Minolta's CdS-metered 6x6 TLR — fixed-lens Autocord, leaf shutter, waist-level finder, 1965.
The Minolta Autocord CdS is a fixed-lens medium-format twin-lens reflex from Minolta, a mid-1960s variant of the Autocord fitted with a CdS exposure meter in place of the earlier selenium type. It belongs to the metered branch of the Autocord range, which was Minolta's long-running TLR family well regarded for its taking lens.
It is a twin-lens reflex shooting 6x6cm square frames on 120 roll film, twelve per roll. The lens is fixed, with a separate taking lens for the film and a viewing lens feeding the mirror and ground-glass screen. Focusing uses the Autocord's characteristic under-lens lever, the leaf shutter sits in the lens standard, and composition is through a waist-level finder. A battery-powered CdS meter provides exposure readings.
The Autocord CdS is bought as an affordable metered entry into 6x6, suiting portraits, landscape, travel and general work, with a lens users rate highly. The CdS meter is more responsive in low light than selenium but needs a battery. As a fixed-lens TLR it offers no lens changes, and the reversed viewing image common to all TLRs takes practice.
On a used Autocord CdS, inspect the taking and viewing lenses for haze, fungus and separation, and test the under-lens focusing lever carefully, as it is a known breakage point. Fire the leaf shutter across its speeds and check the aperture. Confirm the film-wind and counter work, and inspect the ground glass for brightness. The CdS meter was designed around a mercury cell and is often inaccurate now; check it against a separate meter.