Very high quality build. Mostly metal, plastic only used where not critical. Superb handling and smooth leaf shutter. Quite small. Best of all, the exposure system measures after stopping down the lens and before lifting mirror for minor corrections required to originally measured f-stop / shutterspeed combination. Superb exposure consistency.
Nowadays fairly cheap and great value. Built-in viewfinder blind.

No longer serviceable by minolta and spares are no longer available.
No mirror lock-up.

This is a superb value for money camera. Professionaly built like a tank (Minolta sold this body /shutter also to Leica for use as R3, albeit with Leica-designed electronics and body-cover plates). By todays standards the camera is quite small. Looks gorgious too. A range of second-hand MC and MD lenses are readily available and some lenses are absolute jewels. Especially sharp and superb are the 58mm f1.2 MC (great bokeh!), 85mm f1.7 MC/MD, 135mm f2.8 MC, 35mm f1.8 MC/MD and 24mm f2.8 MC/MD. Spares are no longer available new, but buy a cheap second body as well for use or spares; the camera is well worth it.

Customer Service

None available.

Similar Products Used:

Minolta XG-1, XG-M, X-700

Small and well built.
Nice viewfinder information.
Metered manual.
Exposure compensation.

Leatherette covering shrinks with age.
No mirror lock-up.

Outstanding camera; I'd recommend it to anyone. Used MC/MD Rokkor lenses are uniformly excellent, with some real knockouts (MC 28/3.5, MD 24/2.8, MC 58/1.2, MD 85/2, 85/1.7, 100/2.5, MD 135/2.8), and can be had for quite reasonable prices.

Customer Service

N/A

Similar Products Used:

SRT's, XK, XE-7, XG-1, SR-7, Nikon F, Nikkormat FTN, Canon AE-1

Easy to manipulate all aspects. Nice DOF preview button. Very electronically advanced for the age of the system.

Out of production out of production out of production.

Have used a Pentax K1000, nice camera but very very very simple. The XG-M is fairly decent priced nowadays and has a whole slew of features. It is a definite plus for astrophotography and close-up macro shots. Accessories are very available and is an excellent beginner camera for someone like myself. If you are a Pentax K1000 owner and think that your camera is awesome, TRY THIS ON FOR SIZE.

Customer Service

N/A

Similar Products Used:

Pentax K1000

Well built, (was basis for the Leica R4). Metering very accurate(double metering, at open lens 1st metering and at set diaphragm 2nd metering). Light, small, easy to handle.

Lack of spotmetering, should have been included IMO.
Not as solid as my XE's

A real classic camera which I use daily, never have let me down since 1982! As I own two XD-7 and never had a problem with them I would say they are very reliable. Low on battery usage. Operation very smooth, sold my other brand camera's since I did not use them anymore after I purchased my first XD's. Any beginning photographer can handle this beauty!

Customer Service

Never needed this!When CLA needed any good service center can do the job. Spares not abundent at Minolta but always available trough usage of "old"bodies and or Leica!

Similar Products Used:

Minolta XM, Minolta XE-1, Minolta SR2. Nikon F2as, Nikkormat EM.