I had no idea. Are the Chinese cameras made well?
The final years of Minolta's manual-focus camera production was done in China by Seagull. This included the X-700, X-570, X-370, X-300, X-9 and several other similar models. These are usually marked on the bottom, "Made in China". After Minolta stopped production, in 200?, Seagull continued to make these cameras -- with Seagull and other labels, such as Kalimar, Vivitar, Soligor, Argus, Zenit, and many others -- with a lot of variation from what Minolta had designed, such as the Seagull DF5000 above -- in a covering designed by Colani. Most of these cameras had the same horizontal, electronic, cloth shutter as the Minolta-branded SLRs, but some had metal, vertical, mechanical shutters to 1/2,000s, for example. Others kept Minolta's horizontal, electronic, cloth shutter, but dropped the TTL completely for total manual operation only. Some offered a T shutter setting in addition to a B setting. Some had extra long shutter speeds. The list goes on and on.
In short, Minolta's 35mm SLRs did not die when Minolta stopped manufacturing them. It actually flourished at Seagull -- under various names. And Minolta-style SLR lenses were made as well -- some still are.
www.subclub.org/minchin
Most were made on the exact same production lines that the Minolta manual focus SLRs were made on -- in China by Seagull starting in 1986 -- like the X-700. Seagull just kept the production going when Minolta called it quits.
But not all Chines SLR cameras with a Minolta Rokkor lens mount were made by Seagull. Other companies like Pearl River, Mingca, Huaxi, Panda, Peafowl made their own -- very similar cameras.
All the Chinese Minolta film SLR cameras I know of -- there are about 20 brands and hundreds of cameras -- are listed at:
www.subclub.org/minchin
As you found out, some can be pricey, mainly because some are hard to find, but I just nabbed a like new Kalimar KX 5000 with a great 28-70mm zoom lens (just like the Minolta version -- made by Cosina) and camera case for $20. It's a modified Minolta X-370, but it does not have an auto-winder connection, and it does not have auto-exposure. It has the electronic shutter of the X-370, but uses LEDs in the viewfinder to indicate if your settings are correct for the scene.
Not everyone's cup of tea -- more like a smaller, lighter SRT 201 with an electronic shutter -- and too good a deal for me to pass up!
I just nabbed a like new Kalimar KX 5000 with a great 28-70mm zoom lens (just like the Minolta version -- made by Cosina) and camera case for $20. It's a modified Minolta X-370, but it does not have an auto-winder connection, and it does not have auto-exposure.
The Kalimar KX 7000 is top of the line, with tons of features, while the KX 5000 was a budget version. Still, they are both great performers. I just picked up a Kalimar 50mm f2.8 lens with a Minolta mount. I don't know who made it. It's solid, metal construction, and multi-coated. It's very small -- not quite PANCAKE -- and its only limitation is a 2.5 foot close-focusing distance, but otherwise a great, small lens.
http://www.subclub.org/minchin/kalimar.htm
Are you telling me that you have an Argus DF-300? Next thing you know, you'll be tell us you have an Argus SL 900.
http://www.subclub.org/minchin/
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