Realistically any of these cameras I'll at least put one roll through just to get the full experience. Not that I'll have money for processing after buying the Leicas and Contax's suggested in this thread haha!You should not only evaluate a camera on features but on actual usage. I've owned the A-1 for about 20 years and I find it very satisfying -- and i own many "superior" cameras like F-1, New F-1, MX, F2, F3, FE, etc.
In the same way, i overlooked the Canon T70 for years thinking it was crap, until I bought one only because it was mint and really cheap. Turned out to be an excellent camera, and at the end I only use the Canon F-1 because it strokes my ego and my fetish for mechanical things, otherwise the T70 is as good or even better as a camera for actually taking pictures.
I've actually considered the x-570 which I think is a newer version of the x-700? Also the XE-11. I have an XG-M which I'm going to sell but there's something about that just feels right which has turned me onto Minolta.Minolta X-700.
Program Mode
Aperture Priority
Full Manual Mode
Shutter speeds, aperture window, LED Readout that shows suggested and actual shutter speed LEDs in manual mode
Exposure adjustment +/- indicator flashes in viewfinder when you have that activated. (Doesn't tell you if it's over or under, just that it is engaged.)
Minolta MD lenses are great and relatively cheap
(Sorry for the crappy snap shot)
View attachment 258240
But then I started thinking, I wonder how much electronic assistance I could add before it felt no different than type #1?...
So I guess in a nutshell I'm seeing what might be a perfect mix of electronic aids but retain the quiet nature of manual mechanical SLRS...
I've actually considered the x-570 which I think is a newer version of the x-700? Also the XE-11. I have an XG-M which I'm going to sell but there's something about that just feels right which has turned me onto Minolta.
That's a really good observation, aperture and shutters peed indicators that are via windows or mechanical means don't turn off with dead batteries.Just a point of trivia given that you want to have a functioning meter, but the aperture and shutter speed readouts in the Pentax MX and Nikon FM are purely mechanical (shutter speed disc visible in finder) or optical (lens aperture ring visualized in the finder through a periscope). They don't depend on anything electronic and remain functional even if the batteries are dead.
EDIT: If I'm remembering right, that's true of the Nikon F2 with Photomic meter prism as well.
Nice. I have an XD-11 in the mail but in hindsight the XE would have been just fine. I'm curious to see if the XD has a similarly smooth wind.Of all the cameras I have, the XE-7 has the smoothest film advance across the full stroke.
And Minolta glass is second to none.
Ooo good suggestion, looks like the 139Q, RTS ii and the 159 MM are right up my alley.
Not that I'll have money for processing after buying the Leicas and Contax's suggested in this thread haha!
Contax SLRs were made by Kyocera, the Yashica company, so the philosophy is the same. The FR fits your criteria, being fully manual unlike the FR1 and FR2, and having readouts for aperture and shutter speed. Yashica ML lenses are a bargain compared to their Contax counterparts, and render very nicely. The single coated DSB range are also nice if you want a classic look, and inexpensive.Yashica FR
Nice, thanks!
As an owner of Leica R4 ( now kaput) and Leica R5, frankly speaking I prefer my match needle SL and SL2. However, this thread made interesting reading.
Yes you can manually set the exposure on the A-1 but you can't do it with your eye at the viewfinder which is the OP requirement. It shows the shutter speed set, the suggested aperture but doesn't show the aperture set.How's that procedure NOT a manual mode?
I've owned an A-1 for many years and also used the manual mode occasionally. It's not as great a mode as other cameras, but still usable.
My European X500 version has a pretty complete viewfinder display but lacks the programme mode of the X700. It was actually introduced after the X700 as a more budget version. It must have been one of the last MF MinoltasI've actually considered the x-570 which I think is a newer version of the x-700? Also the XE-11. I have an XG-M which I'm going to sell but there's something about that just feels right which has turned me onto Minolta.
From what I've seen in my online searches, the R-series lenses are much less expensive than the M-series, though equal in quality.
As a side note, I've taken the opposite approach, seeking older cameras with NO automatics/electronics, as many cannot be repaired. Sounds like you'll have quite a collection!
My European X500 version has a pretty complete viewfinder display but lacks the programme mode of the X700. It was actually introduced after the X700 as a more budget version. It must have been one of the last MF Minoltas
That's what they ALL say!I hate to say it but there is at least a 10% chance after all I this I end up with 10 35mm SLRs and after evaluating them all I decide that my film use will just be medium format and I sell them all
Of course all autofocus cameras have super tiny viewfinders since users rely on the AF.
Nice. I have an XD-11 in the mail but in hindsight the XE would have been just fine. I'm curious to see if the XD has a similarly smooth wind.
Not all autofocus - my Canon EOS 3 has a fantastic bright viewfinder with a great balance between magnification and glasses-friendly eye relief - maybe it needed a good prism for the eye-control focus feature?
The EOS 3 was my first SLR. I bought it after I first bought the 16-35 f2.8 L and needed an EOS body to use it . . .
Like I said, all AF cameras (film or otherwise) have tiny viewfinders specially when you compare it to the Pentax MX for instance.
The EOS 3 viewfinder magnification of 0.72X is tiny compared to the Pentax MX which has a magnification of 0.97X. Of course this magnification is much more important to the MX then it is for the EOS 3 which relies on it's great AF including ECF. In the thousands of frames I've shot with the EOS 3, I don't recall having one misfocus. As you pointed out, a smaller viewfinder is ideal for folks who wear glasses due to the eye relief.
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