Vectis S-100 APS - Minolta

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This is a Super-compact, easy to use SLR for the Advanced Photo System.  The VECTIS S-100 is an SLR camera designed for people who want to enjoy beautiful, carefree shots without a struggle. Simply drop a film cassette in the film chamber as would be done for the batteries, and the camera will advance the film by itself. The high-power built-in flash will automatically support low-light or night photography. The Full Auto Mode provides beautiful pictures with absolute simplicity. In addition, Subject Program Selection lets the user tailor the camera's fully-automatic operation to suit the type of subject to be photographed. The VECTIS S-100 allows photographers to stretch their creativity in a way that could never be expected from LS cameras. Photographers can add a more personal touch to their works by controlling aperture or shutter speed. With the combination of a  line-up of V LENSES, extensive angles of view can be enjoyed from wide to telephoto.  

This is a fantastic camera, perfect for someone who likes photography and its very easy to use. 

An easy to use, interchangeable-lens camera with splashproof construction and Advanced Photo System technology.

Minolta’s Vectis S-100 combines all the benefits of an interchangeable-lens camera with the revolutionary Advanced Photo System to give you high image quality, creative versatility, and complete ease of use. Plus, the Vectis S-100 is splashproof, so you can use it in any weather. A wide array of features like drop-in film loading, triple format selection, through-the-lens viewing, subject program selection, and an ultra-compact body make the S-100 the ideal choice for beginner or amateur photographers.

S100  2003/06/26 59.95USD (28-56mm), 2003/07/03 99.90USD (28-56mm), 2003/07/26 59.95USD (28-56mm), 2003/10/05 51.99GBP (25-150mm), 2004/09/02 46GBP (22-80mm, box), 2004/08/24 34USD (body), *2004/09/21 15USD (manual), 2004/10/16 104.78EUR (80-240mm, box), 2004/11/11 49.99USD (kit, 28-56mm, box), 2004/11/14 2/50 (body, box), *2004/11/16 45GBP (22-80mm, box), 2005/01/24 41GBP (28-56, 56-170mm), 2005/02/08 43.99USD (28-56mm, new kit), 2005/03/09 39.99USD (28-56mm, new kit), 2005/05/11 67.99EUR (28-56mm), 2006/10/28 27.99GBP (28-56mm)

Features

Versatile System Camera
The Vectis S-100 offers the high image quality and creative capability expected from an interchangeable lens camera, but with splash proof construction and a much more compact and easier-to-handle design. The Vectis S-100 accepts Minolta’s Vectis accessory lenses, covering wide-angle, telephoto, zoom, and macro focal lengths, and offers a choice of exposure modes to suit your subject or particular style. In addition, the Vectis S-100 provides the creative flexibility of wireless remote flash control with certain Maxxum accessory flash units.

Ultra-Compact Design
The Vectis S-100 offers an ultra-compact design unlike any conventional interchangeable lens camera, as well as unsurpassed handling comfort. It is a stylish, eye-catching camera which is remarkably easy to fit into bags, purses, or even coat pockets.

Interchangeable Accessory Lenses
The Vectis S-100 is designed to be used with the interchangeable Minolta V autofocus lenses. To take full advantage of the compact Vectis design and Advanced Photo System format, Minolta has made significant changes and improvements in lens design. The new V lenses are 20% smaller and 40% lighter than their 35mm AF SLR equivalents, and feature splash proof construction, improved lens optics, circular apertures, a larger focusing ring, direct manual focusing, plus the inclusion of the AF motor, aperture control, and AF/M button.

Through-The-Lens (TTL) Viewing
One of the greatest advantages of a single-lens reflex (SLR) camera is the ability to view the image through the camera lens, rather than through a viewfinder window situated above and to the side of the lens (as with a "point & shoot" type camera). TTL viewing makes it very easy to compose a picture and eliminates cut off images at close distances.

Splash proof Construction
The Vectis S-100 features Minolta’s splash proof construction to keep water drops from entering the camera body. Not only is the camera body splash proof, but its interchangeable lenses and built-in flash are as well. With this unique Vectis feature, the S-100 is well-suited for use on a boat, near the pool, or in the rain or snow.

Extra-Bright, TTL Viewfinder
The Vectis S-100’s large, extra-bright TTL (through-the-lens) viewfinder makes viewing significantly more comfortable. The eyepiece is positioned on the left side of the camera body to keep the user’s nose from hitting the camera (right-eye viewers), and to keep the right hand out of the way (left-eye viewers).



Long Eye Relief plus Diopter Adjustment
The Vectis S-100 lets the user view the full image with his or her eye up to 25mm from the viewfinder eyepiece frame. This is comfortably long eye relief is especially important for eyeglass wearers. Additionally, the S-100 features a built-in diopter adjustment dial with a range of -3 to +1.

Drop-In Loading on the Top Side
For easy film loading even while the camera is mounted on a tripod, the Vectis S-100’s film is loaded from the top side, instead of from the bottom. Simply open the film chamber door and drop in the film cassette. There are no guides to find or film leaders to stretch. Just pop it in, close the door, and the film automatically threads itself and advances to the next frame after each shot. At the end of the roll the film rewinds automatically, but power rewind can be activated at any time.

Film Chamber Lock
This unique Vectis feature ensures that the film chamber door always stays shut as long as there is usable film in the camera, thereby eliminating the risk of exposing frames by accidentally opening the film door in mid roll.

Double Exposure Prevention
This feature optically detects if an exposed film cassette has been inserted into the camera, and prevents the film from being unintentionally exposed again.

Selectable Print Aspect Ratios
For greater creativity in picture compositions, the Vectis S-100 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 be completely mixed formats.

IX Print Quality Improvement
The Vectis S-100 magnetically records date & time, print format (C, H, or P), film orientation, flash fire, scene brightness value, artificial illumination, and magnification. This information is automatically communicated to the photofinishing equipment during processing, and helps produce the best possible prints.

Continuous Autofocusing
The Vectis S-100 features a precise, continuous autofocusing system with a wide AF area. This provides a wide variety of framing choices and a greater ability to focus on fast-moving subjects. Additionally, 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. Manual focusing is also possible by simply twisting the lens’ focusing ring.

Dual-Segment Exposure Metering
The Vectis S-100 features a dual-segment metering system which controls the camera so that the exposure setting will be most appropriate for the subject, even in tricky lighting or backlit situations, or scenes illuminated by spot lights. When the light-level difference is great, the flash will fire, balancing the exposure setting and flash output for optimum subject illumination.

Full Auto Mode plus Subject Program Selection
This six-program feature gives the user an easy and intuitive way to take control of the camera’s automatic systems. It includes five separate subject programs plus a full-auto mode. Each subject program is designed for use with a specific scene or situation and is indicated by a recognizable icon in the LCD data panel.

Full Auto
Provides simple "point & shoot" operation, with the camera in full control of autofocus, autoexposure, and flash. This mode gives the user complete freedom to concentrate on the subject and scene, and is set automatically when the camera is turned on.

Close-Up
Helps capture the subject’s intricate details in macro photographs, and is best when used with the Minolta V 50mm Macro lens. This mode sets the optimum aperture and shutter combination for maximum depth of field with extreme close-ups.

Portrait
This mode is best suited for full-frame photographs of people. It favors larger apertures which soften the background, making the main subject stand out.

Night Portrait (slow shutter sync)
Synchronizes the flash with a slow shutter speed to balance the flash illumination on the subject with the background ambient light. Ideal for pictures taken in front of an illuminated night scene or at sunset. When used without flash, this mode can be used to capture long exposures of night scenes. A tripod is recommended to prevent camera shake.

Sports Action
Favors fast shutter speeds to capture fast action. Focuses continuously to track moving subjects.

Landscape
This mode can be used to photograph sweeping scenic vistas or family and friends in front of famous landmarks. Landscape mode maximizes depth of field by favouring small apertures.

A/S Exposure Control
In addition to Full Auto mode and Subject Program Selection, the Vectis S-100 offers the additional creative versatility of Aperture Priority and Shutter Priority exposure control modes.

In Aperture Priority mode, the photographer selects a desired f/number and the camera’s exposure system will automatically select the correct shutter speed. Likewise, in Shutter Priority mode, the photographer can select a shutter speed and the S-100 will automatically set the appropriate lens aperture.

Exposure Compensation
For creative exposure adjustments or exposure bracketing, the exposure compensation control enables changes in half-stop increments up to +/- 3EV.

Built-In Flash
The Vectis S-100 features a built-in, pop-up flash with a guide number of 56 feet (at ISO 200). Autoflash, manual fill, cancel, and red-eye reduction modes can be selected.

Wireless Remote Flash Control
The Vectis S-100 can control off-camera Maxxum 5400HS, 5400xi, and 3500xi flash units without accessory cords or connectors. Flash control signals are sent from the camera’s built-in flash.

Date/Time Imprinting
This feature is ideal for cataloguing photographs or keeping photo records of important events such as birthdays, weddings, graduations, etc. Date/time imprinting is available in year, month, date (mth., dt., yr./dt., mth., yr.)/hour, minute/no imprinting formats. The user can imprint either the front or the back of the photograph, depending on the photofinisher's equipment.

Continuous Film Advance
For action-catching sequences, the S-100 can be set to advance the film at 1 frame per second, for as long as the shutter-release button is held down. Autofocusing adjusts quickly and smoothly to maintain image sharpness between each exposure.

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.

 
CAMERA TYPE: IX240, lens-interchangeable camera
LENS: Minolta V lens
FOCUS  
Type: TTL, phase-detection AF system
Sensor: One CCD line sensor
Sensitivity Range: EV1-19 (ISO 200)
AF Area: 5 x 2.1mm
AF Illuminator: Flash (0.6-5m)
AF Control: Automatic selection between single shot and continuous
Action Predictive AF: Available up to image speed on the film plane 4mm/sec.
Focus Lock: Activated by pressing the shutter-release button partway down.
Focus signal: Has focused / Cannot focus
Focus Modes: Autofocus / Manual focus (selectable on the lens)
EXPOSURE  
Exposure modes: P mode, Subject-program modes, Aperture-priority mode,
Shutter-speed-priority mode, 1.0EV-stop increments
Aperture setting: 0.5EV-stop increments
Type: TTL dual-segment metering
Flash metering: Direct TTL metering
Metering sensor: Ambient light: silicon photocell (SPC); Flash light: SPC
Metering range: EV4 - 20 (ISO 200 with a f/3.5 lens)
Film-speed setting: Automatic: ISO 25-6400, 1/3EV-stop increments, ISO 25-1000 with flash
 
AE Lock: AF/AE lock by pressing shutter-release button partway down
Exposure compensation: 3 to +3 EV (1/2EV-stop increments), automatic compensation in back light
SHUTTER  
Type: Electronically-controlled, vertical-traverse, focal-plane
Speed: 1/1000 - 30 sec., bulb
Flash-sync speeds: 1/90 sec or slower, 1/45 sec. or slower with wireless flash
FLASH  
Type: Built-in
Guide Number: 17 (at ISO 200 in meters)
Min. Distance: 0.6m
Coverage: 22mm angle of view in H format
Recycling Time: Approx. 3.5 sec.
Red-eye reduction: Pre-flash
Pop up: Auto up / Manual down
Control: P mode: Autoflash in backlit or dark situations
  A or S mode: Always fires when flash is up. Does not fire when flash is down.
  Subject Program Selection: Autoflash
Wireless Flash: Yes (There is one channel)
Dedicated Flash: Compatible with wireless flash only
FILM TRANSPORT  
Loading: Drop In Loading
Drive modes: Single-shot, continuous drive (1 frame/sec.), self-timer, remote-control mode
Rewinding: Automatic rewinding/Manual rewinding
Film-chamber Lock: Yes
Frame Counter: Backward counter
SELF-TIMER: Self-timer lamp (LED) blinks while in operation, approx. 10- sec. delayed release, cancellable

 
WIRELESS REMOTE
CONTROL
 
Yes
VIEWFINDER  
Type: SLR type, TTL relay-optics
Focusing Screen: Acute matte
Field of View: 90 x 90%
Magnification: 0.7X
Eye-point: Approx. 24mm from the eyepiece frame, 29mm from the eyepiece
Diopter: -3 to +1 dpt., adjustable
Print Format Change: Change of image frame
Display: LED in the eyepiece frame (AF, flash, out-of-control warning, camera-shake warning)
IX Optical Double Exposure Prevention
  Magnetic IX data: Date, time
  Print format: C, H, or P
  Cartridge Hand of Load
  Print Quality Improvement
SPLASHPROOF Equivalent to IPX2
POWER CR2 x 2
BATTERY 30 rolls with flash use 0%
PERFORMANCE 13 rolls with flash use 50%
(25 Exposures) 9 rolls with flash use 100%
DIMENSIONS: 124.5 x 78.5 x 55.5mm (4.9 x 3 x 2.18 in.)
WEIGHT: 315g (w/o batteries) (11.1 oz.)

 


Last Updated on 28th October 2006