Model 16 MG-S

The Minolta 16 MG-S was introduced in 1970, with the last one being made 4 years later in 1974. This is one of the most full featured and versatile Minolta 16mm cameras made, and of very high quality. Returning to their roots, as it were, they produced a rigid bodied camera no bigger than the original 16 II fully extended into the open, shooting position. But packed into this tiny space was an improved and extremely sharp 4 element, fixed focus lens set from about 10 feet to Infinity, as well as a built in, sliding close up lens that covered the distance from 4 feet to 10 feet. The lens was fast, with F/stops ranging from F/2.8 down to F/16, and a shutter speed range of 1/30^th of a second up to 1/500^th of second. This was coupled to a fast, accurate and reliable CdS metering system that gave the user shutter preferred exposure control: simply dial in the shutter speed desired, and the camera would select the appropriate matching F/stop, displaying the choice with a needle on a marked scale. The metre wouldn't let you make a bad photo if you used it: in Automatic mode, a red indicator would pop up in the viewfinder to warn you of low light, and the shutter button would lock in response to over- or underexposure conditions. The metre was calibrated to take ISO film speeds from 25 to 400, while film advance was handled by a rapid wind thumb wheel.

A very desirable, and completely undocumented feature (in so far as it doesn't show up anywhere in the owner's manual) is the fact that the MG-S provides full manual control, even if the battery should die. The precision shutter and apertures are all mechanical, the battery being needed only to power the CdS exposure metre. In order to use the camera manually, the user need only turn the exposure control dial off "A" (for automatic) to the lightning symbol (flash mode). Turning the exposure control dial through the full flash range moves the needle through the aperture scale, showing you which F/stop you're selecting. Shutter speeds are still selected by turning the shutter speed selection ring, concentric with the exposure control dial. Many thanks to the wisdom of Gerald McMullon for making that gem of knowledge available to me!

Not only does the MG-S have a sliding, built in close-up lens, but it also incorporates a sliding lens cover, which doubles as a metre "off" switch to conserve battery power (the metre uses a 675 or Renata 357 button cell battery, or alternatively can use a MRB675 Wein air cell for power). The left side of the camera body incorporates a PC synch socket and a threaded mounting socket to allow the attachment of a variety of flash bulb guns or a hot shoe adapter. The right side of the camera body has an integral tripod socket; Minolta cleverly attached a wrist chain to a tripod bushing, allowing it to be screwed directly into the tripod socket for added usefulness. The MG-S is nicely accented with leatherette trim on the back of the camera and on the film advance wheel.

Using the camera is fairly straight forward:

Turn the camera over and use your thumb to press down on, and turn the film door lock from the "close" to the "open" position. Ensure that a proper battery is in the small battery chamber on the far right side of the film chamber. If not, gently pull up on the plastic tab attached to the plastic ribbon. Observing correct polarity, lay the edge of the button cell battery onto the ribbon and gently push it into the chamber; the plastic tab should be pushed into place once the battery is fully seated. The 18 exposure count down counter will automatically reset to "S" (for Start) when the door opens; insert a cartridge into the camera, close the door and lock it.

Turn the camera around to the front, with the lens facing you. Turn the film speed setting ring until the white index dot lines up with the number representing the ASA film speed rating of the film you've just loaded (ASA is the old film speed rating system, and corresponds directly with the more modern, international ISO standard; therefore, ISO 100 film is the same speed rating as the older ASA 100 film). Use your finger to gently push both of the plastic tabs to the left of the film speed setting ring fully to the left, uncovering the lens and powering up the CdS exposure metre.

Turn the camera over and wind the large, film advance dial on the top deck of the camera fully until it stops. Set the exposure control dial to the flash setting (lightning symbol) to get manual control of the camera, ensuring that the needle in the aperture scale window is somewhere between the far right and left red warning marks. Press the square shutter button to fire the shutter. Advance the film again and repeat this step. The third time you do this, the number 18 will show up in the exposure counter window, indicating the first shot on the roll is in place, ready for picture taking.

Now set the exposure control dial to "A" for Automatic. Turn the ring around the exposure control dial to select the desired shutter speed (the speed will be indicated in a small window just to the right of the shutter speed dial, and to the left of the exposure counter window). The camera will automatically select an appropriate, matching F/stop for good exposure. If the light is too bright for proper exposure (over exposure), or too low (under exposure), the needle will be in the far left or right red warning areas of the aperture window respectively, and the shutter button will lock to prevent wasting a shot. Select another shutter speed as needed to get the needle to move out of the red warning zones.

The camera is pre-focused for distances from 10 feet out to Infinity; to focus from 4 feet to 10 feet, turn the camera until the lens faces you and use a finger to gently slide the lower of the two plastic tabs to the left of the lens all the way over to the right. This built in, sliding close up lens will then allow you to focus at the nearer distances. Retract the lens when finished to return to normal focus mode.

When the film counter displays the number 1, you are on the last shot of the roll. After exposing that shot, wind the film and trip the shutter twice more until the letter "E" (for Empty" ) is displayed in the exposure counter window. Open the camera back to remove the film, and the exposure counter will automatically reset to the Start position.

One of the enormous attractions of the MG-S camera is the full system of accessories designed for it (many of them directly compatible with the later Model 16 QT camera), including slide on close up lenses, filtres, a "spy finder" viewfinder attachment, copy stand, a variety of bulb type flash guns, a hot shoe adapter, etc.

The MG-S camera was offered in both a matte silver and matte black finish, cased in a variety of configurations. Of special interest to collectors is the extremely rare "attaché case set", a nicely fitted attaché case containing the MG-S camera and every accessory made for it, the most complete out of the box offering of a subminiature camera every made. Although the exact number produced is unknown, master collector Gerald McMullon says he only knows of four of these sets currently. Almost thirty years after Minolta ceased production of these precision gems, they remain a classic among subminiature cameras: significantly smaller than 110 Instamatic type cameras, flexible to a professional level, yet quick and easy to use.

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© February, 2002 by D. Scott Young