Minolta A5
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image by Still Cameras (Image rights) |
The Minolta A5 was the last of Minolta's A-series rangefinder cameras. Minolta released it in 1960. McKeown states that there were two versions of the camera in Japan; one with a six-element 1:2,0/45mm-Rokkor, the other with a four-element 1:2,8/45mm-Rokkor, and both with a Citizen shutter with exposure times 1 - 1/1000 second.[1] He also mentions an American model with the slower lens, and with a shutter to only 1/500 second. Among the examples seen, the fast shutter occurs on cameras with the simpler folding rewind crank as pictured below, and may be an early feature. McKeown also shows a restyled version from from 1966:[1] this has the film-advance lever emerging from the rear of the top housing, not on top, and the simple open dial of the frame counter is replaced with a transparent window. The lens barrel is also restyled.
The camera has a viewfinder with superimposed rangefinder and framelines, including ones for parallax-error correction. The A-camera series developed into the AL series, that was produced alongside the Hi-Matic series.
A5 top plate showing early style of film-rewind crank (and stripes on the focusing ring) image by Howard Stanbury (Image rights) |
Notes
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 McKeown, James M. and Joan C. McKeown's Price Guide to Antique and Classic Cameras, 12th Edition, 2005-2006. USA, Centennial Photo Service, 2004. ISBN 0-931838-40-1 (hardcover). ISBN 0-931838-41-X (softcover). pp674-5.