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2026-04-20 Minolta RIVA 70D

    The Minolta RIVA 70D was released in 1994. Its 28-70 zoom varied in maximum aperture from f/3.5 to f/8.4. It's zoom had four elements in four groups, with two aspherical surfaces. Focusing was a three beam active infrared system with focus lock.  It auto focused from 0.5 m to infinity (20 inches to infinity). Macro range was from 0.4 m to 1 m (16 inches to 3.3 feet). There were approximately 300 focus steps including the macro range.

Most of the controls are below the LCD window. From bottom left—
  • red-eye reduction
  • self-timer or continuous firing
  • auto choices of: auto, macro, night with flash foreground and infinity
  • Then there are the setting buttons for the Date function. If selected the photographs will have a date added to the image.


    The on/off button and the zoom rocker are on the back top edge of the camera
The exposure system used an almost uniquely positioned CdS cell mounted out on the front end of the zoom. It provided center weighted average metering. At ISO 100 the EV range was 2.6-17 (f/3.5 at 2 seconds to f/16 and 500 sec) at 28 mm and EV 3.1 - 17 (f/8.4 and 8 seconds to f/20 and 350 sec) at 70 mm.
The automatic DX coding could handle films from ISO 25 to 3200. Non DX coded films the camera would use ISO 25.

    The on/off button erects the zoom into firing position and snaps the flash up. Turning the camera off collapses the zoom and snaps a cover over it as well as folding the flash back down.
The motor drive handled loading, advance and rewind. It could also handle 1.2 sec continuous shooting without using the flash. Speaking of the flash it opens and closes with the on/off switch along with the lens cover. It uses variable intensity through a “IGBT circuit”. The flash recycles from 0.3 - 6 seconds. The flash will expose (using ISO 100 film) at 28mm from 0.5-6 meters (20 inches to 20 feet) and at 70 mm from 0.5-2.5 m (20 inches to 8.2 feet). In macro mode the flash will expose from 0.4-1 m (16 inches to 3.3 feet).
    While on the subject of the flash—
don’t press the flash down while operating the camera—it will stop the shutter from firing.
    The red-eye reduction is handled by some pre-flashes. These pre-flashes slow the actual firing and draw attention so setting the camera’s flash to just fire without red-eye reduction is preferable in some situations.
    The camera can be set to mountain (Infinity focus) mode if you are shooting through windows (the active infrared is stymied by windows).
    

    When using the Macro mode the camera will zoom to the 70 mm position. When setting the focus you have to center the auto-focus brackets in the center of the viewfinder on the subject. Then you have to reframe the subject so the two macro lines—left and right on the frame edges— in the viewfinder so they are at the top of a frame you have to imagine continues off the bottom of the frame. 
    Using one 3-volt CR or DL 123A battery you can shoot 13 24-exposure rolls using the flash 50 per cent of the time. The camera weighs 240 g (8½ oz.). 

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