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Minolta Vectis 300

The Advanced Photo System (APS) film system was indeed the most advanced film system of its day. As each film cartridge came with a unique identifier and each image carried with it information on aspect ratio, shutter speed, aperture, etc., APS film cartridges sat primed to make the world of storing and reprinting images easier and more accurate. Given this new format, camera manufacturers worked to develop SLRs and point-and-shoot style cameras that would make the best use of the latest film format. After already selling interchangeable lens SLRs for APS film in the form of the Vectis S-1, the Minolta company sought to produce a compact yet high-quality point and shoot camera to use APS film cartridges and the Minolta Vectis 300 camera was introduced into the market in 1998.

The Minolta Vectis 300 had the good looks to go with its futuristic name. Small and sleek, the Vectis 300 could have passed a James Bond style inspection. And at only 8 ounces, it could be slipped into a pocket for safekeeping until needed. Don't let the size of the Vectis lead you to think it's not a serious camera. Underneath the shiny skin and neatly contoured body is a very capable camera that holds its own.

Minolta put their most advanced focusing system into the Vectis 300 and with it, photographers could focus as close as 16 inches. The Vectis 300 came with a remarkably advanced flash that allowed for the correct amount of light in virtually any lighting condition. And with its 24-70mm zoom lens, the Vectis 300 was a powerful tool for shooting panoramas, portraits and everything in between.

Sadly, the APS film system did not survive the Vectis 300 and other APS cameras. While the tool lives on, the film format found itself discontinued in 2011. If you've never looked at this film or these cameras, they are both worthy of the search. The flexibility and image quality of APS deserves a place in your arsenal and the Minolta Vectis 300 is a camera that delivers on the film's abilities.

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Minolta Vectis 300

While APS film and its cameras don't often figure into our daily business anymore, there is a still a contingent of photographers out there that are very fond of the system. They continue to scrounge up the film when and where they can, and, once in a while, they bring in their latest APS camera acquisition to share with us. ⁠

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In March 2020, shortly before social distancing became the new normal, we were paid a visit by Marcus Heinrich who slyly slipped this Minolta Vectis 300 out of his pocket with a gleam of pride in his eyes. As soon as we held the camera we could understand his excitement. Maybe if more cameras had been made like the Vectis 300, APS would have had more of a fighting chance. See, the Vectis 300 is made from stamped, stainless steel parts, making the camera feel a lot like the Contax T2 in terms of how solid it is in the hands. We really cannot overplay the importance of holding cameras and the Vectis 300 impressed us from the very first moment. It was seriously almost enough to make us forget it was an APS camera.⁠

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Of course, beyond that stainless steel exterior, the camera is fairly pedestrian. It has a standard 24-70mm zoom lens that is a slow f/5.7 at the wide end. There are no exposure controls beyond automatic. Flash has only a couple simple settings to cycle through. But you know what? It also has a minimum focus distance of 40cm and a slowest possible shutter speed of 8 seconds. So you can do decent macro with it, as well as reasonable low light exposures. It also has a nifty retracting lens and flash that make the camera a joy simply to turn on and off.⁠

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So yes, most of us may not care much about APS anymore, but for those of us that do, there are some nice cameras out there to track down and still use.⁠

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Blue Moon Camera and Machine llc

sales@bluemooncamera.com
(503) 978-0333
(503) 978-0370
8417 North Lombard Street
Portland, OR 97203

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Minolta Vectis 300

Minolta Vectis 300

Blue Moon Camera and Machine llc