Minolta Hi-Matic 7s

Minolta Hi-Matic 7s

Minolta Hi-Matic 7s by Dries van den Elzen (Image rights) Manufacturer: Minolta Date of Production: 1966 Variants: Chrome or Black Type of Camera: Rangefinder camera Film type: 35mm Lens: Rokkor PF 45mm F/1.8; 6 elements in 5 groups Shutter: Seiko-LA leaf shutter with self-timer (approx. 10sec) Shutter speed range: Bulb, 1/4, 1/8, 1/15, 1/30, 1/60, 1/125, 1/250, 1/500 Viewfinder: Tinted rangefinder, bright line frame; automatic parallax correction; Exposure Value and battery condition displays ASA/ISO range: 25-800 Flash: hot shoe and PC socket Exposure Modes: Full automatic and metered manual Exposure Metering: Contrast Light Compensator, CdS exposure meter; the meter is in the lens barrel to compensate for filters or other lens attachments EV range: EV 5.7 (f/1.8 at 1/15 sec) to EV 17 (f/22 at 1/250 sec) Focusing: Direct helicoid focusing coupled to a super-imposed rangefinder Film advance: Wind lever with 220° winding distance; single full stroke or multiple short strokes Battery: 1.35 v, PX625 mercury battery; the camera can operate without a battery Weight: 720g (25.4oz) Dimensions: Height--82mm (3.25in); Width--140mm (5.5in); Front to back including lens--74mm (2.875in)

The Minolta Hi-matic 7s was introduced in 1966. It was the second upgrade of the Hi-Matic line.

Predecessor: the Hi-Matic 7

In 1963 the Minolta Hi-Matic 7 succeeded the original Minolta Hi-Matic 35mm rangefinder camera. It had new features, especially a CdS meter placed above the lens optics within the filter ring, a manual shutter speed selection mode, and the exposure meter's actual EV-value displayed in the viewfinder. Like the original Hi-Matic its viewfinder was a rangefinder with mechanical parallax correction, and it had a self-timer. With this camera Minolta made the "Hi-Matic" camera series their main series of range- and viewfinder cameras. Every Hi-Matic had auto-exposure, and increasing support for flash use.

Features of the Hi-Matic 7s

The Hi-Matic 7s and Hi-Matic 9 followed in 1966, and were improved versions of the 7. The 7s came with the Contrast Light Compensator (CLC) metering system, which offered improved metering, especially in high contrast situations. Also the 7s added a hot shoe and Safe Load System (SLS) indicator to show that film was loaded and being transported properly. Additional differences between the 7 and 7s included rangefinder windows changing from a contrasting 'pink and green' tint to 'yellow and blue'; the carrying strap lugs moving up to the side and given a more rounded shape; and the end of the lens barrel being black rather than the brushed aluminium of the 7. The 7s also came in a black version.

Hi-matic 7s Black Version image by Paulo Moreira (Image rights)

Evaluation

Modern Photography evaluated the Hi-Matic 7s in 1967 after its release. In general they noted that it operated similarly to the Hi-Matic 7. They found that CLC meter was within 1/2 stop of their test reference, and field tests with transparencies were well exposed despite a variety of light and contrast. They also liked that the meter could be switched off to prevent battery drain, and they liked the SLS indicator, which not only showed that the film had been loaded correctly but also tracked film usage. Because the lens of the 7s was the same as the 7, Modern Photography did no lens test of the 7s, and simply repeated the lens test results of the 7.

45mm F/1.8 Rokkor-PF

Aperture	Center Sharpness	Edge Sharpness
1.8	Good	Acceptable
2.8	Good	Acceptable
4	Good	Good
5.6	Good	Good
8	Good	Very Good
11	Good	Very Good
16	Good	Very Good
22	Acceptable	Good

Pictures

The Minolta Hi-Matic 7s images by Dries van den Elzen (Image rights)

Links

• Minolta Hi-matic at Wikipedia
• Minolta Hi-matic 7s manual by Mike Butkus
• Minolta Hi-Matic 7s by John Burton