Description: Minolta's X-700 is a perfect combination of sophistication and simplicity. In P mode, the camera selects both the shutter and aperture for the correct exposure, so all you have to do is focus and shoot. But if you want to take over, there's aperture-priority exposure control and full metered manual exposure control right at your fingertips.
Summary: I originally purchased my first X-700 back in 1980, brand new for something like $225 as I recall. That camera was wonderful in every way and served me well for about 4 years until I ended-up in a tight spot during one of my many travels and needed fare for a ferry from Crete to Piraeus/Athens in Greece. Sold the ting for about $50 and regretted it every since.
In 2007 I decided after years without, that I wanted another 35mm SLR but really didn't like the features or prices of new ones and digital?...no way! I quickly ran to eBay and there I found it...a multitude of Minolta X-700's in all grades of condition from "just for parts" to "bought it but never used it". My dream came true when I won the auction for my "used 3 times then packed away 8 years ago" dream camera.
As if that weren't good enough, eBay also yielded a huge asortment of high quality accessories for pennies on the original dollar. I got a Minolta brand 28mm, new in the box for $16 and a few weeks later a Minolta brand 35-70mm zoom also new, in the box with original warranty, etc fo $35.
The rest is history. The Minolta X-700 is rugged, high quality, dependable, attractive, affordable and perfect for beginner and advanced photographer alike. It is a classic!
Strengths: COST! Used for under $100 if you are a savy shopper.
Availability of affordable, top-notch accessories.
Super quality lenses now available for pennies on the dollar.
Excellent quality construction with steel lense mount and rugged body.
Easy to use in any mode. Do it all yourself or use it as a point-n-shoot.
Weaknesses: Personally I have not ever had a complaint other than the fact that the X-700 is no longer in production.
Summary: This 35mm camera is the best that I've ever had the pleasure to operate. The settings are easy to see and understand and film loading is a breeze. What really sold me on this model over so many of the others is the range of the appature setting. So that with a tripod a the proper lens shooting any sports figure is never a problem.
Strengths: appature range, lightweight body, easy film load and rewind, well balanced with flash in place.
Weaknesses: lightweight body
Similar Products Used: Canon AE1
Customer Service: The only service that this camera has required in 19 years is a yearly cleaning that I have preformed by my local camera shop for 26.50. Each time I bring the camera in the owner offers to buy it from me. but I tell him it's not for sale.
The X-700 was my first and until recently only SLR, and it has unfailingly produced perfectly-exposed, pin-sharp photos, with gorgeous colour rendition(given the right film and lighting). I've found that bounce flash exposures produce picture quality that I simply cannot imagine being bettered in the 35mm format. Meter, lenses and shutter are all spot-on. No complaints on those scores. It is simple and intuitive to use, as solidly built as you can expect from a plastic-based camera, and has a nice feel. The viewfinder is bright and the focussing aids crisp and accurate. The camera is also durable, surviving several drops and bangs with no (functional) ill-effects, resolutely refusing to let in sand when taken to windy beaches, resistant to light rain and strong heat, and able to function in lower temperatures than I can.
However, as someone who has always shot mainly in manual mode, I have over the years become increasingly irked by the viewfinder's lack of indication of the set shutter speed. Having to take my eye from the viewfinder, check the shutter speed dial and then recompose (and often re-focus) is extremely annoying and certainly takes away from the pleasure of photography. The slow flash-sync speed denies one many of the most useful functions of flash, and the lack of an effective double-exposure mechanism limits one's ability to create a fantastical negative. Also, the absence of mirror lock-up means that ultimate camera stillness is not available.
I've still got my X-700, though, and I still use it; I sent it for repair a couple of years after I got it, when the mirror kept staying up too long, but it has never needed further attention. Just as well too. I think Minolta was like an irresponsible mother, bearing beautiful children but not interested in looking after them. And now she's gone.
Strengths: Easy to use, great lenses, metering, shutter accuracy. Bright, clear viewfinder. Looks and feels nice; more accessories than you'll probably ever need. DOF, choice of automatic exposure modes. Light and durable.
Weaknesses: Minolta is no more! No servicing available: find your own spare parts and look desperately around for a local camera repair man.
No indication in viewfinder of set shutter speed (in manual mode).
Film is for saddo Luddites (like me), isn't it?
Similar Products Used: MInolta SRT 102 and XD7; and Hi-Matic 7s.
Customer Service: Good at the time but no longer available.
Summary: During Highschool, I used my own Canon FTb SLR, although a great camera, lens and accessories were hard to come by and were expensive. However, I also had the chance to use the Minolta X-700 and was blown away from the quality.
After looking at several camera stores, I finally tried eBay and got a great deal on an X-700 with 4 genuine Minolta lenses, case, flash, everything in Mint Condition for about $350 Cnd!!! Compared to what Henry's camera wanted, $250 Cnd just for the X700 body!
Anyway, I was very pleased, and when I recieved the camera, I had some Fuji 200 ISO film ready and started taking pictures. The prints I recieved back were great, excellent exposure, and prestine clarity, thanks to the great lenses I had (my favourite being the Rokker-X 135mm)
I love the variety of controls, including AE lock and Exposure compensation to help under different lighting conditions, and having a DOF preivew button and shutter release connection for long exposures really comes in handy. The Program AE mode works well when I need a shot fast, but sometimes is unrealible in extreme differences in lighting. However, I primarly use the apeture priority mode because I usually take landscapes, people, etc... shutter priority is not a concern for me. Although 1/1000 shutter is decent, I wish it were faster, when you compare to today's SLR's with their 1/8000th second speed. As well, the flash sync speed of 1/60th a second can be annoying for action shots in lower light.
The body is very sturdy and built very well with a solid, heavy feel that is missing in todays midrange SLR's. The battery life is good, however, the problem is if the battery dies, the camera will not function. Thats a feature I loved about my FTb, it was all mechanical and didnt require a battery to release the shutter. The LED's used to show exposure are very straight forward and I find it very easy to set up my shot. The one major gripe I have with the X-700 is it's film loading. First, you must insert the film in the white grove, the manually wind, and advance the film lever. This can waste time when you need to change fast, as sometimes, the film can slip out and you must start again. My Canon Ftb, I just placed the film on the wheel, shut the door and advanced, took less than 10 seconds, and that was back in 1973!
Lenses and accessories are still readily available from camera stores and online sites like eBay. I recently purchased a 50mm 1:1 Macro lens for only $160 Cnd in literlly perfect condition, and takes wonderful closeups. I also ordered a 35mm lens for standard shots so I'm ready to shoot in almost any situation.
Overall, I'm very happy with my Minolta X-700, I got it for an excellent price, and couldn't be happier with the picture quality this camera produces, I'll be using it for years to come!
Thanks for reading!
Strengths: -Excellent Quality build, very strong
-A great assortment of manual lenses and accessories still available for great prices
-Great Manual control
-AE lock AND Exposure Compensation on the same camera
-Best of all, great quality pictures!!!
Weaknesses: -Sync speed set at 1/60 of a second
-Max 1/1000th second shutter
-Program AE sometimes unrealiable
-Camera won't function if battery is dead
-Film loading sometimes cumbersome
Summary: I've owned this camera since 1987 and still going strong. The x-700 is probably the most dependable and bang for the buck for its generation of SLRs. Unfortunately, it is also the start of the generation where SLRs in general are made of plastic. Probable the last of the Minolta line of SLRs worth holding onto as a hobbiest/amature/collector.
Strengths: Very reliable...a real workhorse.
Weaknesses: Programmable metering isn't very reliable. Apeture or fully manual mode are more reliable.
Similar Products Used: Nikon F2A, Nikon FM, Rolleflex TLR
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