Minolta 16 II (1960–1972)
The Minolta 16 II is a 16mm subminiature camera. People often call this kind of pocket-sized shooter a "spy camera," but it was really just a serious little picture-taker. It arrived in 1960 as the successor to the 16I, with a wider range of shutter speeds and apertures, and it stayed in production for over a decade. A 1972 price list shows it at £19.55 for the camera alone, or £26.95 with a flash and accessory kit. The 16mm format is roughly half the size of 35mm film, so the camera is very portable. The all-metal body is tiny but feels surprisingly dense in the hand.
Mechanically, the 16 II is a hybrid. It uses a push-pop film advance - opening and closing the camera shell winds the film on and increments the frame counter, a system similar to the Minox spy cameras. A blue dot appears on the mask in front of the lens when the shutter is cocked and ready. The lens is a fixed-focus Rokkor 22mm f/2.8 (three elements). Set the aperture to f/8 and depth of field puts everything from about 2.25 meters to infinity in focus. Two close-up attachments get you as close as 50cm at the same aperture. Shutter speeds run from 1/30 to 1/500 plus bulb, with apertures from f/2.8 to f/16, set by dials on the end of the camera nearest the lens. The shutter release sits on top. A selenium meter coupled to the aperture helps with exposure. The camera weighs 158 grams.
The 16 II was offered in a range of colors beyond the common silver - black, gold, blue, red, magenta, and green. It was about as close as subminiatures got to a "system camera," with accessories ranging from flashes and development tanks to projectors and enlargers. One collector source calls it "a poor man's Minox" - less compact, cheaper, and of lesser quality than the Swiss camera, but with great build quality in its own right. Minolta stopped selling 16mm cassettes in the early 90s. Dedicated shooters can trim 35mm film down and load their own.
Documentation conflicts on two points. Most sources give the lens as 22mm f/2.8, but a couple list a 25mm f/3.5 Rokkor instead. The 22mm figure appears more often and is consistent with the original fact sheet. The introduction year is likewise given as both 1960 and 1962, and the 1960 date is better supported. No dimensions, original 1960 price, or detailed viewfinder specs have surfaced.
- Type: 16mm subminiature viewfinder camera
- Lens: Rokkor 22mm f/2.8, fixed focus, 3 elements
- Shutter: 1/30 – 1/500 sec, plus bulb
- Aperture: f/2.8 – f/16
- Exposure: Selenium meter coupled to aperture
- Film: Minolta 16mm cartridges, 10×14mm frame
- Weight: 158 g
- Introduced 1960; still listed in 1972 at £19.55
eBay Listings
As an eBay Partner, we earn from qualifying purchases. This helps support our independent vintage technology research.