Minolta TC-1 wins the
CAMERA GRAND PRIX '96


The Minolta TC-1 has been awarded the Camera Grand Prix, Camera of the Year for 1996. This award is given to the most popular, topical, and advanced still camera introduced in Japan during the previous year. The award is sponsored by writers of the Camera Press Club specialized in writing articles concerning camera mechanisms for photographic magazines and journals.


The nomination committee conists of representatives of the magazines and journals affiliated with the Camera Press Club, and writers, scholars, and photographers associated with the Camera Press Club. This year, a thirty-seven person nomination committee considered 105 cameras introduced between April 1, 1995 and March 31, 1996.

The Minolta TC-1 was selected because it exemplified the idea that the most important benefit of a high-performance camera is that it can provide high quality images at any time. It was especially noted for providing a level of descriptiveness equivalent to that of a high-performance 35mm SLR lens, while at the same time being one of the smallest 35mm format cameras on the market. The TC-1 has a style of its own, and presents the most desirable features and functions in its business-card size titanium body with the air of a high precision instrument.

Minolta has been presented this award twice before; at first, for the Minolta 7000 in 1985 and secondarily for the Dynax 700si in 1994. The TC-1 has brought the honour back to Minolta for the third time.