MinoltaVectis 2000

Released into the post-millennium hangover, when production lines wound down and unsold stock filled department-store shelves, the Minolta Vectis 2000 is a compact aps zoom built around a Minolta 22.5–45mm f/5.4–6.6 zoom. For context, the pebble-smooth Vectis line was Minolta's love letter to APS.

Format

APS

Year

2000

Lens

Minolta 22.5–45mm f/5.4–6.6 zoom

Min. focus

0.8 m

Flash

Built-in auto

Battery

1× CR2

The Minolta 22.5–45mm f/5.4–6.6 zoom is the convenience play: a single optical formula that handles groups, snapshots and tighter portraits without ever leaving your hand. APS film has been out of production since 2011, so you're shooting expired stock from eBay and sending it to one of the handful of labs that still handle IX240 — confirm both before you commit. It runs on CR2 lithium cells, still stocked online but worth ordering a pair before a trip. The built-in flash will fire whenever the meter decides it should, so learn the override before your first night out. Minimum focus is 0.8 m, close enough for a coffee cup or a face but stops short of true macro. A quirk worth flagging up front: drop in the cassette, close the door, you're shooting — easiest film loading ever. The zoom range covers the obvious bases: groups at the wide end, half-length portraits at the long end, no lens changes ever.

The Minolta Vectis 2000 won't impress at the pub, but it'll cover a holiday end-to-end without ever asking you to think about glass. One last detail: aPS film hasn't been produced since Fujifilm stopped in 2011, so any roll you find today is expired stock.

• §1The pebble-smooth Vectis line was Minolta's love letter to APS.
• §2Drop in the cassette, close the door, you're shooting — easiest film loading ever.
• §3APS film hasn't been produced since Fujifilm stopped in 2011, so any roll you find today is expired stock.