The Minolta Alpha 303si Super is an entry-level SLR camera from the 1990s. The 35mm camera was manufactured by Minolta in a factory in Malaysia. It was sold in the US as the Minolta Maxxum 550si Date Panorama and Minolta Maxxum 500si Super. The Alpha was only available for purchase in its home country of Japan.
Functionally similar models, but without the data back and panorama function, are the Minolta Dynax 500si Super and the Maxxum 500si.
The lenses of the 35mm camera are interchangeable. It comes with a Minolta A bayonet and was often sold with a zoom lens. Focusing is facilitated by a built-in autofocus. There is a wide range of lenses that can be attached. All Minolta AF lenses for the analog cameras can be used. Minolta MD and MC lenses are not supported.
Exposure modes of the SLR camera
The camera has several exposure modes. In program auto mode, the aperture and shutter speed are set automatically. The camera technology can also determine the film speed itself. This is done via the DX coding on the film cartridge. Values in the range of 25 to 5000 are supported. The film speed can also be set manually. Here, the sensitivity range is from ISO 6 to ISO 6400.
Other exposure modes are aperture priority and shutter priority. Here, the aperture or shutter speed is selected and the camera chooses the appropriate metering value. There are also special modes for sports shots, landscape shots, portraits, night shots and close-ups. Exposure compensation with plus-minus 3 stops is available.
The Minolta Alpha 303si Super also offers a manual mode. Here, aperture and shutter speed can be set freely. The available apertures are determined by the respective lens. For the exposure time, you can choose between values of 1/2000 second and 30 seconds. There is also a Bulb mode for long exposures.
Other features of the camera
For long exposures, the camera should be mounted on a tripod. For this, there is a thread on the bottom of the housing. There is also a self-timer with a lead time of 10 seconds. There is also a mode for double exposures.
The SLR camera comes with a data back. This has a clock mechanism built into it. This allows the shooting time to be imprinted in a corner of the images. This makes it easy to determine when the picture was taken later.
A switch on the side of the camera allows to select the panorama mode. In this mode, the image is cropped by the camera. This creates the impression of a panoramic shot.
Flash
A pop-up flash provides sufficient light in all situations. This can be used automatically if desired. It can also be used as a fill-in flash. An automatic mode to prevent red-eye in images is available. The output is rated at a guide number of 12 at ISO 100. An external flash from Minolta can also be connected to the SLR. The sync shutter speed when using a flash is 1/90 second.
Batteries
Power is supplied by a 2CR5 battery (eBay / Amazon*). This battery can be easily purchased online. One battery charge is enough for about 500 photos with the camera. On the top there is a display with information about the settings and the number of photos taken.
Additionally, a CR-2025 battery (eBay / Amazon*) is needed for the data back. This is used for the built-in clock and usually lasts much longer than a regular battery. If not using the Quartz Date function, the battery can also be omitted.
Films for the Minolta Alpha 303si Super
The Japanese SLR camera is equipped with an automatic film transport. The film motor manages up to one frame per second in continuous shooting mode. On the back, there is a small window that shows the inserted film. Of course, the camera must not be opened until the film has been rewound into the cartridge.
The frame area of the 35 mm camera is 24 mm x 36 mm. So up to 36 pictures fit on one roll of film.
Speaking of film, the Minolta Alpha 303si Super is designed for 35mm film. 35mm film is still offered by several manufacturers. These manufacturers include Kodak, Fujifilm, Ilford, Foma, Rollei and Lomography. A color film for the 35mm camera would be the Kodak Gold 200*. A possible film for black and white images is the Ilford Delta 100*. These films give good results in everyday use and are flexible.
