Difference between revisions of "Minolta Autowide"
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| − | The '''Minolta Autowide''' was a viewfinder camera with selenium meter made by [[Minolta]] in Japan. | + | The '''Minolta Autowide''' was a viewfinder camera with coupled selenium meter made by [[Minolta]] in Japan. The AutoWide has a place in history as the ''second'' 35mm camera introduced with integral coupled metering, following the Mamiya Elca by a matter of weeks in February 1957. Concentric rotating aperture and shutterspeed knob-and-wheel on the back of the camera were geared to the lens and shutter. The meter readout was mechanically coupled to these knobs and also was adjustable through ASA/DIN slots on the meter dial. Exposure combination was found when the meter dial pointer matched the needle driven by the metercell's current. Aperture and shutterspeed readings were read through a magnifying port on top of the camera. |
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| − | The meter was coupled to the | ||
===specifications=== | ===specifications=== | ||
* Type: viewfinder camera | * Type: viewfinder camera | ||
* Manufacturer: [[Minolta]] | * Manufacturer: [[Minolta]] | ||
| − | * Year of launch: 1958 | + | * Year of launch: introduced February 1957 with sales starting in 1958. |
| − | + | * Lens: Minolta [[Rokkor]] 35mm/f2.8 with 6 elements in 4 groups. Zone focusing with 'P' setting for close up Portrait, 'G' for midrange Group, and 'S' for Scenery to infinity. | |
| − | * Lens: Minolta [[Rokkor]] | + | * Shutter: Optiper [[Citizen]] MVL , B, 1 to 1/500 sec. M and X flash sync. |
| − | * Shutter: Optiper [[Citizen]] MVL , 1 to 1/500 sec. | + | * Finder: Optical brightline viewfinder (no room for rangefinder optics with all those metering mechanisms under the top cover!) |
| − | * Finder: Optical viewfinder | + | * Metering: coupled selenium meter supports manual aperture/speed choice for ASA 10-1600 range |
| − | * Metering: coupled selenium meter supports manual aperture/speed- | + | * Film advance: Advance lever on the right side of the camera bottom with film transport indicator centered inset in fold-out rewind lever on bottom. Pushing in rewind button at bottom also releases rewind lever. Exposure counter in the camera top. |
| − | * Film advance: | ||
| + | The first generation AutoWide include Light Value (LV) referencing around the meter dial. | ||
== Links == | == Links == | ||
* [http://www.mconnealy.com/vintagecameras/autowide/index.html Minolta Autowide] by Mike Connealy | * [http://www.mconnealy.com/vintagecameras/autowide/index.html Minolta Autowide] by Mike Connealy | ||
Revision as of 17:36, 21 February 2010
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| Minolta Autowide |
The Minolta Autowide was a viewfinder camera with coupled selenium meter made by Minolta in Japan. The AutoWide has a place in history as the second 35mm camera introduced with integral coupled metering, following the Mamiya Elca by a matter of weeks in February 1957. Concentric rotating aperture and shutterspeed knob-and-wheel on the back of the camera were geared to the lens and shutter. The meter readout was mechanically coupled to these knobs and also was adjustable through ASA/DIN slots on the meter dial. Exposure combination was found when the meter dial pointer matched the needle driven by the metercell's current. Aperture and shutterspeed readings were read through a magnifying port on top of the camera.
specifications
- Type: viewfinder camera
- Manufacturer: Minolta
- Year of launch: introduced February 1957 with sales starting in 1958.
- Lens: Minolta Rokkor 35mm/f2.8 with 6 elements in 4 groups. Zone focusing with 'P' setting for close up Portrait, 'G' for midrange Group, and 'S' for Scenery to infinity.
- Shutter: Optiper Citizen MVL , B, 1 to 1/500 sec. M and X flash sync.
- Finder: Optical brightline viewfinder (no room for rangefinder optics with all those metering mechanisms under the top cover!)
- Metering: coupled selenium meter supports manual aperture/speed choice for ASA 10-1600 range
- Film advance: Advance lever on the right side of the camera bottom with film transport indicator centered inset in fold-out rewind lever on bottom. Pushing in rewind button at bottom also releases rewind lever. Exposure counter in the camera top.
The first generation AutoWide include Light Value (LV) referencing around the meter dial.
Links
- Minolta Autowide by Mike Connealy
- Minolta Autowide at www.collection-appareils.fr by Sylvain Halgand
