Minolta Dynax 500si Super

The Minolta Dynax 500si Super is an SLR camera from the 1990s. The 35mm camera was built by Minolta in Malaysia. It was sold primarily in Europe. Photographers in the US could buy the camera as the Minolta Maxxum 500si.

The lenses of the 35mm camera are interchangeable. It comes with a Minolta A bayonet and is often found with a zoom lens. Focusing is made easy with a built-in autofocus. There is a wide range of lenses that can be attached. All Minolta AF lenses for the analog cameras can be used. Minolta MD and MC lenses are not supported.

Exposure modes of the SLR camera

The camera has several exposure modes. In program auto mode, the aperture and shutter speed are set automatically. The camera technology can also determine the film speed itself. This relies on the DX coding on the film cartridge. Values in the range of 25 to 5000 are supported. The film speed can also be set manually. Here, the sensitivity range is from ISO 6 to ISO 6400.

Other exposure modes are aperture priority and shutter priority. Here, the aperture or shutter speed is selected and the camera chooses the corresponding meter value. There are also special modes for sports shots, landscape shots, portraits, night shots and close-ups. Exposure compensation with plus-minus 3 stops is available.

The Minolta Dynax 500si Super also offers a manual mode. Here, aperture and shutter speed can be set freely. The available apertures are determined by the respective lens. For the exposure time, you have the choice between values of 1/2000 second and 30 seconds. There is also a Bulb mode for long exposures.

For long exposures, the camera should be mounted on a tripod. There is a thread on the bottom of the housing for this. There is also a self-timer with a lead time of 10 seconds. In addition, there is a mode for double exposures.

Flash

A pop-up flash provides sufficient light. This can be used automatically if desired. It can also be used as a fill-in flash. An automatic mode to avoid red-eye on the pictures is available. The output is rated at a guide number of 12 at ISO 100. An external flash from Minolta can also be connected to the SLR. The sync speed is specified at 1/90 second.

According to the manual, the dimensions of the photo camera are 14.7 x 9.25 x 6.65 cm. At the same time, the housing weighs 400 grams without film and lens. Power is supplied by a 2CR5 battery (eBay / Amazon*). This battery can be easily purchased online. On the top there is a display with information about the settings and the number of photos taken.

Films for the Minolta Dynax 500si Super

The Japanese SLR camera is equipped with an automatic film transport. The film motor manages up to one frame per second in continuous shooting mode. There is a small window on the back that shows the inserted film. Of course, the camera must not be opened until the film has been rewound into the cartridge.

The exposure area of the 35 mm camera is 24 mm x 36 mm. So up to 36 pictures fit on one roll of film.

Speaking of film, the Minolta Dynax 500si Super is designed for 35mm film. 35 mm films are still offered by various manufacturers. These manufacturers include Kodak, Fujifilm, Ilford, Foma, Rollei and Lomography. A color film for the 35mm camera would be the Kodak Ultramax 400*. A possible film for black and white images is the Ilford XP2 Super*. These films give good results in everyday use and are flexible.