Minolta Autopak 700
The Minolta Autopak 700 is a compact 126-cartridge rangefinder camera. It is one of the more serious efforts in a format better known for toy-like simplicity. It was built on the same platform as the Minolta Rapid 24 and borrows the design language of the contemporary Hi-Matic 35mm compacts. Most 126 cameras offered little more than fixed focus and a single shutter speed. The Autopak 700 has a coupled rangefinder, a Rokkor 38mm f/2.8 lens, and a CdS-cell meter with both manual and programmed exposure. Point, focus, and shoot on automatic, or take control yourself.
Production dating is uncertain. The most commonly cited introduction year is 1965, though some sources place it in 1966 or even 1972. The design has a few quirks. The 126 film cassettes protrude roughly 5mm from the back of the camera, which gives it a clunky-looking rear door. The divided viewfinder suggests a square-format mask could be used over the film frame. Contemporary commentary was favorable. Camera period sources and collector write-ups have described it as "one of the better cameras taking instamatic or 126 cassettes," well beyond the almost-toy approach of its peers. A period advertising line boasted of "a great Rokkor lens and sensitive electric eye" delivering "perfectly exposed, exquisitely sharp prints."
Documentation beyond that is thin. No original retail price, dimensions, weight, shutter speed range, or battery type for the meter have surfaced in the record. The instruction manual survives and is available through collector archives. Buyers should be careful: at least one marketplace listing claims 35mm film compatibility. That conflicts with the 126-cartridge format confirmed by multiple other sources, and 126 is the correct one. Current asking prices vary wildly, from a $100 CAD Craigslist bundle with a Konica body and original leather case to a $1,234 CAD listing pairing it with another camera.
- Type: Compact rangefinder, 126 cartridge film
- Lens: Rokkor 38mm f/2.8
- Exposure: Manual or programmed, CdS cell meter
- Focus: Coupled rangefinder
- Era: Introduced c. 1965 (sources vary; some say 1966 or 1972)
eBay Listings
As an eBay Partner, we earn from qualifying purchases. This helps support our independent vintage technology research.