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Minolta Dynax 404si: manual and user guide

The Minolta A-mount autofocus SLR with a built-in flash. Its original manual, then the essentials for using it.

View the manual on butkus.orgOriginal scanned manual · 85 pages · in English

Manual scanned and put online free of charge by Mike Butkus, whose library runs on donations. The link opens his model page, where you can download the PDF.

Getting started

Batteries It runs on two 3 V CR2 lithium batteries. Turn the door lock to OPEN with a coin, put in the batteries following the + and - marks, then close the door and turn the lock to CLOSE. If the battery symbol blinks on its own and the shutter button locks, change the batteries.
Lens Remove the caps, line up the red dots on the lens and body, then turn the lens clockwise until it clicks. To remove it, press the release button and turn the other way.
Loading Check through the window in the back that there’s no film inside, then slide the release lever down. Put the cartridge in, pull the leader between the rails to the mark and close the back: the film advances by itself and the counter shows 1. DX-coded film sets the film speed automatically, from ISO 25 to 5000, otherwise the camera keeps the speed of the previous film.
Your first photo Set the switch to ON and press the reset button (P) to switch to fully automatic. Put the subject in the focus frame, press halfway until the focus signal appears in the viewfinder, then gently press the shutter button all the way. When there isn’t enough light, the built-in flash pops up and fires by itself.
Rewinding After the last shot, it rewinds by itself. Wait for the motor to stop and the cartridge symbol to blink on the data panel before opening the back. To rewind before the end of the roll, press the manual rewind button.

What it can do

Fully automatic mode, five subject programs (portrait, landscape, close-up, sport, night portrait) and P, A, S and M modes.
Shutter speeds from 30 s to 1/2000 s, and B (bulb) in M mode: the shutter stays open as long as you hold the shutter button down.
8-segment honeycomb metering, spot metering with the Spot/AE lock button and exposure compensation from -3 to +3 EV in half steps, except in M.
Automatic bracketing of 3 frames, 1/2 EV apart, and multiple exposures on the same frame.
A self-timer of about 10 s and continuous shooting at 1 frame per second.

The flash

Guide number 12 (at ISO 100, in m). It covers the field of a 28 mm lens, no wider, and you must stay at least 1 m from the subject.
At ISO 100, it reaches up to 4.3 m at f/2.8 and 2.1 m at f/5.6. It recycles in about 3 s.
Auto, forced flash, flash cancel and red-eye reduction modes. In P and A, hold the Spot/AE lock button down as you fire for slow sync.
It syncs at 1/90 s or slower. Remove the lens hood before using it, otherwise a shadow eats into the bottom of the picture.
It controls Minolta 5400HS, 5400xi and 3500xi flashes wirelessly.

Which lenses?

Minolta A bayonet mount: all Minolta AF lenses fit.
Minolta MD and MC manual-focus lenses can’t be used on this body.
At short focal lengths, some zooms block part of the built-in flash, for example the AF Zoom 28-85 mm f/3.5-4.5 and 35-80 mm f/4-5.6.
Compatible flashes: Minolta i, si and HS series and the Vectis SF-1. X series flashes and those from other brands aren’t suitable.

Good to know

No infrared film: the frame counter sensor fogs it. No Polaroid 35 mm instant film either.
Don’t put the camera down with the battery door open, you could damage it.
The P button resets exposure, focus, flash, drive and compensation to their default settings. It doesn’t touch film speed or red-eye reduction.
The manual counts 40 to 65 rolls of 24 exposures without flash at 20 °C, and 11 to 14 with flash on every shot.
Cold reduces battery life: keep spare batteries warm in a pocket. It works from -20 to 50 °C.

Dynax 404si specifications

Format: SLR for 35 mm (135) film
Mount: Minolta A bayonet, Minolta AF lenses
Shutter: vertical-travel focal-plane, electronically controlled, 30 s to 1/2000 s and B (bulb)
Focusing: TTL phase-detection autofocus, single-shot or continuous, or manual, AF illuminator from 1 to 5 m
Viewfinder: roof mirror, 90% coverage, 0.75× magnification
Metering: 8-segment honeycomb (EV 1 to 20) and spot (EV 4 to 20), at ISO 100 with an f/1.4 lens
Sensitivity: ISO 25 to 5000 by DX code, ISO 6 to 6400 manually in 1/3 EV steps
Flash: built-in, guide number 12 (ISO 100, m), 28 mm coverage, sync at 1/90 s or slower
Power: two CR2 lithium batteries
Dimensions and weight: 135 × 90 × 58.5 mm, 350 g without batteries