MINOLTA 35MM CAMERA'S

[Kevin Ekstrom]

OK Minolta fan's, what are some of your favorite Minolta camera's?

I recently landed a mint XG-1 version 2 but haven't ran a roll of film through it. It's my fist Minolta 35mm SLR camera in my collection. I plan on loading the camera up soon. I may be in the market for a X-700, I heard good things about that camera. Any other recommendations?

 

[Dennis S]

One of my favorites is an XD-11 but my go to camera is usually the X-700

 

[Pioneer]

I started on an SRT101 back in high school so I have a soft spot for the older versions. They are very reliable and the lenses are excellent.

 

[Punker]

The XD-7 (same as XD-11) is pretty much Minolta's most advanced manual focus shooter. I loved mine. Modern style vertical travel shutter curtains and both aperture and shutter priority built into the camera (a first for its time).

If you're dead set on an X-700, I would suggest you take a look at the X570 instead. Unless you need fully automatic Program mode, the X570 is pretty much the same camera but with the added benefit of displaying the shutter speeds in the viewfinder. Very helpful when shooting Aperture Priority.

 

[Sirius Glass]

Minolta SRT101, 201, ... , MD11 and X700 are all great.

 

[Chan Tran]

I don't think I like any of the AF models except the Maxxum 9 which I don't have. I have a Maxxum 7 but don't like it much either. As for manual focus I have the SrT-101, XK, XD-11 and I think I actually like the XK best although the XD-11 is very nice.

 

[Kevin Ekstrom]

The XD-7 (same as XD-11) is pretty much Minolta's most advanced manual focus shooter. I loved mine. Modern style vertical travel shutter curtains and both aperture and shutter priority built into the camera (a first for its time).

If you're dead set on an X-700, I would suggest you take a look at the X570 instead. Unless you need fully automatic Program mode, the X570 is pretty much the same camera but with the added benefit of displaying the shutter speeds in the viewfinder. Very helpful when shooting Aperture Priority.

To be honest, I'm not dead set on anything. I have a very large 35mm SLR collection, mostly Nikon's, I should say the Nikon's make up the largest part of my collection. I shoot with anything and everything. I decided to add some Minolta's to my collection simply because I didn't own a single Minolta camera until I landed the XG-1. I heard very good things about the X-700, so that camera is on my radar, but i will most likely be adding quite a few Minolta's over the next year.

 

[Kevin Ekstrom]

I don't think I like any of the AF models except the Maxxum 9 which I don't have. I have a Maxxum 7 but don't like it much either. As for manual focus I have the SrT-101, XK, XD-11 and I think I actually like the XK best although the XD-11 is very nice.

My cousin had the XTsi and I actually like that camera.

 

[dxqcanada]

My wife has had an X-700 for a long time ... I am not too crazy about it.
Since my switch to Sony digital I did pickup a Maxxum 9000. Back in the day when it first came out I liked it. Even though it has really slow/poor AF, the rest of the camera is great. I dropped a split screen into it and use the AF lenses in manual focus.

 

[BAC1967]

Like Pioneer said above, the first SLR that I used in high school was an srTscII that belonged to my father. My father recently gave the camera to me and after all those years it still felt very familiar in my hands. It's a well built camera with not a lot of bells and whistles, but that's what I prefer. One thing that I like about it is the shutter speed displayed in the viewfinder. I also have an srT201 and an SR-7.

Minolta srTsc-II by Bryan Chernick, on Flickr

 

[Jon Buffington]

I love the xd11 and the srt 101/102 (have both). Have some other bodies, xg's and such but for ease of use, the xd11. A nice refined camera, small, and compact. The srt102 I have is a fantastic camera and built like a tank. Mirror lock up, eyepiece curtain, great landscape camera for me.

 

[Born2Late]

While I have never considered Minoltas as being glamorous, they are my favorite brand. I currently have 17 of them including rangefinders, SRT 201's & 202's, XD-11's and an X-700. They are quite robust and lenses readily available. Good luck and enjoy.

 

[Les Sarile]

To be honest, I'm not dead set on anything. I have a very large 35mm SLR collection, mostly Nikon's, I should say the Nikon's make up the largest part of my collection. I shoot with anything and everything. I decided to add some Minolta's to my collection simply because I didn't own a single Minolta camera until I landed the XG-1. I heard very good things about the X-700, so that camera is on my radar, but i will most likely be adding quite a few Minolta's over the next year.

I also have a few cameras too and here are what I currently have in the Minolta lineup.

Since you have some Nikons then I think you might like the XE-7. In my collection, I find it has the smoothest film advance that I think must be experienced!.

If you don't already know it, you should take a look at this site - > Dead Link Removed

 

[Theo Sulphate]

The SRT-101 is the most beautiful 35mm SLR to me. I have two, plus a Hi-Matic 7sII and a Maxxum / Dynax 7, which is amazing in its abilities.

 

[macfred]

I'm going to quote myself ...

The Minolta XE (1974 Japan = XE5 1975 in Europe = XE7 1975 in USA / Canada) with the CLS = Copal Leitz Shutter is one of my all time favorites -
the sister model, the Leica R3 (1976 - with spot metering !) was my favorite R-series model (even though it was the 'unloved child' of the R-series for many others).

 

[Sirius Glass]

I also had an SR-7 which was a great camera. Good luck finding one that still has a working light meter.

 

[BAC1967]

I also had an SR-7 which was a great camera. Good luck finding one that still has a working light meter.

The light meter on mine works fine, I didn’t realize they can be a problem.

 

[Paul Howell]

In A mount I use a 600Si for travel, light, has good AF and metering, uses dials rather than a menu. For sports use 9000 with motor drive, 7FPS, faster than the Minolta 9 which I use for landscapes and wildlife, for general purpose I carry a 800Si, I don't seem to use the Minolta 7 much. I recently found a Minolta 201 with a few lens on Craig's List, meter is accurate just a 1/2 stop off with hearing aid batteries. The 50mm 2.0 MD is sharp, nice Bocka.

 

[Neal]

I love my Hi-Matic G.

 

[cooltouch]

The XD-7 (same as XD-11) is pretty much Minolta's most advanced manual focus shooter. I loved mine. Modern style vertical travel shutter curtains and both aperture and shutter priority built into the camera (a first for its time).

If you're dead set on an X-700, I would suggest you take a look at the X570 instead. Unless you need fully automatic Program mode, the X570 is pretty much the same camera but with the added benefit of displaying the shutter speeds in the viewfinder. Very helpful when shooting Aperture Priority.

I agree with both of Punker's statements. I like my XD-11 a lot. Here's an interesting tidbit. The XD-11 (or XD-7 or XD, depending on where you live) was actually the first camera with a Program mode. But wait, you say, it has Shutter and Aperture Priority, but no Program mode. Well, it has settings that indicate this, but what most people don't know is, if the camera detects an exposure error based on the aperture and/or shutter speed selected, it will adjust settings to insure a properly exposed image. And if it's adjusting both shutter speed and/or aperture, then that's a Program mode. Even if Minolta kind of kept that little feature under wraps.

Right again about the X-700 vs. the X-570. Not only does the X-570 display shutter speeds when shooting Aperture Priority, but it also has a fully coupled manual mode. You line up LEDs for the correct exposure. The X-700 does not have a fully coupled manual mode. When you put the X-700 in manual, it shows the shutter speed it thinks you should use, not the one that is selected. Movement of the shutter speed dial has no effect on the readout in the viewfinder. So, in this respect, the X-570, with its fully coupled meter readout, is superior to the X-700. And that's why I own an X-570, but not an X-700.

If you're still thinking about one of the XG cameras, you should read through this page at the Rokkor Files:
Dead Link Removed

He mentions that most XG cameras have inoperative meters when set to manual mode. Not terribly useful to me then. Pretty looking cameras, but they're really only good for Aperture Priority AE. The sole exception is the XG-M, which not only accepts a motor drive (hence the M), but also meters in manual mode -- hey that's three Ms, so if you ask me, the "M" stands for "metering in manual mode," too.

 

[Chuckwade87]

First SLR was a dynax 300si, then I bought a 7xi, and just gave away an SRT101, with the 50mm 1.4, and a few other lenses.

 

[Les Sarile]

I received my X-700 from a friend who bought it new in the 80's when it received the Camera of the Year award

It has a few accessories like infrared remote

I haven't figured out an interesting use for the full intervalometer back yet.

 

[Minoltafan2904]

I would highly recomend an X-500/570 if you use primarily manual mode.
If you don't the X-700 is great, and it's more common as the X-700 was mde from 1981 to sometime in 1999/2000.
I have one and i say to everybody you'd have to pry it from my cold dead hands

Minolta glass is on par with Canon or Nikon glass of the same era.

If you like purely mechanical cameras the SRT-101 was extremely successful and highly thought of by many, they are easy to get too.
The XD series and the XK/XM/X-1 are probably the most valued series of Minoltas, they were their more robust series of Pro level cameras.

And if you prefer AF cameras, the Maxxum 9 is thought by many to rival the Nikon F5, maximum shutter speed of 1/12000 of a second!
If you're on Facebook join the Minolta collectors FB group.
Also, look up the Rokkorfiles web page, it has comprehensive in depth info about the X- series and XD series primarily.

 

[E. von Hoegh]

I was recently given a Maxxum 7000 with 50 and 80-210 zoom that I really enjoy for it's historical aspect. However, I'll never embark on building a system around it. My favorite Minoltas are the 16mm subminiatures, specifically the 16 II.

 

[Les Sarile]

Of course if interchangeable viewfinders in a Minolta camera is important to you, then the only choice is the XK model.

It also happens to be the only manual Minolta camera that is capable of 1/2000 shutter speed.

The ad was in response to the fact that at that time both Canon and Nikon only had manual exposure cameras.