Minolta Freedom Zoom 160 Date 35mm Camera Kit w/bag
Details
- Availability:
- No longer available through SilverGelatin.net
- List Price:
- $374.99
- Average Customer Rating:
- 4.0 out of 5
- Manufacturer:
- Konica Minolta
Features
- Pocket-sized camera with a full 4.3x zoom lens with range of 37.5mm to 160mm
- Fast, SLR-type autofocusing for razor-sharp results
- Flash fires automatically whenever necessary with red-eye reduction
- Selectable date imprint function for cataloging photos
- Automatic film transport with film chamber lock to prevent accidental film exposures
Description
The Freedom Zoom 160, which is loaded with state of the art features, is unlike any camera you have ever used. The Freedom Zoom 160 camera incorporates Minolta's latest AREA-AF autofocus technology. Simply raise the camera to your eye, locate the subject and the camera will do the rest. Employing the largest autofocus area in film cameras today, the Freedom Zoom 160 evaluates the objects in the area autofocus frames and locks the focus on the subject.If that's not enough, the Freedom Zoom 160, which is equipped with a 4.3x zoom lens, has the world's fastest autofocusing. Bring the camera to your eye and the eye-start sensor activates the focus and exposure systems so that the camera is ready to capture the image when you are. This sophisticated compact autofocus camera is smart enough to recognize your subject and fast enough to capture it on the move.
The compact Freedom Zoom 160 is loaded with state-of-the-art features, including Minolta's latest AREA-AF autofocus technology, a 4.3x zoom lens ranging from 37.5mm to 160mm, date and time imprinting, and a worry-free, red-eye reducing flash that fires automatically whenever necessary.
It's also one of the fastest autofocusing cameras available. Bring the camera to your eye and the eye-start sensor activates the focus and exposure systems so that the camera is ready to capture the image when you are. The Zoom 160 is smart enough to recognize your subject and fast enough to capture it on the move.
The Freedom Zoom 160 has three autofocus modes: area AF, spot AF, and target AF. The area AF is a fully automatic mode that allows the user to just point and shoot the camera. Spot AF mode accurately singles out a subject among a group of objects. Target AF is optimized to capture sharp images of moving subjects.
The Freedom Zoom 160 is great for vacations and gatherings of family and friends. The flexible zoom range of 37.5-160mm will capture those important images, group pictures, and close-ups of distant landmarks. The aspheric zoom lens produces sharp prints, thanks to the area AF system with its 940 focusing steps.
The worry-free flash fires automatically whenever necessary, even in tricky backlit situations. The red-eye reduction feature helps to reduce the red-eye effect to give your pictures a more natural look.
The built-in quartz data imprints the date or time right onto the photo, making it very useful for cataloging photographs and making photo records of important events. Data imprinting can be turned on or off as desired.
Other features include:
- A film-chamber lock function prevents accidental opening of the back cover
- Film advancing is silent thanks to new belt-drive system and nylon gears
- Continuous drive mode allows the user to automatically take sequential shots every 2.2 seconds by simply holding down the shutter button
- The night-portrait mode blends flash with longer shutter speeds to provide greater detail in night-time scenic or sunset shots
- An IR remote control RC-3 offers immediate and 2-second delay from as far away as 16.4 feet
Spotlight customer reviews
Didn't love the camera
[ Posted: 2004-08-30 ]
Bearing in mind that I really just wanted a basic point-and-shoot camera, I have to say that I didn't think this camera delivered all that it was supposed to. I ran some test rolls of 400 (manufacturer-recommended speed) and wasn't happy with the results--blurry backgrounds when I wasn't using focus lock on the foreground, and washed-out colors (which might be the film, but might be the camera). Also, I wish I had listened a little more to the reviewer who mentioned how the moving red focus boxes in the viewfinder "freaked" his wife out. I was also bothered by the moving focus boxes, couldn't figure out what they were telling me, and just wanted to take a good picture. The final blow: My mom's 20-year-old Canon Sure Shot takes great pictures, better than this Minolta and she really just picks up the camera and presses the button--not even worrying about the occasional use of fill-in flash.
If you're looking for a slight upgrade from your regular point and shoot, this camera may be for you (shoot some test rolls, and maybe look at one in a store somewhere first before ordering from Amazon), but it wasn't the best fit for me. I'm giving it 2 stars because some of the problems I have might be due to user error.
Problem with red eyes
[ Posted: 2004-08-12 ]
I love this camera for ease of use, and crisp, clear pictures. My biggest problem though are red eyes. I use the red eye reduction most of the time and eyes are always red. Maybe someone has a suggestion to fix this problem?
Fantastic Pictures and Simple to Use
[ Posted: 2003-12-11 ]
A fantastic camera at an unbelievable price. I've taken pictures throughtout Europe, Australia and New zealand in all kinds of weather and light conditions with always the same excellent results. A great camera to take take on a hurry up and keep moving tour. It takes wonderful landscapes, animal and people pictures. Even does well from a moving boat or car. The auto focus is incredible. Just point and shoot, the camera will lock on focus. We're now off to South America.
Cheap construction, flash burned out after few months of use
[ Posted: 2003-09-14 ]
I purchased this camera after extensively reading the online reviews here and elsewhere. Everyone seemed to love this camera. It did take "decent" photos, however, it was poorly constructed, the "automatic scene recognition system" freaked out my wife who could not tell what the camera was doing. She ended up ignoring the flashing red lights in the view finder. They were quite distracting.
The camera does not remember its settings after being turned off and then on again.
The built-in flash turned black after only a few months of use.
Finally, we took it on a hike, my wife had it in her hand, and lost her balance. Barely tapped it (with her hand reciving most of the blow) on the ground. Now it won't turn off and the lens shutter won't close.
It is a basically a pile of trash now, and not worth the $188 that we paid for it.
I'll think twice before believing on-line reviews and/or before buying another Minolta.
varied outcomes
[ Posted: 2003-08-31 ]
I bought this camera for my trip to South Africa. I got some amazing shots. Very crisp and clear with brilliant colors. It's very quiet which is good but also pretty bad. It's hard to hear the thing wind so if you press the button and then move the camera, your pictures could easily be messed up because you didn't wait long enough- some of mine did unfortunately. So other than this set back, my photos came out excellent.