Minolta AL-E, AL-F Minolta AL was a line of compact 35mm rangefinders, smaller than the common models of the era, meant to be simple to use for the up-and-coming hobbyist market and priced accordingly. It was offered with different lenses and modes, with fove models issued within seven years.   The line was discontinued in 1968, while the Hi-Matic dynasty that...

Minolta Uniomat In the late 1950s, Minolta, then Chiyoda, had transitioned from the TLR and Klapp models towards 35mm compact cameras. The first in that trend were the Minolta 35 models, then came the Minolta A group. All Japanese camera makers made that move; most did not see the 1980s. See a selection at the rangefinder model pages. The early...

Minolta Hi-Matic F In the middle of the Hi-Matic camera line, Minolta shifted its focus from the classic Hi-Matic manual cameras towards low-end models, such as the 1969 Hi-Matic C. The C was a questionable camera, intended to be easy to use for beginners, but it seems to have missed the mark on all fronts. Using today’s terms, it was...

Minolta Hi-Matic 11 The Minolta Hi-Matic 11 was the last of the Minolta Hi-Matic’ classic’ models, a well-built, solid camera line. However, while the earlier Hi-Matic cameras were straightforward to use, the Hi-Matic 11 is a ‘read the manual first’ model. It could have been a result of advanced, progressive thinking, but the result did not add to this model’s...

Minolta Hi-Matic 7 s Minolta used several naming conventions for the Hi-Matic cameras. The first camera was just a Hi-Matic, as with Canon’s first Canonet, which branched to other numbered models. It was followed by the Hi-Matic 7, then 7s, and later the 9 and the 11. The Hi-Matic 5 was introduced in 1969, a model exclusive to JCPenney stores....