"Only from the Mind of Minolta"--Minolta AF-S V

<p>I found this camera in a new store housing hundreds of booths where vendors can sell whatever they find, sort of a fancy flea market. This is the Minolta AF-S V, sold in the US as the Minolta Talker. Yes, the camera actually talks and says two phrases. The first thing it says to you is, "Load film!" If you're about to shoot in very low light it tells you, "Too dark! Use Flash!" The last phrase is spoken with a very strong Asian accent. There is a switch on the back of the camera to turn off the voice, which is exactly what I have done. The camera is fairly compact and is roughly the size of the highly regarded Minolta AF-C with its flash attached. I also tend to think that the 35mm f/2.8 lens is the same one found on the AF-C, as it's just as amazingly sharp and captures excellent color. In use this camera is pretty nice and not overly loud. It has the usual 1980s AF/motor drive loudness, but not as bad as some of the other cameras of the mid 80s. I took it out last weekend to see if it was worth the $20 I spent on it and came back surprised at how nice the lens really is and just how well it performs. It amazes me how easily people throw away such treasures as this and probably never realize the potential of what they have. This camera is from the days when the lens was still made out of glass and when an f/2.8 lens wasn't such a novelty on a p&s camera. At any rate, I really enjoyed using the AF-S V and have already loaded it with more film. Here are a few shots of the camera and of our surroundings as seen through the camera.</p><div></div>

<p>With the lens cover off...</p><div></div>

<p>The view from behind...</p><div></div>

<p>Shot #1--A couple of hard-working trucks taking a break</p><div></div>

<p>Shot #2--A bigger, more serious truck, one of the tri-axles.</p><div></div>

<p>Shot #3--A close-up of the earth mover.</p><div></div>

<p>Shot #4--Back at the pond...</p><div></div>

<p>Shot #5--The pond closer to the house...</p><div></div>

<p>Ironically I went to the Goodwill Store the other day and found the version branded "Talker", also in excellent condition. Of course I bought it, but I'll probably get rid of one of them. I really like this camera quite a bit and am really impressed with it. I am really amazed by these older AF cameras and what they were capable of, as well as the high quality lenses that were used. As usual I used Fuji Superia 400 X-Tra. I will certainly have more to share from this camera in the near future.</p>

<p>What great quality, <strong>Andy</strong>. You're quite right, little cameras of this vintage and design were constructed to perform a limited range of photograph tasks, but many of them performed them very well, and we should acknowledge that. I've not come across the Minolta AFS-V, but it obviously has the fine Minolta glass we hold in such high regard. It <em>is</em> quite relaxing, I find, just letting the camera do it's own thing, while the operator concentrates on framing and composition. I'm certainly keeping an eye open for similar high-end P&S cameras of this vintage. Great shots, crisp and clean with great colour; I particularly like "Waiting for Spring's Greenery". I'm please you managed to stop the camera talking...</p>

<p>Thanks for an enjoyable post.</p>

<p>It might be a little chatty, but it sure does a nice job, at least in your hands.<br>

I need a camera that tells me when I have a crappy composition....</p>

We used to sell those at the family camera shop. My dad always kept the talking feature turned off when he used one.

Your great results confirm what I remember about it. I regret that I didn't keep one for myself. Thanks for posting.

Looks like a descendent of my Hi-Matic AF-2. Instead of a voice, my Hi-Matic has an annoying electronic buzzer that cannot be

turned off. The AF-2 does have a very sharp 38mm f2.8 lens and it is amazing that Minolta put such excellent lenses on their

point & shoot cameras.

<p>The 38mm f2.8 (as used by quite a few manufacturers) isn't terribly expensive to make, but unfortunately, as the 80's advanced and the masses wanted zooms and/or more compact cameras, the 38mm f2.8 disappeared. Before autofocus there were even quite a few similar lenses in use (Konica C35, Yashica ME, etc.) just to name a few. The first Canon Sure Shots also had a similar lens. <br>

The real limitation that the early AF cameras had was limited numbers of focus zones. Unlike AF SLRs, most compact P&S AF cameras autofocused in steps. Usually not a problem, but at wide open one might sometimes not reach precise focus.<br>

I hope to see a lot more posts on early AF cameras. Even with these limitations, many of them are surprisingly good picture takers.</p>

<p>The 35mm (not 38) in the Minolta Talker, was one of the advances, though, even though some lenses were getting slower by then. The first Yashica T3 also had a 35mm f2.8 (which I hope to do a post on soon.) And who can forget the excellent 35mm f2.8 in the Stylus Epic.</p>

<p><strong>Rick</strong>--Thanks for such kind compliments. I'm now looking forward to using more of these older AF p&s cameras since I never really gave them much of a chance in the past, with the exception of the stellar Nikon L35AF. I hope you get your hands on some of them as I'd love to see what you create with them.</p>

<p><strong>JDM</strong>--Thank you. I'd also love to have a camera that told me my composition was crappy, but it might frequently be drowned out by the voice in my head screaming the same thing!</p>

<p><strong>Mike</strong>--It's interesting that you mention the original Canon Sure Shots; my step-mom used one of the Sure Shot II cameras until about 10 years ago when she finally bought a more current AF camera (a Nikon N65 that she's still learning to use!). Like you, I also hope to see more posts on these cameras. Definitely an area well worth exploring.</p>

<p><strong>Tom</strong>--I once had an AF2 but sold it with a Minolta X-something SLR before getting to use it. It had a very nice feel in the hand and something told me it was a quality piece of work. I'd love to see some shots from your AF2.</p>

<p>Very nice article on a forgotten P&S, Andy . You images do the camera justice.<br>

The lens is pretty sharp, indeed. I toyed around with one this winter, until my kids got a hold of it and argued about what the "Talker" was actually saying. Then the shutter button finally went kaput after a thousand or so repeated presses. <br>

Do you want it for parts ?</p>

<p> </p>

<p>Thanks, <strong>Gabor</strong>, but now that I've got two of them I'll just use the other if one croaks. They're a lot of fun to use and I suspect at least one of them will last for awhile. Thanks for the compliments too!</p>

<blockquote>

<p>I'll just use the other if one croaks</p>

</blockquote>

<p>I thought you'd turned off the voice?</p>

<p>I remember that an 80's sitcom (either Family Ties or Growing Pains, but don't remember) made fun of the Talker (indirectly). The father had one set up to take a group photo and when he pressed a button the back popped open and the film fell out. The camera voice, IIRC, said "you have now exposed film." Don't know if anyone remembers this one or not.</p>

<p>"I thought you'd turned off the voice?"</p>

<p>I sometimes lose track of which voices I'm listening to:)</p>