Minolta Autopak-8 D10 User manual

The Minolta Autopak·8 D Series Movie Cameras
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The Minolta Autopak.8 0 Series Movie Cameras
Contents
Introduction 3
The Autopak-B 010.................................... 4
The Autopak-B 06 & 04 7
The Electromagnetic Shutter Release 8
System Accessories 11
The Zoom Rokkor Lens 15
The 010 Zoom Lens 16
The 06 & 04 Zoom Lens 17
The TTA Exposure System 18
Total Information Viewfinder 19
The 010 Viewfinder 20
The 06 & 04 Viewfinder 21
Other Autopak-B D Features 22
The 010: Features & Functions 24
Filming Speeds 24
Variable Shutter Opening System 25
Ultra High-Speed Filming 25
Automatic & Manual Fading 26
Exposure Adjustment 27
Other Autop ak-B D System Accessories 28

Introduction
8mm moviemaking for the 1970s is under-
going an important creative revolution. With·
in the last few years, thanks to advances in
electronics, miniaturlzatlon and the match-
ing of precise optics to mechanics, new
cameras have appeared on the scene that
have altered the entire concept of the small
8mm film format. These cameras, with their
big zoom lenses, variety of filming speeds,
and instartt-certrldge-lcading features, have
been designed to make the same kind of
interesting, profes sional- looking films that
could only have been made before with spe-
cial-and much more costly-equipment,
usually 16mm. Moreover, they have been
eminently successful. More and more, as the
8mm format gained popularity among per-
sons involved in the making of important in-
dustrial, educational and scientific films, the
films that were made began to reflect the
outstanding versatility of the small, truly
mobile 8mm camera.
The introduction of the Minolta Autop ak-B D
series of Super-B movie cameras carries the
8mm creative revolution a significant step
forward. For the first time, there is a total
system for Super-8 photography, and, also
for the first time, the cameras and the entire
system are available in a price range that is
appealing to all kinds of cinematographers.
The Autopak-8 D10 is an incredibly versatile
camera, with more features and special ac-
cessories than any other 8mm camera-and
it is priced accordingly. The Autopak-B D6,
more compact but with much of the D1O's
versatility, is medium-priced. And the Auto-
pak-8 D4 is budget- priced , even though it
uses the same system of Minolta Super-B
accessories as the other two cameras.
What makes the three cameras truly unique
is the common use of a simple development
called an electromagnetic shutter release,
which is interchangeable between all the
cameras and the group of Minolta system
accessories. Because this shutter release
has an unparalleled control function, it can be
used as a release cord and a remote-control
cord, it can actuate two different automatic
time-lapse Intervalometers and a cassette
tape recorder for 8mm sound recording. It
can do many of these functions simulta-
neously, and from distances as far away
from the actual camera as 260 feet.
The capabilities of this shutter release sys-
tem, and the Minolta accessories which have
been designed around it, are without pre-
cedent in the entire field of 8mm film tech-
nology. Now, no longer is this small film
format limited to basic, amateur uses. It is,
as you shall learn from the pages that follow,
a greatly advanced means for creative ex-
pression.

The Autopak-B 010:
An Entirely New Concept in
Super·8 Movie Cameras
This fine Minolta product is perhaps the
most advanced 8mm camera ever manufac-
tured, Without question, it stands unique in
the entire 8mm field as an uncompromising
professional instru ment capable of master-
ing any of the complex and specialized range
of cine challenges. Even if you are a very
serious professional moviemaker used to
working with much larger film image sizes,
you will be challenged by the variety of ways
the 010 solves creative problems. If you are
a serious amateur, or the novice just taking
a critical interest in the superlative medium
of film, you will want the 010 for the many
ways it rivals the versatility and sophistica-
tion of far more complicated, far more ex-
pensive large film format cameras. It is an
uncompromising cine camera.
The 010 is a system for Super-8 photography
-and it is much more. It offers more capa-
bility, more technical ingenuity than any
other 8mm camera, but it also elevates the
entire Super-8 format to a creative level
never before thought pcsslble.
A brief list of the D10's features give only a
partial picture of its capabilities. There is a
7mm to 70mm Zoom Rokkor Lens and a
variable five-stage speed power zoom con-
trol. Its consistently accurate exposure ,,,,'
measuring system is Minolta's exclusive
through-the-aperture electric eye. With the,
D10's variable shutter sector unit, you will
be able to make fully automatic or manual
fade-ins or fade-outs at shutter speeds of
your choosing. And you will have a choice of
seven different and precise filming speeds-
from single frame to 50 frames per second.
There is a control-center viewfinder so that
all ot.your viewing and focusing adjustments
will be made as you look through the view-
finder. And an exposure adjustment system ~
that permits compensations for special '
effects or unusual lighting conditions.
The D10's system of creative cinematogra-' '
phy, like all the Minolta Autopak-8 0 series
movie cameras, is built around the exclusive
interchangeable electromagnetic shutter re-
lease, So with accessories like a release cord,
remote-control cord, wireless control unit,
two different Intervalometers, and a tape
recorder-control cord, you will be able to~/
accomplish most any kind of special effect,
special filming application-and create ex-
traordinarily professional films,
(A comprehensive discussion of the D10's
features and functions begins on page 24
of this brochure. The electromagnetic shut- .,;,
ter release and system accessories are~
described on pages 8-13). I
... ~ ...•. ,~

The Autopak.8 06 and 04: Compact,
Full Systems of Super.8 Moviemaking
It is one thing to build a comprehensive sys-
tern of Super-8 filmmaking and quite an-
other to build a compact camera that can
use it to full capability. With the Autopak-8
06 and 04, Minolta has done just this. Since
both of these fine cameras incorporate the
Minolta electromagnetic shutter release, and
have many of the same features of the 010,
their versatility for specialized filming and
special effects is comparable to the more
expensive Super-8 camera. Almost all 0
series accessories fit both the 06 and 04_
'They may be operated by remote control or
wireless control. They accept both Minolta
Intervalometers for precise, automatic time-
lapse or ultra-slow filming. You can couple a
cassette tape recorder to either camera to
record sound. In short, both the aim and
the scope of these Minolta products are to
expand the creative potential of the film-
maker, and permit him a variety of sophis-
ticated ways to solve cinematographic
challenges-all within a reasonable budget.
Both cameras are easy-to-handle, easy-to-
operate, requiring no special experience in
the techniques of moviemaking. Both are
immensely versatile and packed with new
developments in photoelectronics, miniatur-
ization and photographic optics. The 06 has
an 8.4mm to 50mm Zoom Rokkor Lens with
variable-speed zoom control. A total control-
center viewfinder that provides complete,
continuous filming information as you make
your Super-8 film, automatic through-the-
aperture electric eye exposure measuring,
choice of three filming speeds, and a folding
hand grip for operating and storage conven-
ience. The 04 has all of the above features,
and comes with a 9.5mm to 38mm Zoom
Rokkor Lens.
With the addition of the electromagnetic
shutter release and the Minolta 0 series ac-
cessories, the cameras stand alone in their
price range as cinematographic tools of
distinctive capability, perfect for beginners
and advanced amateurs alike.

Minolta's Electromagnetic
Shutter Release: Key to an Incomparable
System of Super-8 Accessories
It is small, about the size of a matchbox, and
its function is very similar to an electric
switch since it performs a basic on-off
switching operation. Yet without the simple-
looking and uncomplicated electromagnetic
release which fits, and is interchangeable
with all three Autopak-8 D cameras, design
of the Minolta D system accessories would
not have been possible.
The magnetic release system differs basical-
ly from a conventional mechanical shutter
system insomuch as it activates the shutter
electromagnetically-and may be removed
and interchanged with other releases manu-
factured by Minolta for use with a wide range
of accessories. It performs the on-off switch-
ing operation for regular filming, of course,
but it also performs a more significant and
wide-ranging control function for the system
accessories , And herein lies its incompara-
ble vers atility,
Example: Removed from one of the D series
cameras and connected with a short exten-
sion cord, the switch becomes a convenient
remote-control unit. Or an on-off switch-
ing cable release hand-operated from dis-
tances up to 50 feet (15 meters) from the
-
camera.
Connected to a special Minolta lntervalo-
meter (two are available), the switch permits
automatic time-lapse photography for a
variety of industrial, scientific, or basic
photographic uses.
Coupled with most cassette tape recorders
now on the market, the switch allows the
photographer to add sound to his film. Much
more, too.
So versatile is the mechanism and yet so
stable and positive is its electrical operation,
that one electromagnetic release can con-
trol two, three, even more than a dozen
Minolta D series cameras for simultaneous
filming, if such a complex operation would
ever be required. Radio-control operation of
the camera from a very great distance, even
in areas of high-rise buildings, is also made
possible by the shutter release mechanism,
as is the control of a group of accessories
simultaneously, such as timer, radio-control
tape recorder, strobe, etc.
The accessories that may be used with all
three Autopak-8 D series cameras are de-
scribed in detail on the pages which follow.
They give ample evidence of the virtually
unlimited potential and promising new di-
mensions of 8mm photography, as per-
fected by Minolta.
Intervalometer-S
Release Cord
.f----III:~_
Remote Control Cord
~
•• Electromagnetic Release Switch

,
The Autopak-8 D System Accessories
Intervalometer-P
This cylindrical shaped device is an automa-
tic repeating timer for making single-frame
exposures at any of eight different intervals.
Small in size, lightweight, it is easily mount-
ed on the camera's accessory shoe and thus
is especially useful in location filming.
The Intervalometer-P may be set to fire a
single frame at 0_5 to 60 seconds.
Among its many other potential uses include
measurement of the movement of clouds,
the movement of the sun at sunrise and
sunset, transition of hues in the sky at
sunset, and filming or animations by moving
cut-out pictures and titles. It is extraordina-
rily valuable for traffic and motion studies,
and is a fascinating tool for filming nature,
such as the blooming of house plants and
garden flowers.
Intervalometer-S
Even more versatile than the Intervalometer-
P is this high-quality professional accessory,
capable of actuating exposure at intervals
from 0.2 seconds to 10 minutes.
This unit may be used for sampling (a series
of continuous-run sequences filmed for a
certain duration-5, 10,20 seconds-at re-
gular intervals-15 seconds to 10 minutes)
and indent sampling (a series of time-lapse
sequences filmed-7§' to 10 seconds-for a
certain duration-5, 10,20 seconds-at re-
gular intervals-15 seconds to 10 minutes).
It is also valuable for time-lapse work and
motion analyses, nature studies of plants
and animals, traffic and meteorological
studies, much more.
The Intervalometer-S is complete with re-
lays, magnetic counter, battery checker, and
work sampling start signal lamp mark.
Filming Interval Projection Times
Filming time required to
produce10seconds
projection time
at 18fps
36 seconds
1 minute 30 sec.
3 minutes
12 hours
30 hours

Release Cord
A 12-inch (30cm) cord with a variety of tunc-
tions, this accessory serves many of the
same purposes as a mechanical cable reo
lease. Yet, with its on-off switching me-
chanism, it is much more versatile than any
conventional cable release ever invented.
The release cord is especially valuable for
single frame exposure, for animation and
titling. It prevents camera movement, and
allows you great freedom of movement while
you manipulate titling cards or subjects.
Remote Control Cord
This 16Yz. foot (5·meter) cord is simply a
release cord of extended length. It is instal-
led the same way asthe shorter release cord,
and is also hand-operated. For remote con-
trol filming from great distances, it is possi-
ble to connect up to three cords and hand-
operate the camera from a distance of 50
feet (15 meters). The remote control cord
may also be used to operate more than one
camera at a time, or to allow the photogra-
pher to get in his own picture.
Tape Recorder·Control Cord
The electromagnetic shutter release permits
synchronized sound recording when any of
the cameras and most popular cassette tape
recorders are connected. The tape recorder-
control actuates both the camera shutter
and the recorder.
Wireless Control Unit
Wireless control of the D series cameras is
possible from distances from 100 to 260
feet (30 to 80 meters) outdoors when the
camera is connected to this unit, which con-
sists of a transmitter and receiver. The wire-
less unit assures the same positive
electromagnetic shutter release accuracy as
all other accessories. For covert filming of
wild birds and other normally inaccessible
subjects, the wireless control unit is in-
dispensable. It is also invaluable for filming
a subject with two or more cameras sirnul-
taneously from different angles, or similar
shutter actuation from a distance.

,
Remote Control Cord Tape Recorder-Control Cord Wireless Control Unit

I
\

The Zoom Rokkor Lens:
Ease.of.Handling and Perfectly
Matched Optics
A superb Zoom Rokkor Lens, computer-de-
signed, is standard equipment with each
Autopak-B D series camera, The D10's zoom
is an Flo8 Rokkor with 10-power zoom ratio
of 7mm to 70mm_ The zoom on the D6 is
an Flo8 Rokkor with 6-power zoom ratio of
Amm to 50mm_ And on the D4, the zoom
is an Flo8 Rokkor with 4-power zoom ratio
of 9_5mm to 38mm_ Since Minolta is one of
the two companies in Japan and one of the
very few in the world that manufactures its
own optical glass and lenses, all Minolta
Rokkor Lenses (for still and movie cameras
alike) are subjected to a program of quality
control that is the camera industry's most
thorough, The zoom lens of each camera re-
flects .this dedication to excellence, from
ease-of-handling to perfectly matched optics
and mechanics. Their inherent versatility
gives you a unique ability for achieving high-
ly dramatic and imaginative filming at all
times.
Each Zoom Rokkor Lens is a product of more
than 40 years of Minolta research and devel-
opment in photographic optics. The per-
formance of each is guaranteed. Rokkor
Lenses of all kinds have been prized for their
ability to provide even brightness from cor-
ner to corner; superb color reproduction,
high resolving power with sharp contrast be-
tween image and background; and for the
photography of objects as they truly exist,
with consistent brightness and sharpness.
They have a long tradition of quality among
professionals and amateur photographers
alike. Major Hollywood studios have used
Rokkor Lenses to film Academy Award-
winning movies and hundreds of thousands
of photographers are today using Rokkor
Lenses with Minolta's very popular still
cameras.

The Autopak-8 010: 7mm to 70mm
This big power zoom was built with 17 ele-
ments in 13 groups, and features variable
speed power zooming, one of the major keys
to the prime versatility of the camera. What
is truly remarkable about the lens, aside
from its sharpness and accuracy of focus, is
its ultra-wide angle focal length of 7mm-
the equivalent of a 35mm still camera equip-
ped with a 43mm lens. (The maximum tele-
photo focal length of 70mm is equivalent to
a 430mm lens on a still camera.) No other
lOX zoom 8mm camera made today, includ-
ing those with interchangeable lenses, is
capable of zooming to such a wide-angle.
To achieve this focal length with any other
camera would require an investment in
16mm equipment.
There is a conveniently-situated two-way
rocker control located near the top of the
camera which allows easy power operation
of the zoom. You can operate this control
with a simple, gentle touch of your finger.
The lens may also be zoomed by manual
operation, or set at any single, specific focal
length, by maneuvering atelescoping handle
that conveniently attaches to either side of
the zoom ring. Use of the world's first elec-
tronic governor motor for the zoom speed
control means you'll get incredibly smooth
accurate zooms.
There is also a five-stage variable speed
power zoom mechanism, equipped with lC
governed, 4-transistor micromotor for ac-
curacy, located on the side of the camera.
This is indispensable for zooming with frame
speeds other than the standard 18 frames
per second (fps). A simple click-stop adjust-
ment of this variable speed control knob per-
mits you to zoom over the entire 7-70mm
range at any speed of your choice from 2 to
12 seconds. You may also change the zoom
speed in mid-zoom, say from 5 to 8 seconds,
without stopping the power zoom operation.
F
-
,
ZOOM
SPEED

The Autopak-8 06: 8.4mm to 50mm
This Zoom Rokkor Lens was built with 14
elements in 12 groups. The zoom ratio is
continuously variable with the use of a two-
way rocker control positioned near the top
of the camera for easy finger-tip control.
The Autopak-8 04: 9.5mm to 38mm
There are 12 elements arranged in 10 groups
in this smaller Zoom Rokkor, yet it sacrifices
nothing to quality of design and manufacture.
A two-way rocker control is positioned near
the top of the 04 for finger-tip control while
you zoom from wide-angle to telephoto. With
the camera filming at the normal 18 frames
per second, you'll be able to zoom from
wide-angle to telephoto in approximately 5
seconds. The lens may also be zoomed by
manual operation, or set at any single, spe-
cific focal length, by maneuvering a handle
that attaches to either side of the zoom ring.

Through- The-Aperture
Electric Eye Exposure Measuring:
Perfect, Automatic Exposure for
All Lighting Conditions
Exposure measuring with any of the Autop ak-
8 D series cameras is fully automatic, con-
sistently accurate, and an entirely new
Super-S concept. Many of the same tech-
nological and electronic concepts used in the
Minolta Space Meter, carried by America's
Apollo astronauts, have been incorporated in
the exposure measuring system of the new
movie cameras. These advances, however,
do not just represent mere modifications of
old concepts, but are part of a new exposure
measuring technology designed especially
for these cameras. The result is an unusual-
Iy accurate means of measuring light auto-
matically for all moviemaking situations.
No matter what the lighting condition, the
taking lens of your camera automatically
TO VIEWFINDER
MASTER
~H~IT~Ft-t---=~~Tt-~~~i+i FILM PLANE
z LENS
CdS CELL
and continuously adjusts itself for accurate
exposure. The system ultilized is called
TTA, or through-the-aperture; and it
differs from the common through-the-lens
system insomuch as it measures light after
it passes through lens aperture. For corn-
parison, the conventional TTL system rnea-
sures light after it has passed only through-
the- lens.
Each Autopak-B D camera employs both a
CdS (cadmlurn-sulfide) cell and unusual
servo mechanism circuit for its through-the-
aperture electric eye exposure measuring.
And since this system permits the measure-
ment of light after it passes through the
half- mirror of the finder assembly and the
aperture, it is able to measure light having
the same characteristics as the true image-
forming light that strikes the film plane.
Thus when the brightness of this image,
forming light varies even a small amount
this variation is signalled back to the
bridge circuit in the electric eye system to
control the lens opening automatically. All
light reaching the film plane is controlled to
maintain the same brightness, and to insure
exact exposure at all times. Opening and
closing of the lens aperture is also controlled
by this unique system, and all cornpens a-
tions for frame speed, focal length, zooming
and filter variations are made automatically.
Because this Minolta electric eye system
utilizes a servo unit connected with the
bridge circuit, use of a separate mercury
battery is unnecessary, nor is the system
affected by voltage fluctuations.