135compact.com       16mm film ultra compact cameras       Minolta 16 MG

The Minolta 16 MG was first released 1966, a top class camera for 16mm Minolta cartridge film
* (see below). It has a very good, yet fixed focus lens, a choice of speeds and apertures and a built-in selenium meter. There was some choice of accessories available.

* 16mm film is a movie film format, as was 35mm film. In the early days it was cut from 35mm film and thus had perforations on one side (single perforation). Please note, that the perfs and their area of 35mm are bigger than those of modern 16mm film. As soon as 1923 Kodak introduced a set with camera, projector, tripod, screen and splicer (or was it a slitter?) aiming at amateurs. The new format was rapidly adopted by still camera producers to build smaller devices. The film usualy sits in a cartridge, but no standard has been established, many have 2 cassettes, one feeding and one taking. So every maker made his own system. Some, like Minolta, even sold a choice of readily available film cassettes. If you want to use your camera, you should at least have one (pair of) cassette(s).

16mm film is still made. There is double perf, single perf and unperforated film. Check, which one suits your camera. Some need perfs to advance. Smaller picture formats can use double perf film, bigger ones would have the perfs (or sprockets) visible in the picture area. There is 10mm of usable space between the perfs of double perf film, 12.5mm to the side of single perf film. Film can also be s(p)lit from other formats like 120.


The camera's 
main features are:

20mm F2.8 Rokkor lens, 4 elements in 3 groups, F2.8-F16, min. focus ~2m(!)m, built-in close-up lens 1.2m at F2.8 down to 0.67m at F16
Shutter speeds 1/30 - 1/250
10x14mm picture format, Minolta cartridge, can use any 16mm film
Size 102x39x24,  Weight 160 gr.
25 - 400 ISO, viewfinder, only parallax compensation marks, matched needle coupled selenium meter, flash, some accessories

jpg/16_minolta_16_mg_IMG_0812.JPG
The presentation case.

jpg/16_minolta_16_mg_IMG_0814.JPG
Camera with leather case, flash with pastic case, another case, initially for for flash bulbs, metal chain and papers in presentation case.

jpg/16_minolta_16_mg_IMG_0816.JPGCamera and leather case

jpg/16_minolta_16_mg_IMG_0840.JPG
Camera closed, lens well protected. Shutter release is blocked when the camera is closed.

jpg/16_minolta_16_mg_IMG_0844.JPG
Camera front open.

jpg/16_minolta_16_mg_IMG_0841.JPG
Camera open, close-up/portrait lens in place. There is a warning in the viwfinder.

jpg/16_minolta_16_mg_IMG_0846.JPG
Back view. The viewer only shows parrallax marks. Flash synchro select and film compartment opening button. Do not forget to set the flash synchro back after using flash.

jpg/16_minolta_16_mg_IMG_0843.JPG
Seen from the top. Exposure meter. You have to match the pointer with the needle. Aperture and speed are coupled and go from F2.8 at 1/30s to F16 at 1/250. The 2 points around the dial indicate approx. speed and aperture. There is no possibitity to uncouple them except flash setting, which sets 1/30s as speed and you can then choose the aperture with the dial. Inside the dial is the ISO setting. You have to move the dial to either end and then turn further to set ISO. It has click-stops. The shutter button sits near the front. The film advance wheel has a counter inside. It counts backwards from 20. The scale becomes progerssively black. At film start and end you need to advance twice.

jpg/16_minolta_16_mg_IMG_0845.JPG
Seen from below. Film compartment lid. The camera has a tripod socket at its side, which also takes the chain or the flash.

jpg/16_minolta_16_mg_IMG_0848.JPG
Film compartment open.

jpg/16_minolta_16_mg_IMG_0826.JPG
The flash and its case

jpg/16_minolta_16_mg_IMG_0828.JPG
Seen from above.

jpg/16_minolta_16_mg_IMG_0829.JPG
Seen from the back.

jpg/16_minolta_16_mg_IMG_0830.JPG
Seen from below. Tripod socket as the flash sits in the camera's tripod socket.

jpg/16_minolta_16_mg_IMG_0833.JPG
Battery compartment. To get there, just flrmly tear the metal cover off. Takes a 15v battery, which became rare and expensive, but can be replaced with a DIY pile of 10 ordinary button cells.

jpg/16_minolta_16_mg_IMG_0835.JPG
Camera and flash. Takes ordinary AG-1 bulbs, still available.

jpg/16_minolta_16_mg_IMG_0836.JPG
Seen from the back. The bulb ejection button sticks out, as there is a bulb in the flash.

jpg/16_minolta_16_mg_IMG_0837.JPG
The bulb case can contain the filters.

jpg/16_minolta_16_mg_IMG_0838.JPG
2 filters..

jpg/16_minolta_16_mg_IMG_0839.JPG
The filters are held via the chain screw.


This camera is very easy to use, silde it open and it's ready.
It has coupled aperture/speed settings, just match the meter needle with the pointer. You have only to frame, which is easy via the bright framelines. The focus is fixed. After taking a picture, you have to turn the advance wheel for film advance and shutter cocking. Putting a film is easy as well, you drop the film into the compartment, advance to the first frame and that's it.

It's a luxury point and shoot camera with a very good lens and nice picture quality, good quality finish in a very small pocketable body. This camera feels solid and light. It's a pity that aperture and speed are coupled. The lens is good, but it's focussed to about 3.5m. So sharp pictures at infinity are only possible at very small apertures = bright light. A focussable lens would have been much better. Obviously they opted for the ease of use.

back