MINOLTA 16 P
1960

Serial Nr.148160
Minolta Code 0203

Characteristics and functions
The Minolta 16 P was presented in 1960. In 1961 it was awarded the first prize"Osaka Design-House", an important hallmark for Japanese-made products.
The Minolta 16 P is of very simple construction: the focus is fixed with a minimum
distance of 4.80mt. (16 feet); the shutter speed is fixed at 1/100”.
The camera looks like a parallelepiped with rounded edges with 5 sides out of six insatin aluminum and front in black plastic. On the upper side there is the window forviewing the sensitivity of the film used, the 4 symbols (bright sun, sun, hazy sun,cloudy) for the aperture setting and the aperture scale (16 - 11 - 8 - 5.6 - 4 - 3.5). A
small yellow arrow with the vertex facing forward is the collimation index of the 4symbols, which are related to the sensitivity of the film. The sensitivity scale on thisspecimen ranges from 10 to 200 Asa. - There are two different configurations: inaddition to the 10 - 25 - 40 - 80 - 200 scale, you can find the one limited to 160 (10 32 - 40 - 80 - 160). - Above the window, in the center there is engraved "ASA". Aboveagain there is a circular knurled area with a diameter of 14mm. which is used forsymbol adjustments. Between the knurled wheel and the shutter button there is thewindow of the frame counter where the scaled numbering shows the number ofposes still available. When the back is opened, the frame counter resets itself
automatically and an "S" appears. Finally, on the right we find a small chromed andstriped rectangle: it is the shutter button. The right rear dial of the top side of thecamera is engraved with “Minolta - 16”. The left side is occupied by the socket for theflash cable, while on the right side we find the rectangular metal ring for attaching thewrist strap for carrying the camera and the serial number engraved very close to thelower edge. The front side, the only one in black plastic, has a silver frame whichcontains, from left to right: the viewfinder window, another rectangular frame thatincludes the lens - you can see the guillotine shutter placed in front at the first lens.
The word “Minolta” is silkscreened in aluminum color on a piece of black plastic
drowned flush with the frame. On the back side we find on the left, the small
rectangular window of the viewfinder, a viewfinder that has no bright frame, while the¾ on the right are occupied by the door of the film compartment which by its
construction continues also on the lower side. The rear side of the door is entirely
occupied by a silkscreened aluminum plate with the instructions for adjusting thesync-flash and the description of the correspondence of the 4 symbols ("bright sun" ="Bright Sun"; "Sun" = "Hazy Sun"; "Sun veiled"="Cloudy Bright"; "Cloudy"="CloudyDull"/"Open Shade Under Blue Sky"). Above the door of the film compartment wefind, on the left, the knurled wheel for adjusting the apertures. Continuing to the right
we find the chromed half-wheel that releases, with a click, the door retention hinge(rotate it from right to left at the limits of its obligatory seat). On the far right is theknurled black plastic wheel which is used to advance the film and to simultaneouslyarm the shutter. On the lower side of the camera we find on the left the thread forusing the tripod and in the remaining ¾ the lower side of the film compartment door
almost entirely occupied by a second silkscreened aluminum plate with the words:
first line "Minolta - 16 Model P"; second line "Lens: Rokkor 3.5/25"; third line “ChiyodaKogaku”.
Weight 140g.
Length 108mm. Width 43mm. Thickness 27.5mm.