Sometimes you just luck out

joelbolden · Feb 20, 2021

I've always enjoyed using Minolta film cameras. My only experience with rangefinders was with my Hi-Matic 11; a nice camera but fully automatic, so not much room to play. I was at the Goodwill auction site last week and came across a Hi-matic 9 which was listed as slightly used, so I bid on it. The 9 is considered the most advanced of the Hi-Matic series. Must have been an off-day for the camera freaks, because bidding was light and I won it for a decent price. The camera arrived yesterday, and the camera isn't slightly used....it's mint! Not a scratch or a smudge on it. When you open it up it is pristine inside. Kind of rare for a camera that was made in the late 60's/early 70's. Minolta and Leica often teamed together on cameras and lenses and those cameras still sell for 4 figures. I've an excellent rangefinder that allows me

control for a fraction of the price. Sometimes you just luck out.

webestang64 · Feb 20, 2021

Nice buy but I would still check the light seals as they will degrade just sitting on a shelf or in a closet.

cgw · Feb 20, 2021

Lucky you. As webestang64 sez, light seals are probably the most common age-related glitch with anything of this vintage. There's also the battery issue but there are hacks galore online for long-gone PX625 mercury cells. Have fun!

joelbolden · Feb 20, 2021

I checked the light seals and they look ok. I'll put a roll through to make sure and then will probably send it in for CLC anyway. Doesn't really look like it even needs a cleaning, but then again.. I've been using 625A non-mercury batteries in my SRT-201( and now the 9), plus 675 hearing aid batteries with brass adapters I bought on Ebay. They work fine.