nokia2010
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How good is for measuring the "Minolta" X-700 own lightmeters. Onto another forum some one keeps saying it's a pretty bad one, but I got rather good images using it.
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"Minolta" X-700 lightmeter
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- Thread starter nokia2010
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Les Sarile
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No doubt it is easier to blame a meter when in fact it only provides a recommendation and the photog still has to either accept or reject it. A properly working X-700 meter is just as good as any other of it's kind.
Kino
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It is a perfectly fine, and even exceptional, meter if in proper working order and used with good judgement.
pbromaghin
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I have 3 x-700, 1 x-570 and 1 x-370. None of the meters have ever caused me a problem.
Les Sarile
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Minolta X-700 was voted camera of the year in 1981. Be kinda silly if it had a badly designed meter . . .
naaldvoerder
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- Apr 4, 2004
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- 35mm
No complaints here...
Isn't X-700 quite simple, it has a center-weighted metering? I had one and I liked the metering used with AE lock button. Got perfect exposures from it. The 45mm lens was also very good. If someone says it's not good probably they are shooting some high contrast backlight portraits with it and expecting the camera do the work..
nokia2010
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Well, I did get nice results with mine. I'm not a pro, anway. I dond't think I ever shoot big contrast stuff.
Probably that guy...
Are those you cameras?
Probably that guy...
Are those you cameras?
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- naaldvoerder
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naaldvoerder
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- Messages
- 716
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- 35mm
Yes, I have to admit they are...
Well, the thing with the meter is that supposedly it doesn't go as low into the EV range as Nikons (because of bias current or something).
It is however A. Comparable to other meters on cameras in the same price range, of the same time, and B. As good as anything else center metered, within the optimal range (at least pre dawn to post dusk).
For real low light photography you will want to bring a separate light meter anyway. Often it is better to use a physical paper table with most possible situations listed plus experience.
Low light photography can often be quite tricky because of extreme contrast, dynamics and the temperature of the light.
What Minolta does with the meter is however much more interesting:
- It has exposure lock, which is simple but huge in my book against Pentaxes strictly manual approach.
- It has Minoltas last check metering, which means it isn't dependant on hoping that the aperture will stop down exactly right. It will simply adjust shutter accordingly.
This means that even old lenses with heavy blades, or even slightly broken lenses will work (slight oil on the blades for example. And it also means that rapidly changing light, like fast drifting clouds will not fool the meter).
There is even speculation that it will exceed the top 1000th of a second speed in A mode. Something I have seen indications of myself, when I left the aperture on max and overlooked the "over" warning. Perfect exposure even though I was several stops over upon checking and retaking the shot.
- It has good off the film TTL flash metering. It was pretty much state of the art for the time. This means that flash photography with Minoltas own great higher end flashes, is very simple and flexible. You can even add optical slaves at full blast and expect a good result.
Much criticism is made of the lone 60th of a second sync speed on the X700, but it is a pretty ideal speed in the vast majority of cases.
Low enough to get ambient fill, high enough to freeze human motion and get some basic fill, in shade in daylight.
There is a simple mod to hack the 700 to go lower though and the X570/500 will go lower out of the box.
Much higher sync speeds where not really common even on vertical moving bladed shutters at the time.
Many having 90 or 100 as standard and only flash speed, which really doesn't make that much of a difference in daylight, compared to 60.
It is however A. Comparable to other meters on cameras in the same price range, of the same time, and B. As good as anything else center metered, within the optimal range (at least pre dawn to post dusk).
For real low light photography you will want to bring a separate light meter anyway. Often it is better to use a physical paper table with most possible situations listed plus experience.
Low light photography can often be quite tricky because of extreme contrast, dynamics and the temperature of the light.
What Minolta does with the meter is however much more interesting:
- It has exposure lock, which is simple but huge in my book against Pentaxes strictly manual approach.
- It has Minoltas last check metering, which means it isn't dependant on hoping that the aperture will stop down exactly right. It will simply adjust shutter accordingly.
This means that even old lenses with heavy blades, or even slightly broken lenses will work (slight oil on the blades for example. And it also means that rapidly changing light, like fast drifting clouds will not fool the meter).
There is even speculation that it will exceed the top 1000th of a second speed in A mode. Something I have seen indications of myself, when I left the aperture on max and overlooked the "over" warning. Perfect exposure even though I was several stops over upon checking and retaking the shot.
- It has good off the film TTL flash metering. It was pretty much state of the art for the time. This means that flash photography with Minoltas own great higher end flashes, is very simple and flexible. You can even add optical slaves at full blast and expect a good result.
Much criticism is made of the lone 60th of a second sync speed on the X700, but it is a pretty ideal speed in the vast majority of cases.
Low enough to get ambient fill, high enough to freeze human motion and get some basic fill, in shade in daylight.
There is a simple mod to hack the 700 to go lower though and the X570/500 will go lower out of the box.
Much higher sync speeds where not really common even on vertical moving bladed shutters at the time.
Many having 90 or 100 as standard and only flash speed, which really doesn't make that much of a difference in daylight, compared to 60.
Last edited:
nokia2010
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I sayed that I would buy me from the flea market a motor unit, but I dind't do it...
Brendan Quirk
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My main 35mm is the x-570, but use the x-700 a lot also; particularly for flash. Also like the x-370. Very good cameras, can't go wrong.
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