Minolta Repo-S

The Repo-S was Minolta's third and final attempt to break into the lucrative, half-frame market. It appeared in 1964, and was as close as Minolta would get to "getting it right". All of the Minolta Repo cameras were small and stylish, but they were always "too little, too late". The Repo-S was no exception. This model came with a super-fast, 32mm, manually-focusing (f1.8 - 16.0) lens with close focusing to three feet. The body is a little thinner than the earlier models, but the lens sticks out much more than on the original. This is partly due to the increased aperture. The camera still has a selenium-based match-needle exposure system, but this model dropped the unfamiliar, EV-numbering system. Now you can set the exact f-stops and shutter speeds -- much nicer -- with or without using the built-in metering system. The shutter speed range is expanded over the original model with shutter speeds of B, 1/8 - 1/500. But, although there were improvements, this version did not come with a built-in flash shoe -- two steps forward, one step back. And this was strictly a manual-exposure camera. Although other camera companies were coming out with half-frame models which included automatic-exposure options, the Repo-S lacked this feature. At least it had other convenience features -- tripod socket, PC connection and cable release socket. This model also added film advance with a more familiar lever, replacing the thumb-wheel of the earlier versions. Film speeds from 25 - 800. The faster lens required a wider 39mm filter thread and a new D42KC lens shade. Black and chrome versions were available. This was the last Minolta half-frame, but certainly not the end of Minolta subminis. They continued to make their popular 16mm cameras, and would go on to make some of the best 110 and disc cameras ever produced.