The Minolta Zoom 130C is a snapshot camera. It was built by Minolta from 2003 to 2007. After the merger of Minolta and Konica, the model was sold as "Konica Minolta Zoom 130C". Additionally, there was the "Minolta Zoom 130C Date", which could imprint the shooting time into the pictures. The camera was built in a factory in China.
The lens of the 35 mm camera is fixed. 38 mm to 130 mm is the zoom range of the lens. The largest aperture of the camera is f/5.4 (38 mm) and f/12.5 (130 mm) respectively. The 35mm camera has autofocus. The closest focusing distance of this lens is 70 cm at 38 mm. At the telephoto setting, you have to stay at least 80 cm away from the subject. Zooming is done with a toggle switch on the top of the camera.
For shooting, the Minolta Zoom 130C has a light meter. It is designed for an ISO range of 25 to 3200. The film speed is determined by the DX code on the film cartridge. If there is no code on the cartridge, ISO 25 is set, this cannot be changed. A bit annoying, since ISO 100 is usually the standard otherwise.
Exposure settings are automatically controlled and set by the 35mm photo camera. A flash is built in for low light pictures. The flash comes with automatic red-eye prevention on the pictures. For backlit shots, the flash can be switched to fill-flash mode. Additionally, there is a mode for flash shots at night and the flash can be turned off completely, for example for landscape shots. The flash range is up to 5.3 meters at ISO 100 in wide-angle.
The camera has a self-timer and a tripod thread on the bottom. A hand strap can be attached to a special eyelet. The dimensions of the camera body are 11.4 x 6.2 x 4.6 cm. At the same time, it weighs 195 grams. The power source of the Minolta Zoom 130C is a CR123A battery (eBay / Amazon*). This type of battery is still easy to get.
Films for the Minolta Zoom 130C
Exposures are made in the Minolta Zoom 130C cartridges with 35mm film. Film advance is automatic. After each frame, the camera winds to the next free frame. The current frame count is shown on a display on the top. When the film stock is full, the film is wound back into the cartridge. The back of the camera may then be opened and the film removed.
35 mm films are still produced today. They can be developed in most laboratories. Possible films for the Minolta Zoom 130C are the Kodak Ultramax 400* and the Ilford XP2 Super*. Both films produce solid results with the camera.
