minolta TC-1 review
Welcome to our review of the Minolta TC-1, The best point-n-shoot money can buy. Of course, that’s just our opinion but we hope after this review you think so too.
Let’s start with a brief history on Minolta. Minolta was a Japanese camera brand that was founded in Osaka, Japan in 1928. The Brand has many accolades, from releasing the Minolta SR-T 101 in 1966 (Which was one of the first SLR cameras with TTL metering), to working with Leica on their “R” series of cameras and dropping the Minolta Maxxum 7000 in 1985; which was a worlds first for in-camera autofocus SLR’s. As I’m sure you can tell, Minolta wasn’t just taking up space, they were innovating and paving the way for the cameras we know today.
“So where’s the TC-1 come into play?” well, the TC-1 came out in 1996 and actually won the “Camera Grand Prix” that year (that’s a big deal). It’s a lightweight ultra compact 35mm point-n-shoot. It’s about 3.7 inches long and 2.3 inches tall, its TINY. Stuffed inside this full titanium body is a fully-motorized film winder, a powerful flash, bellows, an accurate meter, ISO override, a fast auto focus system, and lastly a f3.5 28mm G-Rokkor lens.
The Lens: The 28mm lens is very contrasty and surprisingly sharp . It’s a wider lens for being in a point-n-shoot but it’s a nice change from the usual 35mm lenses most point-n-shoots are equipped with. It goes from f3.5 to f16 with “perfect cut circles” as aperture blades so you get perfect circle bokeh. The lens does have some vignetting but it’s not noticeable in every situation. The autofocus system paired with the lens works great, rarely do I get something out of focus with this camera. The lens also houses the leaf shutter system which Minolta calls “AAPC” which allows the cameras shutter blades to act as aperture blades; this mode is only available when the camera is set at f3.5. Naturally the cameras max shutter speed is 1/350 but with AAPC it can ramp up to 1/750, while simultaneously diminishing the aperture to f13.5. This way you’re able to shoot 800 speed film without it getting over exposed in broad daylight. The only downside to this impressive little lens and lens housing is the noise that comes with it. It’s a bit loud when focusing so if you’re looking for something discreet, it might not be the best option.
My Personal use: I use this camera for damn near everything. I trusted it enough to be the only 35mm camera I brought with me to Iceland so that should say enough about it’s abilities. The TC-1 is always in my bag when I leave the house and I use it for everything, I take portraits, landscapes, etc on this camera. I favor taking portraits with it though, the 28mm gives a lot of perspective to images, it’s a very inclusive way to incorporate the environment you’re taking photos in. The flash is small but bright; I think its size plays a role in its effectiveness for sure. It’s great for portraits but it isn’t overbearing like some flashes can be. The minimum focus distance is convenient at roughly a foot and a half so you can fill the frame with a subject despite the wider than average lens.
There are downsides to the camera however, it is loud like I said earlier in the review; I can notice it even when in loud environments, given its right next to my face, but it is noticeable. Secondly, one of the biggest pros is related to some of its biggest cons for me. It’s tiny. Once you have it in hand you’ll be blown away that this little thing has all the features it does, but it doesn’t feel like you could drop it or ding it on something, even though its solid titanium. I’m sure it could survive a drop or hit if that accidentally happened but my Contax t2 felt like a brick in comparison, I was convinced it could survive anything and this thing definitely doesn’t feel the same way. I got a carrying case right after I got it. Another size related issue is the view finder, the amount of info in the view finder is great but the view finder it self has been hard to find in darker settings. I’ve had to just move my eye around the entire top part of the camera to find it sometimes which can get frustrating. Other than those three issues, I have no complaints.
This camera, in my eyes, is the best point-n-shoot on the market and I’ve tried all the popular ones. The TC-1 is definitely going to be staying with me forever. I usually buy and sell cameras once I feel I’ve gotten enough use out of them but this one has become special to me and I have no plans of ever selling it. In fact, I have plans to buy the “rare” black one in the future to have along side my champagne colored one. To sum up my review, this camera’s features and utility highly outweigh it’s downsides. I highly recommend this camera to use in any situation and if you decide to purchase one; I’m sure you won’t be disappointed.
