The Minolta Riva Zoom 150 is a compact camera from the year 2000. The 35mm camera was built by Minolta in China. The model was also sold under the name "Minolta Freedom Zoom 150" and "Minolta Capios 150S". The camera was aimed more at beginners and casual users, for example for vacation. It is equipped with a bunch of automatics and you usually don't need a manual to operate it.
The 35mm photo camera comes with a fixed lens. The optics are made up of six elements in six groups. The zoom range is 37.5 mm to 150 mm. The widest available aperture is f/5.4 at wide angle and f/11.9 at 150 mm. The lens is focused with an autofocus system. There is a button for a focus lock. The closest focusing distance is 60 cm. At 150 mm, you have to keep 85 cm minimum distance.
The 35mm camera has a light meter. It can be used with films from ISO 25 to ISO 3200. The camera technology determines the correct film speed via the DX code. The camera has automatic exposure control and sets aperture and shutter speed automatically. There is exposure compensation that makes images 1.5 stops brighter.
In low light conditions, the built-in flash can be used. With ISO 100 filming, it reaches up to 4.6 meters. The flash has an automatic mode for red-eye prevention. There is also a mode for portrait shots with flash at night and a fill-in flash. However, the flash can also be turned off completely.
The 35mm camera has a thread for a tripod on the bottom and a self-timer. The self-timer has a lead time of ten seconds. If ten seconds is too short to get into position, you could reach for the separately available wireless remote. The radio shutter release with the model name RC-3 could be used with several Minolta cameras and has a range of five meters.
According to the instruction manual, the camera weighs 190 grams and measures 11.2 x 6 x 4.4 cm. There is an eyelet on the side of the camera for attaching the camera strap or a hand strap.
The camera requires one CR123A battery (eBay / Amazon*). One battery charge is enough for about 300 pictures. A CR2032 battery (eBay / Amazon*) is needed for the wireless remote.
Films for the camera
According to the instruction manual, the Minolta Riva Zoom 150 is designed for 35mm film. The film is automatically transported by the camera. After each shot, the film is spooled to the next frame. Up to 0.9 frames per second are possible in continuous shooting mode. The number of frames taken is shown with other information on the display on the top.
For the 35mm format, there is still a good selection of material for color and black and white images. Possible films for the Minolta Riva Zoom 150 include the Kodak Ultramax 400* for color shots and the Kodak T-Max 100* for B&W photos. Both films deliver solid results with the compact camera.
Minolta Riva Zoom 150 Date
In addition to the regular model, a Quartz Date was also offered. This additional variant can be found on many models in this segment and was usually slightly expensive. It offers the additional possibility to expose the shooting date into the pictures if desired. The calendar extends to the year 2029. The function makes it very easy to determine the shooting date later without any additional tools. How to evaluate the date in each image from an aesthetic point of view is, of course, up to each photographer. In any case, removing the shooting date later is often difficult.
An additional battery is not needed for the model, as with other models of this type. The time and date and the format are set via buttons on the back.
