Minolta Autocord CdS

Buying Tips

The Autocord CdS introduced battery-powered metering to the Autocord line. The meter and battery compartment are the key areas to inspect.

• Battery compartment: Open the battery compartment and inspect for corrosion or green residue from leaked batteries. Corrosion can damage the electrical contacts beyond simple cleaning — if it has spread to the wiring, the meter may be permanently dead.
• Meter accuracy: Insert a fresh battery and test the meter against a phone meter app or handheld meter in various lighting conditions. The CdS meter should track reasonably closely. If it is wildly off, the cell may be degraded.
• Pricing without meter: If the meter does not work, the camera body is still excellent — same Rokkor lens and Citizen shutter as the unmetered models. But do not pay the CdS premium for a dead meter. Price it closer to an unmetered Autocord.
• Shutter accuracy: Test all speeds from 1s to 1/500s. The Citizen MVL shutter is reliable but can still develop sluggish slow speeds with age. Consistent timing across all speeds indicates good mechanical health.
• Lens inspection: The Rokkor 75mm f/3.5 is consistent across all Autocord models. Check for haze, fungus, and cleaning marks. A clean Rokkor produces results on par with far more expensive German lenses.
• Battery availability: The original PX-1 mercury battery is discontinued. Confirm that modern alkaline or silver oxide equivalents work correctly with the meter before relying on it.

See our complete TLR buying guide for a full inspection checklist.