The “Back to Film” wave continues to move along, and as it does, it’s bringing back into use cameras set aside for their digital successors. The last film cameras I remember from the late 1980s and early 1990s were inexpensive, disposable P&S cameras. We used these a lot, taking pictures of our growing toddler. They worked well enough for the job at hand but were not memorable. When I began seeing reviews of P&S cameras a couple of years ago, I was not tempted to get one. Then I came across this review on Casual Photophile that seemed to make my dismissal of P&S cameras premature.
Reviewers were going on and on about their great lenses and pocketable sizes, so I grew more intrigued. I like to take pictures while walking around the city, and while an SLR or TLR might be workable for such outings, having a great camera that fits in a pocket has a definite appeal. Wanting to keep my purchases aligned with the VMLP, I searched for suitable Minolta P&S cameras.
The TC-1 was spoken of in glowing terms. Unfortunately, my budget couldn’t accommodate one of those. I like the idea of a camera with zoom capability, which resulted in a Freedom Zoom 160 purchase—very nice for bright, sunny days. But the max aperture of f4.5 made shooting in the shade a problem. Discovering that no zoom would get me a larger aperture, I began looking at fixed-lens models. After comparing various models, mainly on size, I settled on the AF-C. This was in 2022, and at the time, AF-Cs weren’t exactly plentiful, but they were half the price they sell for these days and certainly less scarce. I suppose people were just beginning to dig them out of attics and closets, trying to make a quick buck on eBay. I’m glad I got mine then.
After the initial test shots, the camera went back into its box and sat there for nearly a year before I decided to try it on a walk. Why did I wait so long?!?
Historical Perspective
The Minolta AF-C was released in 1983, joining a small family of Minolta P&S cameras. It appears to be unique in the Minolta catalog, having an external flash along with manual film loading and rewinding. I wasn’t able to locate any info regarding its production duration. There is a limited edition model that has a max ISO of 1000 (AF-C Standard is 400), but I have never seen one for sale.
Inspection and Appearance
Overall, the camera is in very good condition, arriving in the original box with manuals and paperwork. The black plastic casing looks good, considering how easily it can show minor scratches. Before holding the AF-C, I had never thought much about its size or weight. In hand, I was shocked at how tiny it was. The AF-C easily fits into a shirt pocket and weighs so little it’s easy to forget you are carrying one.
Aside from the wear one would expect a 40+ year-old camera to have, there were no dings, cracks or other blemishes. Despite its tiny size the viewfinder was easy to use, even when wearing glasses. The lenses were clean, and all controls worked as expected.
Function and Handling
The AF-C has a maximum aperture of f2.8 and a minimum of f17. The maximum ISO is 400. Shutter speed tops out at 1/430 second, with a minimum of 1/8. The metering range is from EV 6 to EV 17. The red warning light shows in the viewfinder when the shutter speed is less than or equal to 1/40. Flash sync speed is 1/40 sec. The minimum focus distance is three feet.
The AF-C has manual controls for loading, advancing, and rewinding film. Film advance is done using a dial on the upper right rear of the camera, which can be done quickly, one-handed, with one’s thumb. Aperture, shutter speed, and metering are fully automatic—all the user has to do is point and shoot.
Overall, using the Minolta AF-C is slightly more involved than using my iPhone, and it weighs only 7.6 oz, about 1.5 ounces more than an iPhone 14. Its dimensions— 105 x 43 x 67mm (4.13, 1.69, 2.64 inches)— make it easy to slip into a shirt pocket or carry dangling from the wrist.
Like the Freedom 160 Zoom, the operation is so quiet that, other than knowing that I pressed the shutter button, there is little to confirm a frame has been exposed.
Shooting
The viewfinder is pretty good. It has frame lines for the focus area. The viewfinder display is well-lit, even in bright sunlight, and the readout is simple. A yellow light signals focus lock, and red indicates that there is too little light. I found autofocus was fast enough that I did not feel as though I was waiting at any time. The camera comes with a wrist strap, and I carried the camera dangling from my wrist.
I wish the lens had better shading. The sun was high in the sky, so some shots had a bit of lens flare–nothing horrible. I will be more mindful of this limitation in the future. When there are no challenging lighting issues, the camera performs beautifully. However, I must admit that some of the underexposure for the TMax 100 shots may be due to user error. I put two of the wrong voltage batteries in (1.4 instead of 1.55), which may have affected the meter because the AF-C has done well at all other times.
Images
For the initial tests, I tried the camera with a flash in low interior ambient light. Two images (shoes, houseplants) were taken in a nearly dark room because I wanted to see the reach of the flash and how well the cameras metered.
The fire hydrant image is a metering test. The hydrant looked newly painted, and the sun was shining directly on it. I expected a silver blob but got a well-exposed picture. The image of the office building with twin fins (1180 Peachtree) jutting from the top is the final B&W test image. The sun was barely out of the viewfinder, up to my right. This shot (TMax 100) pushed the limits of the AF-C, and despite the intensity of the sunlight, one can still see reflections of the clouds and the top of a nearby building in the mirrored exterior of the 1180 Peachtree building.
TMax 100 is not a good match for me in the shade. The one shot I did in the shade is blurred (not shown). If braced, I can do 1/40 shots, but otherwise, there will be motion blur. Black and white 400 ISO film worked fine with the fire hydrant, so I think 400 ISO color will be fine as well.
The color images (Kodak Gold 200) were taken in a mixture of direct sun and shade. Kodak Gold 200 performed well in bright mid-day sun and in shade. In the first set of color images, the sundial, library, and film lab are in bright afternoon light, and look properly exposed. The Japanese bell is in deep shade inside a structure, which is under a canopy of trees.
In the second image set, the bicycle is in direct sun, and the others are in shade. Overall, I would say the camera meters very well.
Impression
The AF-C is a beautiful little camera. Now that I am getting used to the 35mm FL, I will use it more often. It produces sharp images and weighs so little I may pop one in my pocket whenever I head out. I do wish there was a way of shading the lens during the middle of the day. Having said that, as long as the sun is not directly hitting the lens, the results are excellent. I have now shot five rolls of film with my AF-C, and it is a keeper. If you can find one, buy it!
