X900 Minolta

[Marvin]

It was never made but I wanted one. I had the X700 and hoped that Minolta would introduce a X900 pro camera but they went the Maxxum route. Just wondered if others had a dream camera that was never made.

 

[Cork]

An XD-11 with TTL-OTF flash metering. Perfection in a MF camera.

 

[BobD]

Found this pic of what appears to be an "X-900m"

Perhaps a prototype?

Anyway, are you aware of the Minolta X-600? It's sort of halfway camera between the X-series models
and the Maxxum 7000. It has an MD mount but also an AF sensor with manual focus confirmation. It was
made just before the Maxxum 7000 for the Japan market.

 

[Ralph Javins]

Good morning;

Thank you both for providing the photographs of those cameras. There are several Minolta cameras that we may hear about, but not often do we see something that tends to confirm that they actually existed, or at least a prototype did. And, there are a couple of accessories I know about, but have never seen. Finding them for purchase is a challenge.

I also have a couple of Minolta models that were available only in the Japanese domestic market. It does seem that Minolta-USA did exercise some restraint in selecting what they brought to the North American continent for our acquisition and use.

 

[CGW]

I'd have appreciated an X700 whose electronics didn't die young. I just pitched one newer than several Nikon FE, FG, and F3 bodies that are still going strong. I bought this last one cheap but won't be bothering with another.

 

[Chazzy]

I'd have appreciated an X700 whose electronics didn't die young. I just pitched one newer than several Nikon FE, FG, and F3 bodies that are still going strong. I bought this last one cheap but won't be bothering with another.

If it isn't too late to retrieve it, the problem might have been a bad capacitor, which is very cheap to repair. The X-700 is notorious for this problem, but the fix is easy and cheap.

 

[CGW]

If it isn't too late to retrieve it, the problem might have been a bad capacitor, which is very cheap to repair. The X-700 is notorious for this problem, but the fix is easy and cheap.

So the story goes...It's already deep in the bin and not worth the bother despite the reputed "ease" of teardown and "repair" when they're going in working condition for a song. It's a baked-in defect I won't bother to remedy with a cabinet full of working Nikon gear. Junk.

 

[Marvin]

I had not herd of the X600 or X900m but that is interesting. The X900m looks like a X700 with a permanent motor drive 1 attached. I still have 2 X700 and Motor Drive 1 for each. Never had any problems with them but I bought them new and took good care of them. I also wanted a XK but they were too expensive back then. In later years I did get a Maxxum 9000 and still have it. Most of my new cameras are Nikon but still enjoy the old Minoltas. I was working on the Outer Banks today and walked out on the beach and shot a few frames with my X700/Motor Drive 1 and I like that combination.

 

[Cork]

So the story goes...It's already deep in the bin and not worth the bother despite the reputed "ease" of teardown and "repair" when they're going in working condition for a song. It's a baked-in defect I won't bother to remedy with a cabinet full of working Nikon gear. Junk.

Fantastic! The more folks like you that consider this excellent system to be "junk" the cheaper and easier it will be for the intelligent elitists like me to get fantastic cameras and lenses! I love it! (grin)

 

[Wade D]

I have 2 X-700's that locked up but were repaired by me for less than $0.79 each. A few tools and a little solder did the trick. I could have just tossed them as junk but why waste good cameras?

 

[zk-cessnaguy]

Found this pic of what appears to be an "X-900m"

Perhaps a prototype?

I may be wrong, but the 'X-900m' looks to me like a what-if photoshop speculation. Certain aspects of the image around where the battery holder fits into the body don't look quite right.

 

[CGW]

Fantastic! The more folks like you that consider this excellent system to be "junk" the cheaper and easier it will be for the intelligent elitists like me to get fantastic cameras and lenses! I love it! (grin)

Er, it's an excellent system when it's working--my definition of excellence, not ease of repair on gear deficiently designed and built with failure-prone parts. Reverse snobbery has its limits. No wonder I could buy another for $20.

 

[BobD]

I have 2 X-700's that locked up but were repaired by me for less than $0.79 each. A few tools and a little solder did the trick. I could have just tossed them as junk but why waste good cameras?

Details?

 

[Cork]

Bob,

There are various sites with the repair info, but here is one: http://www.twid.de/x700/

I repaired one X-700 in a few minutes for a buck and some solder.

Best,
Cork

Edit: in many cases it's just the bottom capacitor that goes bad. The one I repaired only needed the bottom. cv

 

[BobD]

^ Thanks!

 

[M.A.Longmore]

.

I have 2 X-700's that locked up but were repaired by me for less than $0.79 each. A few tools and a little solder did the trick. I could have just tossed them as junk but why waste good cameras?

Hello Wade,

What's your address ?
I've got 2 X-700's that are Playin' Possum.


Ron

From The Long Island Of New York
And The Macro Management, And Long Island @ Large Format APUG Groups
.

 

[CGW]

When clean used x700s are available for, like, 25-40 bucks, this somewhat sketchy DIY survivalist stuff just seems like way too much trouble. I rate complex DIY camera repair as equivalent to amateur dentistry. Minolta X series cameras sold strongly, so there are tons(even working ones!)available. With cheap 35mm processing all but gone, they've never been cheaper. Sad but true. I'll probably get another when my old Rokkors start whimpering from neglect.

 

[Cork]

. . . this somewhat sketchy DIY survivalist stuff just seems like way too much trouble. I rate complex DIY camera repair as equivalent to amateur dentistry.

Depends on your skill set, I guess. Popping in a new capacitor is quite simple to me; one heck of a lot easier than replacing light seals. Now THAT takes a steady hand, at least on the XD-11's.

 

[BobD]

I have, at times, even enjoyed repairing cameras.

 

[Focus No. 9]

If I was able to repair a malfunctioning camera that I liked, I believe I would experience a level of satisfaction not uncommon to the fly fisherman and tying a irresistible fly. The zen moment. signed, new owner of a XD-5..what a beaut.

 

[Wade D]

.



Hello Wade,

What's your address ?
I've got 2 X-700's that are Playin' Possum.


Ron

From The Long Island Of New York
And The Macro Management, And Long Island @ Large Format APUG Groups
.

I don't do it for a living. Cork recommended a good site for the repair procedure. Not that hard to do. Most Minolta X series cameras will have the capacitor fail at some point. Even if you buy an X-700 cheap it will eventually fail. I bought both of mine new 26 years ago and they both failed within a month of each other. Same lot? Who knows. You can buy 10 of the capacitors at Micro Tools for about 7 bucks. A jewelers screw driver set and a low heat soldering iron are all that's needed. Right under the bottom plate so easy to access and find. You don't have to take apart the whole camera.

 

[BobD]

You can buy 10 of the capacitors at Micro Tools for about 7 bucks.

Well, you can buy five at that price anyway:
Dead Link Removed