Minolta Riva Zoom 140

The Minolta Riva Zoom 140 is a compact camera with a plastic body. It was introduced by the Japanese company in the early 2000s. It was produced in a factory in China. Similar models also existed under the designation “Minolta Freedom Zoom 140” and “Minolta Capios 140A“.

The zoom lens is fixed and cannot be replaced. It extends when the camera is turned on and has a zoom range of 37.5 mm to 140 mm. The maximum aperture changes according to the zoom level. The maximum aperture is f/5.4 at the wide angle. A minimum distance of 60 cm at the wide-angle and 90 cm at the telephoto to the subject should be maintained.

The compact camera is equipped with an autofocus system. There are three modes to choose from. Spot AF only focuses on a small point in the center of the image or the subject that is located there. In Area AF, this area is significantly larger. In Target AF mode, the subject is tracked. This mode is suitable for capturing subjects in motion.

The aperture and shutter speed cannot be set by the user, but are handled by the camera’s automatic system. The exposure meter is designed for films from ISO 25 to 3200. The camera technology reads out the correct sensitivity via the DX coding. The coding is located on the cartridge. If there is no coding, ISO 100 is always set.

Of course, the Minolta Riva Zoom 140 cannot do without a built-in flash. This comes with an automatic for avoiding red-eye. For backlit shots or subjects with strong contrasts, the fill flash mode can be used. There is also a mode for portrait shots at night. The flash has a range of up to 4.6 meters at an ISO value of ISO 100.

There is a thread at the bottom of the camera to mount the camera on a tripod. This makes sense especially together with the self-timer. The self-timer gives you ten seconds to get into position after pressing the shutter button.

The dimensions of the Minolta Riva Zoom 140 are 11 x 6 x 4.5 cm. It weighs 195 grams. Power is supplied by a CR123A battery (eBay / Amazon*). According to the instructions, this will last for up to 240 pictures if you use the flash for half of the photos.

If the model is marked with “Date”, it is a Quartz Date model. This variant can imprint the time of the shot in one of the corners of the photo. This makes it easy to determine when the photo was taken. The calendar extends to the year 2099, and the watch does not require an additional battery.

Another special feature of the Date model is the possibility to use a wireless shutter release. This requires the RC-3 infrared trigger. This has a range of up to 5 meters and requires a CR2032 battery (eBay / Amazon*).

Films for the Minolta Riva Zoom 140

The Minolta Riva Zoom 140 is designed for the 35mm format. The 35mm films are automatically transported by the camera. The motor rewinds the film after each photo. The display then shows the total number of pictures taken.

The camera motor manages up to one image every 2.2 seconds. At the end of the roll, it also rewinds the film back into the camera. Only then may the back be opened. If a “0” is shown in the display, the film has not been loaded correctly.

Possible films for the Minolta Riva Zoom 140 are the Kodak Ultramax 400* for color photos and the Ilford Delta 400* for B&W photos. Both films deliver solid results with the Minolta. Of course, there is a wide range of additional suitable films for this camera.