The Ansco Autoset is a camera made by Minolta. It was introduced in the early 1960s. It was sold to photographers in the USA. One famous user was astronaut John Glenn. He took the camera on the Mercury flight in 1962. The model was produced by Minolta in Japan. The Japanese offered it as the “Minolta Hi-Matic.”
A fixed lens is built into the 35 mm photo camera. The focal length is 45 mm and the maximum aperture is f/2. The smallest possible aperture is f/16. The camera comes with a rangefinder for focusing.
The Ansco Autoset has a built-in selenium exposure meter. The light meter is designed for 35mm film from ISO 6 to ISO 1600. The camera is equipped with automatic exposure control. The aperture and exposure time are set automatically by the camera. There is no manual mode.
An external flash unit can be connected to the PC flash socket. The unit can be attached to the hot shoe on the top. The synchronization time is 1/30 second.
According to the manual, the dimensions of the Ansco Autoset are 13.8 x 8.4 x 6.7 cm. The body weighs 740 grams without film. There is a thread for a tripod on the bottom. There is also a connection for a cable release.
Batteries are not required for the 35 mm camera. All functions work mechanically without power. The selenium exposure meter does not need batteries either. However, it may lose accuracy or fail completely over the years.
Films for the Ansco Autoset
The Ansco Autoset requires photographic film to take pictures. It is designed for 35mm format. Good 35mm films for color or black and white photography that you can still buy today are the Kodak Ultramax 400* and the Ilford Delta 100*. Both films deliver solid results and convince in professional test reports.
The photo camera’s shooting area is 24mm x 36mm. So 36 pictures fit on one roll (135-36 film). After each exposure, the film must be manually advanced to the next image with a lever. When the film roll is full, a small button on the bottom must be pressed in and the film material rewound into the cartridge with the crank.
Technical datasheet
| Attribute | Specification |
|---|---|
| Type of Camera | Rangefinder camera |
| Film format | 35mm |
| Film transport | Manual |
| Picture format | 24 mm x 36 mm |
| Focal length | 45 mm |
| Biggest aperture | f/2 |
| Focus | Manual |
| Rangefinder | Yes |
| Lens design | 6 elements in 5 groups |
| Exposure times | 1/500 second to 1/30 second |
| Light meter | Selenium light meter |
| Supported film speeds | ISO 6 to 1600 |
| Exposure modes | Program automatic |
| Manual exposure settings | No |
| Built-in flash | No |
| Flash Connection | PC-Flash |
| Flash sync speed | 1/30 s |
| Tripod mount | Yes |
| Cable release thread | Yes |
| Self-timer | No |
| Power supply | Not necessary |
| Size | 13,8 x 8,4 x 6,7 cm |
| Dimensions in inches | 5.43 x 3.31 x 2.64 inches |
| Weight | 740 Grams |
| Manufacturer | Minolta |
| Country of production | Japan |