The Minolta Maxxum 300si is an SLR camera from Minolta. It was introduced by the Japanese manufacturer in the mid-1990s. In Germany, there was a functionally identical model as the Dynax 300si. In the USA it was also sold to photographers as the Maxxum RZ300si. The RZ300si was sold exclusively through the photo retailer Ritz Camera. In addition, there was a version of the Maxxum 300si with the option of date imprinting.
The camera comes with a Minolta A bayonet. There is a selection of lenses for this mount. Among them are fixed focal length and zoom lenses. The kit lens was normally a 35mm-70mm f/3.5-4.5 zoom lens. The 35mm camera does not require manual focusing. The Japanese 35mm camera has an autofocus system. The focus can also be adjusted manually. You switch between manual and automatic mode with a slider on the front.
Aperture and shutter speed cannot be set manually. The Maxxum 300si only has a programme automatic that sets both values automatically. The exposure meter is designed for an ISO range of 25 to 5000. The correct sensitivity is determined by the DX code on the film cartridge. If this code is not present, the camera technology sets a value of ISO 100. The exposure modes include one each for portraits, landscapes, close-ups, sports and night shots.
There is a built-in flash for low-light shooting. The flash has a charging time of about two seconds. It can be used automatically if desired, triggered with each shot or switched off. There is also a mode to prevent red-eye in the pictures. In addition, a Minolta plug-in flash can also be connected via the connection on the top.
The camera has a thread for a tripod on the bottom of the body. There is also a self-timer. The self-timer has a lead time of ten seconds.
With a size of 14.7 x 10.1 x 6.8 cm, the Minolta Maxxum 300si weighs 380 grams according to the instruction manual. The power source of the 35mm camera is a 2CR5 battery (eBay / Amazon*). This battery can easily be bought online. One battery charge is enough for about 600 pictures.
Films for the Minolta Maxxum 300si
The Minolta Maxxum 300si was built for 35mm format. 35mm films are still produced today and can also still be purchased without any problems. In principle, you can use any film, but the film should have DX encoding and be in the sensitivity range of ISO 25 to ISO 5000.
Available photo films for the Minolta Maxxum 300si that are readily available online are the Ilford Delta 100* for magical black and white images and the Kodak Gold 200* for brilliant colour images. Other films are available from suppliers such as Lomography, Rollei, Adox, Fujifilm or Foma.
The exposure range of the Japanese 35 mm camera is 24 mm x 36 mm. An ordinary 35 mm film holds about 36 frames at this size. The film is automatically transported by a motor in the 35 mm camera. You can take about 1 picture per second with the camera. There is an extra mode for continuous shooting.
