Minolta Riva AF 35 (c. 1990)

The Minolta Riva AF 35 is a fully automatic 35mm point-and-shoot, released around 1990 and built in Japan. It was a cheap autofocus compact, the kind Minolta sold in huge numbers to people who wanted snapshots without thinking about settings. It went by different names in different markets: the Freedom AF 35 in America and the Mac 35 in Japan. One source also claims it appeared as the Freedom Escort in some markets, though that name isn't corroborated elsewhere. The Butkus manual archive lists the same instruction manual for both the Riva AF 35 and the Freedom AF 35, which confirms the transatlantic tie.

Everything is automatic. The Riva AF 35 does auto-loading, auto-advance, auto-rewind, auto-exposure and autofocus. It has a built-in flash and a self-timer, and a sliding cover protects the lens. The lens is a fixed 35mm with a widest aperture of f/4.5, and closest focusing is around 0.95 meters. It runs on two AA batteries, which reportedly give around 550 shots per charge. Film speed is set by DX coding from ISO 100 to 1000.

The record on this model is thin. There is no official launch price, no detailed lens construction data, and no period reviews have surfaced. What exists is dealer listings and user reports. The camera is generally described as compact and light. One source puts it at 225 grams, another at 215g without batteries, and a third at 250g. Dimensions are given variously as 13.6 × 7.2 × 4.7 cm or 120 × 66 × 44mm. Nobody has resolved the discrepancies. One seller notes a white version as rare and in excellent condition. Shop prices for working examples range from €29 to $265 depending on condition, which says more about seller optimism than any established collector value.

Known specs:

- Type: 35mm autofocus point-and-shoot compact

- Lens: Minolta 35mm f/4.5 fixed focal length

- Focus: Autofocus, closest distance ~0.95m

- Exposure: Fully automatic (Program AE)

- Shutter: 1/40 - 1/500 sec (one source gives a wider 1/2 - 1/500 range)

- Flash: Built-in, automatic

- Film: 35mm, DX-coded ISO 100–1000

- Film transport: Fully automatic

- Battery: 2× AA

- Made in Japan, c. 1990