2026-05-29 Minolta F10BF Camera

Our camera club monthly meeting subject was to be “Plastic Cameras”. Of course we all have some, so the problem is more how to find them in your own collection, or should the cameras be acquired in the month between meetings. Technically plastic cameras can be any material from bakelite to injected plastic materials so all disposable cameras, many simple reloadable 35 mm and even many roll film cameras—828, 127, 120, 620—that are largely unadjustable would fit the mandate.

When I had a chance to buy this Minolta F10BF for $1, I thought it would make a good plastic camera.

It—

is fixed focus
has no shutter speed or aperture adjustment
hasn’t a selftimer, cable release socket or tripod fitting

The flash can’t be turned off. In a way the only exposing adjustment is automatic switching from 100 to 400 ISO using a single Dx contact. Changing of ISO might only affect the red-eye reduction LED being turned on when flash is going to be used. If there is enough light to make an exposure at 125 sec and f/5.6 (wide open), maybe the flash won’t fire. Otherwise the flash fires every time and the redeye reduction LED light lights as soon as you start to press the shutter release. The flash can properly expose to 2.74 m (9 feet) with ISO 100 film. There is a green confirmation LED inside the viewfinder that lights when the flash has recharged, in case you want to take multiple photographs close together.
The camera is always focused at the hyper focal distance that makes the closest focus 1.8 m (6 feet) while including infinity at the other end.

All this sounds pretty basic, but the camera has motor load/rewind, red eye reduction, a “Big Finder”, Dx code detection, a lens cover, switchable rewind and works on two AA batteries available everywhere. It came with a neck strap, not a puny wrist strap.
An almost identical Minolta F15BF came out later with a f/4 lens

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