135compact.com 110 cartridge ultra compact cameras Minolta Pocket Pak 401
The Minolta Pocket Autopak 401 was first released past 1973, a simple camera for Kodak 110 pocket film*(see below), but it has an electronic shutter and a hot shoe.
The company made quite a range of pocket cameras, including SLR models.
*
110 film was introduced by Kodak in 1972. The film sits in a cartridge,
like Kodak's earlier 126 film, but is much smaller. A frame is 13mm ×
17mm, has one perforation per image to control film advance and 24
frames per cartridge (12 were also available). The film is protected by
a backing paper like 120 film. The frame number is visible through a
window at the back of the cartridge. The basic film is ordinary 16mm
film which was already on the market, so it could be processed in
existing machines. The small picture size made very small, pocketable
cameras possible.
Kodak introduced with its 110 film a line of
Kodak Pocket Instamatic cameras which were followed by
cameras from other manufacturers. Most cameras were cheap
point-and-shoot, but very sophisticated models were also made. Small
digital cameras made 110 film obsolete. Bit by bit manufacturers stopped making 110 format film (Fujifilm in 2009), but in 2012 (and 2019) Lomography made a large batch of 110 film, followed by other firms.
The
Minolta Pocket Autopak 401 has a 2-zone focussig. There is very little
information about this model. It looks like a 40 model with a hot shoe
added. So its presumed main features are:
26mm F8 glass lens, 3 elements, F8, min. focus 0.9m, 2 zones Electronic shutter, 1/10 - 1/330s, 1/40s for flash Size 140x58x26, Weight 205 gr. 100
ISO only, parallax indication marks, LED for insufficient light, either
Magicubes, indicator for used cubes in the finder, or electronic flash
via hot shoe
Camera open. Big and bright viewfinder with bright framelines, only parallax indication. If the camera is closed, the lens is well protected and shutter release blocked. Seen from above. Cable release socket. Distance setting slider and scale. Back view. The
window will show the film type and the frame number, when a cartrigde
is inserted. Seen
from below. Tripod socket. Film advance slider. Distance indications in meters and feet for the symbols. Camera
film and battery compartment open. This is an odd battery, which is not
available any more. It's a Kodak K battery, marketed under 7R31 type K, 7K31,
Eveready Energizer 538 and RPX31. It has 4.5 volt. You will need
an old battery to make yourself a new one, how to replace a Kodak K 7R31 battery, I have shown here.
A whole lot of different Minolta 110 cameras, all with electronic shutter except the 430Ex.
This
camera is very easy to use, silde it open and it's ready.
It has no
manual settings, everything is automatic. You only have to
focus and frame, which is easy via the bright finder and an easy
2-zone focussing scale in the upper part of it. If by half pressing the
shutter no
light appears, exposure is fine, if there is a light, the
camera will use slow shutter speeds or needs a flash. There are
Magicubes (or X-cubes) possible or an electronic flash via the hot shoe
on the right side of the camera, but the camera deals well with
available light within its 1/10s limit. After taking
a picture, you have to advance film and cock shutter via the slider
under the camera. Putting
a film is easy as well,
you drop the film into the compartment, advance to the first frame and
that's it.
It's
a simple point and shoot camera
with the advantage of an electronic shutter and a hot shoe, but the disadvantage of an odd battery.
