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Some cameras you buy because they’re legends. Others you buy because of how casual and unserious they are. Enter the Minolta Riva Zoom 70. A point-and-shoot from the 1990s that promises convenience, automation and a zoom lens that extends with all the mechanical grace of a retiring office printer.
Mine was from Jing, the other guy who photographs and writes here. These cameras were bought in duty-free shops, used on one family holiday to Bangkok, and then retired to a sock drawer once digital arrived. This reminds me of a time when film used to be “just the normal way of doing things.”
PRO
Lightweight
Fun
CON
Hold still
Grip
SPECIFICATION
35mm point and shoot
35-70mm zoom
1 fps
245 grams
From 40 AUD
RELATED ENTRIES
ANALOGUE: Pentax 17
ANALOGUE: Mamiya 7
ANALOGUE: Leica M6
Slip in a CR123A battery and the Riva springs to life with the kind of whirring and clunking noises that make you wonder if R2D2 lives inside. Spoiler: it’s normal. The zoom mechanism is both endearing and terrifying, and the autofocus light beam feels like you’re about to scan groceries rather than take a portrait.
Now, here’s the catch: you need to hold this camera still. Not “Instagram boyfriend steady,” I mean actual “hold-your-breath-and-channel-your-inner-sniper” still. The shutter speeds at the long end of the zoom aren’t forgiving, so even the smallest wobble will turn your shot into a soft, blurry memory. But hey, that’s part of the thrill.
Image quality? Well, it’s a 90s point-and-shoot. Expect plenty of vignette, a lens that’s sharp enough in the middle and sort of gives up around the edges, and flash that turns every subject into a deer caught in the headlights. But that’s the charm. You don’t buy a Minolta Riva Zoom 70 for clinical sharpness, you buy it because it makes snapshots.
On the bright side, the Riva is feather-light and completely non-threatening. Nobody takes you seriously when you whip it out, which is actually a blessing. You’re just a person with a nostalgic plastic camera having fun, not some brooding artiste chasing “the decisive moment.” It takes the pressure off and makes photography playful again.
As a daily carry, it’s pocketable (if your pockets are generous) and requires exactly zero thought to operate. If you want manual controls, look elsewhere. The Riva does everything for you whether you like it or not. Exposure? Automatic. Flash? Automatic.
Who is this camera for? If you’re just dipping your toes into film photography, the Riva is the definition of point-and-shoot simplicity. If you’re a seasoned photographer with an arsenal of Leicas, this is your guilty pleasure on a lazy Sunday. If you just want a camera that looks retro, sounds funny and still makes images, it’s worth the small gamble.
Will it impress your photography club? No. Will it give you a nostalgic hit and a stack of surprisingly decent photos? Absolutely.
The Minolta Riva Zoom 70 won’t win design awards but it does the one thing that matters: it makes taking photos fun again. And honestly, isn’t that the point?