Semi Minolta (I) and II

The Semi Minolta (セミ・ミノルタ) is a series of Japanese 4.5×6 folders made by Molta and then Chiyoda Kōgaku (the predecessors of Minolta) from 1934 to 1955.

The prewar models, distributed by Asanuma Shōkai, are inspired by the Ikonta but they are not plain copies. The body had a major change when it was switched from pressed steel to a diecast construction. The contemporary Auto Semi Minolta rangefinder model is a very different camera and is described in a separate page. After the war, the viewfinder model evolved as the Semi Minolta III, with more features. The Semi Minolta P, released in 1951, is a completely redesigned camera made at a cheaper price, also described in a separate page.

The original Semi Minolta

The original Semi Minolta can be recognized by the folding finder and the absence of either a body release or covers for the red windows. It is retrospectively called "Semi Minolta I", but it seems that this name was not used by the company, even after the release of the Semi Minolta II, and that it was later coined by collectors. Many Western sources identify this camera wrongly and confuse it with the early model of the Semi Minolta II (see below).

Release date

Some sources give 1932 or 1933 as the release date but the camera did not appear until the end of 1934 and was not actually sold before 1935. The patent of the Crown E shutter of this model was filed on April 16, 1934 and published on October 13 of the same year. According to Kokusan kamera no rekishi, the original Semi Minolta was mentioned in the photo notes column of the December 1934 issue of Asahi Camera as available soon. It was also mentioned in the January 1935 issue of the same magazine, at the end of an article about the Semi Prince. The earliest reported advertisement is in the March 1935 issue of Asahi Camera.

An advertisement published in the following issue of the same magazine still mentions the camera as soon to be sold, at the price of ¥70 with an accessory rangefinder costing ¥15. No picture or description is given and the camera is called "Minolta Semi Bro" (ミノルタ・セミ・ブロ), where "Bro" is an abbreviation for "Brownie": it seems that the name was not yet fully settled at the time.

The Semi Minolta competes for the title of first Japanese 4.5×6 camera with the Semi Prince.

General description

Original Semi Minolta n°02576, f/4.5 lens, 1/100 top speed (back leather not original). Pictures courtesy of eBayer hbpartner. (Image rights)

MTS logo.
(Image rights)

The camera body is inspired by the 4.5×6 Ikonta but it is not a plain copy. It has a mixed pressed steel and die-cast alloy construction. The folding struts are simpler than those of the Ikonta, in the style of the later 4.5×6 Nettar. The finder is offset to the left and there is an accessory shoe, very slightly offset to the right. The Semi Minolta is said to be the first 4.5×6 camera with an accessory shoe. Next to it is a button with a striated tip, to release the folding bed, and there are film flanges at both ends. The film is wound by a key, situated at the bottom right (as seen by a photographer holding the camera body horizontally), and the tripod screw is at the opposite end of the bottom plate. The back is hinged to the left and there is a leather handle on the other end. Film advance is controlled by two uncovered red windows near the top of the back.

The front leather is embossed Minolta and there is an MTS logo engraved in the folding struts (it seems to be the logo of the Molta company).

Lens and shutter equipment

1/100 and 1/200 top speeds.
(Image rights)

All the versions of the original Semi Minolta have a Coronar 75mm f/4.5 lens engraved Coronar Anastigmat Nippon, except for the last transitional version, which also exists with an f/3.5 lens (see below). The Coronar is a triplet lens, said to be made by Asahi Kōgaku.

The shutter for all the versions is an everset Crown E, giving first T, B, 5–100 speeds and later T, B, 5–200. The name Crown E was already present in an early advertisement dated July 1935 but it was not consistently used and the shutter was sometimes simply called "Crown".

Exposure counter disc.
(Image rights)

The Crown E is equipped with a small disc acting as an exposure counter, object of the 1934 patent mentioned above. This disc advances each time the release is tripped and it can be manually reset. It is graduated from 1 to 8 with an intermediate stop between two consecutive numbers so that each number is used twice, as it appears in the red windows. The disc makes two full turns during the 16 exposures and each numbered position is shared by two numbers: 5/1, 6/2, 7/3 and 8/4.

On all the examples except the late transitional ones, the shutter plate is black. It is engraved Patents-Nippon at the top and CROWN at the bottom and has the MTS logo on the right. The aperture scale is graduated from 4.5 to 25 and is screwed at the bottom.

Frame finder and unit focusing

Leaflet for the Semi Minolta dated about 1935, showing the folding frame finder, unit focusing and 1/100 top speed.
Scan courtesy of Andrea Apra. (Image rights)

The very first examples of the Semi Minolta have unit focusing and a folding frame finder. This version is described and pictured in an advertisement dated July 1935 where it is offered for ¥75 along with an accessory rangefinder sold ¥15. The given top speed is 1/100, and the advertisement does not mention the case, which is perhaps included in the price. A leaflet dated about the same lists the camera alone for ¥70, the rangefinder for ¥15 and the case for ¥5. It shows a camera with lens no.2842, certainly among the earliest ones.

Semi Minolta, folding frame finder, unit focusing and 1/200 top speed.
Extract from a leaflet dated about 1935. Scan courtesy of Andrea Apra. (Image rights)

An advertisement dated November 1935 mentions 1/200 top speed and gives the lower price of ¥65 for the camera, the price of the accessories being unchanged. A contemporary leaflet also says 1/200 and gives the price of ¥70, perhaps including the case.

Original Semi Minolta no.02576, f/4.5 lens no.3455, 1/100 top speed (back leather not original). Pictures courtesy of eBayer Maddmatt68. (Image rights)

The Semi Minolta with frame finder is extremely rare, and only two surviving examples are known so far (both with 1/100 top speed). The lens and shutter assembly is mounted on a helical and the distance scale is on a metal strip above the front standard. The lens bezel is black and of course the front element is fixed. The frame finder has the front part folding over the rear one and it is opened by lifting the rear edge. Compared with the later examples, the red windows are offset to the left and look slightly smaller.

Frame finder and front-cell focusing

Semi Minolta, folding frame finder, front-cell focusing, 1/100 top speed.
Extract from a leaflet dated about 1936. Scan courtesy of Andrea Apra. (Image rights)

The combination of the expensive unit focusing feature with a frame finder probably sounded weird and these features would soon disappear. It seems that the immediately following examples keep the folding frame finder but have front cell focusing. No surviving example of this version has yet been found, but it appears in an advertisement dated January 1936 mentioning 1/200 top speed in two advertisements dated July 1936, one of them mentioning 1/100 top speed, and in a leaflet dated about the same.

Optical finder

The next examples have a folding optical finder, with the rear part folding above the front one. They still share early features with the frame finder versions: the film retaining knobs are thin striated discs, the back latch and the handle are attached to the body and the back itself is opened by a sliding button on the side.

Metal strip with name and number. (Image rights)

The metal lens rim has Mtr and distance engravings on the front and there is a big cylindrical infinity stop. It is usually situated on the left above the exposure counter disc but this somtimes varies. There is a brown metal strip above the front standard, engraved Semi Minolta with Nr. and the serial number. (That was the focusing scale of the unit-focusing version.) It is supposed that all these features were already present in the version with front-cell focusing and frame finder.

Examples of this version are known with 1/100 and with 1/200 top speed, one example with 1/100 top speed being displayed above in this page. This version is pictured in advertisements dated November 1936 (mentioning 1/200 top speed) and August 1937, and perhaps already in the January 1936 advertisement cited above.

Higher knobs

Left: early film knob.
Right: late film knob in open and close position. (Image rights)

At some point after the definitive adoption of 1/200 top speed, the thin film knobs were replaced by thicker ones, similar to the ones equipping the later Semi Minolta II. The older knobs could be lifted in any position while the newer ones can be lifted only after they are turned so that the small screw on the rim is pointing to the back.

New back latch

Old and new back latch. (Image rights)

It seems that the next evolutionary step was the replacement of the back latch by a new model that is attached to the back instead of the body. The handle attachment looks more robust and the back is opened by a button placed behind. This is the arrangement that is found on the early model of the Semi Minolta II. Tanimura presents a picture of an example with the thick flanges and the new back latch but the old shutter plate.

Guide rails

Exposure chamber without and with guide rails. (Image rights)

Tanimura says that the following change was a modification of the pressure plate with stepped sides, then the addition of guide rails in the exposure chamber, presumably to improve film flatness. Examples of the camera with the new film knobs are known with and without guide rails, and Tanimura provides pictures comparing the exposure chambers. The guide rails consist of two thin metal strips attached by four screws each. The late example with f/3.5 lens pictured below has longer and wider strips, attached by three screws each and covering the film rollers. The first model of the Semi Minolta II has similar strips but slightly shorter, leaving the film rollers uncovered.

New shutter plate

Old and new shutter plate. (Image rights)

The last examples of the original Semi Minolta have a shutter plate that is similar to the one found on the Semi Minolta II, except that it still has the typical exposure counter disc. This shutter plate is black with three stripes on each side. It is engraved PATENT NIPPON at the top and CROWN at the bottom in block letters, and has no MTS logo.

On the examples with f/4.5 lens, the lens bezel and infinity stop are the same as on the previous versions. Pictures of this version all show the same thick standing leg as mounted on the previous examples, presumably with the same type of folding bed.

Larger aperture

Original Semi Minolta n°05943, f/3.5 lens, 1/200 top speed, with some features of the Semi Minolta II. Pictures courtesy of eBayer hbpartner. (Image rights)

Folding bed for f/4.5 and f/3.5 lens.
(Image rights)

The late version also exists with a 75mm f/3.5 lens engraved Coronar Anastigmat Nippon, and one such example is pictured in this page. The distance scale is engraved on the side of the focusing rim and the infinity stop is a small red plate. The folding bed is modified to accomodate the larger f/3.5 lens: there is a recessed oval and a thinner standing leg, as found in the Semi Minolta II, while the original Semi Minolta normally has a flat folding bed with a thick standing leg. Compared with an earlier example, the spring mechanism releasing the folding bed is different, but it is unknown if this is related with the bed modification. All the other features are common with the late f/4.5 example pictured in Tanimura, including the Crown E shutter giving T, B, 5–200 speeds.

The original Semi Minolta was still advertised in 1938 along with the Semi Minolta II. It is suspected that the late variants with the new shutter plate and perhaps also with the new back latch postdate introduction of the Semi Minolta II at the very end of 1937. An advertisement dated January 1938 offers the f/4.5 version for ¥75 and the f/3.5 version for ¥89. The f/3.5 version is also pictured in a user manual for the Semi Minolta.

Price and accessories

The original 1935 price was ¥75 for the version with unit focusing. In 1937 it was ¥65, the price decrease being partly explained by the abandon of unit focusing. From the very beginning, an accessory rangefinder was offered for ¥15 extra. Two cases were offered: an ordinary one for ¥4.50 and a large one for ¥5, holding the camera with the rangefinder mounted.

The Semi Minolta II

Early model, mixed construction

The Semi Minolta II (セミ・ミノルタⅡ型) adds a body release and a cover for the red windows. It was sometimes called simply "Semi Minolta" after the disparition of the original Semi Minolta.

The first model has the same mixed construction as the Semi Minolta I, made of pressed metal and die-cast alloy. It is often mistaken for the Semi Minolta I in Western publications. The finder and the accessory shoe are moved very slightly to the right, to leave space for the body release. The Semi Minolta II has all the cumulative changes described above for the Semi Minolta I: high film knobs, back latch attached to the back itself and opened by a button placed behind, guide rails in the exposure chamber and recessed folding bed with a thin standing leg (even on the f/4.5 version). Another change has been observed on the model II: the advance can be turned clockwise only and the internal film key seems to be a bit larger.

Prontor f/3.5 version

Semi Minolta II, early model, Prontor II shutter, f/3.5 lens (no.36817).
Pictures courtesy of eBayer hbpartner. (Image rights)

Prontor II shutter.
(Image rights)

The Semi Minolta II was announced at the end of 1937: according to Kokusan kamera no rekishi, it appeared in the new products column of the December 1937 issue of Asahi Camera and was advertised from 1938 to 1943 (all versions included). It was first offered for ¥105 with a Prontor II shutter (175–1, B, T, self-timer) and a Coronar Anastigmat f/3.5 lens, as appears in advertisements dated January 1938. The external rangefinder was still offered as an accessory for ¥18.

The shutter plate of the Prontor II version is marked PRONTOR II at the bottom and it usually has the AGC logo of the company Gauthier at the right. At least one early example is known without this logo. Unlike the other versions, the aperture scale is above the shutter housing and there is a release lever on the shutter itself in addition to the body release.

Shutter release of the Prontor
and Crown models.
(Image rights)

The Prontor-equipped examples have a plain release button with a rounded tip while the Crown-equipped cameras have a screw-threaded button to attach a distant release. This is probably because the Prontor shutter does have its own distant release connector while the Crown does not.

A version with f/3.5 lens and Compur shutter giving T, B, 1–300 speeds is mentioned by Tanimura, but no confirmation has been found and it seems that no example has surfaced.

Crown f/4.5 version

Semi Minolta II, early model, Crown B shutter, f/4.5 lens (no.38330).
The release button is probably not original.
Pictures courtesy of eBayer hbpartner. (Image rights)

Crown B shutter.
(Image rights)

A less expensive version soon appeared with a Coronar Anastigmat f/4.5 lens and an everset Crown B shutter giving B, 5–200 speeds. According to Kokusan kamera no rekishi, it was first advertised in the April 1938 issue of Shashin Shinpō. The shutter plate of the Crown B is engraved PATENT NIPPON at the top and CROWN at the bottom, it is similar to the one found on the transitional Semi Minolta I described above but it lacks the exposure counter disc and the aperture index is modified.

The first examples have the same lens bezel and infinity stop as the original Semi Minolta. This was soon changed for a new lens bezel and infinity stop similar to the f/3.5 version.

Number of red windows

Single red window.
(Image rights)

The first examples of the Semi Minolta II have two red windows in the back, protected by a cover that is retracted by a lever. This feature is pictured in one of the advertisements for the Prontor model dated January 1938. It only appears on a few examples with Prontor shutter or with Crown shutter and f/4.5 lens having the old lens bezel.

This was changed very soon for a single red window, centred at the bottom of the back, protected by a vertically sliding cover. The single red window appears on most examples of the first model, whether with Prontor or with Crown shutter. For the f/4.5 version, the change was perhaps simultaneous with the switch to the lens bezel and infinity stop. All the examples observed of the Crown f/3.5 version have a single red window, this is consistent with the fact that this version appeared at a later date.

Crown f/3.5 version

After about a year, the Prontor II shutter was substituted by the Crown B on the f/3.5 version, the first advertisements being dated January 1939. In one of these, the camera is offered with a Crown B shutter but the picture has not been updated and still shows the Prontor II. The price list is as follows:

• Semi Minolta II, Crown B, Coronar 75/4.5 (¥100);
• Semi Minolta II, Crown B, Coronar 75/3.5 (¥120).

Some accessories are listed too:

• accessory rangefinder (¥18);
• hood for 25mm filters, for the f/4.5 lens (¥1.50);
• hood for 30mm filters, for the f/3.5 lens (¥1.70);
• small ever ready case, for the camera only (¥5.00);
• big ever ready case, for the camera with the rangefinder (¥5.50).

Middle model, die-cast body

Nickel plating

Semi Minolta II, middle model, nickel finish, Crown B shutter, f/4.5 lens (no.54105). Pictures courtesy of eBayer hbpartner. (Image rights)

The Semi Minolta II was heavily modified at some point. According to Kokusan kamera no rekishi, the new features were discussed in the new products column of the June 1940 issue of Asahi Camera. This middle model is what is called "Semi Minolta II" by most Western sources, whereas the early model is incorrectly called "Semi Minolta I".

Old and new body shape. The model presented on the right is a later one with sharpened edges,
to make the shape change easier to distinguish. (Image rights)

New mechanism
to open the finder.
(Image rights)

This model has a full die-cast alloy body, with a slightly different shape. The back is opened by a long bar sliding under a flat cover and there is no strap handle. The viewfinder opening is coupled to the folding bed release, whereas the finder of the previous model was simply opened by lifting its front edge. Next to the finder on the left there is a small mushroom-like part that keeps the spring-loaded finder closed and is moved further to the left when the folding bed release is pressed, thus releasing the finder too.

The new body construction came with internal changes. For example the internal body corners were altered, the film rollers were modified and the guide rails are now integral to the body casting. Some sources say that at the same time the spool loading parts were made thicker for easier film loading. The surrounding of the internal film key was indeed modified, but it is not much bigger and it is unclear whether film loading is really easier.

Extract of the October 1941 Asanuma catalogue.
(Image rights)

An advertisement in the March 1941 issue of Shashin Bunka offers two lens choices, both with a Crown B shutter (T, B, 5–200):

• Coronar f/4.5 lens (¥100);
• Coronar f/3.5 lens (¥120).

The accessory rangefinder is still offered for ¥18.

The Asanuma catalogue dated October 1941 offers the same two models, at ¥117 and ¥141. The rangefinder is mentioned in the description only. The following accessories are listed:

• hood with filter holder for f/4.5 lens (25mm diameter): ¥1.50;
• hood with filter holder for f/3.5 lens (30mm diameter): ¥1.70;
• small case (camera only): ¥7.70;
• large case (camera and rangefinder): ¥8.35.

Chrome plating

Semi Minolta II, middle model, chrome finish, Crown B shutter, f/3.5 lens (no.80818).
Pictures courtesy of eBayer hbpartner. (Image rights)

Nickel and chrome plated parts. (Image rights)

At some point, the metal parts that were nickel plated became chrome plated. This came together with minor changes in the shape of many parts: the advance key was switched from a smooth edged model to a sharp edged one and the striated tip of the folding bed release button was replaced by a flat tip.

The lens engraving was changed from Coronar Anastigmat Nippon to Coronar Nippon at about the same time, even if at least one example with a later body variant has been observed with the old engraving, perhaps because remaining lens stock was used.

Minolta logo in natural and
in artificial leather. (Image rights)

It seems that artificial leather replaced the natural leather covering simultaneously with chrome plating.

All the examples observed of this model have a black lacquered body, whether they have nickel or chrome finish.

Late model, plain folding struts

Pictures on the left: Semi Minolta II, late model, Crown B shutter, f/3.5 lens (no.85727). Thumbnails on the right: similar model with f/4.5 lens (no.101260). Pictures courtesy of eBayer hbpartner. (Image rights)

The late model of the Semi Minolta II has plain diagonal struts, without any logo, increasing the similarity with the 4.5×6 Nettar. This model exists both with the f/4.5 lens and with the f/3.5 lens, always engraved Coronar Nippon except in the example already mentioned above. Most examples of this model have bare metal body edges, maybe because of a shortage of paint in wartime Japan. The body shape was left unchanged but the edges were ground sharp for a better finish. Some examples with f/3.5 lens have been observed with the black painted body and round edges of the previous version. It is possible that the black paint finish was only applied to some examples of the more expensive f/3.5 version.

Semi Minolta II, late model, Crown cocking shutter, f/3.5 lens (no.89703). Pictures courtesy of Jamie Bushley from www.virtualcameramuseum.com. (Image rights)

Crown cocking shutter.
(Image rights)

In addition to the usual everset Crown shutter giving T, B, 5–200 speeds, the late model has also been observed with a Crown shutter of the cocking type. It is known with f/3.5 lens and with f/4.5 lens. Apart from the cocking lever, this shutter has the same features as the previous one and the shutter plate has the same markings. Kokusan kamera no rekishi says that the Semi Minolta II was offered with a Crown A shutter from the advertisement published in the February 1942 issue of Asahi Camera, and reports that this Crown A shutter gives T, B, 1–200 speeds. No example of the Semi Minolta II has yet been observed with this range of speeds. It is suspected that this is a mistake and that the Crown A is the Crown shutter with a cocking lever.

An example has been reported with a Chiyoko Osaka Rokkor 75mm f/3.5 lens. On the picture observed, the lens engraving begins by CHIYOKO OSAKA, the lens number is 1720 and the shutter is a Crown with T, B, 5–200 speeds and a cocking lever. The Rokkor 75/3.5 lens is reputed to have been developed after the war and first mounted on the Semi Minolta III. The serial number of this lens is not extremely early and this probably excludes the possibility that it was an experimental model assembled during the war with an early prototype of the Rokkor. Maybe this example is not original and was modified after leaving the factory or maybe some Semi Minolta II were assembled and sold after the war, presumably from remaining stocks of parts, some of them having the new Rokkor lens.

The Semi Minolta III

Semi Minolta III (A) n°2169, Rokkor 75mm f:3.5 lens. The advance knob and shutter release are of the early type. Pictures courtesy of Frank Slade. (Image rights)

The Semi Minolta III is a postwar model, quite similar to the late Semi Minolta II but with a more modern finish and with auto-stop film advance and double exposure prevention. It is said to be the first camera sold by Chiyoda Kōgaku after the war.

The Semi Minolta IIIA

The original version is retrospectively called Semi Minolta IIIA because of the IIIB and IIIC versions, but at the beginning it was only called Semi Minolta III (セミ・ミノルタⅢ型). It appears in Japanese advertisements between 1946 and 1950.

The diagonal struts, folding bed and die cast body are identical to the late Semi Minolta II. The back is identical too, with the red window only needed to set the first exposure. The bottom side is different, with no advance key, a small knob at each end and a centred tripod screw (engraved MADE IN OCCUPIED JAPAN at least in some examples), but the main changes are concentrated on the top side.

There is a chrome finished top plate, separated in two by a small step in the middle. Its right half is slightly thicker because it contains the automatic film advance mechanism. It supports the advance knob, the folding bed opening button and contains a small hole showing the exposure counter disc. The advance knob is engraved to indicate the advance direction, with variations in the engraving: the two simple black arrows of the beginning were later replaced by a single one, more stylized. Examples also exist with a CPO logo, consisting of the katakana シーピーオー inside a diamond. There is a small button protruding from the rear of the top plate, which is used to reset the exposure counter. The left half of the top plate supports the folding optical finder, the body release above the hinge of the folding bed, and an accessory shoe at the left end of the body. The body release is internally linked to the film advance to insure double exposure prevention. The button itself was modified at some time with a thread to attach a distant release.

The shutter of the Semi Minolta III is a Kōnan-Rapid, with B, 1–500 speeds, made by Chiyoda itself. The speed rim and the top of the shutter plate are both engraved KŌNAN-RAPID, while the bottom of the shutter plate is engraved CHIYOKŌ. The original IIIA version is not synchronized. The aperture is set by a small index on top of the shutter housing.

Three lens variants of the IIIA are reported:

• Rokkor 75/3.5 (engraved Chiyoko Osaka ROKKOR 1:3.5 f=75mm NrXXXX);
• Promar 75/3.5;
• Zuiko 75/3.5 (made by Takachiho, the predecessor of Olympus).

The Rokkor 75/3.5 is the first lens made by Chiyoda for civilian use, and it is also the first coated lens sold in Japan. It seems to be the standard equipment, with which the camera is consistently advertised (for example it is the only lens offered in an advertisement dated February 1948). An early advertisement, dated January 1947, says that the camera is equipped with a new but unnamed coated lens, surely the Rokkor. It shows a four-element lens scheme, which seems to imply that the Rokkor has four elements. It is likely that the other lenses were only mounted at the beginning of the production, around 1946, when the new lens was not yet available in quantities.

The Semi Minolta IIIB

Semi Minolta IIIB n°18157, Rokkor 75mm f:3.5 lens. The shutter plate is black and the specific synch pin is visible in the lens close-up. Pictures courtesy of eBayer virtualmerch. (Image rights)

The Semi Minolta IIIB adds synchronization for magnesic flash units. It appears in Japanese advertisements dated 1950. Chiyoda Kōgaku sold a Minolta Flash Model U (ミノルタ同調発光器Ｕ型) to go with this model and with the Minolta 35 (it appears in a May 1950 advertisement).

The IIIB is only reported with the Rokkor 75/3.5. An early example, pictured in this page, is known with the same shutter markings as on the IIIA and a specific synch pin on the left of the shutter housing.

A later one has been observed with an ASA bayonet synch connector (on the top right of the shutter housing) and a white shutter plate, like the later IIIC, marked KONAN-RAPID and CHIYOKO with no macrons. The speed rim is engraved S-KONAN-RAPID at the bottom, the "S" presumably meaning Synchronized.

The Semi Minolta IIIC

The Semi Minolta IIIC appears in Japanese advertisements dated 1951. Some sources say that the IIIC is distinguished from the IIIB by the switch from a black shutter plate to a white one, but this seems to be a mistake, the identification feature being the absence of double exposure prevention and some examples of the IIIB already having a white shutter plate. The IIIC has a small lever protruding from the front of the top plate, under the bed opening button, used to unlock film advance between two exposures. This lever has become necessary because of the removal of the double exposure prevention linkage between the shutter release and the advance mechanism. The purpose of this retrogression was probably to cut costs. Of course this kind of change is not mentioned in the advertisements.

The IIIC is said to have the Rokkor 75/3.5, but it has been observed with the Chiyoko Promar SII 75/3.5 supplied with the later Semi Minolta P. One example of the IIIC has been observed with an aperture scale in white instead of black.

The shutter rim and white shutter plate have the same markings as described for the late IIIB but on all the examples observed the synch connector is of the same specific type as the early IIIB pictured in this page. It is said that the accessory flash unit offered with the IIIC was called Model Ub.

A rumour reported by Tanimura says that some late Semi Minolta III were equipped with Prontor shutters. None seems to have surfaced since and no picture is known.

Bibliography

Original documents

• Asanuma Shōkai. Shashinki to zairyō (写真機と材料, Cameras and supplies). Catalogue dated October 1941. P.10. Document partly reproduced here in rebollo_fr's Flickr space.
• Molta Gōshi-gaisha. Asanuma Shōkai hatsubai no kokusan kamera Minoruta Happī (浅沼商会発売の国産カメラミノルタ・ハッピー, Japan-made Minolta and Happy cameras distributed by Asanuma Shōkai). Leaflet dating about 1935. Document owned by Andrea Apra and reproduced here in rebollo_fr's Flickr space.
• Molta Gōshi-gaisha. Danzen kesshutsu shita kokusan kamera (断然傑出した国産カメラ, Definitely excellent Japan-made cameras). Leaflet dating about 1936. Document owned by Andrea Apra and reproduced here in rebollo_fr's Flickr space.
• Molta Gōshi-gaisha. Semi Minoruta kamera (セミミノルタカメラ, Semi Minolta camera). Leaflet dating about 1935. Document owned by Andrea Apra and reproduced here in rebollo_fr's Flickr space.

Recent sources

• Asahi Camera (アサヒカメラ) editorial staff. Shōwa 10–40nen kōkoku ni miru kokusan kamera no rekishi (昭和10–40年広告にみる国産カメラの歴史, Japanese camera history as seen in advertisements, 1935–1965). Tokyo: Asahi Shinbunsha, 1994. ISBN 4-02-330312-7. Items 272–4 and 916–8.
• Awano Mikio (粟野幹男). "Semi Minolta I-gata ni tsuite." (セミミノルタⅠ型について) In Camera Collectors' News no. 104 (February 1986). Nishinomiya: Camera Collectors News-sha.
• Baird, John R. The Japanese Camera. Yakima, WA: Historical Camera Publications, 1990. ISBN 1-879561-02-6. Pp. 35 and 41.
• Francesch, Dominique and Jean-Paul. Histoire de l'appareil photographique Minolta de 1929 à 1985. Paris: Dessain et Tolra, 1985. ISBN 2-249-27685-4.
• The Japanese Historical Camera. 日本の歴史的カメラ (Nihon no rekishiteki kamera). 2nd ed. Tokyo: JCII Camera Museum, 2004. P. 21.
• Kawamata Masataku (川又正卓). "Semi Minolta." In Supuringu kamera de ikou: Zen 69 kishu no shōkai to tsukaikata (スプリングカメラでいこう: 全69機種の紹介と使い方, Let's try spring cameras: The use of and actual examples from 69 machines). Tokyo: Shashinkogyo Syuppan-sha, 2004. ISBN 4-87956-072-3. Pp. 76–7.
• Lewis, Gordon, ed. The History of the Japanese Camera. Rochester, N.Y.: George Eastman House, International Museum of Photography & Film, 1991. ISBN 0-935398-17-1 (paper), 0-935398-16-3 (hard). Pp. 52, 54, 60, 63 and 182.
• 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). P. 672.
• Omoide no supuringu-kamera-ten (思い出のスプリングカメラ展, Exhibition of beloved self-erecting cameras). Tokyo: JCII Camera Museum, 1992. (Exhibition catalogue, no ISBN number.) P. 9.
• Scheibel, Anni Rita and Joseph. 70 Jahre Minolta Kameratechnik — Von der Nifcalette bis zur Dynax 9. Stuttgart: Lindemanns Verlag, 3rd edition, 1999. ISBN 3-89506-191-3. Pp. 16–7, 22–3, 30 and 32–3.
• Sugiyama, Kōichi (杉山浩一); Naoi, Hiroaki (直井浩明); Bullock, John R. The Collector's Guide to Japanese Cameras. 国産カメラ図鑑 (Kokusan kamera zukan). Tokyo: Asahi Sonorama, 1985. ISBN 4-257-03187-5. Items 1199–1204 and 1356.
• Tanimura Yoshihiko (谷村吉彦). "Supuringu kamera <semi minoruta>" (スプリングカメラ<セミミノルタ>, "'Semi Minolta' self-erecting camera"). Kamera Rebyū: Kurashikku Kamera Senka (カメラレビュー クラシックカメラ専科) / Camera Review: All about Historical Cameras no.12, October 1988. No ISBN number. Minoruta kamera no subete (ミノルタカメラのすべて, special issue on Minolta). Pp. 19–24.
• Tanimura Yoshihiko (谷村吉彦). "Semi Minolta I-gata to II-gata." (セミミノルタⅠ型とⅡ型, "Semi Minolta I and II") In Camera Collectors' News no. 116 (February 1987). Nishinomiya: Camera Collectors News-sha.
• Tanimura Yoshihiko (谷村吉彦). "Semi Minolta I-gata to II-gata (sono 2)." (セミミノルタⅠ型とⅡ型(その2), "Semi Minolta I and II (part 2)") In Camera Collectors' News no. 118 (April 1987). Nishinomiya: Camera Collectors News-sha.
• Tanimura Yoshihiko (谷村吉彦). "Semi Minolta I-gata gaibun." (セミミノルタⅠ型外聞, "Things heard about the Semi Minolta I") In Camera Collectors' News no. 131 (May 1988). Nishinomiya: Camera Collectors News-sha.

Links

General links

In English:

• Semi Minolta II in Mediajoy's Guide to Classic Cameras. Follow the "Next" links at the bottom of the page to have an illustrated sequence of operations.
• Minolta folding cameras at the Manual Minolta website
• Semi Minolta II in Cameracatalogus
• Early and late Semi Minolta II (mis-identified as Semi Minolta I and II) and Semi Minolta III(A) (mis-identified as Auto Semi Minolta) in Alon Halutzy's website
• Semi Minolta III(A) in Steve Foster's camera site
• Post by Andrea Apra about the accessory rangefinders sold with the Semi Minolta, in the Minolta Manual Focus Yahoo Group

In German:

• Semi Minolta III at kefk.net

In Japanese:

• Semi Minolta (original model) and Semi Minolta III(A) in the Camera database of the Center of the History of Japanese Industrial Technology
• Semi Minolta II at Puppy's Island
• Semi Minolta II at Bon's Homepage
• Semi Minolta II and lens specs at ksmt.com
• Late Semi Minolta II and Semi Minolta IIIC in a page of the AJCC website (the IIIC is misidentified as a IIIA)
• Camera page with a Semi Minolta II in the go-tatsu website
• Molta rangefinder and follow-up at Hitorigoto Used Camera Blog
• Camera page with a Semi Minolta III(A) in Sawada's private home page
• Semi Minolta III(A) at Minor House camera collection
• Yutaka-san's camera collection, with a Semi Minolta IIIC, in the Nekocame website
• Semi Minolta II and Semi Minolta IIIA in the Map Camera Museum
• Semi Minolta II and Semi Minolta IIIA in the Kitamura Camera Museum

Original documents

In Japanese:

• Advertisement for the Minolta range published in the 23 March 1938 issue of Asahi Graph, reproduced in the Gochamaze website