Minolta X-700 35mm SLR Camera (Body Only)

by Konica-Minolta

Product Details

Product Manual [2.55mb PDF]

• Item Weight: 1.1 pounds
• Shipping Weight: 2 pounds
• Shipping: This item is also available for shipping to select countries outside the U.S.
• ASIN: B00004TJ7S
• Average Customer Review: 4.9 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (10 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #3,467 in Camera & Photo (See Top 100 in Camera & Photo)
  • #32 in Electronics > Camera & Photo > Film Cameras > SLR Cameras
• Discontinued by manufacturer: Yes
• Date first available at Amazon.com: September 4, 1999

Product Description

Amazon.com Product Description

The Minolta X-700 SLR camera requires no manual setting of aperture or shutter. You can program the camera for automatic exposure, even in difficult lighting conditions. Catch the action without stopping to adjust your camera. You can also select an aperture priority mode that automatically sets the corresponding shutter speed when you program the aperture. Aperture priority is especially useful when taking portraits, close-ups, and landscape shots.

For creative effects, you can set exposure plus or minus 2EV in half-stop increments. An auto-exposure lock is useful when the subject is in the shade with strong backlighting. Manual exposure and manual focus give you full control of the X-700 when you have to time to think about each shot in advance.

Product Description

Proved to be a trend setting camera with its simple, friendly and no frills design. Three basic exposure control modes in Program AE ("P"), Aperture Priority AE ("A") and Manual exposure control modes. Further, TTL OTF flash exposure control was also featured when artificial illumination is required. In particular with the Minolta X-700's Minolta Program System (MPS), it provides a simple focus-and-shoot simplicity of programmed auto-exposure (AE) control: where both aperture and shutter speed are automatically set over a wide range by the camera, with continuous viewfinder LED readout of speeds being set. The program is designed to maintain fastest practicable speeds as light dims, then give audible beeps, if desired, to guard against blur from subject/camera-movement, making the X-700 ideal if you're starting out in photography or if you want full program automation for ease of use or fast-breaking action. Although Program AE has been made available in some other cameras, but it took a X-700 to realize its potential to be a decisive marketing elements in SLR cameras as compared to sheer convenience of P&S cameras.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

19 of 19 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars One of the best cameras to learn photography on in the world, November 16, 2001

By 

K. A. Boyd (Seattle, WA United States) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Minolta X-700 35mm SLR Camera (Body Only) (Electronics)

Simply put, a fantastic camera. This is a nice compromise between the current generation of automatic SLR cameras and the difficult to use SLR's of the past. In program mode, all you need to do is focus and shoot. If you want more creative control, it's right at your fingertips. Picture quality is awesome as well. The MD line of lenses and accesories for this camera are noted for their quality and depth. This is really a great camera for the student or professional.

12 of 12 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars You should learn photography with this camera, June 2, 2003

By 

C. Han "churl" (East Lansing, MI) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Minolta X-700 35mm SLR Camera (Body Only) (Electronics)

The X-700 is great for learning photography. It is manual but its beauty is in the various automated settings, which range from controlling everything except focus to fully manual. It is intuitive and easy to figure out, and comes with the reliability you'd expect from Minolta. The handiest feature that I enjoyed is the lightmeter readout in the viewfinder. In the various photography courses I've taken, I've found that it is superior to many other manual SLRs in that it has levels of convenience and automation that help you get a feel for photography, but still allows for the photographer to have complete freedom.

This camera earns bonus points for being not only reliable but durable. I've owned mine for over 12 years, and its suffered quite a lot of abuse. And hand in hand with its long life is a market rich with used parts. I've picked up quite a few lenses that fit on the X-700 for pretty cheap.

I'm not an expert on cameras by any means, but when I want to work on my photography, I put away my other cameras and even my digital and get my X-700 out.

10 of 10 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars The Best Camera I've ever owned., September 4, 2003

By 

Robert Schultz (Heidelberg, Germany) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Minolta X-700 35mm SLR Camera (Body Only) (Electronics)

I originally bought the Minolta X-700 in early 1985 while stationed in Germany with the U.S. Army. It had just won "Camera of the Year 1984" from an important consumer magazine. I bought it because I was very satisfied with another Minolta camera,the XG-7, that I had purchased six years before. Also, to be truthful, because the X-700 looks great! It turned out to be an excellent choice as I took thousands of excellent photos and especially color slides with it over the years. I used it in nearly every country in Europe, in a wide variety of conditions, and it never let me down. What makes this camera so great is that it offers an advanced amount of automation, but still gives the user a large degree of control. You can get off that quick shot, yet still be very creative. I was very disappointed with models that came out later. Unfortunately, my original camera was stolen, but I'm happy to find and buy a replacement from Amazon after all these years. Truly one of the best cameras ever made in its class, and one of the most durable and versatile.