Minolta HI-MATIC ES User manual

AN ELECTRO.AUTOMATIC CAMERA FOR TODAY:

 Your Minolta Hi-matic ESfeatures a newly designed Seiko ESF completely programmed  elec-
trbnic shutter for highly accurate exposure from 1/1OOO to 2  f ull seconds.
  Its CdS electric eye and auto-flashmatic systems give you continuous automatic exposure
and switch-over from brightest EE conditions throughout the entire  f lash range.
 Camera features compact body design and light weight yet takes high-quality full-frame
35mm pictures with ease.
  Convenient signals visible in viewfinder tell you when there is enough light for normal hand-
held auto exposure without  f lash, warn you when to use a tripod or  f lash, and conf irm when
f lash system is ready to work. Coupled rangef inder focusing actuates automatic parallax correc-
tion.
  Please take a few minutes to read this instruction manual through carefully for best results
and longest service life from your new Hi-matic ES.





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CONTENTS

 NAMES OF PARTS..                        2
 SPECTFTCAT|ONS   .........                     4
 BEFORE TAKING PICTURES
  Inserting Mercury Batteries  ......             5
  Checking Battery Power                    7
  Loading Fi  I m............                        9
  Setting Film Speed                        L2
HOW TO TAKE PICTURES
  Fully Automatic Electric-Eye Control  ............ 13
  Automatic Flash Photography              19
  Unloading Exposed Film                  24
OPTIONAL ACCESSORIES                   25
CARE AND STORAGE                      29

NAMES OF PARTS

      Film Advance Lever
        Frame Counter
  Shutter Release Button
     BatterY Check LamP
   Cordless Flash Contact
         AccessorY Shoe
      Film Rewind Crank                                                                               l-----,
           Back Release
     Rangef inder Window
       Viewfinder Window
           Distance Scale
         Film SPeed Scale
              CdS Cell
 Rokkor 4Omm F\'7 Lens
      StraP Lug and Link       www.butkus.us

Film Pressure Plate
                    Sprocket
            Rewind Release
             Finder Eyepiece
  Battery Compartment Cover
       Film Rewind Shaft Key
Cord Sync. Terminal with Cap
     Film Cartridge Chamber
               Tripod Socket
  Guide Number Letter Scale
                                                             $,r*Kue''D   GN Letter Scale Release

MINOLTA HI.MATIC ES SPECIFICATIONS
                   Lens:  Rokkor 4Omm FL.7,6 elements in 4 groups, 57" angle of view, 49mm screw-
4                            in lens-shade and filter mount
                Shutter:   Seiko electronic type programmed for EE exposure from 1/fOOO sec. at
                     F11 to 2 sec. atFL.7 (i. e., EV 17 to EV O.5 with a film speed of ASA lOO),
                         X-synchronized at 1/2O sec. (when flash circuit on)
       Exposure rneter:  CdS type, coupled EE range EV O.5 to EV 17 with a film speed of ASA IOO;
                         film speed range ASA 25 to 5OO; automatic cornpensation when filter(s)
                          used; powered by 2 mercury batteries, i.e., Mallory RM-640, Eveready E-64O,
                           or equivalent
        Auto-f lashmatic   Flash circuit for X-synchronized exposures at L/2O sec. automatically
               system:  switches on at programmed 1/3O sec. at FL.7  (a. e., EV 6.5 with ASA lOO)
                                             if  f lash is attached, and aperture couples to focusing and guide-number
                          setting rings, providing automatic exposure adjustment throughout the
                           flash range
     Flash connections:   Both cordless "hot-shoe" and standard European-type terminal contacts
                         are provided
             Focusing:  Direct helicoid type, with coupled superimposed-image rangefinder; mini-
               mum focbsing distance O.8m (2.6 ft.)
             Viewf inder:  Tinted bright-frame type with automatic parallax correction, EE indicator
                      lamp and  f lashmatic signal visible while viewing
         Film advance: Lever type with single 14O" stroke after 30" unengaged play
       Frame counter: Automatic resetting type, shows number of  f rames exposed
          Frame size: 24mmx36mm for L2,20, or 36 exposures on standard 35mm film
      Sizeandweight: Height 77mm (3 in.) x width L24mm (4%in.) x 6Omm (2%in.) from
                          front of lens barrel to back; weight without batteries 55Oe (19.4o2.)
               .   Other: Battery check lamp located atop camera body, simplif ied guide-number
                         setting that coupleswww.butkus.uswith film speed, automatic shutter lock when
                          battery power insuff icient

BEFORE TAKIN G PICTURES
                                                                                             / lnser trrtg Mercury Battorres                                    4l!4+J                                           Lhtr ft//a'zThe automatic exposure system of  the                                    V1;ttMinolta Hi-maticES is powered by two long-life
1.4-volt mercury batteries for photographic
applications, such as Mallory RM-640 or     1. Slide the battery compartment cover in
equivalent, which must be properly seated in      the direction of the arrow, and lift  it open
the battery compartment before the camera      by means of the recessed lip slot near the
will operate:                                    square end of the arrow.





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2. Making sure the end of the clear vinyl strip   CAUTION:
   is projecting   f rom the end of the compart'   o Be sure plus + and minus    terminals
  ment near the cover hinge, insert the 2      of the batteries are not reversed.
  batteries as indicated by the diagrams in   o Battery terminals should never be touched
  the bottom of the compartment. Then close      with the hands; before inserting battery
  and latch cover by sliding it in the direction      their terrninals should be cleaned with a
  of the arrow and letting  it snap back in the      clean rough cloth.
  opposite direction.                    o  lf camera is not to be used for over a nronth,
                                        remove the batteries and store them in a
                                                        cool, dry place.
                    €





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The condition of the mercury batteries in your
Hi-maticES can be checked at any time by
simply depressing the shutter release button
slightly, making sure that you never push so
far that the white part of the button is not
visible. lf the battery check lamp on top of
camera lights up, batteries can be regarded
as f unctioning properly with adequate power.
lf the battery check lamp does not light, make                   t}sure that two batteries are properly inserted                                ,ul                         { s       Tr:rd lFtJ)ll.,0d l:)l'Ilor replace the batteries with  f resh ones. (Since
battery check lamp operates in parallel with
EE indicator lamp in viewfinder,  it willeither
go out or remain on depending upon EE con-dition as you continue to push shutter release              F
down to take a picture. This is of no conse-quence for battery checking purposes,- but  r:isslJ-l=
you may wish to use it as a slow shutter speed
indication that can be seen without looking
through viewf inder. That is, if the lamp does
not go out as you continue depressing shutter
release, you should observe the precautions
applicable for slow shutter speeds. See
page 14.)

Since lighting of the EE indicator lamp in the
viewfinder is also an indication that there is
adequate battery power, your Hi-maticESac'
tually gives you battery check information
automatically before every exposure.
By either means, batteries should generally
be checked after the camera has been stored
for some time or new batteries have been
inset ted.
Adequate battery power is essential for proper
exposure and switchover. To positively pre-
vent unsatisfactory operation, a special device
built into your Hi-matic ES locksthe shutterso
that pictures cannot be taken if batteries are
too weak or there are none in the camera.
Thus if you find it impossible to release the
shutter, you should install or change batteries.



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Loading Film
The Minolta Hi-maticES loads in seconds.
l. Lift the film rewind crank and grasp it to     2. Place  f ilm cartridge into the  f ilm cartridge
  pull up the back release; back cover will      chamber.lf  f ilm rewind key does not engage
  automatical ly spri ng open.                     properly in end of cartridge, rotate film
                                              crank in either direction until it does so.


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                                                                4. While pressing film  gently against the      3.  f nsert leader of film about I cm (l/2 in.)       sprocket, actuate film advance lever slowly
        into one of the slots in the take-up spool.       until the perforations'on both edges of the
      Be sure that the  f ilm perforation is engaged       film are engaged with sprocket teeth. Then
         in the tooth of the slot.                            close the back cover.





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CAUTION:                                              11
5. A large red dot should now appear opposite   o Be sure that the filn'r perforation engaged
  the red index in the  f rame counter window.      with the tooth of the take-up spool slot is
  Actuate the film advance lever until   it      not the very last one on the end of the
  stops, then press the shutter release button.       leader. The perf oration used should be the
  Repeat this lever actuation and shutter       third or fourth one frorn the end of the
  release until the number "1" appears op-       leader.
  posite the counter index.                o Load and unload film  in subdued light,
                                                never in direct sunlignt.
                       r\r

                  JD

Setting Filrrr Speed ASA Nurnber
 To enable your Hi-matic ESto calculate ex-
 posure correcily, you must set the scale to the applicable ASA number, which is a,aiine of film sensitivity to light and is available for each film on the rrrarket. To set this, turn the film speed scale to align tfre ASA rating num_
 pel of the  f ilm you are using with the red dotrnoex on top of outer lens barrel.
The ASA scale engraved on the camera is:25 .. 50^.. roo .. 200... 500
Dots denote ASA speeds ot 32,4C.,64,g0, 125,
160-,25O,32O, and 4OO, respectivef y from leftto right.
DIN system equivalents for this scate are:
4SA 2s. .5O. . roo . .2OO.  . 5OO-DIN 15 18  21  24   48



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HOW TO TAKE PICTURES

Fully Automatic Electrlc-Eye Control                                                       13
1. Looking through the viewfinder at your
  subject, push the shutter release button
  down slightly to determine light level and
   picture-taking mode.
  A. lf the green lamp in the upper left corner
      of the viewfinder lights up and then goes
     out as you continue to push shutter re-
      lease, light is adequate for normal hand-
     held auto exposure without flash, and
    you can proceed to take the picture as
     soon as you have focused and composed
     your subject.

t4      B. lf the gre€n lamp does not go out but
         changes to red as you continue to de-
           press the shutter release button, a shut-                                                          ,l             ter speed slower than 1/3Osec.  is indicat-
            ed, and use of a tripod is recommended
                   if you are not using flash. Your Hi-matic                                                                             il
          ESwillcontinue to make accuiate auto
          exposures down to 2 full seconds with.
           out flash. Adequate qttention should of
          course be paid to subject movement at
          slow shutter speeds.
        It is important lo ,"-"-ber,  at these slow
      shutter speeds, that you MUST HOLD THE
    SHUTTER RELEASE BUTTON DOWN UNTIL
    THE RED LAMP GOES OUT. lf it is inconvenient
     to look into viewfinder, as under certain con-
      ditions when using a tripod, instead watch the
      battery check lamp, which lights and goes out
       in parallel with the viewfinder's EE indicator
     lamp, and keep the shutter button or cable                                                                    I
      release plunger depressed until  it goes out.                                  I

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2. Focus by looking through the viewfinder                                                  15
  and moving the grooved ring on the lens
   barrel until the two subject images in the
  "diamond" at the center of the viewfinder
  frame come together and appear as one.


Out of Focus
Your subject is not  properly focused if a
double image of  it appears in viewfinder's
diamond-shaped area as shown.





In Proper Focus
When the two images merge into one as shown,
subject is in sharp focus. Camera-to-subject
distance is indicated by the scale and index
located on the lens barrel between grooved
focusing ring and camera body.

,



   16     3. Compose your picture by framing your sub-
           ject as you wish within the bright-frame
           lines visible in the viewfinder; the area
             inside this frame is what will appear on the
             film.





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As you focus, you can see this bright frame   Whcn focurlnt et lon3 dlrtencor               L7
      moving. This provides automatic parallax
        correction, giving you a field of vision adjust-
      ed for the subject distance you are focusing
          at. You thus avoid getting a composition differ-
       ent from what you see in the vbwfinder ort       unintentionally "cutting off" heads, legs, and
        so on when shooting at close range.                    -
       NOTE:
     o lf you cannot see the bright frame or sub.
           ject clearly thrOugh the viewfinder, use of a
          Minolta Eyepiece Correction Lens (available
          separately through your dealer) to suit your
          vision is recommended.                  Whcn focurlng et rhort dlrtencor
                                                                                            IlnI

ir


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4.For exposures without a tripod, hold the
  camera  f irmly in either vertical or horizon-                                                                            r   tal position with both hands and release the
  shutter with a slow, steady squeeze to avoid
  blurred pictures  f rom camera movement.
  Use of a cable release is recommended for
  exposures with a tripod.




                                        ;{,&


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Automatlc Flash Photography               When a flash unit is properly attached to the  19
When the viewfinder EE indicator lamp    camera and the  f lash circuit is connected for
changes from green to red as the shutter    X-synchronized exposures at Ll2O sec., the release is pushed, it indicates you should use    ffashmatic symbol (t)  will light up in the
flash if slow shutter speeds using a tripod    upper right corner of the viewfinder as the
are not desired.  lt also indicates that the     shutter release is pushed and the EE indicator
camera will automatically switch itself over    lamp changes to red.
to make X-synchronized flash exposures at
 ll2O sec. if a  f lash is attached.