Minolta Autocord help

Hello, I am new to the group, and have found it to be a wealth of information. Let me start by saying that I am a hobbyist at best. But I love film . I currently have a pentax a1 and recently an older mamiya 645j. I have found myself very intrigued by the minolta Autocord, and it's square format. however there seems a lot to choose from. My question to anyone with some experience with them is this, which one and what can I expect to pay for one? Internal metering is not important to me, I prefer not to buy a project piece. I understand that this subject has most likely come up in the past. I thank you very much in advance for your help.

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I've had two Autocords over the years, to be honest I never took much notice of what models they were. They are all nice cameras with bright focusing screens. What's much more important is the condition and usability. The winding mechanism, aperture and shutter need to be working properly. The lenses need to be clean and undamaged. The folding hood needs to work properly and the mirror needs to be clean and bright.

 

The focusing mechanism should to be smooth and light in operation - a particular weak point on these being that the focusing stiffens up over time, resulting eventually in the knob at the bottom of the focusing lever breaking off due to being repeatedly overstressed.

 

I don't know how much they would cost in the markets available to you wherever you are. They do seem to hold their value well, particularly in good condition. I would expect to pay £120 to £160 GB pounds in the UK.

I had two Autocords in the past, and they are a delight to use. If you check rangerfinderforum or apug.org, you will find Dan Daniel often have overhauled Autocords for sale. I trust his work (bought Autocord and Rolleiflex from him) and that might be a safe approach to get a good workhorse.

I had one and only sold it because I had no way to scan medium format film. The pictures were excellent. As with any camera that old, you have to be very careful you know how to operate it. Luckly google is your friend and you might be able to find the manual online. Or at least get help.