Minolta Dynax 505si

The Minolta Dynax 505si is a 35mm autofocus SLR camera released by the manufacturer Minolta in 1998. This camera belongs to the company’s line of autofocus SLR cameras and was produced in a factory in Malaysia. It was mainly sold in Europe.

The model is very similar to the Minolta Dynax 505si Super, but slightly more stripped down. It has had Eye Start focus and film lead removed from the custom functions. Multiple exposures have been limited to two shots. The lens mount was changed from metal to plastic.

The Minolta Dynax 505si has a Minolta A lens mount that allows the use of a wide range of Minolta lenses. The camera has a film format of 35 mm and an ASA/ISO range of 25 to 5000 with DX detection, the range with manual setting is ISO 6 to 6400.

The camera offers five programmed modes for different shooting situations, which include fully automatic mode, preferred shutter mode, preferred aperture mode and manual mode. Manual mode is supported via the viewfinder and gives full control over camera settings.

The exposure metering system of the Minolta Dynax 505si is a 14-field TTL metering system with a Si photodiode that can be switched to spot metering via the central field. There is also a manual correction function that allows adjustments of up to +-3EV.

The focusing system of the Minolta Dynax 505si is a phase-detection TTL autofocus system based on two vertical AF sensors and a central cross-type sensor. The system can be switched to manual focus or the use of a single sensor, depending on the user’s preference.

The Minolta Dynax 505si has an electronically controlled focal plane shutter with shutter speeds from 30 seconds to 1/4000 second. The viewfinder is a penta-mirror that displays 90% of the image as well as additional information on an LCD sector. The viewfinder also includes a microprism focusing aid for manual focusing.

The camera also has a flash with a guide number of 12, controlled by a second Si-photodiode. The flash serves as an auxiliary light in low light conditions and helps with autofocus. There is also the option of connecting a Minolta flash.

The Minolta Dynax 505si weighs 350 grams without lens, film and CR2 batteries and has dimensions of 135 x 90 x 59 mm. Two CR2 batteries (eBay / Amazon*) are needed for taking pictures. These last for more than 400 pictures.

Films for the Minolta Dynax 505si

35mm film is also needed for the Minolta Dynax 505si. 35mm films are still manufactured today. They can be developed in most laboratories.

Possible films for the Minolta Dynax 505si that can still be bought today are the Kodak Portra 400* for colour photos and the Ilford XP2 Super* for b/w photos. There are, of course, other producers of 35mm film on the market.

The exposure area of the camera is 24 mm x 36 mm. The film is automatically advanced by the 35mm camera. The motor allows about 2 pictures per second.