Minolta Semi Minolta IIIA

The Semi Minolta IIIA is a folding medium-format camera that takes 120 roll film in the 6x4.5cm "semi" format. It is a pre-war Japanese folder from the late 1930s, positioned as a compact roll-film camera for general photography.

Inspect the bellows for pinholes by shining a light inside in a dark room, and check that the folding struts lock firmly so the lens standard sits parallel to the film plane. Test the leaf shutter at all speeds for sticky blades, and look for haze, fungus or separation in the lens elements; service support for pre-war Japanese folders is limited, so a working example is preferable to a project.

Generated summary, 29 Apr 2026 — not checked by hand; prices on this page come from the sales, not from this text.