Minolta Freedom Zoom Explorer 35mm Camera
by Konica Minolta
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Our Price: $25.99
You Save: $174.00 (87%)
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Category: Digital Camera
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Digital Photo Product Details
Manufacturer: Konica MinoltaModel: SE2428901
Product features:
- Multibeam active autofocus
- 28mm to 70mm zoom lens
- Panorama switch
- Continuous-drive option
- 3 exposure presets
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Digital Cameras Photo Reviews of Minolta Freedom Zoom Explorer 35mm Camera
Customer Review: Best Point&Shoot Available
Summary: 5 Stars
My 5-year inventory of camera wreckage includes a 35mm lens smashed on the temple steps of Angkor Wat; an Olympus point-and-shoot that disintegrated in Denali; a Nikon F3 viewfinder that caved on the streets of Bangkok; and another lens dropped in the Kathmandu international airport. The one camera that's actually thrived through my persistent and negligent abuse is the Freedom Zoom, which I bought in the summer of 1995 for a whopping $275. It's the only p&s available with a decent 28mm wide-angle lens. It's the only p&s I've found with a well-designed and ultra-durable housing. Regardless, today my Zoom is slightly worse for wear, with a small duct tape band-aid and a display meter that shows black goo where the frame counter used to be. It's been dropped, kicked, crushed, lost, found, and dragged all over creation. But it still does the job, racking-up tons more great travel photos than the bulky, fussy, and highly stealable F3 (try putting *that* down you pants in the midst of a third-world police shakedown). Alas, my ongoing abuse has finally taken its toll, and the little Minolta is in serious need of retirement. You make a guess about the p&s I'll be buying as a replacement.
Description of Minolta Freedom Zoom Explorer 35mm Camera
The Minolta Freedom Zoom Explorer offers advanced features in a slim, compact package. Its zoom lens, multiple preset programs, easy panorama switch and continuous-drive mode make it a versatile, portable camera perfect for both beginners and those needing higher-end point-and-shoot capability.The Minolta Freedom Zoom Explorer is one of the more compact 35mm cameras we've seen; its automatic sliding lens cover and smooth form make it easy to carry in a pocket without a case. We found it easy to use, although we recommend reading the manual to learn how to use the preset exposure and continuous-drive modes.
The Minolta Freedom Zoom Explorer reads DX-coded film from ISO 25 to 3,200, making it suitable for specialty slow and high-speed work. (Many point-and-shoots accept only a limited range of film speeds.) It offers both automatic and manual rewind options.
The Minolta Freedom Zoom Explorer has a 28mm to 70mm zoom lens for shots ranging from wide-angle to portraits or medium close-ups. The only drawback we experienced was that the zoom lens retracts in steps rather than in one continuous motion; if you need to frame a photo exactly, we recommend zooming in instead of out. Besides auto-exposure mode, the Minolta Freedom Zoom Explorer also provides macro, night-portrait, and landscape settings for optimal exposure and focus. The built-in flash can be set to auto, red-eye reduction, fill-flash, or off.
The Minolta Freedom Zoom Explorer's continuous-drive mode lets you take pictures continuously by holding down the shutter release. This advanced feature is good for sporting events and other action subjects--just be prepared with extra film if you take a long series of photos. The Minolta Freedom Zoom Explorer also offers panorama capability via an easy-to-use switch. You can take panoramic photos on the same roll as regular pictures, although you'll have to have them specially reprinted to get the larger-size panoramic prints.
Pros:
- Preset exposure and focus options
- Accepts a wide range of film
- Continuous-drive option
- Panorama switch
- Compact construction
Cons:
- Lens zooms out in steps
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