Minolta FS-E III (1987)
The Minolta FS-E III is a compact 35mm point-and-shoot camera from 1987, sold in some markets as the Freedom 101. It is a simple, fully automatic snapshot camera with a fixed 35mm f/4.5 focus-free lens. No focusing required. The lens covers 1.5 meters to infinity.
The camera handles the basics for you: automatic film advance, a built-in flash, and a shutter ranging from 1/8 to 1/500 sec. Film speed is set by DX coding for ISO 100 and 400 films, and non-DX cassettes default to ISO 100. Power comes from two AA batteries. It weighs around 210-230 grams depending on the source. The FS-E III has no self-timer and no tripod mount.
Documentation on this model is thin, and the naming is muddled. The same camera shows up in listings as the FS-E II, FS-E III, and Freedom 101, sometimes within the same listing. It is unclear whether these are distinct variants or just regional naming inconsistencies. Analogue Amsterdam and filmdistrict both describe a fixed-focus camera, while a collectiblend.com entry calls it an auto-focus model. The record doesn't resolve that. Most sources date it to 1987, but one shop describes it as "from the 1990s."
It was a lightweight travel camera. The white version has been listed at €109.95, while a standard black example appeared at Kamerastore for €89. A used eBay listing described the camera as "tested, works well."
Known specs:
- Type: Compact 35mm point-and-shoot
- Lens: Fixed 35mm f/4.5, focus-free from 1.5m
- Shutter: 1/8 – 1/500 sec.
- Film: 35mm, DX-coded ISO 100/400 (non-DX defaults to 100)
- Flash: Built-in
- Film advance: Automatic
- Battery: Two AA
- Weight: approx. 210–230 g
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