The Minolta X-700 is a 35 mm single-lens reflex film camera introduced by Minolta in 1981. It was the top model of their final manual-focus SLR series before the introduction of the auto-focus Minolta Maxxum 7000. citation needed.

Camera manuals and free digital camera pdf instructions. Find the user manual you need for your camera and more at ManualsOnline. Your Minolta X-700, the state-of-the-art SLR camera at the center of the Minolta Program System, offers you the focus-and-shoot simplicity of programmed auto-exposure (AE) control: 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. May 16, 2007  Minolta - How To Use Your Camera Part 1. Minolta - How To Use Your Camera Part 1. Skip navigation Sign in. Minolta XG1 Video Manual, Video 2 of 2.

The Minolta X-700 is a compact SLR with all the features you need and a few extra ones. Probably my favorite SLR and nearly my favorite camera of all time. I first stumbled upon the Minolta X-700 in June of last year, 2011 when I was on a school trip going to World War I graves, trenches, and memorials in Belgium and France. I had with me my DSLR and my Halina Paulette. My then girlfriend had with her a black and interesting looking SLR. I asked her if I could take a few shots with it, and as soon as I held it I knew I had to get one. The grip is fantastic and the camera's layout is simple and very user-friendly.

It has a P mode which is basically an automatic mode, A (aperture priority), and then fully manual mode, so the camera allows you to have as much or as little control as you want. After I got the results from my Halina Paulette back from the lab and I was hugely disappointed that most of the images did not come out. I compared them to my girlfriend's results with her X-700 and was blown away. I started to search for one for myself but couldn't find one at a fair price.

Around seven months later, I finally found one £50 with three lenses, the 50 mm 1.7, 28 mm 2.8 and a third party zoom. I was so excited I didn't talk about anything else for the three days it took to arrive, and to me and my girlfriend's relief, the camera arrived. I ripped open the parcel and inside found my beloved X-700. Upon closer inspection, I was hugely disappointed; the three lenses each had severe fungus. I started to search for more lenses but found another X-700 body with three lenses for £30. I snapped it up, and luckily these lenses didn't have fungus, so I now had two bodies and six lenses. I sold the body and the three fungus-filled lenses and managed to get £60. I was very happy with my purchase but I still needed a standard 50 mm lens. I started searching on eBay, I then found a broken Minolta XE and I know they came with the highly regarded Minolta 50 mm 1.4 lenses. So I contacted the seller and I managed to get the lens for £6! I then sold my three remaining lenses for £25, so I had, in effect, got a Minolta X-700 and Minolta 50 mm 1.4 lens for £1.

Now, on to the review. As usual, when I get a camera, I check the battery to see if it's working. I go out and shoot regardless of the weather. I loaded my X-700 with Lucky SHD 100 and set off on a walk with my girlfriend. I live in Hellifield, a village in North West England, so my main subjects are animals, flowers, landscapes, or friends I am with.

The camera handles perfectly. It's made of plastic on a metal chassis so it's just the right weight and combined with the 50 mm f/1.4 lens, the camera is a pleasure to use. I normally shoot in aperture priority. We walked up a hill to a ram shackled farm, where we found some goats and two very friendly cats. we watched them for around 15 minutes and here are some of the results. I developed the film in caffenol and scanned with Epson Perfection 4870.

Later on in the day, we went on a walk to a nearby forest, which is like a wonderland with a lake in the middle, here are some shots from there.

Minolta X 700 Camera

The X-700 has a fantastic metering system and works well in any light especially when used with a bright lens like the 50 mm f/1.4.

Recently, I picked up a small job lot of expired film off eBay. One of the films was Ilford SFX, a black-and-white film with infrared capabilities. I also picked up a roll of Kodak HIE but I'm waiting for summer to shoot that marvelous film. I purchased an R72 filter to exploit the infrared of the Ilford SFX, and I took it with me on a visit to my girlfriend's house. We went on a walk to a lovely wooded area. I shot at f/16 in bulb mode and used the camera metering but added another five stops to compensate for the filter. Every single shot came out. Here are some of my favorites.

To conclude my review, the Minolta X-700 is my favorite camera and has been since I set my hands on one. I can highly recommend one to anybody as they are quite cheap and have a fantastic array of accessories and lenses. They accept both MD and MC mount lenses. I try to use mine as much as possible and it fits in a large coat pocket just about but I usually use a strap. If you are new to SLR photography then it's a great choice as it has an auto mode. Also, if you're looking for something that gives you more control, this is also a great option.

This is a review submitted by Community Member brandkow93.

Minolta X 700 Manual

written by brandkow93 on 2012-03-30 #gear#people#review#slr#manual#lomography#automatic#film-camera#minolta-x-700#user-review#the-best

The Minolta X-700 is a 35 mmsingle-lens reflex film camera introduced by Minolta in 1981. It was the top model of their final manual-focus SLR series before the introduction of the auto-focusMinolta Maxxum 7000.^{[citation needed]}

Features[edit]

The X-700 used the basic body of the XG-M with electronically controlled stepless speeds, but added full program autoexposure in addition to the XG-M's aperture priority and metered manual modes. This program mode was referred to as 'MPS' or Minolta Program System. It also introduced through-the-lens (TTL) off the film flash metering in Aperture Priority or Program mode, which adjusted exposure and flash output automatically to produce a perfect exposure, without the user having to adjust anything at all, and added exposure lock and interchangeable focusing screens to the XG-M's features. The X-700 was aimed to appeal to the widest range of photographers possible. Its easy to use fully automated Program mode could turn it into a point-and-shoot that anybody could use, but its wide array of advanced features and available accessories and lenses made it appealing to professionals alike. Based on the X-700 chassis, Minolta later launched various other models based on the X-700 : X-300,300S,300N,370,500,570 and 600. The X-500 ( X-570 in the US ) lacked the X-700's program exposure mode and exposure compensation dial, but addressed one of the main complaints of X-700 users, the X-700 in fully manual mode only showed the recommended shutter speed by the meter in the viewfinder, this meant that to actually see what shutter speed was selected, the user had to take their eye off the viewfinder, and despite it being a small detail, because of this many photographers preferred the X-500/570 which in fully manual mode showed both the recommended shutter speed and the selected one in the viewfinder, the X-500/570 also made it possible to use slower flash sync speeds than 1/60 of a second. ^[1][2] The X-300 also released in 1983 was the most basic model of X-series bodies. It lacked TTL flash metering, program exposure mode and the depth of field preview button, and it did not display the f-stop-setting of the lens in the viewfinder. Basic parts of all three cameras, such as the shutter, viewfinder, mirror system, and light metering system, were identical.^{[citation needed]}

Motivated by the huge success of the low-priced Canon AE-1 and other consumer-level cameras, Minolta followed suit in the new camera's design by offering a wide array of optional equipment, with the X-700 being the base of the 'Minolta Program System' such as flashes, film winders, motor drives, data backs, multi function backs, power grips, wireless controllers etc. This had the effect of lowering the budget for the camera's internal mechanism. In a step backwards, the new X-700 was not equipped with the fast vertical metal shutter of previous XE and XD cameras, and was instead fitted with a less expensive horizontal traverse silk shutter, enabling maximum sync speed of 1/60 second, and operated by an electromagnetic shutter release.^[3] No mechanical shutter speed was provided, even in bulb mode. The resultant battery drain and inability to meter at light levels below EV-1 made the camera a poor choice for long exposures, as often needed for astrophotography. Minolta further lowered the price of the camera by fabricating certain parts in the film advance and rewind mechanism of less expensive materials, and by the use of less expensive electronic components. Even the rewind lever of the camera is made of plastic.^{[citation needed]}

Minolta X-700 Camera Guide

History[edit]

In 1981, the X-700 was awarded the European 'Camera of the Year'. Its competitive pricing resulted in its becoming the most successful Minolta camera since the SRT line.^{[citation needed]}

In 1985 Minolta came out with their first autofocus cameras with the Maxxum / Alpha / Dynax series of cameras. This meant that further research and development of manual-focus 35mm SLR cameras was shelved and production of MF SR mount lenses and bodies was outsourced to a certain extent. Some internal components of the X-700 were changed over its long 18 year production run, such as the shutter capacitor which on early models was made from tantalum. Later on, due to rising costs of tantalum, Minolta decided to use cheaper materials which had the negative effect of stopping the shutter from firing. This fault also affects other X- series cameras, however the capacitor is easily replaced.^[4][5] Minolta was also one of the first major 35mm SLR manufacturer to outsource assembly of its cameras to countries outside Japan.^{[citation needed]} They moved production of their X-300 to China in 1990, where the Seagull Camera factory took over production.

In 1999, after 18 years in production, the X-700 was discontinued.^{[citation needed]}

• Black version.

• Black version and details.

• Black version and details.

• Black version complete with MD lens 50mm f/1.7.

• Black version.

• Digital date back accessory and motor drive, imprinting negatives with time and date of exposure, and permitting timed interval exposure.

• Digital date back accessory, buttons exposed.

• Minolta X-700 with Auto 280-PX flash

• Minolta x700 with 50mm Rokkor f1.7

References[edit]

Minolta X 700 Camera Value

1. ^http://www.rokkorfiles.com/X-570.htm
2. ^http://www.rokkorfiles.com/X-700.html
3. ^Minolta Camera Co. Ltd., The Minolta X-700 Owner's Manual, Osaka, Japan (1982), p. 58
4. ^http://www.twid.de/x700/
5. ^http://pansfilmcameras.blogspot.com.es/2012/10/minolta-x-700.html

Bibliography[edit]

• Rokkor, Antony (2006-04-26). X-700. The Rokkor Files, 26 April 2006. Retrieved on 2005-11-27 from http://www.rokkorfiles.com/X-700.html.
• German instruction. Minolta X-700. Retrieved from http://www.design-weblounge.de/kameras-filme/minolta-x-700/.

How To Turn On A Minolta X-700 Camera

External links[edit]

Minolta X 700 Camera Review