Minolta Hi-Matic 9

The Minolta Hi-Matic 9 is a rangefinder camera from the 1960s. The model is part of the Hi-Matic series. It was produced in a factory in Japan.

The 35mm photo camera comes with a fixed “Rokkor PF” lens. It has a focal length of 45mm and an angle of view of 52 degrees. As for the aperture, the range of f/1.7 to f/16 is available. The distance to the subject has to be set manually. The coupled rangefinder helps with this. The minimum distance to the subject must be 91 cm / 3 feet.

Typical of the Hi-Matic camera, this model also comes with automatic exposure control and a built-in light meter. The camera electronics can set shutter speed and aperture automatically. If you want, you can also select the two settings yourself.

The Seiko FLA shutter supports different speeds. As a photographer, you can choose in the range between 1/500 second and 1 second. There is also a Bulb mode for long exposures. For long exposures, one can mount the camera on a tripod and use a cable release. There is a respective thread on the bottom of the camera and on the shutter release. A self-timer with a delay of 10 seconds is also available.

A flash unit can be connected to the hot shoe or with a cable. The camera weighs 760 grams. The dimensions are 14 x 8.2 x 7.4 cm. A Mallory RM-625 is needed for the power supply.

Films for the Minolta Hi-Matic 9

The Minolta Hi-Matic 9 requires 35mm film. It can be used with films from ISO 25 to ISO 800. Available photo films for the model that you can easily get are the Ilford Delta 100* for B&W shots and the Kodak Portra 400* for color photos. Both films are well suited for a wide range of applications. This is also attested to them in test reports. Of course, you can also use films from other manufacturers.

The film transport is mechanical, of course. After each exposure, the film material must be transported further with a quick-release lever. When the end of the film is reached, a small button on the bottom must be pressed and the film material must be transported back into the cartridge with the crank. Then the film can be removed and taken for development.