Minolta Hi-Matic E

[trace_dibble6]

I recently was handed a Minolta Hi-Matic E rangefinder camera (given

to me a friend who picked it up at a yard sale, had no use for it,

told me he would like to see it "go to a good home"). The first

thing I discovered about it, much to my chagrin, is that it used a

certain, long discontinued variety of mercury batteries. Is this

thing just a paperweight now, or is there a means of binging back to

life?

[bob_hill]

See the following website. It lists replacement batteries for the HiMatic E:

 

http://photobattery.com/

[jose f.]

This website:

 

http://homepage.mac.com/mattdenton/photo/cameras/minolta_himatic_e.html

 

recommends two 640KA batteries; says it took the camera a couple days to come back to full operation. The 40mm on the Hi-Matic is a very nice lens.

[trooper]

This is a very capable optic on the E and ranked at the top of the compact rangefinder heap with the Konica S-3 and Leica CL. I've had an example of each and didn't care for the operation aspects of the all-electronic Minolta (I was always fighting the automation) but it produced amazingly sharp negatives. My brother still uses one of these regularly and always seems to get great results.

[jon_goodman1]

Hi, Trace. Batteries won't be a problem, and it should do pretty nice work. It may have a light leak. If you need to fix that, I can send you a kit for as little as $6. To see one, please go to E-Bay and search using the "by seller" tab. Enter my ID...Interslice...and there you go. I think the common 640A (alkaline) battery should do fine for you.

 

Jon

[andy_aitken]

Some of the Hi-Matics work with 2 SR44's and a wad of tinfoil if it does it's way the easiest and cheapest option.

[andy_aitken]

Just had a look and it looks like the tinfoil trick will work on the E. Take a big sheet of aluminium kitchen foil and fold it over and over tightly till it fills the gap. Worked for my similar Yashica rangefinder.