The Minolta P-Twin is a snapshot camera. The model was introduced in 1992. It was only sold in Japan. The compact camera was not produced by Minolta, but by order of the also Japanese company Chinon. They offered a similar model as Chinon Pocket Dual-AF-P. The production took place in a factory in Taiwan.
The 35mm camera comes with two fixed lenses. With a switch, you can toggle between the two focal lengths. The focal lengths are 28mm and 52mm. The largest aperture of each lens is f/3.9 and f/6.3, respectively. The 28 mm lens is composed of three elements in three groups, while the 52 mm has six elements in six groups. The lens is focused via autofocus. The lens barrel has the name "Minolta Lens" printed on it.
The camera has a light meter. It is designed for film with an ISO of 100 or 400. The film speed is read out via the DX code. The exposure time and aperture are set automatically by the camera technology.
In poor lighting conditions, the built-in flash can be used. The flash fires automatically and cannot be switched off. However, there is a slow flash mode where the shutter speed is extra slow.
The dimensions of the Minolta P-Twin are 12.1 x 6.6 x 4.4 cm. At the same time, it weighs about 210 grams. Power is supplied by a CR123A battery (eBay / Amazon*). There is a thread on the bottom for mounting on a tripod. An eyelet for attaching a wrist strap is not missing.
The Taiwanese camera comes with the possibility of imprinting the date of recording. For this purpose, the camera has a built-in clock and calendar. It can imprint these dates in one corner of the image.
Films for the Minolta P-Twin
Photographic films are exposed in the Minolta P-Twin, more precisely 35mm films. The negatives of the 35mm camera have a size of 24 mm x 36 mm. The film is automatically transported on by the 35mm photo camera.
The camera is also equipped with a panorama mode. Here, the upper and lower parts of the image are covered by a mechanical construction inside. The resulting format creates the impression of a panorama.
35mm films are still produced today. They can be developed in most laboratories. Possible films for the Minolta P-Twin are the Kodak Ultramax 400* for color photos and the Kodak T-Max 400* for B&W photos. According to various reviews, they are well suited for everyday shooting and deliver solid results. Other notable manufacturers include Rollei, Adox and Foma.
Color film is developed using the C-41 process. This development process is done by all photo labs that offer 35mm film development. For example, you can take your films to most drugstores for development.
