Minolta Memo

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The Minolta Memo was a fixed-lens 35mm viewfinder camera introduced by Chiyoda Kōgaku Seikō in September 1949^[1], featuring:

First Minolta 35mm camera using full-frame 24mm x 36mm film format.
Rounded Bakelite plastic body. First released with a plastic winding lever.
Bottom trigger-winding lever, that both advanced film and cocked the shutter.
Shutter button would remain depressed after firing. Winding would release the shutter button back up.
Chiyoko Rokkor 50mm / f4.5 lens, with 3 elements in 3 groups. Focusing from 1 meter to infinity.
Konan leaf shutter with speeds B, 1/25sec, 1/50sec and 1/100sec^[2]. No flash synchronization.

The Memo was the first Japanese camera with lever winding and the first with bottom trigger-winding, and thought to be the first camera in the world with such winding^[3]. Unfortunately, as initially introduced the plastic winding trigger broke easily. This defect led the Memo to another distinction: being the first Minolta widely recalled by the manufacturer. The recall caused the Memo to become one of the rarest Minolta cameras.

Links[]

In English:

Minolta Memo in the 70th anniversary Minolta poster, reproduced at Photoclub Alpha

Notes[]

↑ JCII/Lewis, ed. "The History of the Japanese Camera" p65.
↑ Scheibel, A.R. and J. "Minolta Kameratechnik" 1978, p33.
↑ Sugiyama/Naoi "The Collectors Guide to Japanese Cameras", code 3430, p186. Note that the Leica M3 was introduced five years after the Memo.

[1] JCII/Lewis, ed. "The History of the Japanese Camera" p65.

[2] Scheibel, A.R. and J. "Minolta Kameratechnik" 1978, p33.

[3] Sugiyama/Naoi "The Collectors Guide to Japanese Cameras", code 3430, p186. Note that the Leica M3 was introduced five years after the Memo.

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