Minolta XE/XE-1/XE-7 - best manual focus Minolta?

[BMbikerider]

Actually, Minolta was extremely innovative and they were first with a number of technologies. It was bad marketing, bad timing and, to a lesser degree, bad luck that did them in.

I totally agree, but they did seem to loose their sense of direction a little when digital raised it ugly (very) head. There were just too many new cameras and ideas floating about at the time so something had to give. There is only so much money and so many customers to buy what are/were still expensive pieces of equipment. Unfortunately it happened to be Minolta. I am surprised that looking at the competition, that Pentax is still with us as well.

(I used a Minolta Dynax 9 for several years and subsequently a Nikon F6. Of the two the Dynax 9 was, for me, a better camera.)

 

[CMoore]

I totally agree, but they did seem to loose their sense of direction a little when digital raised it ugly (very) head. There were just too many new cameras and ideas floating about at the time so something had to give, there is only so much money and so many customers to buy what are/were still expensive pieces of equipment. Unfortunately it happened to be Minolta. I am surprised that looking at the competition, that Pentax is still with us as well.

(I used a Minolta Dynax 9 for several years and subsequently a Nikon F6. Of the two the Dynax 9 was, for me, a better camera.)

When i got my Canon AE-1 in 1978, i thought "Minolta" was some kind of Faux or Wannabe camera.
All these years later, i realize what great gear they made. In 1978, i knew nothing about all of their excellent STR Cameras as well.
I have Sold/Given away all my AE-1, AE-1P and A-1 Cameras. I have kept my AT-1 because i like it...like it better than any other A-Series Canon.
I like my X570 better than any Canon A-series.
I also place a high value on my XD-11.
Really, the only Canon i cherish more than my Minolta's would be my F1-New.
I, also, never really realized how deep (and early) Minolta got into the Auto Focus game, and how good some of their bodies were.
Not saying i take any better pictures with a XD-11 than i do with an AE-1.....just saying I Like The Minolta Gear better than most Canon i have owned.
I would think, circa 1978, it was hard for ALL the SLR Companies, to try to paddle Up The Nikon River. Nikon must have looked an Entrenched Icon at that point, as far as the News/Photo Journal/ Newspaper/War Photographer world was concerned.?

 

[fstop]

XE-7 is a great camera

 

[MattKing]

I would think, circa 1978, it was hard for ALL the SLR Companies, to try to paddle Up The Nikon River. Nikon must have looked an Entrenched Icon at that point, as far as the News/Photo Journal/ Newspaper/War Photographer world was concerned.?

Nah - Nikon was big in the niche that was 35mm professional photographer world, but in 1978 that wasn't where the energy was.
The pros were still mostly shooting medium format, and the huge explosion in the amateur 35mm SLR world was mostly passing Nikon by, because the small company that was Nikon was so focused on their strength.
People weren't buying the AE-1 (and its successors) in the millions because of the reputation of Canon's F-1, they were buying the AE-1 because it was reasonable in cost, offered shutter priority automatic exposure (important when slide film was king) and because the distribution and marketing worked hand in hand to make the camera both well known and available. At the same time, the Olympus OM-1 had created another, distinct surge of interest due to its revolutionary small size in a complete, pro-level system. By 1978, both of those factors were in full force, other companies were redesigning and marketing heavily their attempts to compete, and Nikon was essentially treading water.

 

[Pentode]

and because the distribution and marketing worked hand in hand to make the camera both well known and available.

Truth. I can't recall a more aggressive or successful ad campaign than that of the Canon AE-1 anywhere in photography before or since. TV commercials, magazine ads... that camera was everywhere! And it sold.

Even in the amateur market, though, the Nikon name had a cache that the others didn't and that was mostly because of it's ubiquitous presence in the press corps. Their system got adopted by the press as the industry standard (for 35mm) and every other company has played catch-up ever since. Amateurs may, indeed, have been buying (excellent) cameras from other manufacturers in droves but Nikon was still the standard by which every camera was judged.
Whether that was justified or not is immaterial; just about every Japanese camera manufacturer was making exceptionally good equipment at the time, but Nikon had the press so Nikon was king.

 

[Huss]

Ok, my 3rd attempt showed up today. Very nice shape cosmetically. But a couple of issues:
1. The aperture indexing ring on the body can drag - if I turn the aperture ring quickly it can take a moment to catch up. Doesn't happen all the time, but occasionally.
2. Seems better now, but when I first took it out the box and turned the camera on, at f11 (and only f11) the meter needle would occasionally waver dramatically. With a few hours of use this seems to have noticeably improved.
3. This may be the biggie. The on/off switch seems to be a bit finicky. When turned off, the shutter is locked as intended. But when I turn it on, occasionally the shutter gets locked out, but if I fiddle with the switch it is ok. A couple of times with increased pressure (but not undue) on the shutter button it fires through the shutter lock.
4. Self timer is unreliable - after testing it once it took forever before I could get it back to the resting position. And when it wasn't at that spot, I couldn't use the shutter button, it was locked.

Camera has a 14 day return... Eeesh. I still like it and the one that matters is #3. Anyone experience that?

 

[Huss]

That's why I prefer to get a guaranteed one from KEH or buy from here or locally from CL.

KEH doesn't have any... CL can be good but these were 1/2 to 1/4 of the price of the one on CL, and had money back guarantees

 

[Huss]

I have both the XM (European named XK) and an XE1.

The XM is by far the quietest SLR I have ever used. The shutter release is so smooth and shake free, although I find the wind on a little stiff. The exposure has always been spot on so who needs matrix metering? It is a bit 'quirky' when it comes to the slow shutter speeds, but the 1/2000th top speed is worth having. The only thing I find missing is a hot shoe or even a simple accessory shoe where a flash could be attached.

The XE1 is by far the easiest of the two to use. Again shutter speeds are spot on although a little noisier than the XM. The shutter release, apparently a normal design, is also very smooth and does not increase the risk of shake at lower speeds. The wind on is by comparison, silky smooth, probably the best I have ever known.

Focusing on both is really easy.

There is an excellent camera repairer in UK who bought up all the spares available for Minolta models when the company lost it's identity. So when I sent the XM to him for a clean and a small repair to the exposure compensation dial, he also calibrated the shutter which had probably never had a service all it's life. Being made of titanium foil it is a masterpiece. (Like a Nikon F2). In my experience Minolta as a brand, did not deserve to go under like it did. With a superb line up of lenses and design of their later cameras, they were as good as any other. Although perhaps a little less innovative than some manufacturers which resulted in their untimely demise.

I have my XK ( the same as your XM) and the XE-7 in front of me. edit: while to me they sound the same firing the shutter while on a table, firing the shutter with the camera to eye, the XK's shutter definitely sounds crisper and more muted. The XK definitely has a heavier winding action, but it is still so smooth. The XE-7 is really something else. I have the hot shoe 'cover' that slides over the film rewind knob that allows you to use a regular flash. It is stock Minolta accessory (and very similar to the one that Nikon uses on the F2). Got it cheap on ebay..

 

[Huss]

Anyone, anyone? The on/off switch seems sticky. When I turn it on, even though the meter is activated often the shutter button is locked out unless I fiddle with the switch. I've changed batteries.

 

[Les Sarile]

Anyone, anyone? The on/off switch seems sticky. When I turn it on, even though the meter is activated often the shutter button is locked out unless I fiddle with the switch. I've changed batteries.

There appears to be two levels of the shutter button. When the shutter is not armed, you can press the shutter button down a little bit and this is regardless of the meter switch position. When you arm the shutter and the meter switch is off, you can press the shutter switch and notice that it travels farther. I can exert a bit of force on it and it will not fire. And of course with the shutter armed and meter lock on, you can press the shutter all the way down. So it does seem that the meter switch does physically block the shutter trigger from being fired when off. In your camera, that link needs adjustment or cleaning.
Maybe related to your fourth issue, the meter switch also prevents the self timer from firing when off.

 

[Huss]

Thanks Les, I really like this camera (meter is now good, it is in v. nice cosmetic shape, shutter timing seems to be good). I think there is a mechanical block when the switch is turned off, as when it is turned on, but it still is blocked, some of the time I can still fire the shutter with a little more pressure (but not forcing anything!) and I feel a click as it passes that point.

 

[Les Sarile]

If you can get it to an "on" position and all works as intended, then you can do the old fashioned way of just leaving it on and covering the lens when not used to minimize battery drain.

 

[Huss]

Turning it on is no problem. It's just that sometimes the shutter button is locked like it is off (meter still on) but it is fixed with a little wiggle of the on switch.

 

[CMoore]

Is this in nice cosmetic shape.?
Are you opposed to sending it to a tech.?
FWIW.....I never bought a 30-40 year old camera that did not benefit from a CLA, or did not have other issues that are not as obvious.
If every SLR was worked on by Sover Wong, people would realize that they do not own a circa 1980 camera that is in as good of shape as they think it is.
The Minolta X570 and XD-11 are two of my favorite cameras. I am happy to own them.
Good Luck

 

[Pentode]

It really does sound like the camera just needs a good cleaning. Electrical contacts oxidize over time, lubricants dry out or migrate from the parts they're supposed to be lubricating....
It's a bummer that the typical CLA costs more than we often pay for used SLRs nowadays but that's not because CLAs are outrageously priced but, rather, because SLRs are so enormously cheap.
If you really like the camera it seems to me that a CLA is well worth it and probably well-needed! It's not fair to expect a 40-year old piece of gear that may well have never received any maintenance to behave as new.

 

[Huss]

You two are right. It really is a nice camera and I just got my test roll back - perfect frame spacing and perfect exposures.

 

[Huss]

The fourth XE-7 showed up. Very dirty, had leaking batteries in it (dead). Not sure how the seller could say it worked.. Tossed the batteries, cleaned the contacte, put in new ones. Camera works.
Problems - aperture index ring is sticky and squeaks. Sometimes the meter reading is all over the place. Sometimes the film advance lever only cocks the shutter, does not advance film. As if the multi exposure switch was being used. I fiddled w it but did not
help.
Positives - ad said it comes w 50 1.7 lens. actually came w 50 1.4 MC which after i cleaned it is in very nice shape. no scratches on glass etc. Worth it just for the lens but i already have that covered so going to return this gear.
To sum up, in my quest for an XE I bought 4 and had to return 3... All the sellers claimed cameras worked properly. If I was going to do this again I’d only get one if I could check it out in person.

 

[Pentode]

At the end of the day, Ebay is still a little like the wild West.

 

[Huss]

At the end of the day, Ebay is still a little like the wild West.

Possibly. But I recently bought a used camera from Adorama - a big NY shop - that they had advertised as working perfectly. It was not, but they did refund my money just like all the ebay sellers.
Moral of the story is if you are buying used gear, best thing to do is check it out in person if possible. If not, then make sure there is an ironclad return policy - which ebay does.

 

[Les Sarile]

In the used camera market it's good to know good repair resources. From what I have read, I believe John Titterington is a known Minolta expert although I have not had to use his services yet. He also sells on ebay (his last name is his ebay name) but I don't see much listed.

 

[ambulatingreader]

I recently contacted Mr. Titterington about repairing a Minolta XE-5 that I got from an APUG member, who told me up front the electronics were shot. So I got a good lens for $20. John no longer works on the XE series due to lack of parts. He often offers the X-570 and X-700 as a refurbished item., along with K-1000s, AE1Ps, OM-1s, and Minolta SRTs. He CLA'd an old SRT101 that had sat unused for 23yrs. His reputation on eBay and on the internet is well deserved.

 

[cooltouch]

Of all the Minoltas I've owned and played around with over the years, the two I currently own are my favorites -- the X570 and the XD-11. The XD-11 was Minolta's last metal-bodied, large-frame camera, as I recall. And it was an engineering tour-de-force. I especially like the smoothness of its film wind. The X-570 is the best of the X-series because it has an excellent Manual mode, something the X-700 lacks. Plus, like the X-700, it takes the Motor Drive 1, which is a hand accessory. If you''re into motor drives, that is -- which I am.

Huss, I'm sorry to read you've had so many problems I've had similar issues myself. Hey, since you live in Venice, you might want to drop by Silvio's Photoworks. I think his shop is still in Torrance, so not too far away for you. I've known Silvio for many years. He was a big-time Minolta guy back in the day. Silvio's used to (perhaps still do?) have a decent sized used camera department, so it might be worth a trip over there to see what they have. I bought a Canon FTb from Silvio's way back in 1984 and it ended up being a great and very durable tool. It's been years since Silvio and I have talked, but if you get by there and if he's around, tell him I said "Hi!" and that I sent you.

Yep, I just checked -- they're still in Torrance. Here's Silvio's website, but they don't list any used gear there.
http://silvios.com/

 

[CMoore]

Of all the Minoltas I've owned and played around with over the years, the two I currently own are my favorites -- the X570 and the XD-11. The XD-11 was Minolta's last metal-bodied, large-frame camera, as I recall. And it was an engineering tour-de-force. I especially like the smoothness of its film wind. The X-570 is the best of the X-series because it has an excellent Manual mode, something the X-700 lacks. Plus, like the X-700, it takes the Motor Drive 1, which is a hand accessory. If you''re into motor drives, that is -- which I am.

Huss, I'm sorry to read you've had so many problems I've had similar issues myself. Hey, since you live in Venice, you might want to drop by Silvio's Photoworks. I think his shop is still in Torrance, so not too far away for you. I've known Silvio for many years. He was a big-time Minolta guy back in the day. Silvio's used to (perhaps still do?) have a decent sized used camera department, so it might be worth a trip over there to see what they have. I bought a Canon FTb from Silvio's way back in 1984 and it ended up being a great and very durable tool. It's been years since Silvio and I have talked, but if you get by there and if he's around, tell him I said "Hi!" and that I sent you.

Yep, I just checked -- they're still in Torrance. Here's Silvio's website, but they don't list any used gear there.
http://silvios.com/

I have both those Minolta, and i love them dearly.
Looking back through time.......1978-1982...the people i knew that were into photography were big Canon users. They always gave me the impression that Minolta was some kind of Gimmick/Toy/Girls/Amateur/ camera when compared to Canon.
What did i know.? I was 20 years old, and these guys had been reading Popular Photography for 5 years. I thought they KNEW Canon was "better".
Circa 2017, i started selling my (x2) Canon AE-1P and (x2) Canon A-1 because i favored these two Minolta instead.
I am not knocking Canon at all, but if i had only known then........

 

[cooltouch]

CMoore, hey, it's all in what you know and what you're comfortable with. I started out shooting Canon FD -- my first 35mm camera was an AE-1. Then I "graduated" to an A-1, but wasn't feeling the joy anymore. I finally discovered the art and craft of photography when I took a step back in time and bought a clean used FTb. What a revelation. About a year later, I bought my first (original) F-1, and I've been something of a hardcore F-1 nut ever since. But! This hasn't kept me from discovering and appreciating other fine cameras. In addition to a large Canon FD outfit, which includes bot old and new F-1s, I also have large Nikon and Pentax outfits, with a couple of AF examples in each. And in addition to the couple of Minoltas, I also own several M42 cameras and a few Canon M39 (Leica Screw Mount) rangefinders. To me, these days, it's all good. Whatever works for you is what you should use.

 

[Paul Howell]

Of all the Minoltas I've owned and played around with over the years, the two I currently own are my favorites -- the X570 and the XD-11. The XD-11 was Minolta's last metal-bodied, large-frame camera, as I recall. And it was an engineering tour-de-force. I especially like the smoothness of its film wind. The X-570 is the best of the X-series because it has an excellent Manual mode, something the X-700 lacks. Plus, like the X-700, it takes the Motor Drive 1, which is a hand accessory. If you''re into motor drives, that is -- which I am.

Huss, I'm sorry to read you've had so many problems I've had similar issues myself. Hey, since you live in Venice, you might want to drop by Silvio's Photoworks. I think his shop is still in Torrance, so not too far away for you. I've known Silvio for many years. He was a big-time Minolta guy back in the day. Silvio's used to (perhaps still do?) have a decent sized used camera department, so it might be worth a trip over there to see what they have. I bought a Canon FTb from Silvio's way back in 1984 and it ended up being a great and very durable tool. It's been years since Silvio and I have talked, but if you get by there and if he's around, tell him I said "Hi!" and that I sent you.

Yep, I just checked -- they're still in Torrance. Here's Silvio's website, but they don't list any used gear there.
http://silvios.com/

In MC/MD mount, the A9000 was all metal, large, manual wind, odd for an AF, or optional winder and drives. The Minolta 9 was also all metal, stainless steel.