Minolta FS-E II (1987)

The Minolta FS-E II is a compact 35mm point-and-shoot film camera launched in 1987. It is a fixed-focus design built for simplicity. It was sold as the Freedom 100 in the American market, and it is largely based on the earlier AF-E II. The lens is a fixed 35mm f/4.5, focusing from 1.5 meters to infinity. There is no autofocus mechanism at all. You point, shoot, and let the fixed focus and auto exposure do the work.

It runs on common AA batteries and reads DX-coded film, but it only tells ISO 100 from ISO 400. It has a built-in flash, motor drive, and automatic exposure. It was designed for casual, spontaneous shooting, and it is compact and light enough that a beginner can pick it up and use it without reading a manual. A Quartz Date variant exists, which imprints the date onto the frame. Contemporary dealers describe it as having a "high quality lens" and straightforward point-and-shoot operation.

Surviving documentation is thin. No original retail price, dimensions, weight, or shutter speed range have surfaced in the record. Current reseller pricing varies: roughly €110 - €120 at European shops, Dhs. 500 at a Dubai dealer, with tested and refurbished units typically carrying a short warranty. If you own one and can confirm the flash guide number, the minimum focus distance beyond the stated 1.5m, or the battery life, the Archive would welcome the details.