Minolta Apex 90

The Minolta Apex 90 is a compact camera from the 90s. The model was produced for Minolta’s home market in Japan. Variants were also sold under the names “Minolta Riva Zoom 90c” and “Minolta Freedom Zoom 90c“. Unlike these two cameras, however, the Apex can imprint the shooting date in one of the corners of the images.

The camera is equipped with a fixed zoom lens. The focal length of the lens ranges from 38 mm to 90 mm. The maximum aperture is f/3.5 in the wide angle and f/7.7 in the telephoto range. Manual focusing is not required with the 35 mm camera. The Minolta Apex 90 features an autofocus system. The close focus distance of the lens is 75 cm. The ASZ mode allows automatic zooming, depending on the distance to the subject.

The 35 mm camera has an exposure meter. It was designed for films with a sensitivity of ISO 25 to ISO 3200. The camera technology reads the ISO value via the DX code on the cartridge. The 35mm camera has automatic exposure control. The photographer cannot select the aperture and exposure time.

The 35mm photo camera has a built-in flash with automatic. According to the manual, the power of the flash reaches up to 6 meters with ISO 100 films. Films with a higher sensitivity allow a longer range, of course. An automatic red-eye prevention function is available. There is also a manual fill-in flash for backlit shots. However, the flash can also be switched off.

Of course, a self-timer should not be missing from such a model. The self-timer has a lead time of ten seconds. There is a thread for a tripod on the bottom. With the additional RC-1 infrared remote control, the camera can also be triggered from a distance of up to five meters.

The power source of the 35mm camera is a 2CR5 battery (eBay / Amazon*). The battery usually lasts for 600 pictures. After that, you need to buy a new battery.

Films for the Minolta Apex 90

The Minolta Apex 90 is a 35mm camera and requires 35mm film. The film material is automatically transported by the camera. The number of frames taken is shown on a display on the top of the camera. At the end of the roll, the motor winds the film material back into the cartridge.

35mm films are still produced today and can be developed in most professional laboratories. For color images, for example, there is Kodak Ultramax 400*. An option for black and white images is the Ilford HP5*. Both films are good for everyday use and perform well in tests.

The camera captures images with an aspect ratio of 2:3. Approximately 36 images fit on a standard roll of film.