The Minolta Freedom Escort is a snapshot camera. It was introduced by Minolta in the early 1990s. The compact camera was produced in a factory in Japan and sold to consumers in the North American market. It relies heavily on automatic operation, making it very easy to use without a manual. The 35mm camera was also sold under the names "Minolta Riva Mini" and "Minolta Pico".
Unlike many models in the Freedom range, this model has a fixed focal length. 34 mm is the focal length of the lens. The camera's widest aperture is f/3.5, and the 35 mm camera has autofocus. The closest focusing distance is specified at 60 cm for this lens.
The Minolta Freedom Escort is equipped with a built-in light meter. It can be used with films from ISO 50 to ISO 3200. The photo camera determines the correct film speed using the DX code. If the code on the cartridge is not present, a value of ISO 100 is set. The exposure settings are automatically set by the 35 mm camera. It is not possible to influence aperture and shutter speed.
A flash is built in for taking pictures in insufficient light. At ISO 100, the range is up to 3.6 meters. Logically, the higher the sensitivity of the film, the longer the range. The flash recharging time is about 3.5 seconds. The flash can also be turned off if desired. Additionally, there is a fill-in flash and an auto mode to reduce red-eye in photos.
The Minolta Freedom Escort has a thread for a tripod on the bottom. Of course, a self-timer should not be missing either. The self-timer has a lead time of ten seconds.
The camera with its plastic housing weighs 165 grams. The dimensions are 11.8 x 6.3 x 3.6 cm. The power source of the 35mm camera is a CR123A battery (eBay / Amazon*). This type of battery is still readily available today. One charge is enough for about 600 pictures. The display on the top shows the charge level.
Besides the normal model, there was also a Quartz Date (QD) variant of the camera. This variant offers an additional feature, it can imprint the shooting time in a corner of the photos. Thus, the time of shooting can be determined exactly with date and time and you don't have to make notes. However, the calendar only extends to the year 2019.
The function requires an additional CR2025 battery (eBay / Amazon*). You can also disable the function or not insert a battery, the camera can still be used normally.
Films for the Minolta Freedom Escort
What is needed for the Minolta Freedom Escort is 35mm film. The camera has a built-in motor for transporting the film. After each press of the shutter button, the camera moves to the next free frame. Transport back to the cartridge is also automatic, but can be forced with a button. The number of photos taken is also shown in the display. If you see a flashing "0" there, the film was not loaded correctly into the camera.
A good choice for the Minolta Freedom Escort is Kodak Gold 200* (color film) and Ilford Delta 400* (black and white film). Both are solid films that also do well in test reports. Of course, there are plenty of other alternatives. The most important thing is that they are in the range between ISO 50 and ISO 3200 and have DX encoding on the cartridge.
Color film is processed using the C-41 process. The C-41 process is performed by almost all photo labs. Most drugstore chains in Germany offer the development of color films. The black and white film must be processed in a developer for this type of film. Many laboratories also offer this type of development or you develop the film yourself with the appropriate chemistry.
