Carena DF-300

Carena DF-300 image by Kenneth Dwain Harrelson (Image rights)

The Carena DF-300 is a compact SLR camera body with a Minolta MD SR-bayonet mount. It can be used with most of the lenses which are made for Minolta's manual focus SLRs. It's a copy of Minolta's X-300 which was produced in the same Shanghai General Camera Factory. While the DF-300 seems to be found only in black and chrome models, the Carena SX-300 seems to be the identical camera, only with an all-black body. Detailed specifications can be found on the Minolta X-300 page, since this is essentially the same camera.

Carena SX-300 image by Kenneth Dwain Harrelson (Image rights)

Capacitor repair on a Carena DF-300 (and Minolta X-300 cameras in general) image by Kenneth Dwain Harrelson (Image rights)

Specifications

• Type: SLR body
• Manufacturer: Seagull
• Film: 35mm
• Lens mount: Minolta SR-bayonet with aperture release tappet for Minolta MC and MD lenses
• Shutter: Quartz-controlled focal plane shutter, speeds 4 sec. to 1/1000 sec. (auto) and 1 sec. to 1/1000 sec. (manual)
• Flash Sync Speed: 1/60 sec.
• Viewfinder: pentaprism finder, screen with micro-prism and split image for distance setting
• Metering: Integral center-weighted measuring with photo diode
• Exposure: Manual setting, or shutter speed automatically controlled by meter (EV 1 to 18, with LED speed scale in viewfinder)
• Self-timer: Electronic timer with red LED signal
• Automatic Exposure Lock (AEL) button

Variants

The follolwing cameras are all copies of the Minolta X-300 (Minolta X-370):

• Centon DF-300
• Soligor SR-300 MD
• Kalimar KX 5000
• Vivitar V50
• Seagull DF-300
• Carena DF-300
• Carena SX-300
• Safari DF-300
• Texer EX-3
• Zenit DF-300
• Revue DF-300
• Samyang DF-400x
• Kinon X-380