbery) I ended up with my beloved 9xi (2nd hand in 2001). Just perfect balance and weight. The one thing I miss is the focusing screen with split screen of the old models where you can almost fumble for the focus. The missing flash is another point at private parties.
Now the combination of 9xi with Kodak EliteII or Elitechrome and Nikon ED-40 has become some sort of unhandy and time-consuming and it’s time for a new Alpha. 700 maybe, or 350, not answered jet.
Nice post. However, I’m not sure where people are getting that Nikon has a camera with a shutter speed greater than 1/12000th of a second. I believe Minolta still holds the crown for that, at least in a traditional film SLR.
Even the Nikon F6, which is very high spec indeed, has only 1/8000th of a second shutter speed.
Jed
I have had a copy of this poster for about six years and never noticed that little alpha symbol on the the Dynax series. It was only with the latest edition of Photoworld that I realised that Dynax/Maxxum cameras had another designation.
Let us all hope that Sony continue to do well with this line, and that the Omega presaged by my user name is not reached for some time, as I have always considered that Minolta have produced some of the most innovative and useable cameras of recent times. This is why I began with the still useable SRT101s, in 1968 there was no contest – well featured and with very good for its day lightmetering, bayonet lens mount and good handling with a nice solid feel (unlike recent generations I could add) and a more affordable (only just on my service pay) price.
The Dynax 9 does not offer shutter speeds up to 1/16.000th. Just 1/12.000th.
Corrected – thanks. Nikon’s shutter shortly afterwards went to 1/16,000th.
The Nikon claim regarding shutter speed simply isn’t true. Nikon recently put out a digital camera, J1, which claims 1/16000th.
The Minolta Alpha/Maxxum 9 has the highest shutter speed of any 35mm SLR ever produced.
I’ve seen the original poster and it is great to have it reproduced here. An amazing history. I wonder why they left out the X-9 which I believe was the last manual focus SLR design. Andy
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