Minolta 5000

Minolta 5000 AF with AA-battery grip image by Uwe Kulick (Image rights)

The Minolta 5000 (called Maxxum 5000 in the USA and α -5000 in Japan) was launched in 1986 as a "entry-level" camera for the autofocus lens mount (α-Mount) of Minolta. By being the entry level camera, many of the more advanced features of the Minolta 7000 and Minolta 9000 were left out on the 5000 to make operation simpler and bring the Autofocus to everyone.

The Minolta 5000 has only Program and Manual exposure modes. Program sets both aperture and speed, and neither can be changed. A button in the back of the camera (BLC) is provided for backlit subjects. When in manual mode arrows pointing up or down tell the user if the picture is over, or underexposed. A remarkable fact is that this camera was originally sold together with a Minolta AF 50mm 1:1.7(22) lens (6 elements in 5 groups), probably an autofocus relative of the famous 50mm 1:1.7 Rokkor. Most later autofocus SLR models where sold with a zoom lens.

Minolta launched their A mount, with provided AF, but this model also has a manual focus mode; in which focus assist is provided by additional red LED triangle indicators in the viewfinder with a green circle (autofocus-confirm) LED when the image is in focus. These LEDs also works in autofocus mode.

A weak point of some of these old Minolta AF bodies is the locked rewind switch which sometimes doesn;t function anymore so that a darkroom would be needed to remove exposed film from the camera. Some of the old cameras may have the bigger grip holding 4 AA-batteries instead of four little AAA-batteries. That's an advantage concerning energy but really good only for the big-handed, later a grip for Lithium 2CR5 batteries was also offered.

Specifications

Maxxum 5000 AF image by digital-analog (Image rights)

Maxxum 5000 AF with lithium battery holder front and back views image by Pablo Coronel (Image rights)

• Year of launch: 1985
• Manufacturer: Minolta
• Type: single lens reflex camera
• Lens mount: Minolta α-bayonet
• Film type: 35mm film with speeds of 25 to 6400 ISO, with auto DX
• Metering element: Center-weighed silicon photo cell.
• Metering range: -1 to 20 EV
• Focusing: autofocus. Single point with 2 to 19 EV range.
• Programs: P and M modes
• Shutter: Focal plane shutter with speeds from 4 to 1/2000 sec. B
• Film advance: fully auto advance at 1.5 fps with auto rewind
• Viewfinder: 0.85 magnification x 94% coverage, shutter and aperture LED display.
• Flash: TTL flash possible with Minolta compatible units.
• Power: 4x AAA battery; accesoriy holders for 4AA or 1 2CR5 batteries available
• Dimensions: approx 138 × 92.5 × 52mm
• Weight: 550g (body only)
• Accessories:
  • Data Back 70 or Program Back 70
  • Battery holders BH70-L (4xAA) or BH70-H (Lithium 2CR5)
  • Eye pece correction
  • Remote controller IR-1N

Links

• Minolta 5000 manual at Photo-Manuals.com
• Minolta 5000 manual at Mike Butkus'camera manual site
• Minolta 5000 AF on www.collection-appareils.fr by Sylvain Halgand (in French)