Minolta Rangefinder Meet & Greet

Time passes quickly, as it was a little more than two years ago when I wrote a post (Minolta Love—Enjoying My Toys!) describing my impression of all the cameras I had at the time. Should you read that post, you will find that I had only two non-SLR cameras—a 7sII rangefinder and a Freedom Zoom 160 point-and-shoot. I had avoided rangefinders because of an unimpressive week spent with my father-in-law’s Leica (M3, I think). Compared to an SLR, rangefinders struck me as being more trouble than they were worth.

Street photography seemed to be the forte of rangefinders, à la Cartier-Bresson. I had no interest in street photography (at least not shots of people), so I saw no advantage in using a rangefinder over an SLR. Since studio still-life photography is one of my main goals, rangefinders offer no advantage over SLRs or even TLRs. I wish I could say a moment of photographic inspiration led me to rangefinders. But, no, I simply desired to explore more of Minolta’s past. My curiosity took me back before 1958, when the Minolta’s first SLR, the SR-2, arrived.  

Curiosity alone would not have been sufficient for me to try other rangefinders had not the 7sII proven to be such an excellent camera. It didn’t hurt that it weighed less than a pound. After two rolls of film, I can say the lens is wonderful—sharp with good color rendition. I used it in auto and manual modes, and even without the meter in manual mode, I still liked using it. The 7sII removed my ambivalence toward rangefinders and was enough to make me seek out more.  

The Minolta A, a simple camera released in 1955 for casual users, came next. Few show up for sale, but luckily, this one popped up for about 25.00. It has a top shutter speed of 1/300 and a maximum aperture of f3.5. On a bright July day, I took it on a walk loaded with 100 ISO color film. After a few shots, I set the aperture at f11 and the shutter at 1/300 and fired away. According to the camera’s distance scale, everything beyond 15 feet was in focus, so no more stopping to focus! The Minolta A is also lighter than nearly every SLR I own, so it became a viable option when I’m out and want shots of the city. Anytime an SLR with a 50mm lens will do, a rangefinder will work just as well, so rangefinders offer another option. From the Minolta A, G.A.S took over.  

Finding working rangefinders from the 1950s takes some effort. On average, a working model in very good condition shows up about every four months for “A” series cameras (A, A-2, Super A, A5, AL). The A3 rarely shows up (I’ve seen only one for sale in the last five years). The V2 and V3 are rare birds in the US—I’ve only seen two V2s and one V3 for sale in the US since 2019. The Minolta-35, Minolta’s Leica-influenced rangefinder, suffers from shutter curtain issues, so while they show up for sale, few working models do. The 7s and 7sII are plentiful. What has surprised me most about all of these cameras is how sharp the lenses are. If you can find one in good working order, try it. And now, my current rangefinder corps.

Minolta-35
The Minolta-35 was introduced in 1947 and sold until 1959 (Leica mount).  The last three models are pictured here: Model F, Model II, and Model IIB. Only the IIB shutter works reliably. Aside from curtain issues, the camera is solid. The top speed is 1/500 sec. I like it. Finding a working model is a quest. 

Minolta A
Released in 1955, it is a simple camera with a decent-sized viewfinder. The slow speeds on these tend to be a problem. Top speed is 1/300 sec. It fits in a pocket, so pop in some 100 ISO film on a sunny day, set it at f11 and 1/300, and go. Color film can handle a few stops of overexposure, so no worries and no focusing. 

Minolta A-2 
There are two versions—f3.5 (1955) and f2.8 (1957). Both versions of the A-2 have a top speed of 1/500 sec and parallax correction. It’s a faster Minolta A and is harder to find. 

Minolta Super A
The Super A is an interchangeable lens rangefinder with a bayonet mount brought to market in 1957. Five lenses were introduced with it: 35mm f3.5, 50mm f2, 50mm f1.8, 50mm f2.8, 85mm f2.8, 100mm f3.8, 135mm f4.5. The 50mm lenses are common, especially the f2; the others are hard to find and expensive. Top speed is 1/400. A meter was available for it. (My meter works and is accurate!) The 50mm f2 lens is much better than expected, but my copy does flare easily. This is a more serious camera. It handles more like the Minolta-35 than the others in the A-line. I wish Minolta had developed it further.

Minolta A5
The A5 maintains the design of the earlier A3, and it was introduced in 1960. It has a 45mm f2.8 lens and a top speed of 1/1000 sec. As expected, the lens is sharp. It is a serviceable rangefinder that yields good results. It doesn’t inspire any love, but I appreciate the faster shutter.  

Minolta V2 & V3
The V2 (1958) and V3 (1960) seem to have been experiments. They do not follow the A series design and have much faster top shutter speeds. The V2 has a top speed of 1/2000 sec while the Minolta V3 blazes at 1/3000 sec. Both have 45mm lenses, but the V2 is an f2 while the V3 is an f1.8. Both lenses are very sharp with great color. The V3 has a built-in meter, and the meter on my V3 works fine. I like the roundish designs of these cameras; they have an art deco-ish feel. They also seem to fit my hands better—love them. 

Minolta Hi-Matic 7s
The Minolta 7s is part of the Hi-Matic line, the next group of Minolta rangefinders. I have to admit, I never intended to buy a 7s, but a seller offered this one—in a box—for burger and fries money. Who was I to say no? Released in 1966, the 7s has a built-in meter and sharp 45mm f1.8 lens—the top speed is 1/500 sec. The meter on my copy has proven to be very accurate, a pleasant surprise. The exposure value system took some time to get used to, but otherwise, I have no complaints. It’s a bit chunky but gives excellent results—a definite keeper.

Minolta Hi-Matic 7sII
In 1977, Minolta brought its true rangefinder line to an end. There were Hi-Matic cameras after 1977, but they were simpler devices. The 7sII is a great little camera with a 40mm f1.7 lens and a top shutter speed of 1/500, offering shutter-priority automatic exposure and an unmetered manual mode. The lens is tack-sharp with good contrast. Its weight is what I like most. The 7sII weighs slightly more than 16oz (460g) (aside from the A and A-2, the others are hefty). It is also small enough to fit into a coat pocket, making it ideal for travel or general photography. Love it!

Well, that’s the gang. Perhaps a Minolta AL (first A series rangefinder with a built-in meter) will join the group at some point, but I have plenty to keep me busy for now. Each camera will receive a post on ESF. Stay tuned…