What is a hot shoe and when did Minolta change the design of it?
The mounting bracket on top of most cameras is called a hot shoe. It typically looks like a narrow C on it’s side with electrical contact points in it. All Minolta cameras up through the x000 series (including non-Maxxum cameras that have hot shoes) use an ISO hot shoe. Starting with the i-series, Minolta flipped the C around a little bit to create what is called the iISO hot shoe. This, they claim, helps line the flash up with the lens axis better for AF assist and proper frame coverage. It’s mostly a marketing ploy to get people to buy Minolta flash units, but it does provide for a better support for the flash unit on the mount.
