Minolta V3

The Minolta V3 is a camera from Minolta It was introduced in the early 1960s. The rangefinder camera followed the Minolta V2.

The lens of the 35mm camera is fixed to the body. The name of the lens is “Rokkor”. The focal length is 45 mm. The largest aperture is f/8.

The 35 mm photo camera has no autofocus. Therefore, you have to focus by hand. The correct distance to the subject can be determined with the Minolta V3’s rangefinder. The closest focusing distance is 80 cm with this lens. If desired, a filter can be attached in front of the lens.

The camera comes with a selenium light meter. However, this is not directly connected to the exposure settings. Aperture and shutter speed are therefore set manually. Aperture values from f/1.8 to f/22 are available for selection, and values from 1/3000 second to 1 second are possible for the shutter speed.

At 1/3000 second, only aperture values from f/8 to f/22 can be used. At 1/1000 second, f/4 to f/22 is possible. At the other shutter speeds of the “Optiper-Citizen-HS M-13 shutter”, all aperture values can be used.

The 35 mm camera also has a Bulb setting for long exposures. The use of a flash is possible via the PC flash socket. An external flash can be attached to the accessory shoe.

The Minolta V3 can be triggered via self-timer or with an additional cable release. A thread for a tripod is available.

According to the manual, the camera weighs 780 grams without film and measures 13.7 x 8.5 x 7.4 cm. Electricity is not needed for taking pictures, it works completely mechanically. Of course, the film transport is also mechanical.

Films for the Minolta V3

What kind of films are needed for the Minolta V3? The camera is designed for 35mm films. 35mm films are still readily available today and are developed by most photo labs. Possible films for the Japanese rangefinder camera are the Kodak Ultramax 400* for color photos and the Ilford FP4 Plus* for black and white images.

The Minolta V3 needs 35mm film. These photo films are still being manufactured. About 36 pictures fit on one roll. A counter on the camera tells you how many pictures have been taken.

You can buy films from Ilford or Kodak. Good films are the Kodak Portra 400* for color pictures and the Ilford FP4 Plus* for black and white pictures. Of course, there are other films and manufacturers for the Japanese camera.