Minolta Pocket Autopak 430Ex (1980)
The Minolta Pocket Autopak 430Ex is a 110-film camera first released in 1980. It is a simple sliding point-and-shoot with a built-in electronic flash. It followed the 430E from 1977, and the only difference between the two is the "Ex" model's low-light beep warning, which sounds alongside an LED when there isn't enough light for a shot.
The camera is about as straightforward as 110 photography gets. Slide it open and it's ready. A three-zone focusing system offers settings at 1.5m, 3m, and 10m via a 26mm f/5.6 Rokkor glass lens. The shutter is fixed at 1/200s with a fixed aperture, so there are no manual controls and no exposure decisions. Film speed is set automatically for 100 and 400 ISO cartridges. The built-in flash is engaged with a second slider that extends slightly to help prevent red eye. One simple AA battery powers the whole thing. The viewfinder is big and bright with framelines and parallax indication marks, and distance indications appear in both meters and feet. There's a cable release socket but no tripod socket, since the fixed 1/200s shutter makes slow speeds unnecessary. A film advance slider moves the cartridge along, and a window in the back shows the film type and frame number. The shutter release is blocked when the camera is closed, which protects the lens.
Minolta was no stranger to subminiature formats by this point. Their Minolta-16 series had been a major player in the pre-110 market since the late 1950s. The Pocket Autopak 430Ex sits in the company's later Autopak line of 110 cameras, aimed at casual photographers who wanted flash capability without fuss. One Austerity Photo review, titled "One Hand in My Pocket," tested the camera with Lomography Orca 110 black-and-white film and emphasized its one-handed usability.
Documentation on this model is thin. No original retail price, production run length, or detailed owner complaints have surfaced. A Maltapark listing shows one offered at €95.00. The example photographed in the vintagecameras.in source bears Minolta's older logo, indicating an early production unit.
Known specifications:
- Format: 110 film cartridges, automatic ISO 100/400 setting
- Lens: 26mm f/5.6 Rokkor, 3 elements, 3-zone focus (1.5m / 3m / 10m)
- Shutter: Fixed 1/200s
- Flash: Built-in electronic flash, low-light LED + beep warning
- Battery: One AA
- Dimensions: 150 × 57 × 28 mm
- Weight: 210 g
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