Minolta Vectis S1/S100 APS Collection

The VECTIS 300 features a 24mm - 70mm (approx. 30 - 87.5mm in the 35mm format) zoom packed in an ultra-compact, full-metal body. The camera comes in an attractive capsule shape with a retractable zoom, built-in flash, and a smoothly moving inner-slide lens cover.

VECTIS 300 can focus on subjects as close as 40cm with amazing image quality supported by a compact, high-performance 4-element, 4-group zoom lens with aspheric surfaces, and about 560 focusing steps. High-precision, passive AF system with a wide focus area ensures accurate autofocus while the dual-segment metering system provides proper exposure even on back-lit subjects.

Vectis 300 Ebay 2004/09/04 26GBP, 2004/09/05 36.04EUR, 2004/09/19 22.09EUR, 2004/11/14 35GBP (box), 2004/11/25 25GBP (box), 2004/11/27 35.50EUR, 2004/11/28 26USD (box), 2004/11/-3 23.49EUR (box), 2004/12/05 45.50EUR (box), 2004/12/10 24.99USD (box), 2004/12/19 40GBP (box), 2005/01/10 30.50EUR, 2005/03/06 11GBP (box), 2005/03/14 28USD (box), 2005/03/27 40.00USD (beam, box), 2005/04/03 16.51USD (beam, box), 2005/04/17 49.99USD (box), 2005/06/05 27EUR, 2005/06/05 10GBP, 2005/09/21 10.51GBP, 2006/05/08 9.99USD (Beam, box))

Features

Compact, Capsule-Type Stainless Steel Body
Minolta’s Vectis 300 combines head-turning good looks with high-performance features, by featuring a sleek, super-compact, stainless steel body. Extremely thin (0.5mm) but strong stainless steel was used in the construction of the outer body, including the covering of the retractable, three-cylinder lens barrel. The matte-finish stainless steel provides a degree of refined elegance unmatched by conventional compact cameras.

3x, 24-70mm Stepless Zoom Lens
The Vectis 300 features a powerful 3x, 24-70mm zoom lens (approx. 30-87.5mm in the 35mm format) which provides continuous focal length selection with the touch of a button. 24-70mm is an extensive zoom range which is ideal for everything from sweeping scenic landscapes, to groups, to portraits, close-ups, and candid. Minolta’s high-quality lens design of 4 optical glass elements in 4 groups plus aspheric surfaces ensures beautifully-sharp images with high contrast.

High-Performance Autofocus System
The Vectis 300 features a passive, phase-detection autofocusing system which uses a wide focusing area and approximately 560 focusing steps, to keep the main subject sharp in a wide variety of shooting situations. Since there are no projected beams, this type of AF system can focus accurately through a windowpane, or even on mirror images. The focus can be locked by pressing the shutter-release button partway down, allowing the photographer to creatively position the subject anywhere in the viewfinder frame.

Close-Up (Macro) Photography
The Vectis 300’s sophisticated auto focusing system lets the user shoot sharp, detailed close-ups as near as 16 inches from the subject. To make it easy to measure minimum subject distance, the supplied neck/shoulder strap has a length of 16 inches.

Dual-Segment Exposure Metering with Backlight Detection
The Vectis 300 features a dual-area metering system which measures light levels in both the subject area and background area. With this unique feature, the brightness value in the centre of the viewfinder (main subject area) is measured by the AF sensor and compared with the overall average brightness as measured by the AE sensor. If the background brightness greatly exceeds that of the subject area, the flash will fire (in autoflash or autoflash w/red-eye reduction modes) to provide the optimum subject exposure.

Retractable, Multi-Mode Flash with Red-Eye Reduction
The built-in, retractable flash features autoflash, autoflash with red-eye reduction, manual fill-flash, flash cancel, landscape/night view, and night portrait (slow shutter sync) modes.

Automatic Soft Flash
To prevent a close subject from being overexposed and "washed out," the Vectis 300 automatically sets a softer flash intensity for close-ups.

LCD Data Panel
The large, easy to read LCD data panel displays title/date/time imprinting, film speed, flash mode, self-timer operation, remote control operation, film loaded, frame number, and battery condition.

Selectable Title/Date/Time Imprinting
This feature is ideal for cataloguing photographs or keeping photo records of important events such as birthdays, weddings, graduations, etc. Any of 100 different titles can be imprinted, in 12 different languages. Frame and/or filmstrip titling can be selected. Date/time imprinting is available in year, month, date (mth., dt., yr./dt., mth., yr.)/Hour, minute/No imprinting formats. Data imprinting is available for either the front or the back of the photograph, depending on the photofinisher’s equipment.

Drop-In Loading
Simply open the bottom of the Vectis 300 and drop in the film cassette. There are no guides to find or film leaders to stretch. Just pop it in, close the film chamber door, and the film will automatically forward itself and advance to the next frame after each shot. With Minolta’s Vectis 300, film loading is completely mistake free. At the end of the roll, the film rewinds automatically, but the power rewind function can be activated at any time during the roll.

Three Print Formats
For greater creativity in picture compositions, the Vectis 300 allows the user to select C (Classic 2:3), H (High-Definition TV 9:16), and P (Panorama 1:3) print formats. The viewfinder masks the image frame appropriately for accurate picture composition. A single roll of film can contain mixed formats, and formats can be changed at any time with an order of reprints.

Index Prints
When you get your pictures back from the photofinisher, you’ll also receive an index print. An index print is a single sheet containing thumbnail-sized positives of all the images on the roll. Additionally the negatives are returned in the original film cassette, for safe, convenient storage.

Self-Timer
The convenient self-timer delays shutter release for ten seconds and allows the user to set up the shot then appear in the photo.

Auto Power OFF
To conserve battery power, the Vectis 300 turns off automatically if not used for 8 minutes. The lens barrel retracts completely and the lens cover closes.

Specifications

Type:

IX 240 lens-shutter camera.

Lens:

24-70mm stepless zoom (approx. 30-87.5mm in the 35mm format).

Aperture:

f/5.7 - 9.8

Lens Construction:

4 elements, 4 groups.

Focusing Range:

C,H: 1.3 ft. - infinity. P(T/W): 1.3 ft. - infinity/2.6 ft. - infinity.

Autofocus:

External passive (wide focus area).

Focusing Steps:

Approx. 560

Focus Lock:

Available with the shutter-release button pressed partway down.

Autoexposure:

Programmed AE.

Metering:

Dual-segment metering (back-light detection by the AF sensor).

Shutter-Speed Range:

8-1/500 sec.

Metering Cell:

SPC

Metering Range (ISO 200):

EV 4-17

Film Speed Range:

ISO 25 - 3200 (1/3 EV-stop increments)

Film Operation:

Drop-in loading, auto threading, auto advance, auto rewind; mid-roll rewind selectable.

Frame Counter:

Backward counter

DEP:

Optical DEP

Film Chamber Lock:

Yes; unlocked during rewind.

Viewfinder:

Real-image zoom type.

Magnification:

0.35 - 0.91x

Diopter (for subject at 9.8 ft.):

-1 diopter

Field-of-View (for H print):

85% for subject at 9.8 ft.

Eye Relief:

21.4mm from eyepiece, 19mm from eyepiece hood.

Flash:

Built-in, retractable.

Autozoom:

Flash Control:

Electronic flash-matic with flash-intensity control.

Flash Range (at ISO 200):

W: 1.3 - 14.4 ft.; T: 1.3 - 8.5 ft.

Guide Number:

42.6 feet at ISO 200.

Recycling Time:

0.3 - 5.5 sec.

Flash Modes:

Autoflash (in low light, back light), autoflash with red-eye reduction, manual fill-flash, flash cancel, night portrait.

Red-Eye Reduction:

Via flash.

Self-Timer:

10-second, cancelable.

Optional Remote Control:

Infrared type; immediate shutter release and 2-second delay of shutter release available.

IX:

Magnetic

PQI:

Print Quality Improvement by using magnetic IX. Film orientation, flash/no flash, scene brightness value, artificial illuminant flag, magnification.

C/H/P Selection:

External selection switch, by using IX data.

Date Imprinting:

Magnetic IX: front and back imprinting available, using magnetic IX Year, month, date*/Hour, minute/No imprinting (Year, month, date*, hour, minute, are imprinted on back side). *Month,date,year/Date,month, year are also selectable.

Title Imprinting:

User-select title (filmstrip, frame); Magnetic IX: 12 languages & 100 titles (following the system standards).

Battery:

One 3V lithium CR2.

Battery-Condition Indicator:

3-stage indicator in data panel.

Battery Performance:

Approx. 10 rolls, using 25-exposure film with flash on 50% of exposures.

Dimensions:

3.8 x 2.4 x 1.3 in.; (Remote Control): 1.2 x 2.5 x .2 in.

Weight:

7.5 oz. without battery; (Remote Control): .4 oz.

Vectis - 300

Features

Specifications