The Minolta Riva Zoom 105EX is a compact camera. It was built by Minolta in Japan in the 90s. The model comes with a plastic body and was offered in black and silver. The camera is easy to use, making it well suited for beginners and casual users. The model was also marketed under the name "Minolta Freedom Zoom 105EX".
The 35mm camera comes with a fixed lens. The extendable zoom goes from 38mm to 105mm on this model. Built up, the lens is made up of four elements in four groups. The widest available aperture is f/3.5 (38 mm) and f/9.2 (105 mm). An autofocus system has been built into the 35mm photo camera for focusing the lens. The closest focusing distance is specified at 60 cm for this lens.
Photography is facilitated by the built-in light meter. It can be used with films with a sensitivity of ISO 25 to ISO 3200. The film speed is read via the DX code on the film cartridge. Exposure settings are automatically determined by the camera technology.
The photo camera comes with a built-in flash. The power reaches up to 5.5 meters at ISO 100. There is an automatic mode, a red-eye prevention on the photos, a fill-in flash and the possibility to turn off the flash. A mode for portrait shots at night is also available. In this, the camera selects a longer exposure time to capture the ambient light and fires the flash to freeze the subject in the foreground.
The 35mm camera has a self-timer. The self-timer has a lead time of ten seconds. You can securely attach the camera to a tripod through the thread on the bottom. Photos can be taken from a distance of up to six meters with the additional wireless shutter release.
The dimensions of the Minolta Riva Zoom 105EX are 12.9 x 6.6 x 4.1 cm according to the manual. It weighs 260 grams. There is an attachment for a camera strap on the side.
The camera requires two CR123A batteries (eBay / Amazon*). The batteries usually last for around 600 photos. The batteries are easy to get and relatively inexpensive. The charge level is shown on the display on the top.
Films for the Minolta Riva Zoom 105EX
35mm films are exposed in the Minolta Riva Zoom 105EX. These films are still being manufactured and can be specified by almost any developing vendor. Nice 35mm films for color and black and white images respectively are the Kodak Ultramax 400* and the Ilford HP5*. Both films are solid products that deliver solid results according to tests.
The development process for the color film is the C-41 process. This is offered by almost every photo lab. For example, you can take your films to most drug stores for development. For black and white film, a special developer is needed. The development can also be done at home or the film can be taken to a professional lab.
The exposure area of the Minolta Riva Zoom 105EX is 24 mm x 36 mm. The film in the 35mm photo camera is transported automatically. There is a motor inside the camera for this purpose. The highest speed is possible in continuous shooting mode. The number of pictures taken is output on the display.
