135compact.com 16mm film ultra compact cameras Minolta 16 MG-S
The
Minolta 16 MG was first released 1970, shortly before the launch of 110
film cassettes. It already had a bigger picture area, similar to 110
film. It was the ultimate 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 CdS meter. There was a wide 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:
23mm
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 12x17mm picture format, Minolta cartridge, can use only single perf or unferfed 16mm film Size 108x46x27, Weight 210 gr. 25 - 400
ISO, viewfinder, only parallax compensation marks, CsS meter, automatic or manual aperture, flash, many accessories
The presentation case.
Camera, chain, flash, filters, macro/close-up lenses and flash bulbs.
Camera
closed, lens well protected. Shutter release is
blocked when the camera is closed.
Camera front open.
Camera open, close-up/portrait lens in place. There is a warning in the viwfinder.
Camera front. A dial for the ISO setting. Back view. The viewer only shows parrallax marks.
Seen
from the top. Exposure meter, the needle shows the aparture.
A=automatic, the aperture is set automatically. The outer ring chooses
the speeds which go from 1/30s to 1/500. The shutter button sits near
the front. Film counter counts backwards from 18. At film start
and end you need to advance twice. Film advance wheel. At
flash setting (inner dial) you should set 1/30s as speed and then
choose the aperture by moving the inner
dial. The needle doesn't show measured results any longer, it indicates
the chosen aperture. As the choice of speed is stll possible, you can
use flash setting for total manual control, speed and aperture.
Seen
from below. Film compartment lid with opening button. Tripod socket.
Film compartment open.
Battery compartment. The old PX 675 is no longer made. There are adapers for exact voltage, but a simple LR44 worked on mine.
Battery
compartment of the flash. 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.
Camera and flash. Takes ordinary AG-1 bulbs, still available. The camera has a PC flash socket, it can handle electronic flash.
Seen from the back. The bulb ejection button is at the side..
3 filters.
Filter mounted. It slides over te front, meter included.
2 close-up lenses, the 40cm could be regarded as a makro lens.
The lenses slide over the front, finder included..
This
camera is very easy to use, silde it open and it's ready.
It has shutter settings, the aperture is automatic. You only have 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 good 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.
It's a major advance that aperture and speed are no longer 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. A focussable
lens would have been much better. Obviously they opted for the ease of
use. Picture results
were good. It has the bigger 12x17 format, which means +
50% of picture area.
