Minolta Dynax 303si (1999)
The Dynax 303si is a lightweight 35mm autofocus SLR that Minolta launched in 1999, near the end of the company's film-camera era. It was sold under different names in different markets - the Maxxum QTsi in the USA and the Alpha 360si in Japan. Minolta aimed it squarely at beginners. The body is compact, with automatic exposure and autofocus, built to give SLR image quality with point-and-shoot simplicity. It has program, aperture priority, shutter priority, and full manual modes, plus multiple exposure, spot metering, and auto bracketing. A "Date" variant with date imprinting was also produced.
The 303si typically came bundled with a Minolta 35-80mm f/4-5.6 zoom lens, so it was a ready-to-shoot kit. The shutter is an electronically controlled vertical focal-plane type running from 30 seconds to 1/2000s. Period commentary on the handling is scarce. One dealer summary called it "a winner in all departments of basic good photography," and it has been repeatedly described as well-suited to newcomers to film photography, a camera that lets the user focus on composition while the electronics handle the rest. Light weight was a noted selling point: it weighs less than two-thirds of the average film SLR in its class.
Documentation for the 303si is reasonably easy to find. On the used market, sold examples have changed hands for roughly £21 to £39, with a median around £30. It sits at the end of Minolta's autofocus SLR line, and the same A-mount system would eventually carry on in Sony's digital cameras.
- Type: 35mm autofocus SLR film camera
- Introduced: 1999
- Shutter: 30s – 1/2000s, electronically controlled
- Kit lens: Minolta 35–80mm f/4–5.6 zoom
- Modes: Program, aperture priority, shutter priority, manual
- Also sold as: Maxxum QTsi (USA), Alpha 360si (Japan)
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