Minolta
Minolta (ミノルタ, minoruta) was a Japanese company that, under one name or another, manufactured cameras from 1929 to 2003. It produced cameras for virtually all film formats, even its own 16mm miniature film format. In the 1950s Chiyoda, as it was then called, ventured beyond production of cameras and binoculars into business services, especially photocopiers. Most branches of the company were related to optics: the copier branch, the exposure meter branch, etc. Minolta was succeeded by Konica Minolta after the merger with Konica in 2003.
film format Cameras 35mm other formats
Contents
Minolta History
Minolta, although once counted among the "big five", has often been thought of as a second-ranking camera manufacturer in the photography world, a step below Nikon and Canon. But it has sometimes been in the first rank.
The Minolta SRT 101 was the world's best selling camera of its type in its time, as were the Minolta X-700 and the Minolta 7000. For five years beginning in 1985 Minolta was the biggest seller of SLR cameras in the world. The reason for this dominance was the release of its Alpha/Dynax/Maxxum system; the world's first "in-body" autofocus SLR. Before this time manufacturers had dabbled with lenses that focused themselves but that fitted their existing, manual-focus SLR cameras. Minolta was the first manufacturer to put the mechanism and electronics for the autofocus system into its SLR camera bodies and so the modern SLR was born. (Konica had been the first to put autofocus into a 35mm camera, but it was a fixed lens "compact" camera; and Polaroid had been the first to put autofocus into an SLR camera, but it neither was 35mm nor was an interchangeable lens design.)
1929–1970
This huge success was not foreseeable in 1928, when Kazuo Tashima founded Nichidoku Shashinki Shōten (日独写真機商会, Nippo-German Camera Shop). Indeed Tashima got support from the German camera technicians Billy Neumann and Willy Heilemann, and the first cameras needed parts and lenses from German manufacturers. In 1929 the company had managed to produce the first models of its Nifcalette camera series.
In 1931 the company was transformed into a stock corporation named Molta (モルタ合資会社, Moruta Gōshi Kaisha), an abbreviation of "Mechanismus Optik und Linsen von Tashima" ("Mechanism, Optics and Lenses by Tashima"). The name Minolta was first used in 1933, for the Minolta I (or plain "Minolta"), a copy of the Plaubel Makina I. This was ostensibly from "Mechanismus, Instrumente, Optik und Linsen von Tashima" ("Mechanism, Instruments, Optics and Lenses by Tashima") but is more likely a backronym, inspired by (i) minoru ta (稔る田), "ripening rice-fields" (a strong image of health and fruitfulness in Japan, and in Japanese pronounced identically to "Minolta"), and (ii) "Molta" itself. The company name and brand name would differ until 1962. In 1934 the Minolta Vest was the first Minolta which differed from average camera designs. In 1936 Minolta's first reflex camera appeared, the Minolta Flex for 6×6 on 120 film.
The company name was again changed in 1937, to Chiyoda Kōgaku (千代田光学精工株式会社, Chiyoda Kōgaku Seikō kabushiki kaisha, Chiyoda Optics and Precision Industry Co Ltd), sometimes abbreviated Chiyoko. in the same year, Chiyoda began manufacturing its own lenses. During the world war it also produced cameras for aerial reconnaissance photography. The company's first big innovation after the war was a small item, the first camera for its own 16mm miniature film format, the Konan-16. Another big step: 1946 they began using coated lenses for their cameras.
In 1957 Chiyoda began to produce planetarium projection apparatus, optical machines which project all the visible stars of the night sky onto the ceilings of planetarium halls. In 1958 it took the first step towards its success with SLR cameras in the mid-80s by introducing its first 35mm SLR camera SR-2, the first one to combine several features of the modern SLR like pentaprism viewfinder, smooth mirror mechanics, easily exchangeable lenses, easy film transport etc. In 1959 Chiyoda started to produce photocomposing machines, copiers, and special projectors. Some of these activities (like copiers) are kept up nowadays by its successor Konica Minolta, although this has given up the photo business. In 1962 the company name became Minolta Camera Company (ミノルタカメラ株式会社 Minoruta Kamera kabushiki kaisha), unified with the brand name.
Cooperation with Leitz
Before the era of the Alpha/Dynax/Maxxum SLRs, Minolta had a new phase of cooperation with German experts, and signed a cooperation agreement with Leitz in 1972. The first products resulting from this appeared in 1974: the Minolta XE SLR and the Leica CL rangefinder camera (sold in Japan as the Leitz Minolta CL). The XE was the basis for the 1977 Leica R3. The final result of the association with Leitz was the Minolta XD-11 (the same as XD-7, and the basis of the Leica R4). It was the first 35mm SLR camera combining both aperture priority and shutter priority automatic exposure modes. Many Rokkor lenses of the new MD series, usable in both automatic modes, were produced for this exciting camera.
In 1981, Minolta launched the CLE, a rangefinder camera with M-mount, the first one to have (aperture-priority) automatic exposure. The metering system was of the "TTL OTF" type (through the lens, reflected off the film), first introduced by Olympus in 1975 on the OM-2 SLR camera. The CLE was also the first Minolta camera to have TTL flash automation, together with the X-700 SLR introduced the same year. After the heady days of the XD/XE series, the X-700 marked a definite return to the amateur-level market. While the new camera had TTL flash, it was equipped with only a 1/60th sec. maximum flash synch and an ordinary cloth horizontal-travel shutter, and the interior mechanisms utilized more cost-saving plastics. With a large investment in a new autofocus SLR design, Minolta decided to withdraw from building professional-level manual-focus SLR cameras.
After this cooperative era of Minolta the company's founder Kazuo Tashima stepped down as president of the company in 1982. His son Hideo Tashima became his successor. Kazuo Tashima stayed in the company as chairman of the board until his death in the age of 85 in the year 1985. Another era that ended.
Automation
The Minolta 7000 AF SLR camera was introduced in 1985. The camera had a revolutionary design, with an advanced autofocus, liquid crystal screen display, built-in film winder, and a body built largely of plastics. Unlike other manufacturers, Minolta invested much of its resources in the new autofocus cameras, at the expense of its manual focus SLRs, which were repositioned as amateur level cameras. Minolta did not hang on to its technological lead for long as Canon and Nikon both introduced new autofocus designs of their own, with a wide array of new lenses and professional bodies. Minolta in turn tended to concentrate on the affordable end of the SLR market, and sought revolutionary rather than evolutionary changes. Among camera aficionados, Minolta was known both for its very high price/performance ratio - and its constantly changing array of new models.
Minolta continued to innovate. After popularizing the plastic-bodied, push-button-controlled SLR with the AF 7000, and a relatively unsuccessful line of complex 35mm SLRs with a electronic 'expansion card' feature, the company moved towards a more traditional user interface in the mid-90s with the 600si Classic. This interface was carried forward into its popular pro-level Minolta Alpha/Dynax/Maxxum 9 and later, the Maxxum 7. Unfortunately for Minolta, its autofocus design was found to infringe on the patents of Honeywell, a U.S. corporation. After protracted litigation, Minolta in 1991 was ordered to pay Honeywell damages, penalties, trial costs and other expenses in a final amount of 127.6 million dollars.
Like other camera manufacturers, Minolta faced difficulties in building low-priced, consumer level cameras, though its emphasis on this sector of the market may have affected the company more than some other brands. The company was one of the first to offshore production of its cameras from Japan to Malaysia, China, and other countries offering less expensive labor costs. Minolta occasionally redesigned parts in existing models with less expensive materials, or introduced new, less expensive designs, all in an effort to cut costs.
The company began offering consumer-level digital cameras in the late 1990s. With the DiMage X, Minolta solved the problem of the protruding optical zoom lens on pocket digicams. Its folded lens design allows an optical zoom lens to be totally contained within the body of the camera. This makes the cameras that use this design truly pocketable, faster to turn on and better protected from knocks and damage.
Minolta has been criticized for its slowness to bring out a modern digital SLR camera compatible with the A-mount lenses. In late November 2004, the new Konica Minolta company finally released the much anticipated Konica Minolta Alpha/Dynax/Maxxum 7D Digital SLR and the innovation continued. What sets the 7D DSLR apart from the competition is the built-in image stabilization which works with any electronic autofocus lens attached to the camera body.
Konica joins Minolta
In October 2003 Minolta merged with Konica to form Konica Minolta. All new cameras after that time were badged as Konica Minolta, although, with reference to camera designs, Minolta remained the dominant partner.
Too Little, Too Late ...
As of spring 2006, Konica Minolta has withdrawn from the camera business entirely. The digital camera manufacturing assets have been acquired by Sony, but film camera production is ceasing, and the film and mini-lab divisions are set to close within a year.
Konica Minolta now is solely a business servicer with no photo division.
Minolta Digital Cameras
Minolta DSLR Cameras (with interchangeable lenses)
- RD-175 using standard Minolta A-mount autofocus lenses
- RD-3000 using the Minolta V-mount lenses of the Vectis APS SLR
newer cameras, see Konica Minolta (Dynax/Maxxum 5D and Dynax/Maxxum 7D)
Minolta Digital Cameras with Fixed Lenses (non-interchangeable, but all with auto focus zoom lenses)
Minolta and Konica Minolta use the Dimage nameplate on all the fixed lens digital cameras.
- Minolta DiMage V
- Minolta DiMage 5
- Minolta Dimage 7
- Minolta Dimage 7Hi
- Minolta Dimage 7i
- Minolta Dimage F300
- Minolta Dimage Xt
- Minolta Dimage E323
newer cameras, see Konica Minolta
Minolta 35mm Film Cameras
Minolta Autofocus 35mm SLR
The Minolta Alpha/Dynax/Maxxum (Alpha in Japan and China, Maxxum in the Americas, Dynax in Europe, Africa and Asia) is a line of 35mm film SLR cameras built from 1985 to 2000 - some "new old stock" may still be available. The lenses and flash accessories for these are not compatible with the previous Minolta SR, SR T, and X-series of manual focus 35mm film SLR cameras, lenses and flashes.
Many of these models are alternatively labeled Alpha, Dynax or Maxxum and only a few model numbers are location-specific where an equivalent model number in another area of distribution uses another model number:
Minolta or
Minolta Dynax
(Europe,Africa,Asia)Minolta Maxxum
(America)Minolta Alpha
(Japan,China)launch date
5000 AF 5000 5000 1986 7000 AF 7000 7000 1985 9000 AF 9000 9000 1985 3000i 3000i 3700i 1989 5000i 5000i 5700i 1989 7000i 7000i 7700i 1988 8000i 8000i 8700i 1990 2xi 2xi 90s 3xi 3xi 3xi 1991 5xi 5xi 5xi 1992 7xi 7xi 7xi 1991 9xi 9xi 9xi 1992 300si 300si/350si/RZ 300si/RZ 330si 101si 90s 303si QTsi 360si 90s 404si STsi Sweet S 90s 500si 400si/450si/RZ 400si/RZ 430si 303si 90s 500si Super 500si/RZ 530si 303si Super 90s 505si HTsi 90s 505si Super XTsi Sweet 90s 600si 600si 507si 90s 650si 90s 700si 700si 707si 1993 800si 800si 807si 90s SPxi SPsi 90s STsi 90s 3L 3 200. 3/4 4 200. 30/40 50 200. 5 5 200. 60 70 200. 7 7 200. 9 9 9 90s 9Ti 90s
If anyone knows of additional models and or knows which of these are equivalent across the Alpha/Dynax/Maxxum divide, please pitch in! Note that early models were also named "AF".
Minolta Manual Focus 35mm SLR
type name in Europe in America in Japan launch year SR-2 1958 SR-1 1959 SR-3 1960 SR-7 1962 ER 1963 SR-777 1965 SRT 101 1966 SR-1s 1967 SRT 100 1971 XM XK X-1 1972 SRT 303 SRT 102 SRT Super 1973 SRT MC 1973 SRT SC 1973 XE-1 XE-7 XE 1974 SRT 100b SRT 200 1975 SRT 101b SRT 201 SR 101 1975 SRT 303b SRT 202 SR 505 1975 XE-5 XEb 1976 XM Motor XK Motor X-1 Motor 1976 SRT MCII 70s XD-7 XD-11 XD 1977 XG-2 XG-7 XG-E 1977 SRT 100X 1977 SRT SCII 1977 XD-5 1979 XG-1 1978 XG-9 XG-SE XG-S 1979 X-7 1980 XD-s 1980 XD-s Medical XG-M XG-M X-70 1981 XG-A (simplified XG-1) 1981 X-700 1981 X-500 X-570 X-500 1983 X-300 X-300 X-370 1984 X-600 1983 X-7A 1985 X-370s X-370n X-370s 1990 X-9 1990 X-300s 1990
Minolta Rangefinder 35mm Film Cameras with interchangeable lens
- Minolta 35
- Minolta 35 II
- Minolta 35 IIB
- Minolta Super A
- Leitz Minolta CL
- Minolta CLE
Minolta Rangefinder 35mm Film Cameras with fixed lens
- Minolta A
- Minolta A2
- Minolta A2 LT
- Minolta A3
- Minolta A5
- Minolta AL
- Minolta AL2
- Minolta ALS
- Minolta ALE
- Minolta AL-F
- Minolta 24 Rapid (16 24x24mm exposures on 35mm film)
- Minolta Electro Shot
- Minolta Hi-Matic 11
- Minolta Hi-Matic 7
- Minolta Hi-Matic 7s
- Minolta Hi-Matic 7sII / Revue 400 SE
- Minolta Hi-Matic 9
- Minolta Hi-Matic CS
- Minolta Hi-Matic E
- Minolta Hi-Matic ES
- Minolta Hi-Matic F
- Minolta Hi-Matic FP
- Minolta HiMatic / Ansco Autoset
- Minolta Minoltina AL-S
- Minolta Minoltina-S
- Minolta Uniomat / Ansco Anscoset
- Minolta Uniomat II
- Minolta Uniomat III / Ansco Anscoset III
- Minolta V2
- Minolta V3
Minolta Viewfinder 35mm Film Cameras
- Minolta Autowide
- Minolta f12
- Minolta F35 Big Finder
- Minolta Freedom I
- Minolta FS-E II
- Minolta Hi-Matic 5
- Minolta Hi-Matic C
- Minolta Hi-Matic CSII
- Minolta Hi-Matic G
- Minolta Hi-Matic G2
- Minolta Hi-Matic GF
- Minolta Hi-Matic S
- Minolta Hi-Matic S2
- Minolta Hi-Matic SD
- Minolta Hi-Matic SD2
- Minolta Memo
- Minolta Minoltina-P
- Minolta Repo (half-frame)
- Minolta Repo-S (half-frame)
Minolta Compact 35mm Film Cameras
- HI-MATIC AF
- HI-MATIC AF-2
- AF-DL / FREEDOM DL
- WEATHERMATIC 35 DL
- ZOOM 60
- RIVA ZOOM 75 w / FREEDOM ZOOM 75w
- RIVA ZOOM 90 EX / FREEDOM ZOOM 90 EX
- RIVA ZOOM 105i / FREEDOM ZOOM 105i
- RIVA ZOOM 110 / FREEDOM ZOOM 110
- RIVA ZOOM 115 EX / FREEDOM ZOOM 115 EX
- RIVA ZOOM 130 / FREEDOM ZOOM 130
- RIVA ZOOM 140 EX / FREEDOM ZOOM 140 EX
- RIVA ZOOM 150 / FREEDOM ZOOM 150
and a lot more like that
newer Minolta zoom cameras, see Konica Minolta
Minolta Cameras for the smaller film formats
Minolta 126 Film Cameras
- Minolta Autopak 400-X
- Minolta Autopak 500 / Ilford Monarch / Revuematic 500
- Minolta Autopak 550
- Minolta Autopak 600-X
- Minolta Autopak 700
- Minolta Autopak 800
- Revere 3M Automatic 1034
Minolta APS Film SLR Cameras
- Vectis S-100
- Vectis S-1
Minolta APS Film Compact Cameras
- Vectis 20
- Vectis 25
- Vectis 30
- Vectis 40
- Vectis GX-2
- Vectis GX-3
- Vectis GX-4 waterproof camera
- Vectis 260
- Vectis 300
- Vectis 300L
- Vectis Weathermatic Zoom underwater camera
- Vectis 2000
- Vectis 3000
Minolta 16mm Film SLR Cameras
- Minolta Auto-Zoom-X
Minolta 16mm Film Subminiature Cameras
- Minolta 16
- Minolta 16 Automat
- Minolta 16 Cds
- Minolta 16 EE
- Minolta 16 EE2
- Minolta 16 II
- Minolta 16 MG
- Minolta 16 MGS
- Minolta 16 P
- Minolta 16 Ps
- Minolta 16 QT
- Minolta Sonocon 16 MB-ZA
Minolta Disc Film Cameras
- Minolta ac 101 Courreges
- Minolta ac 301 Courreges
- Minolta Disc-5
- Minolta Disc-7
- Minolta Disc-S
- Minolta Disc-K
Minolta 110 Film SLR Cameras
Minolta 110 Film Pocket/Compact Cameras
- Pocket Autopak 200
- Pocket Autopak 250
- Pocket Autopak 270
- Pocket Autopak 430-E
- Pocket Autopak 430-EX
- Pocket Autopak 440-EX
- Pocket Autopak 450-E
- Pocket Autopak 450-EX
- Pocket Autopak 460-T
- Pocket Autopak 460-TX
- Pocket Autopak 50
- Pocket Autopak 70
- Pocket Pak 40
- Pocket Pak 440-E
- Pocket Pak 60
- Weathermatic A underwater camera
Minolta 120 Film Cameras
Minolta 4.5x6 Folding Cameras
Minolta 6x6 Collapsible Camera
Minolta 6x6 TLR Twin Lens Reflex Cameras
- Minolta Autocord
- Minolta Autocord CDS I
- Minolta Autocord CDS II
- Minolta Autocord CDS III
- Minolta Autocord I
- Minolta Autocord II
- Minolta Autocord III
- Minolta Autocord L
- Minolta Autocord MXS
- Minolta Autocord MXV
- Minolta Autocord RA
- Minolta Autocord RB
- Minolta Autocord RG
- Minolta Autocord RI
- Minolta Miniflex
- Minoltacord
- Minoltaflex
- Minoltaflex Automat
- Minoltaflex I
- Minoltaflex II
- Minoltaflex IIB
- Minoltaflex III
Minolta 127 Film Cameras
Minolta 4x6.5 Folding Cameras
Minolta 4x6.5 Collapsible Cameras
- Minolta Vest (sometimes called Minolta Best or Minolta Marble)
- Baby Minolta
Minolta 4x4 TLR Twin Lens Reflex Camera
Minolta Plate Film Cameras
Minolta 6.5x9 Folding Bed Cameras
- Nifca Klapp
- Nifca Sport
- Arcadia
- Happy Hand
- Happy Hand -- type S
- Sirius
Minolta 6.5x9 Strut Folding Cameras
- Nifca Dox
- Minolta
- Auto Press Minolta
Minolta Instant Film Cameras
Minolta Bibliography
- 70 Jahre Minolta Kameratechnik, by A.R. & J. Scheibel, ed. Lindemanns, ISBN 3-89506-191-3
- Dominique Francesch and Jean-Paul Francesch. Histoire de l'appareil photographique Minolta de 1929 à 1985. Paris: Dessain et Tolra, 1985. ISBN 2-249-27685-4
