Minolta Maxxum 550si Date Panorama

The Minolta Maxxum 550si Date Panorama is an entry-level SLR camera from the 1990s. The 35mm camera was manufactured by Minolta in a factory in Malaysia. The Maxxum was available for purchase in the United States. It was also offered there as the Maxxum 500si Super. In Minolta’s home country, it was available as the Alpha 303si Super.

Functionally similar models, but without the data back and panorama function, are the Minolta Dynax 500si Super and the Maxxum 500si.

The lenses of the 35mm camera can be exchanged at any time. It comes with a Minolta A bayonet and was often sold with a zoom lens. Focusing is facilitated by 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 is done via 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 appropriate metering value. There are also special modes for sports shots, landscape shots, portraits, night shots and close-ups. Exposure compensation of plus-minus 3 stops is possible in the automatic exposure modes.

The Minolta Maxxum 550si Date Panorama also offers a fully manual mode. Here, aperture and shutter speed can be freely set according to one’s preferences. The available apertures are determined by the respective lens. For the exposure time, you can choose between values of 1/2000 second and 30 seconds. There is also a Bulb mode for long exposures with variable exposure duration.

Other features of the camera

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

The SLR camera comes with a data back. This has a clock mechanism built into it. This allows the shooting time to be imprinted in one corner of the images. This makes it easy to determine later when the picture was taken.

A switch on the side of the camera allows you to select panorama mode. In this mode, the image is cropped by the camera. This creates the impression of a panoramic shot. Of course, it is not a real panorama camera.

Flash

A pop-up flash provides sufficient light in all situations. This can be used automatically if desired. It can also be used as a fill-in flash. An automatic mode to avoid red-eye in pictures is available. The output is rated at a guide number of 12 at ISO 100. An external Minolta flash can also be connected to the SLR. The synchronization shutter speed when using a flash is 1/90 second. This value must not be exceeded.

Batteries

Power is supplied by a 2CR5 battery (eBay / Amazon*). This battery can be easily purchased online. One battery charge is enough for about 500 photos with the camera. On the top, there is a display with information about the current settings and the number of pictures taken.

Additionally, a CR-2025 battery (eBay / Amazon*) is needed for backup. This is used for the built-in clock and usually lasts much longer than a normal battery. If the quartz date function is not used, the battery can be omitted.

Films for the Minolta Maxxum 550si Date Panorama

The Japanese SLR camera is equipped with an automatic film transport. This 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 size of an image on the negative is 24 mm x 36 mm. So usually up to 36 images will fit on a roll of film. Then the film must be changed and replaced with a new one.

Speaking of film, the Minolta Maxxum 550si Date Panorama is designed for 35mm film. 35mm film is still offered by several manufacturers and can be purchased online. These manufacturers include well-known names like Kodak, Fujifilm, Ilford, Adox, Foma, Rollei and Lomography. A color film for the 35mm camera would be the Kodak Gold 200*. A possible film for black and white images is the Ilford Delta 400*. These films give good results in everyday use and are flexible.