Many photographers of a certain age started with the Pentax K1000. I went a different route, and it’s different from even my preferred camera type today. I went with the Minolta Hi-Matic 7s, a fixed lens rangefinder from the 1960s. The Hi-Matic made things real; it was the first camera that was mine and the first good camera that I used. Before this, I used disposable cameras, like the point-and-shoot my parents had, and I still remember the 110 plastic camera I got at a McDonald’s event (at least, that’s what I think in my head-canon).
While I would end up with a lot of family cameras, including last month’s entry, the K1000, the Hi-Matic 7s was one that I purchased myself, rather than receiving it from anyone. In full context, this all took place in 2002, and since then, the prices around the Hi-Matic and most other classic film cameras have skyrocketed. But this was before the great resurgence in 2009/10. After finishing high school, I discovered photography as a hobby/art form that I was good at. I wanted something more than the point-and-shoot camera, which was also the family’s, and I couldn’t keep borrowing it. While browsing garage sales, I came across this camera. Now, most people are replacing their old film cameras with digital ones. While some cameras still retained their high prices, including late model SLRs, Leica, and Hasselblad. Little rangefinders from Minolta did not hold that high a value. I knew the Minolta name; the family camera was a Minolta Riva Zoom. When I asked the price, the seller responded with five dollars (they go for 100+ these days) because they were impressed someone so young was interested in film. They even threw in a spare battery (mercury cell). And even a quick lesson on how the camera worked. I made a point on my way home to pick up a roll of President’s Choice film from the local Loblaws, so I could give the camera a try right away.
The Hi-Matic set me on a path that I still walk today, even though it has strayed significantly from its original trajectory. The Hi-Matic 7s is a fixed lens rangefinder, which was a perfect step between the point-and-shoots I was used to and something a little more professional. The Hi-Matic would be the camera I would learn on, despite being a fixed lens and fully automatic. At the start, I was not interested in learning about the exposure triangle and related concepts; all that would come in time. I wanted to learn how to take a good photo, to document things happening around me, and to compose, see, and execute. And for that, the Hi-Matic pushed my limits. But most importantly, it taught me the joy of photography. But it also taught me to share that joy by giving others their first camera. And that shows because I’ve had two Hi-Matics; the original got packed away, and I thought it had been lost, so I picked up a second one. I passed that one along to my friend Amy and then promptly found the original again. I shot it, and it went to someone from the FPP. The Hi-Matic may be gone, but the effects of that first Minolta set me on the path to having a big selection of Minolta A-Mount cameras and lenses today.
It’s hard to put a value on the camera that kick-started my photography. It was a constant companion at PYPS events and as a general carry-around camera. I shot it exclusively in automatic mode since it had a working battery and a spare, and the meter was dead accurate. Church youth events, especially PYPS, moved fast, so I had to be in the moment, ready to catch things as they hit me. Often indoors, in questionable lighting. The Hi-Matic, despite being a manual focus, certainly got me in the zone and was surprisingly fast on focus. I used the cheap, rebadged films, usually in 200 or 400 speeds, from either Kodak or Fuji, all sold under the President’s Choice brand. I opted for the one-week processing, as it was less expensive than the one-hour rush job. Oddly enough, when I’m photographing events like weddings, especially during the ceremony and the reception, I still use the same method, letting the camera do the thinking and focusing in on the moment so I don’t miss anything. And you know I’m glad I figured out the idea of seeing before I started messing about with exposure and different modes.
Now there’s a big reason to avoid manual entry or figuring it all out. And that is my biggest problem with the camera. For a new photographer, having a camera that displays exposure information in EV (Exposure Value) is beneficial. When I first got the camera, online resources were scarce, and my local library didn’t have many books that could explain EV easily. I know the system now and still find it clunky. I didn’t need to understand this at the time because the camera’s meter was excellent and it worked. And while it was a mercury cell, the camera had a dedicated on/off switch, allowing me to easily conserve battery power since all it did was power the meter. Without a battery, the camera will still function since it is all mechanical. The Hi-Matic features a shoe mount, enabling the use of an external shoe meter. Optically, the camera has a fixed Rokkor-PF 45mm f/1.8 lens, which is fast and the perfect length for what I was doing. And if you’ve used similar lenses before, you’ll know that the optical quality is top-notch. The camera was heavy, but nothing too serious, and was easy to hold, featuring a quiet leaf-shutter, smooth focusing, and a bright viewfinder. But more importantly, the rangefinder patch is big and has plenty of contrast, making focusing easy. With internal frame lines, I was getting good at countering parallax error.
As first cameras go, the Hi-Matic 7s is certainly not traditional. My path to learning photography has never been a traditional one. It’s been a path of my own with plenty of bumps along the way. Part of me still regrets parting with the camera, although I’ll admit I would leave it on the shelf more than I would take it out these days. And for that, I’m glad the camera is still being used or has been passed along to another photographer. Not too bad for a five-dollar purchase at a garage sale more than twenty years ago. Sadly, if I were to get another one, it would cost me far more these days, and there’s no guarantee that it will work and be in good condition. But the Hi-Matic certainly left an impression, and I’m happy it was a signpost on my journey.
A Hi-Matic 7 was the first camera I shot when I got back into film photography in 2006. It was, in retrospect, an outstanding first choice. Just as the 7s was for you!