Episode 4: Minolta Big Finder (Review and Sample Images)

[@yannrheiner]

Just found one with a friend, as we were tidying an old part of his house. I was looking for an easy film camera to really start photography (I wouldn't say that disposable camera count), he allowed me to keep it and now I found your video in order to better know my new property. Thank you for that and keep it up, greetings from Germany :)

[@positivelynegative7753]

Thank so much for the lovely comment. Sounds like you got lucky! It's a great little camera. I hope you take many pictures you like with it!

[@JacobJustice2141]

Great video and just wanted to say your patience and helpfulness to total film noobs is amazing, much appreciated and not going unboticed :)

[@alexavillanueva4223]

This is so informative! I had bought myself one. Thank u!

[@positivelynegative7753]

Glad I could help!

[@ranjitjena3892]

Today I found it from my house when I'm cleaning the old cupboard and search about it actually how it works

[@positivelynegative7753]

Good find! I hope I could help you learn a bit more about it!

[@maeve7137]

Samee

[@ChesleeCortez]

Sameee omg

[@krcsp]

i found one of these at home but it just didn’t want to turn on. it had a lot of battery corrosion so i tried using vinegar to get rid of it and it looked pretty promising but it just didn’t want to work. this was like 4 months ago, yesterday i realized how big of a potential this little camera has so i gave it another try with the vinegar method, put in some new batteries and guess what? it turned on. this is my first film camera but surely not my last one :) great video, thank you!

[@positivelynegative7753]

Sounds like you got very lucky! They seem to be surprisingly reliable for little plastic cameras! But you're right - they have a great lens and lots of potential. I gave mine to a young photographer who wanted to get started in film photography. I think they're great beginner cameras and will definitely get you itching to buy more!

[@krcsp]

@@positivelynegative7753 Thanks again for this great video! 😇

[@alh9457]

I just cleaned out a cabinet in my parents house and found mine from when i was little and i have no idea how to work it, ty for the video!

[@positivelynegative7753]

Lucky find! Glad I could help.

[@Ineedahandle75]

Ridiculously sharp lens for a point and shoot. Far sharper than you might expect. Great colour rendition too.

[@positivelynegative7753]

Agreed! You can get some really good images out of this little beauty!

[@mikenow3050]

Bought mine from a charity shop for 3 English king sheets. Very happy.

[@teddyderp3141]

how do i take a photo? it has this red thing

[@Yes-yw6is]

i have the same problem, i got one picture before it got back to red :/

[@jeoffreyguillemard8316]

Thank you so much for this video, I didn't understand what ISO to use... ISO100? and if you use ISO 400 film do you have to PULL when developing?

[@positivelynegative7753]

You can use any ISO film. The camera will read the DX code (a sort of barcode on the film canister) and set the exposure appropriately. You don't need to worry about pushing or pulling in development. Because I use reusable film canisters that don't have DX codes, the camera just assumes that it is ISO 100 film. I hope that makes sense.

[@jeoffreyguillemard8316]

​@@positivelynegative7753 Great! thanks a lot!!

[@positivelynegative7753]

@@jeoffreyguillemard8316 No problem!

[@studydiaries1403]

Hey I’ve just got this camera, thank you for this video. I am wondering if I can use any film roll for this camera or is there anything specific I should get?

[@positivelynegative7753]

Hi, it can shoot any roll of 35mm film - the most common film you can buy. I'd recommend some cheap colour negative film, like Fuji C200 or Kodak Gold.

[@studydiaries1403]

@@positivelynegative7753 thank you!

[@merstolie8110]

hi, i was wondering if you maybe knew why my shutter isn’t going off? :( it was working perfectly for 2 months and it just stopped one day and i have no clue what to do

[@positivelynegative7753]

I'm sorry to hear that. These electronic point and shoot cameras do have a tendency to break eventually - and there's not much you can do to fix them. You could try taking it to a technician - but chances are, if it can be fixed at all, it'll probably cost more than the camera is worth.

[@bellisella]

Do you happen to know if you can use a film with 36 exposures/photos with this camera, or if it's max 24 photos you can take?

[@patrickrostker6693]

Wonderful stuff! I am a fan of point and shoot film cams! Luckily the richo zoom I have allows DX codes up to 3200, but unluckily takes absurd batteries only found online or in unique camera shops. I like the fact that these still have tripod points too! Great find and great video!

[@positivelynegative7753]

Thank you! Yes, it's very frustrating when the battery ends up costing more than the camera! That's why I love it when they take just standard double A's.

[@diemquyentran7729]

Do you know f35 and af35 on the case of this camera meaning? I have one but with different type and I dunno what is it, hope u answer, many thanks

[@positivelynegative7753]

Hi! I've never used the AF 35 but a quick Google search suggests that it's a similar sort of camera to the Big Finder. To be fair, a lot of point and shoots from this era are very similar. I'm sure the AF 35 is capable of taking great photos.

[@mindoficarus7148]

Does it only shoot in black and white? Or does it depend on the film?

[@positivelynegative7753]

Hi - it depends on the film. You can shoot any kind of 35mm film in this camera - from colour slides to colour negative and black and white.

[@catelevy8389]

I have an F 35 Minolta Big Finder with a rewind button at the bottom of the camera. You have to slide it to rewind your roll. Mine doesn't stop though. How do I know when all of the film has been rewound so I know when to slide the button to stop it?

[@positivelynegative7753]

You should be able to feel a slackness once the roll has been fully rewound. If you listen carefully, you should hear a little sound as the film comes off the take-up spool and then the tension in the winder should disappear. Otherwise, roll it for far longer than you think is necessary (like a couple of minutes) and open the back of the camera in a pitch-dark place. If you can feel the film, it hasn't wound back in and there might be a problem with the rewind button.

[@bearollo9303]

What film can i use for that cameraaa it looks really nice

[@positivelynegative7753]

You can use in 35mm film. I'd recommend some cheap colour negative film like Fuji C200 or Kodak Gold.

[@CloyieDS]

Hi! This video is so informative and very helpful💙💙💙 i just found our camera with the same model and just wanted to ask because when i turn on the camera the yellow light is blinking and it has a red light on the left besides the yellow light what does that mean? Thank youuuuuuu

[@Macintoshman9]

Hi, love the video, just a quick question about the camera, I recently bought the same one and was just wondering if the camera actually had autofocus or not. I ask this because when I test my camera there's no way I can get the lens to change focus, or at least I can't tell if it's autofocusing or not. Does the lens actually move in the camera body with an audible motorised sound or is it "focus free". I saw another review of the same camera and the guy said his doesn't autofocus despite it being an "AF" big finder.

[@positivelynegative7753]

This is a very good question and my answer is I'm not sure! I wondered the same thing. I would guess that it's "focus free" because, as you say, nothing within the lens seems to move no matter where you point it! I would treat it as a fixed focus camera that places everything from about 3 metres away to infinity in focus. I hope that helps.

[@Macintoshman9]

@@positivelynegative7753 thanks that's very helpful, I thought my camera might have been broken 😂

[@sarwatfaqra9428]

Sir how do you switch it on. I have this camera but I can't switch it on. Help plzzz

[@positivelynegative7753]

Hi Sarwat. You switch it on my opening the lens with the little slider in the front. Make sure you have batteries in the camera as well. You should hear a slight hum from the flash warming up when you turn it on.

[@sarwatfaqra9428]

@@positivelynegative7753 thanks alott man. Maybe mine is just a little too old to work. My grandpa bought it 21 years back.

[@krcsp]

@@sarwatfaqra9428 Look for battery corrosion and if there is, use some q tips and vinegar to clean it out. I revived mine the same way! :)

[@sarwatfaqra9428]

@@krcsp thank you so much man. I'll try it today itself

[@catbread5793]

if the light does not shine evin tho i put batterys in it does thta mean it is broken or do i ned the tape for the photos i do not know the name of it

[@catbread5793]

i figurd it out

[@positivelynegative7753]

Glad to hear it!

[@caityfischer4683]

Hi! New to film here :) Do you have any tips for loading the film into the camera?

[@positivelynegative7753]

Of course! I think it might be easier just to point you in the direction of another video. kzbin.info/www/bejne/qmLPqKpurpungs0 This guy's channel is really good. Watch the video from about halfway - that should give you a pretty good idea how to load your Minolta.

[@caityfischer4683]

@@positivelynegative7753 Thanks!

[@michellegarza2220]

Does the button that shows the “S” ever change? I’ve taken around 4 photos and it never did :( Great video though!!!

[@positivelynegative7753]

I think you should check to see if the film has actually wound on correctly. If the S hasn't moved, it could mean that the film leader didn't catch and you haven't been taking photos at all. Try and go to a dark place and open up the back. Feel if the film has wound around the take up spool. If it's still loose, then you'll have to load it again. And thank you!

[@michellegarza2220]

@@positivelynegative7753 Thank you so much!! :)) I opened it and fixed the film differently then the S started showing the numbers!

[@positivelynegative7753]

@@michellegarza2220 Excellent news!

[@honkhonkler7411]

How did you do the double exposure?

[@positivelynegative7753]

It was completely accidental! The camera must have failed to roll over to the next frame.

[@aaronbojorquez6180]

Thank you for this. I really appreciate the vid

[@positivelynegative7753]

Thanks Aaron. I really appreciate the comment.

[@DayaanABA]

Really enjoying your videos!

[@positivelynegative7753]

Thank you so much! I enjoy making them. I'll have a new one up soon. Just waiting for some colour film to be developed.

[@LindseyDanielslindseypindsey]

I really enjoyed this video. Keep it up! 💕

[@positivelynegative7753]

Thank you Lindsey! I appreciate it.

[@jamesmelendez4321]

Why are the pictures black and white?

[@positivelynegative7753]

I shot black and white film. You can use colour film as well to get colour pictures.

[@briannacrisan3422]

is the flash always on for every picture or is it an automatic flash

[@simonini21_]

it’s an automatic flash

[@juanibauza]

can you tellme realeased date of that camera?

[@positivelynegative7753]

1997, according to Google.

[@alyzon18]

Hi. I rarely find images that uses the date stamp feature. By any chance do you know up to what year it can be set on?

[@positivelynegative7753]

Hi alyyilagan. I just did a quick Google search and I see there was a date version of the camera made but my version doesn't have the date stamp feature. I'm not sure what year it goes up to but I'd guess that it should be "Y2K-ready". Sorry I couldn't be more help.

[@alyzon18]

@@positivelynegative7753 thanks for the response sir! Appreciate it 😅

[@rebecalvouma]

Can u use the date? Is still functional?

[@positivelynegative7753]

No, my camera doesn't have a date function.

[@joykylaouano3180]

What does red light mean?

[@simonini21_]

if the red light is on the larger led, if it’s blinking, it means low battery and if it’s static, it didnt detect the film. If it’s on the smaller led, it just means that the shot isn’t focused well

[@blubeedoobee]

review aside, appreciated your humour :’)

[@positivelynegative7753]

I'm glad that at least one person besides me does!

[@JamesX6]

In This Camera How To transfer photo into mobile?? plz reply😀

[@positivelynegative7753]

Hi DeMon, This is a film camera, so you have to have the film developed first. Then you can get the film scanned into digital photos that you can save on your mobile. I hope that answers your question.

[@JamesX6]

@@positivelynegative7753 Brother I am From Nepal I am Quitely Weak in English.. 😊😁 I have 1 Question That is Can I Use SD Card In that camera.... Plz answer

[@positivelynegative7753]

@@JamesX6 Hi, no. Unfortunately not. It is a film camera - not digital.

[@kidicaruz]

There are a lot of good point and shoots for cheap, that can give you the same results as those ridiculous overpriced T-Series, Contax, Mju 2 etc. cameras. But most of them don't look as "cool" or are known to be the "cool" cameras. If one cares more for the camera beeing a fashion accessory, by all means, burn your money on a compact camera. If you do it for the pictures and because you just love to shoot, use whatever gives good results.

[@positivelynegative7753]

Couldn't agree more.

[@graindamage]

A slave to the machine!! Hahaha