2026-06-25 Minolta Program 3500xi flash

   The Minolta Program 3500xi flash is a good flash for any of the Minolta “i” film cameras*. It is reasonable powerful, zooms, tilts and is controlled by the TTL sensor in matching Minolta cameras. It is one step down from the 5400xi, the best flash, which shows up in slightly less power, less weight and less size.
   It lacks some touches like an open flash “test” button, a manual mode and the small buttons are hard to use, being too recessed and made of soft rubber.
   The wireless system the 3500xi used worked for Minolta film cameras, but doesn’t work with later digital flash/camera units.
You can use the 3500xi on Minolta/Sony digital cameras “i” mounts as long as you are content with—

either full power or “Lo” power flashes
perhaps having to input your choice of zoom flash setting
mounting the flash on the camera’s “i” shoe

There isn’t a LCD showing your settings. Instead there are small LED lights. The flash has a low light focus illuminator, again for Minolta/Sony cameras.

The mount lock is controlled with a really first-class button on the left side (from the photographer’s point-of-view) of the flash. The flash design matches the cameras rounded edges and smooth curves.

*The “i” is an identifier for the unique camera-to-flash-mount used by Minolta cameras. It is a sort of reverse accessory mount with the camera side being a grove in the camera and the flash has a channel that slides into the groove. No other camera manufacturer used the i mount, except some Sony digital cameras because Sony took over the Konica/Minolta camera line.

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