Minolta Alpha 9000

The Minolta Alpha 9000 was the first autofocus SLR camera from the Japanese manufacturer. It was sold under this name in Japan. In Europe, the model is known as the Minolta 9000. In the USA, it could be bought as the Maxxum 9000.

The lenses of the 35mm camera are interchangeable. Lenses with the Minolta A bayonet can be used. The lens is focused by autofocus.

An exposure meter is built into the 35mm camera. It is designed for an ISO range of 6 to 6400. The film speed can be read out via the DX code on the film cartridge. The exposure is measured through the lens.

You can use the Minolta Alpha 9000 in different exposure modes. There is a fully automatic program mode. There is also an automatic mode with preselection of aperture or shutter speed. In manual mode, you can freely choose the settings. The available apertures depend on the lens, of course. For the shutter speed, you can choose between values from 1/4000 second to 30 seconds.

Additionally, there is a Bulb mode for long exposures. There is also a function for multiple exposures. A flash can be connected to the Hot Shoe. A mounting option for the camera on a tripod is also available. And of course, the self-timer is not missing.

The camera body weighs 645 grams. The dimensions are 13.9 x 9.2 x 5.3 cm. The 35mm photo camera is powered by two AA batteries (eBay / Amazon*). Here, of course, you can resort to rechargeable copies.

Films for the Minolta Alpha 9000

The Minolta Alpha 9000 exposes 35mm film. Unlike most features, the film transport is still mechanical. After each frame, the film must be advanced with a quick-release lever. A frame counter on the top of the housing provides information about the number of photos taken.

35mm films are still manufactured today. A good option for B&W images is Ilford Delta 400*. One possible film for color images that can still be found is the Kodak Ultramax 400*. Test reports attest to their good performance when used in normal everyday applications.