Well Im new and got a Old Minolta

[barch 88]

Well I just got into Photography and everything, first off I would like to say it has always interested me, and Im huge on art and photographs.

Anyways I really don't have the money to go spend on a very expensive camera. Come to find out my Grampa has a older camera that he never uses anymore due to the fact he is slightly blind. Now it's not a 35mm but it is a 110. He says the 110 is fine for me because Iam new and its a old, but he says it is a very good camera.

Here are some pictures of it:




However there is one problem with it (possibly), it has been a long time since anyone has used it and last time someone used it my Grampa thinks that the knob/handle which rewinds the flim is broken (it won't turn the gear inside). Which I think would be a cheap fix now-a-days. I don't have a battery for it nor do I have 110 Film right now, I will have to pick some up this weekend and see. It takes pictures fine I guess but the thing will not rewind the film. Is the gear supposed to turn freely when pulling the handle out (without film in camera) or is it not? If it is not it may not be broken. Besides I have no batteries to work with right now so it may be in a "locked" position.

What do you all think of it? Remember this is my very first camera ever (besides my digital HP) and Im taking Photo and Photoshop at school (Im in Highschool, a Junior).

Thanks, Mike.

Found some infomation on the camera.

http://www.mediajoy.com/en/cla_came/...zoomSLR_mark2/

In 1976, Minolta introduced a unique 110 cartridge zoom camera - 110 Zoom SLR, that adopted not pentaprism but porro-mirror in the viewfinder, and then it took Minolta four years of time to present the successor model to 110 Zoom SLR.
110 Zoom SLR mark 2 thus came on the market in 1980.
Different from the previous model, 110 Zoom SLR mark 2 employed pentaprism, and TTL meter was built in it. Also, the camera body was made smaller.
Other feature of it is that macro lens is built in the zoom lens and this macro lens can be used at any focal length between the zooming range (25-67mm).

First introduced in Sep. 1980.
Camera type : 110 cartridge TTL automatic exposure SLR camera
Picture size : 13 x 17mm
Lens : Zoom Rokkor Macro f3.5/25-67mm (ten-group, twelve-element)
Viewfinder : fixed-pentaprism eye-level finder
Focusing screen : split-image in the center, matted the rest
Metering : TTL full-aperture metering, center weighted light reading
Exposure compensation : -2 to +2 EV
Shutter speeds : B, 1/4-1/1000sec.
Self-timer : built-in
Flash sync contact : X
Mirror : quick return mirror
Power resources : LR-44/A76, or G-13(SR-44), 1.5Vx2
Body dimensions : 75 x 105 x 102mm
Body weight : approx. 485g.

[another view]

Wow, never seen anything like it. I see that 110 cartridge film is still available here so that should get you started. It's been about a million years since I shot a roll of 110 film, but I'm sure there's nothing to rewind. Before you shoot the film, it's on one of the spools on one side of the cartridge. As you advance the film as you shoot it, it moves to the other side. When you're at the end of the roll, you just advance it until it stops - so it's now completely in the other side of the cartridge. 35mm film has to be rewound into the cartridge because you're advancing it on an open spool inside the camera - then it goes back into the same cartridge. This is different.

B&H (where I linked you for the film) has just about everything photographic that can be bought including the batteries you'll need. That may be all you need to get it to work, and by the looks of it, it's probably a very nice camera. With 110 film you won't get a very big print because the negative is about the size of your thumbnail, but don't worry about that just yet. Let us know how it goes!

[barch 88]

Well it is not the lever that is broken, I got some batteries and it works (it was locked), its the Eye Sight, I cannot open (its just in closed position).

Any ideas before I take it in?

- Mike

[another view]

Do you have any film for it? That might solve the problem, but it's just a guess. If you don't have the instruction book for it, try taking it to a local camera store - hopefully one with people who have been around for awhile. Maybe they'll know how it works.

[barch 88]

No I don't have any film yet. When I first got the camera the Eye Sight was halfway open, so I opened it all the way and looked through it, played with the SLR a bit and checking it out, when I was done I closed the Eye Sight all the way.

I read through my manual and it does not say anything about the Eye Sight at all besides closing it after use to prevent dust and stuff inside. It does mention alot of stuff about Shudders and stuff, but I nothing that related to the eye sight really, from what it read. Just about how much light will go through it with you messing with the negitive numbers and positive numbers, setting different shudders for modes and stuff like that.

So you think if I get film it will open back up? Should't it open and close freely though? Does yours open and close freely? (If you have one like that...or are they supposed to...)

If film does not work I will take it in.

Thanks, Mike.

[another view]

Not really sure what the "eye sight" is. If you're talking about looking thru the viewfinder, there usually isn't anything blocking it at least in the SLR's that I've used. You won't see thru the lens if there's a lens cap on, of course - but that's the only thing blocking your view.

There are some cameras that have a built in curtain that blocks light from getting in thru the viewfinder, but it's used when the camera is away from your eye so the meter doesn't give a false exposure reading - not a normal situation. Few cameras have this, but some come with a plastic cap that covers the viewfinder for this purpose. Again, not sure if I'm on the right track...

[barch 88]

The cap is not off the lense...

The thing Im talking about is the Viewfinder eyesight. It has a litte knob that turns up and down to open and close the window inside of it though, it will not open back up.

[barch 88]

I got a new picture of what Im talking about (my pic, not the ones i found off the internet).

[another view]

OK - that's what I was thinking of. It really isn't used very often at all - like I said it's there to block light from coming in from the back of the camera, and is only needed in difficult lighting conditions if your eye is away from the camera and you're using an automatic exposure mode. Certainly not an everyday occurance - and I never used the one on my F5. Hopefully you can get it to open up, but if not try a good local camera store and see if they can help.

Terminology can be difficult in situations like this and without pictures - I'd refer to that part as the "eye piece". Once it's open, there should be no reason to close it. If you run into the situation above, you could always put a piece of black tape over the eyepiece as well.

[Ronnoco]

Yes, a sort of internal black curtain that can shut down the eye piece. It is to prevent light getting in through the viewfinder during a long exposure. It should be able to easily open and close with a control near the viewfinder at the back of the camera. If it does not work properly, then you will need to take your Minolta in for repair. It should be fairly minor.

Ronnoco

[Anbesol]

oh man, lol, i cant remember any 110 SLR's lol, I thought all the 110 film was for point and shoots... hmmm... ah nostalgia, my first couple cameras were 110 point and shoots....

anyway - cool looking camera there...

[Ronnoco]

oh man, lol, i cant remember any 110 SLR's lol, I thought all the 110 film was for point and shoots... hmmm... ah nostalgia, my first couple cameras were 110 point and shoots....

anyway - cool looking camera there...

Haven't a clue what you are talking about, but the viewfinder curtain was also on the Minolta XD11 which combined with a motor drive is still a great film camera.

By the way, I would like to offer our congratulations, on your successful efforts in getting a Minolta/Sony forum for all of the Minolta enthusiasts who can benefit from sharing information.

Cheers!
Ronnoco

[Greybear]

Ya gotta love those Minoltas!

[Anbesol]

Haven't a clue what you are talking about, but the viewfinder curtain was also on the Minolta XD11 which combined with a motor drive is still a great film camera.

By the way, I would like to offer our congratulations, on your successful efforts in getting a Minolta/Sony forum for all of the Minolta enthusiasts who can benefit from sharing information.

Cheers!
Ronnoco

a 110 was my first camera, nice and cheap, development was cheap, the film was cheap, and the cameras were even cheaper. It was a fairly short-lived medium - because of hwo the rolls functioned they lend themselves to novices very well, and because of how small the focal plane you didnt need much for a lens system. I got my first one when i was 7, a plastic rubberized camera with the one-time flash bulbs. then got another one at another time, a bit nicer, had a flash built into it , both used 110 film. used those till i was old enough to use my dads A1... and then onto digital! anyway - just brought back memories is all, dont think too much of film any more and this reminded me that there was such a time...

and my pleasure - i didnt actually expect my suggestion to be taken so well , glad it was. You know, when looking for a new forum to post, I almost passed this one up simply because it didnt have a minolta forum. maybe this place will bring in some more minolta users now!