Customer Reviews

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

5 star:		(9)
4 star:		(1)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

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.

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.

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.

Try to find a macro 24mm equivalent for your digital slr that focuses as close as 4" and you will find there is no such thing. So if you like the expansiveness of true wide angle, and want the ability to focus up close to get the incredible depth of field and frame-filling subject isolation that is achievable with a macro wide, then this is the body for you. Then, all you have to do is find a used Sigma 24mm Macro manual focus lens and you have a low cost tool that can produce an image unlike any digital camera, even the most expensive and elaborate.

The metering system in these Minolta bodies (there have been several very similar bodies over the last 20 years) is spot on, and shooting chromes is easy and sure.

My only suggestion to those learning photography is to ditch the 50mm lens right away! Get a wide - not a 28, but a 24 - and photograph the world like your eyes see it over a 90 degree field of view. You will be amazed.

I picked up this camera to replace my Canon AE-1 that froze (something gear related). At first I thought this was just another fully manual SLR but after doing some homework I discovered that not only does it function as such, which is nice in itself, but it has an Aperture-Priority Auto-Exposure Mode which automatically selects the proper shutter speed based on existing light conditions. It works brilliantly. I have taken this camera on hikes, diving trips and just about everywhere else and it has worked flawlessly. Picture quality is great, options are many and it's basically everything you would expect from a high quality Minolta SLR camera. Five stars.

It's actually my dad's camera; he bought it back in the early 80s and I borrowed it in 2001 or so and haven't given it back yet. This is the camera which got me to take photography seriously and learn hardcore. I thought I would switch to digital, but I quickly came back to film and started learning how to print, in part because this camera is so much more fun to use. It's the only camera I own on which I feel complete confidence in myself and which I feel at ease with. It's no wonder that used X-700's never seem to last long in the local camera shop while other models collect cobwebs.

Good construction with a metal body, MC/MD lens bayonet mount. Modes are manual, aperture priority, and program. Bulb feature for the shutter, also a ~10 second timer and cable release socket. Meter is electronic and uses colored LEDs in the viewfinder to display a suggested shutter speed. This meter is very trustworthy and rarely steers me wrong. The f-stop is visible through a small window inside the viewfinder, but only in daylight. Thumb-operated manual film winder. Shutter speeds from 1/1000 to 1 second plus bulb. Film speed setting up to ISO 1600; if using 3200-speed film you must halve your exposure. Preview button allows you to view the composed scene through the actual aperture to check depth-of-field (provided there is sufficient light to see). Exposure override feature allows you to alter auto-exposure by up to +/-2 stops. The timer button doubles as an exposure-lock when using auto-exposure. There is a hot shoe on top for flash units or other accessories.

No shutter priority mode or double-exposure capability (there is a way to hack this floating around the internet; I don't recommend it). The meter doesn't display the shutter speed setting in the viewfinder like it does on some other Minolta models; you have to look at the dial on the top to double-check your speed setting. There's no mirror pre-shot lock-up, and the mirror slap is a little loud.

Many accessories are available on the used market, including a motor drive, an IR remote shutter control, and tons of lenses. My experience has been that actual Minolta stuff is of better quality, especially the motor drive. Despite lots of lens from various manufacturers, the Minolta 50mm lens that came with the camera is the highest quality lens I have, it's got great optics and a large aperture.

This camera is not all things to all 35mm photographers, but as a basic film camera with a few extra features I recommend it highly. It's great for learners and long-time users alike. If I had to keep just one of my cameras, this one wins easily. And besides, how many digital cameras do you know that will still be cutting edge 30 years after you buy it?

Good Camer.This was a direct replcement for the same camera that was to expensive to repair, so buying a used one was more economical.

I have two of these and have taken many great shots with them. My first one I bought new back in 1987 I think (still have the sales slip) and it has been in the repair shop once. I still use it. I was sorry to see these go out of production but all good things must come to an end. Ofcourse had digital not come in, I'm sure this or a better version would still be being made. They are selling cheap on ebay and if you need a great camera, these are one of the best.

I got my x700 when I was 16 and heading out for Philmont. That was 22 years ago. In that time, I have had it serviced twice... both times for a cleaning... and both times for around $25. Not a bad service life. My camera has been all over europe, spelunking, on mountains, snowmobiles, dive trips, and just about any other place electronic equipment is unsuitable. It has never let me down. It has photographed the births of both our children as well as a number of weddings. I have reluctantly set aside my x700 for a new flashy Nikon which is lighter and digital... but there is NO way it could ever be half as durable as the Minolta. It is built like a tank... it has the heft and quality feel of a good Maglite. I also recommend dropping the cash and popping the MD1 motordrive unit on it. You might as well. Everything is availabe cheap these days. It is still an impressive head turning unit in this configuration. It has served me well for 22+ years... and I will keep it around for times when I am wary about the abuse a dSLR can handle. My x700 has never "crashed" from being too cold, too hot, too rough. It never complains... and the pictures are always beautiful.

The camera arrived well-packaged and appeared like new just as the ad had promised. I am a very satisfied customer. Thanks so much!