Minolta Riva Zoom 90EX (1990s)
The Minolta Riva Zoom 90EX - sold in North America as the Freedom Zoom 90EX - is a 35mm point-and-shoot zoom camera from the 1990s. It's fully automatic. Autofocus, auto exposure and a built-in flash handle the basics, and a macro mode gets you closer than the typical zoom compact of its era. It runs on a CR-P2 battery.
The 38-90mm zoom lens is the main feature. It uses four elements, two of them aspheric. One dealer source calls it "a very nicely designed 35mm film camera" whose lens "offers excellent image quality for a point-and-shoot zoom camera" (New Wave Pool). The autofocus system is said to step through 200 positions to keep subjects sharp across lighting conditions. The flash can be disabled, which is handy on a camera of this class.
Period commentary is scarce, but the camera has picked up a small following among film shooters in recent years. One photography blog describes using it in a "$20 film camera challenge," buying a Riva Zoom 90EX when a Riva 110 proved too expensive (360photography.in). That same source suggests the Zoom 90EX is the slightly older sibling of the Riva 110, though the exact relationship isn't confirmed elsewhere. Another seller calls it "the staple of qualitative cameras" in its day (Analogue Shop).
Documentation on this model is thin. No production years, original retail price, dimensions, weight, shutter speed range or ISO range have surfaced. The sources also disagree on the aperture. One gives a single f/3.5 figure, while another lists f/3.5-7.7 across the zoom range. The f/3.5-7.7 range fits a variable-aperture zoom of this type and comes from the more detailed source, so that's the figure used here. Used examples typically sell in the $15-65 range depending on condition and whether the original box and manual are included.
Known specs:
- Type: 35mm point-and-shoot zoom camera, fully automatic
- Lens: 38–90mm f/3.5–7.7, 4 elements (2 aspheric)
- Autofocus: 200-step system
- Flash: Built-in, disableable
- Macro mode: Yes
- Battery: CR-P2
- Also sold as: Minolta Freedom Zoom 90EX
eBay Listings
As an eBay Partner, we earn from qualifying purchases. This helps support our independent vintage technology research.