Minolta F25

The Minolta F25 is a 35mm point-and-shoot compact from the early 2000s. It's fully automatic, fixed-focus, and has a built-in auto flash. Film cameras don't get much simpler. The 35mm plastic lens has a fixed aperture of f/6.3 and a fixed shutter speed of 1/125, and Minolta claims a focal range of 1.3m to infinity. The viewfinder has frame lines with parallax markings. It was made in Japan.

What little documentation exists comes mostly from owner accounts, not formal reviews. One photographer on austerityphoto.co.uk called it a "fully re-useable lightweight fully automatic camera," and noted that the built-in auto flash and fixed-focus lens make it reliable and easy to use in all settings. The same source looked at sample shots taken with Kodak Color Plus 200 and was blunt about the image quality: "You Get What You Pay for." Things are soft and fall off noticeably away from the center, with some distortion visible.

The record has a few wrinkles. Production timing is disputed. Most sources point to the early 2000s, but one listing claims "vintage 1996." Naming is inconsistent too. The camera appears as "Minolta F25," "Minolta F25 Autoflash," and occasionally "Minolta AF25," and one source puts the AF 25 and F 25 on a combined spec sheet (the AF 25 column lists autofocus; the F25 appears to be fixed-focus). A Pinterest listing even mentions "Minolta Mnd25." No production years, original retail price, battery type, dimensions, or weight have been confirmed.

Surviving examples show up on the secondary market at prices around £47, €100, or 3,000 TL, depending on condition and seller. One Russian listing notes the camera was "technically in working order, tested with test film, batteries included."

Known specifications: