Minister D - not from Japan
Oct 19, 2024 19:14:22 GMT
on Oct 19, 2024 19:14:22 GMT
Posted: Oct 19, 2024 19:14:22 GMT
Today this Minister D arrived and I'm delighted to confirm that it is working perfectly.
The reason for acquiring this one was its provenance: it is made not in Japan but in Hong Kong.
Minister D HKG
Now, we have previously explored the Minister III which also had a split production between Japan and Hong Kong but in its case, the Hong Kong version used an inferior lens. However, in the case of the Minister D, the only difference I can see, other than its serial number beginning with the letter H instead of a D, MD or T, is the lens centre-line is in white instead of the usual red. You may recall that the non-Japanese Minister III carried an unusual legend: PROCESSED IN HONG KONG. This simply has HONG KONG stamped into its base-plate - but this too is uncommon as most of the Hong Kong manufactured D cameras carry no mention of the former British colony.
The other difference between this version and my previously shown Japanese one is that the latter had its light value (LVS) ring in black but it appears that was not a standard finish with only a few being manufactured with the contrasting front ring.
One thing I don't understand is the prefix T for the serial number; the D and MD are self-explanatory as is the H. Seems a bit odd.
The reason for acquiring this one was its provenance: it is made not in Japan but in Hong Kong.
Minister D HKG
Now, we have previously explored the Minister III which also had a split production between Japan and Hong Kong but in its case, the Hong Kong version used an inferior lens. However, in the case of the Minister D, the only difference I can see, other than its serial number beginning with the letter H instead of a D, MD or T, is the lens centre-line is in white instead of the usual red. You may recall that the non-Japanese Minister III carried an unusual legend: PROCESSED IN HONG KONG. This simply has HONG KONG stamped into its base-plate - but this too is uncommon as most of the Hong Kong manufactured D cameras carry no mention of the former British colony.
The other difference between this version and my previously shown Japanese one is that the latter had its light value (LVS) ring in black but it appears that was not a standard finish with only a few being manufactured with the contrasting front ring.
One thing I don't understand is the prefix T for the serial number; the D and MD are self-explanatory as is the H. Seems a bit odd.