Minolta AL-F (Rangefinder)

Posted by: Tim Lewis aka Paps July 14, 2025

Minolta AL-F (Rangefinder)

As I've stated before, I am not a giant fan of rangefinders. Those on this site that I have reviewed are certainly capable cameras and take impressive photos. I suppose it is more about the user experience for me. As I get older, I find the small viewfinders challenging to use and the focus system a constant bottleneck for my photography. It slows me way down and distracts me from thinking about composition and light.

If, however, I were to grab one for convenience and dash out of the door with little planning, it would be this one. The Minolta AL-F. The AL-F is one of those hidden gems on eBay that can be purchased for a song and delivers images far above its price range. In fact, the images it creates compete with any of the rangefinders I have reviewed thus far.

The AL-F was launched in 1967, a late bloomer in the era of rangefinders. It is armed with a Rokkor 38mm lens that opens up to f/2.7. The shutter is a little on the slow side by most standards, but typical for its day, at 1/500th. It sports the same "Easy Flash" system that the Hi-Matic 9 does, and in 1970, it sold for about $76.50 ($600.00 today).

What makes this camera slightly unique is that it contains a light meter that is used by the camera in shutter-priority mode. The shutter priority mode works with the meter that is visible in the viewfinder. You simply adjust the shutter speed, and the camera will select the aperture needed to get a good exposure. The needle points to the aperture chosen by the camera. As long as it is not in the red, at the top of the meter or the bottom of the meter, the image will be correctly exposed.

This becomes very intuitive, very quickly, and you will not have to drop your camera from your eye to make adjustments. With the large, bright meter along the right side of the viewfinder, you will always know what the exposure is. Turning the shutter dial moves this needle in real time, and all that is left is to focus and shoot.

Despite what some information out there suggests, there is no 'manual' mode, and the camera is always in shutter priority. This means that if you choose to purchase one, you have to make certain that the light meter operates. The camera will not function without it.

I often read in reviews that 'this' camera or 'that' camera would be a good camera for beginners. I can tell you, it would be difficult to beat the AL-F, whether you are a beginner or not. The camera is lightweight, small, and easy to carry. As far as setting exposure, there is only one setting on the lens barrel that matters, and that's the shutter speed. It is impossible to manually change the aperture.... the dial doesn't exist. It's the perfect camera for a beginner or for a pro that simply wants to keep a camera ready in the glove box of their car.

I've had my copy for over a year, and I am always amazed at the image quality it produces. The images look as though they were taken on an SLR with a quality lens, when in reality, it was taken with a quality lens that nearly fits in your pocket. The Rokkor lens is sharp and fast and delivers each time. Mine had the typical 'sticky shutter' that was easily fixed with a spanner and some lighter fluid, and it has purred along ever since.

The throw on the winding lever is short. The smooth advancement of film stops suddenly and without warning until you get used to it, and it is ready to go again. The 38mm lens accepts 46mm filters and is small and easy to manually focus. Unlike other Minolta rangefinders, just a twist of the wrist will get you through all focusing distances, and that makes this camera a very fast shooter. Great for documentary or street photography.

The AL-F has a threaded cable release attachment, but you will never need it. There is no Bulb setting on the shutter, so by the time you have enough light to shoot, you can hand-hold it easily and leave the cable at home with the tripod. While this may seem like a liability at first glance, I find it sort of liberating. The simplicity of this camera is its charm.

It's difficult to overstate just how easy it is to make quality photos with this camera and how quickly it can do so. It is by far my favorite camera in the Minolta rangefinder lineup. Other than its dependence on a battery, there is simply nothing to dislike about it. Unlike the V2, a much more sophisticated rangefinder, I can focus intently on my composition without worrying about shutter speeds vs aperture settings.

The AL-F was a refined version of the AL and AL-E cameras, and it had fairly advanced features for its time. It was marketed to both beginners and to those professionals who were more concerned about the final image rather than the camera that it came from. This was the answer to the challenges that were posed to Minolta from companies like Yashica and Nikon, although the world was beginning to turn to SLRs around that time.

The MRB625 Weincell battery is the modern power supply that keeps this camera nailing photo after photo. In fact, the only way to come away from a shutter press brokenhearted is to make a mistake in focusing. As long as the needle on the meter is not in the red, that camera WILL produce a well exposed photo.

The body is robust and built for durability, despite its small weight and size. The body is 125 x 83 x 56mm and weighs in at 509g. Incredibly, this camera can be had (as of this writing) for about $40.00 on eBay. As I said, make certain that the light meter operates. The lens and shutter can be easily cleaned, as I did mine, with a spanner wrench and lighter fluid, but the meter is vital.

Like its cousin, the Hi-Matic 9, the AL-F can also 'lock' exposure in tricky lighting situations where you wish to meter for one exposure, and then recompose the image before openeing the shutter. Most rangefinders do not have this ability unless they have a specific button for exposure lock but the AL-F uses the 'needle-trap' meter and this feature is hidden in that. You simply point the camera at the area you want to meter, press the shutter button partially until the meter needle stops moving, and then recompose and press the shutter the rest of the way down.

The Snap

If I were to recommend a camera to anyone starting in film photography, it would be this one. Likewise, if someone is looking for a small, reliable, and fast camera for street photography, I would recommend this one. If mine ever stopped working, I would immediately replace it. It fits nicely on the back of my bike or hanging around my neck as I walk the dog.

The 1/500th shutter speed is always a challenge in this era of cameras, but that can be overcome with an ND filter, for those bright days of shooting. I shoot a lot of black and white, so I almost always carry a red filter with me that is good for eliminating three stops of light anyway. The battery dependency is not a big deal unless you take it far from home without a backup.

Personally, if this were to be my primary camera and I left town with it, I would always keep a second on standby. And at the current prices, it would not be a financial challenge to do so. If I were to lose all of my film cameras today, never to be seen again, this would be the first camera I would purchase in order to feed my "shutterbug" while I rebuilt my collection.

I like the wider lens that Minolta mounted on this small camera, and although it would be a challenge to test the bokeh on it, having no control over the aperture, this camera was never designed for that. It's a street-photographer's dream, and even point-and-shoot fans would fall in love with it.

A Souvenire Shop in Florida. Taken on the AL-F.

An old screen door in central Florida. This image is a good example of
the camera choosing a narrow depth of field for the exposure, as the trees on the left are
blurred out of focus.