Minolta XE-7. Any reason to buy one?
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I can't find the thread/posts about the XE-7's film advance winder issues.
One member posted something about applying firm pressure to the lever at the end of its stroke and another member said not to do that.
Well....this firm pressure is needed and resolves the "problem" I have with the winder on mine. "Firm" does not mean "hard". Just a slight pressure will do to ensure the winder is completely at the end of its stroke and then the lever returns under spring tension normally.
FWIW, the winders on my SRT's need this same firm pressure to make sure they are completely advanced or the shutter won't fire.
One member posted something about applying firm pressure to the lever at the end of its stroke and another member said not to do that.
Well....this firm pressure is needed and resolves the "problem" I have with the winder on mine. "Firm" does not mean "hard". Just a slight pressure will do to ensure the winder is completely at the end of its stroke and then the lever returns under spring tension normally.
FWIW, the winders on my SRT's need this same firm pressure to make sure they are completely advanced or the shutter won't fire.
Apparently you missed Post #5 where I wrote:
"Plus, if you have an XE-7, you can tell everyone that you have a Leica R3."
http://www.subclub.org/minman/leica.htm
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Comparing my XE-7 to my SRT-102....if I only had the SRT-102, life would be fine. Yes, the XE-7 feels more refined, but not leaps and bounds more so and having aperture priority is not a big deal to me. Still, I'm very pleased with the XE-7 and glad I bought it.
As a side note, my Nikkormat FT2 feels equal in refinement, weight, and good looks. Given the choice, though, I'd take the XE-7 over it any day if only just to escape the stupid shutter speed lever that sticks out and digs into my finger.
As a side note, my Nikkormat FT2 feels equal in refinement, weight, and good looks. Given the choice, though, I'd take the XE-7 over it any day if only just to escape the stupid shutter speed lever that sticks out and digs into my finger.
I have the SRT102 and the XE-7. The main difference is, of course, the addition of aperture-priority, automatic exposure -- which is great plenty of times. Minolta did a super job of keeping the other features the same -- and in the same places, too.
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Aperture priority is nice. I hope my SRT's don't get too lonely.
Wonder how lonely the XE-7 will be if I get a working Maxxum 7? Of course, there's nothing like the feel of a solid metal camera.
The Nikon FE is a wonderful camera and likely does all you'll ever need. Plus 2nd -hand lenses are plentiful and inexpensive!
The 7 is a very different beast. All cameras discussed here are great, SRT, XE, XD, the better X-series ones.
And then there are these times for an AF, complex exposure meter cameras. Very different and not really comparable, just a different tool. I have a 7, with battery grip and data saver DS-100 (writes exif data on a very old style memory card and works still great, but wish the exif would be in the negatives like the Pentax 645n does. But in the other side, getting the exif data into scans is easier this way, from a CSV. Still have to complete my python script for this, but there is a script in pearl I think already around. I'd just prefer phyton...).
But I have much more lenses for the manual system, as the good ones are much cheaper. But the basic classic A mount lenses are not expensive neither, more special ones are more, probably still a good deal for what they are, especially since the A mount is dead now...
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Sorry - 'went too fast...
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Agreed. I need to send mine off to Garry and get her fixed.
The FE could fit inside the XE-7. It reminds me a lot of my X-570 which can also do anything I need.
I try not to let anything but emotion drive my camera purchases.)
Given that you are in Texas, the SRT is the one to take outside -- to take pictures of the snow-ball fights -- during the current cold snap. Those battery dependent shutters "catch cold" really easily. Your SRT will stay SNAPPY even if the meter dies.
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Are you concerned about the 7’s reliability? It seems so many have the aperture baseplate issue.
The A mount lenses I’ve seen listed for sale are very inexpensive. Fingers crossed I can get a working 7 for not much money.
The a-mount is only dead for the people who aren't using it. That's like saying the SRT's are dead. Not from looking at sales on EBAY -- but I'll agree that less demand has dropped prices significantly.
I will add that the first generation of Minolta Maxxum lenses are something everyone should consider -- and not just because they are often the least expensive. Most of these 1G lenses were simply Minolta Rokkor-X lenses with auto-focus added. Later, when competitors started producing AF lenses at lower costs -- with more plastic -- Minolta followed suit. I picked up my first generation, all metal, Maxxum 28-80mm today, and it weighs about four times what my much later, all plastic, Maxxum 28-80mm zoom. Take your pick.
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Yeh, 12 degrees is no fun but it got up to a balmy 44 today. That’s beach weather compared to a lot of other places.
My SRT-101 saw plenty of cold Ohio weather back in the 70’s and I never gave it a second thought. Of course, I never gave a lot of things a second thought back then. Fortunately, the camera and I survived.
If the meter dies I’ll just resort to Gloomy 16. Is that f8 @ 1/60?
As a NON-7 user, what is the "baseplate issue"? Are they falling off? Catching on fire? Causing emotional havoc?
Not really concerned, no. I did pay CAD 100 with a plastic zoom and the battery grip for it, a few years ago. Rubber a bit sticky, but the rest fine. If it dies and I find replacements only too expensive, I might just get a 5, 600si or 800si instead to keep my few AF lenses busy, these are pretty cheap...
You have the rather common XE line problem with film wind. It requires opening up and tightening of internal gears that connect film lever to it. I have 3 XE/XE7 + 2 XE5, two of which have this problem ad one is getting there (it first starts to be a random issue, then it goes into like every other frame, then it is almost on every frame advance), but I don't use them much anymore, all nice with this annoying exception.
All my SRT's work fine without any winding issues though and I've not heard much them having same problem.
XE's have Seiko shutter.
Leica R3 is heavily based on XE, but not an exact copy, far more fragile by comparison and more complex internally.
Later when Leica went to R4, it was even less of a sibling to Minolta's XD.
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There’s a small plastic gear on a metal motor shaft that shrinks with age and cracks. Then it no longer turns with the shaft. There is a non-Minolta metal replacement gear available, but installing it apparently requires some sanding of the motor shaft enough to be able to press it on. Of course, getting to this motor and shaft is a huge undertaking so emotional havoc ensues if it already hasn’t due to the camera failure.
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Interesting. Well, I’ll live with the problem until it gets unlivable I guess. So far it’s not really too bad. The only problem the winder has is not returning on the first stroke. I give it a gentle nudge and then it returns.
One some of my SRT’s I have to make sure I get the winder lever to the very end of its stroke or the shutter won’t fire and I have to push the lever a bit more. My fault really.
My XE7 had the windlever issue, a CLA got it fixed. I felt it became mostly an issue if you took a shot and quickly tried to wind the film advance.
I had found a Dynax 7 on Facebook marketplace for 10 dollars, bought it and got home, popped in my batteries from my Maxxum 5 and it had an ERR message on it the minute you fired the shutter. Would have loved to have it working, but oh well...
I had found a Dynax 7 on Facebook marketplace for 10 dollars, bought it and got home, popped in my batteries from my Maxxum 5 and it had an ERR message on it the minute you fired the shutter. Would have loved to have it working, but oh well...
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Yeh, the work-around is to just slow down. A couple of seconds is all. If I want to take pictures in a hurry, I'll just take my N75/80.
The error messages are the common signal the 7 is dead, but mine doesn't even turn on. It just makes that also common buzz for a few seconds and then silence. I sure wish there was an easy-ish fix.
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I just got another XE-7. The seller said he couldn't get the shutter to fire. Not sure if that's a big problem or a little problem. I figured it was worth the money paid. The "XE-7" has yellowed, but the camera doesn't look bad otherwise.
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So three is even better, isn’t it?
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