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The Minolta V2 is a rangefinder camera, launched in 1958. It is an all-mechanical camera (without a light meter), the first offering exposure times down to 1/2000 second with a leaf shutter with limited aperture:

  • at B and from 1 sec to 1/500 sec every aperture from f/2 to f/22 can be used
  • at 1/1000 sec only apertures from f/4 to f/22 can be used
  • at 1/2000 sec only apertures from f/8 to f/22 can be used

At 1/1000 and 1/2000, the shutter blades do not fully open. (Some sources state that the Minolta V2 and the Minolta V3 use only one set of blades for shutter and aperture. This is not true [1].) To remind the user of this, the 1/1000 engraving is colored blue and the 1/2000 in red, and there are corresponding red (from f/8 to f/22) and blue (from f/4 to f/22) lines near the engraved aperture numbers.

In later cameras with exposure automation Minolta sometimes did combine every possible shutter speed with just a variety of the possible aperture values.

Camera Specifications[]

  • finder: coupled rangefinder (with parallax correction)
  • film: 35mm
  • lens: 1:2/45mm Rokkor - PF
  • filter size: 46mm
  • closest focusing distance: 0,8m
  • shutter: Optiper-Citizen-HS M-10
  • shutter speeds: B, 1 sec down to 1/2000 sec.
  • aperture: 2 to 22, 4 to 22 with speed 1/1000, 8 to 22 with 1/2000
  • dimensions: 137×85×74mm
  • weight: 780g
  • date of production: 1958
  • price at release: ¥24.800

The serial number has six digits and is engraved in the accessory shoe. Body no.100005 is pictured in the user manual, and the sequence certainly started at 100001. The model name is inscribed as minolta V2 on the top cover. The example pictured in this page at Tom's home is lacking the figure 2, making it appear as a "Minolta V", but this is certainly an engraving mistake.

Links[]

In English:

In Japanese:

In French :

Minolta Classic Cameras
Vest (or Best) | V2 | SR-2 | SRT 101 | XE | XD | CLE | 7000 | 9000 | 800 si
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