Minolta A

The Minolta A is a 35mm camera from the 1950s. It belongs to the rangefinder camera group and was built by Minolta, then still under the company name Chiyoda Kōgaku Seikō, in Japan.

The lens of the photo camera is fixed. The lens is named “Chiyoko Rokkor 3.5/45.” The focal length is 45 mm and the maximum aperture is f/3.5, and the photographer can set the aperture from f/3.5 to f/11. The camera does not have an autofocus. Focusing is manual. The built-in rangefinder helps with focusing. The closest focusing distance of the lens is 80 cm.

The Minolta A has no built-in light meter. It was offered in several versions with different shutters. The different shutters differ mainly by different shutter speeds. The Konan Flicker supports 1/200 s to 1/2. For the Optiper MX and Citizen MX, it’s 1/300 s to 1 s. All three versions come with a bulb mode for long exposures.

An external flash can be used via the PC flash socket. The 35mm photo camera has a thread for a cable release and a tripod thread. No batteries are required to take pictures. The film is rewound in the camera with a quick-release lever.

Films for the Minolta A

What kind of films are needed for the Minolta A? The camera is designed for 35mm film. 35mm films are still manufactured today. They can be developed in most laboratories. A good choice for the analog camera is Kodak Portra 400* (color film) and Ilford Delta 100* (black and white film). According to various reviews, they are well suited for everyday shooting and deliver solid results. Especially for the 35mm format there are other producers of film material.

Color film is designed to be developed using the C-41 process. This development process is performed by all photo labs that offer 35mm film development. For example, you can take your film to most drug stores for development. The black and white film must be developed in a black and white developer.