Minolta Maxxum RZ300si

The Minolta Maxxum RZ300si is an SLR camera from Minolta. It was introduced by the Japanese manufacturer in the mid-1990s. It was sold exclusively by the photo retailer Ritz Camera in the USA. Other dealers sold it as the Maxxum 300si. In Germany, there was a functionally identical model like the Dynax 300si. There was also a version of the Maxxum RZ300si with the possibility of date printing.

The camera was equipped with a Minolta A bayonet. There is a choice of lenses for this mount. Among them are fixed focal length and zoom lenses. The kit lens was normally a 35mm-70mm 1:3.5-4.5 zoom lens. The 35mm camera does not require manual focusing. The Japanese 35mm camera has an autofocus system. The focus can also be adjusted manually. A slider on the front switches between manual and automatic mode.

Aperture and shutter speed cannot be set manually. The camera only has program automatic, which sets both values automatically. The exposure meter is designed for an ISO range of 25 to 5000. The correct sensitivity is determined by the DX code on the film cartridge. If this code is not present, the camera technology sets a value of ISO 100. The exposure modes include one each for portraits, landscapes, close-ups, sports and night shots.

There is a built-in flash for low-light shooting. The flash has a charging time of about two seconds. The flash can be used automatically if desired, fired with each shot or switched off. There is also a mode to prevent red-eye in pictures. In addition, a Minolta plug-in flash can also be connected via the connection on the top.

The camera has a thread for a tripod on the bottom of the body. There is also a self-timer. The self-timer has a lead time of ten seconds.

With a size of 14.7 x 10.1 x 6.8 cm, the Minolta Maxxum RZ300si weighs 380 grams according to the instruction manual. The power source of the 35-mm camera is a 2CR5 battery (eBay / Amazon*). This battery can easily be purchased online. One battery charge is enough for about 600 shots.

Films for the Minolta Maxxum RZ300si

The Minolta Maxxum RZ300si was built for the 35mm format. 35mm film is still produced today and can still be bought without any problems. In principle you can use any film, but the film should be DX encoded and in the sensitivity range of ISO 25 to ISO 5000.

Available photo films for the Minolta Maxxum RZ300si that are readily available online are the Ilford Delta 400* for magical black and white images and the Kodak Ultramax 400* for brilliant colour images. Other films are available from suppliers such as Lomography, Rollei, Adox, Fujifilm or Foma.

The exposure range of the Japanese 35mm camera is 24 mm x 36 mm. An ordinary 35 mm film holds about 36 frames at this size. The film is automatically transported by a motor in the 35 mm camera. You can take about 1 picture per second with the camera. There is an extra mode for continuous shooting for this.