Ernst Leitz Wetzlar had standardized the 35mm film format, and their Leica rangefinders had inspired many. Collaboration with Leica / The XE SeriesĪfter the success of the SR-T series, Minolta drew the attention of one of the biggest names in photography Leica. The SR-Ts created beautiful images, and that’s what mattered. For those who wouldn’t take advantage of the Nikon’s superior flexibility, the Minolta was all the camera they needed. Minolta’s cameras did appeal, and sell, to amateurs attracted to the system by lower costs and exceptional optics. This means the SR-T cameras lack interchangeable finders/screens, motor drives, etc. This kept costs down and made the camera more accessible to the average consumer.
1970 minolta camera professional#
Simply put, the camera didn’t match up to the professional offerings of Japanese rivals ( cough cough, Nikon) in terms of features or reliability.įortunately, Minolta didn’t try to incorporate all the features necessary for a true professional camera. The SR-T models would become incredibly successful by appealing to amateur photographers. This technology showed up throughout Minolta’s rangefinders and SLRs through the 60s and 70s. Many consider this the precursor to modern evaluative metering. This system measured contrast by using two photo-sensitive cells and calculating an average based on the two. One true innovation, though, came in the form of Minolta’s CLC metering system, which also debuted with the SR-T. Minolta also made claims that this was the first Japanese SLR to feature a bayonet mount, which is again debatable due to Tokyo Kogaku’s Topcon RE Super. The Topcon RE Super beat them to it ever-so-slightly, but the Minolta would prove to be the more approachable and successful design. The SR-T Seriesįour years later, in 1966, Minolta unveiled the SR-T 101, one of the first SLRs to feature TTL, full-aperture light metering. As Hasselblad semi-incessantly reminds us, bringing a camera to space is a big deal. In 1962, the company officially renamed itself Minolta Camera Co., and astronaut John Glenn used a modified Minolta Hi-Matic in space.
1970 minolta camera series#
Sales of the SR series allowed Minolta to become a mainstream name in photography. These cameras had attachment external light meters, but were otherwise fully mechanical. Later, they added a budget model (the SR-1) before replacing them both with the SR-3. This SLR was popular in Japan due to its low cost, instant return mirror, hinged film back, bayonet mount, and wide selection of Rokkor lenses.Īt this point, Minolta named their mount after the SR cameras. Kazuo Tashima was the company’s founder.Īfter finding success with TLRs like the Minolta-Flex and rangefinders like the popular Minolta-35, the company unveiled the SR-2 in 1958. This name stood for “ Mechanism, Instruments, Optics, and Lenses by Tashima”. Minolta was founded in 1928, and took on the name Minolta in 1931.
![1970 minolta camera 1970 minolta camera](http://www.subclub.org/minman/sr2.jpg)
Let’s go over Minolta’s systems with Nico and Nuno. It’s no wonder why Leica chose Minolta to collaborate with for years. Minolta was also one of the most innovative companies in photography, inventing numerous technologies and bringing them to a mass market faster and better than a lot of their competition. They are also indirectly responsible for the rise of Sony mirrorless cameras, but we’ll get to that. Minolta’s lenses during this time are also exceptional, and the bodies sold very well, leading to low prices nowadays. Their A mount was the first system designed completely around autofocus, beating Canon to the punch by years and delivering a great product. MD was one of the longest-running mounts in photography. The company produced multiple lines of excellent cameras and lenses that retain quite a bit of compatibility between them. Minolta’s venerable MD mount was in production from the late 1950s until the 1980s. In this article, we’ll cover Minolta’s two main SLR mounts, the MD / SR mount and the Maxxum / Dynax / A AF mount.īoth are worthy of respect, and both are perhaps talked about less than their competition. They consistently pushed the boundaries of technology without ever pricing themselves out of competition. Chiyoka Kogaku, later known as Minolta, was one of the most innovative companies in the photographic industry.