The Most Criminally Underrated Film Camera - Minolta XD/XD11/XD7 Review!
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- Опубликовано: 16 окт 2024
- Today we're going to be taking a look at my favorite film camera of all time, the Minolta XD. This camera for whatever reason is not very well known in the modern film world despite having some of the best bang for your buck you can find.
Come for the camera. Stay for the glass. Rokkor rules.
Minolta gang
As a pro photographer I had many cameras. The Minolta XD-11 was by far my favorite film camera. I've shot 40,000 photos around the world with my XD-11. Bought it when it was introduced and used it almost exclusively through to 2005. Kodachrome 64 transparency film and the XD-11 were an unbeatable combination.
I bought one on eBay for £21 with "Body fault", shutter not firing.
This was due to the mirror not stowing in the up position before shutter operation.
I thought a simple fix, just remove clean and oil the mirror damper, but the problem was the oil and grease on the various levers had congealed so the mirror release striker hadn't enough inertia to release the mirror cocking lever.
After 25 hours and almost complete disassembly of the Mirror Cage, full clean and oil all levers, springs and pivots.
I put it all back together this morning, to my astonishment everything works flawlessly.
I put a roll of Ilford HP5 B&W film in it and can't wait to see how it performs exposure and IQ wise.
You could say 25 hours would be excessive labour for the value of the camera, but a labour of love and an undaunted challenge has saved this beauty from the scrapheap.
An inspiring story! Thanks for sharing! I recently bought a Minolta XG-M for $30 and it has a similar problem. A technician at a camera store said it would cost $200 to fix, so I'm considering disassembling it to diagnose if I could fix it and to better understand the internal mechanism. I think the 25 hours are worth just understanding the inner workings of these beautiful machines that produce beauty. :)
@@MorganBallardWheeler I remember when the XG came out but don't remember much about the camera, as I had already left Minolta due to redundancy in 1982.
Service manuals are available for free download, I strongly suggest you download one before any attempt to open the camera. Take lots of photos, especially of the wiring, as this will help with reassembly. And finally if you need help and I can assist, I would be happy to do so!
Good luck Morgan.
I bought one of these back when they were first released and loved working with it. My previous camera was a Minolta SRT-101 so this new camera was a real technological leap! Many cameras of this era had nowhere near the "automation" or assisted exposure faculties. The only downside was that the leather on the body began to shrink and pull away after some years. BTW, I still have both this camera and the SRT-101 plus many lenses. Maybe one day I will go back to film......
One tip I'd give anyone who wants to use this camera: If you have the time, first half-press the shutter to get your light metre reading and only then advance the film. That'll make sure you don't accidentally press the shutter when you only want to see the metre reading, because when you aren't careful, that can easily happen (I've made that mistake a few times because I wasn't used to how quickly the shutter reacts).
But I'd absolutely recommend this camera! The dials are placed perfectly, the shutter sound is amazing, the viewfinder is bright and gives you all your info, and this camera and the fitting MD lenses and so cheap for what you get.
Good idea! I definitely had to get used to how easy the shutter is activated
Wow the Production quality is just insane I thought you had at least 100k subs but then I saw 222 subs. wow great channel looking forward to future videos.
also im gonna buy that camera
I had one in the 80s and I've just ordered one from Japan - I'm very excited to use it again :)
In my opinion, speaking for the SR Mount (aka MC or MD Lens Compatible) Minolta Lineup, the best Camera is the SR-1s. Why? It's a true Analog Camera from the Old Era that actually requires real skill. There's no batteries, no electronics, no assistance for settings, so the quality of the photos are dependent on the Photographer having everything set up prior to the capturing of the photo. Also solidly built. No worries about Capacitors being bad, no worrying about finding any discontinued batteries or overspending on these different batteries, and overall there's just no electronics to worry about keeping dry. The more computers a camera has, the more detached it is from the user.
I will give the XD-11 here the rank of Second Best. I don't care what any of y'all say, 100% Mechanical will always be Superior to any Electronically Assisted Cameras from the SR Mount Era.
I got this camera (in black) in prime condition besides the all too common leather shrinkage, the MD Rokkor-X 50mm f1.2 and the power-winder for this camera, for a steal of $60 CND on FB marketplace. Originally the seller listed it for $20 but another buyer offered $50 so I offered $60. After installing new leather and light seals, I have a mint condition XD11 with an even better condition 50mm f1.2. I own 30 different cameras now film and digital, and this camera is my favourite by a large margin. The film advance lever is the smoothest advance I've ever felt, and the shutter sounds like luxury when it fires. Truly this is one of the greatest 35mm film SLRs made to date. Build quality is just immaculate and the features and lens options rival the best out there. I love seeing other people enjoying my favourite camera! :) Awesome video
Minolta was the best camera on the marked with excellent lenses. I had the SRT-101 for 30 years and they were up the job. As a junior press photographer my older colleagues were laughing at my trusty Minolta, which I still have on the shelf as a reminiscence of my your days. And there must have been a reason, why Leica had a close cooperation with Minolta. Just a petty, that Minolta isn't around as camera manufacturer any more - it's like Saab is out of the motorcar industry . Keep on rolling!
The XD-11 was my first SLR, I learnt a great deal about photography using that camera. First shooting black and white Ilford film as a had a few friends who's parents were avid photographers with their own darkrooms. Throughout the late 1970s and 1980s I haven't a clue on how many frames I shot. I shot inside the Ermitage in what is now St. Petersburg, Russia using 1000 ASA film, planning that knowing that in such places photography was forbidden so a flash was out of the question. The principles I learnt over the years allows me not only to compose better digital shots but to understand how viewers may perceive them.
I completely agree this camera is *really* underrated! I found mine at a thrift store for next to nothing about ten years ago and have been using it extensively ever since. It is just such a pleasure to operate and more or less killed any desire I had for a Leica. Not exactly a fair comparison I know, but still...
First up: what a gorgeous b-roll and through the roof production value! Hats off, earned my sub within the first 30sec. I wouldn't say 1/100 sync speed was anything particularly special in the late 1970s as many models in the higher-end market segment also used vertical metal shutters, typically with 1/125 sync speed (Nikon FM/FE, Pentax K2, etc). Just about the only outliers were Canon A-1 and Contax RTS (although Contax would very soon catch up, with the 139Q in 1979). Minolta did nail the focusing screen with the Acute Matte though (fitted to XD, X700/500 and late XG models like XG1n and XG-M)! Quite possibly the best SLR focusing screen I've ever looked at.
You're probably right. I think I probably just have mostly had experience with lower end models so it was a first for me. Thanks for the feedback!
Amazing B roll and great info as well. I would've really appreciated a video like this when I started out with film photography about 4 years ago.
I'm excited to see what you'll upload next, I already see a ton of potential in your channel!
I snagged one of these this year it has become my daily carry. Great video.👍👍
Great vid! Eyepiece shutter is not only for long exposure (I thought so till yesterday, maybe some ppl think the same) but also when sunlight can reach eyepiece (sun behind your back, shooting using the tripod or even user with glasses might cause light reflection) affecting TTL light measure photo cell and can cause underexposure. Try to flash light into the eyepiece in the dark room, light sensor will react. There is really few scenarios where usage of eyepiece shutter can be justified. Great that you mentioned about shutter priority "idiot proof" mode, I was shocked when I discovered this in XD7 manual.
I own both the XD11 and the AE1, love both of them! I reach for the XD11 more often.
Great video! Those B rolls are just beautiful.
Thank you so much for reviewing this amazing camera 📷 👏👏👏
Great video, stunning quality. I couldn't believe your channel was so new. I subscribed straight away. Please do one on the Minolta 9000 sometime. It was not only the first pro autofocus camera but with the slow autofocus turned off it was a brilliant and full featured manual focus camera that was then Minoltas best manual focus camera.
The company that I worked for back in the late 70's, had these XD7's and I was employed as a young photographer. As I had only TLR's at the time they wanted me to shoot on 35mm and so these Minolta's were used - I loved them. When it came the time for me to buy my own 35mm kit, Minolta had introduced the "X" range, notably the, 300, 500 and the 700. These cameras were never of the same calibre as that of the XD7's as witnessed to Minolta's retrograde step of using a cloth, horizontal focal plane shutter curtain which was archaic even in the early 80's - such a shame.
So you're quite right, the XD7's were really the last of the "quality" Minolta cameras.
Looks nice, my father had an SRT 101. The reason some pro SLRs at the time (eg Canon F1n, Nikon F3, Pentax LX) had slower sync speeds was that they had horizontal run shutters, and the reason for that was because pros still distrusted the reliability of vertical fan shutters. Also sport pros, paparazzi, etc were not interested in artisic bokeh or balancing flash with ambient light, which is what higher sync speed is for.
The mechanical shutter speed "O" is not so much something to choose but something to resort to if the battery runs out in the middle of a wedding shoot for example. All the better film cameras had a mechanical back up, the Nikon F3 also had one (at sync speed of course) and the Canon F1n and Pentax LX had a range of mechanical shutter speeds alongside the electronically controlled ones.
insane production man, keep it up
A clean review.
Minolta call the shutter/aperture in auto mode as Programme Shift...
Shutter on this is butter smooth. Those lenses are very fine one.
Great video!I🤗owned one and I liked it a lot!☺👍!Such a pity that Minolta left the camera industry!😟
I've had 3 XD series cameras. Now down to only 1... XD11. It's a very good camera. Love it.
Just got one!!! Was going to get the canon ae1 but the guy selling it to me convinced me to get the Minolta
Absolutely a underappreciated gem and i hope it stays that way, IMO it uses better electronics than its later cousins and its canon counterpart. You almost never have to worry about the capacitors dying in this thing. I also think it has the best aesthetics of any film camera ever made, the black finish is the same that leica used on their R series of SLR's that were developed in conjunction with Minolta. I believe the Leica R5 and the XD11 use the exact same internals.
Been saying this for years. My Minolta xd11 sits prominently on my camera shelf as my go to 35mm. The metering and in camera info make it an easy choice too
Great video, have this exact camera and lens combo. Also the leather grain on this camera mixed with the chrome finish is a sharp look IMO. As others noted, the shutter button is definitely sensitive or I have a hard press and don't realize it.
New subscriber! I have the Minota XG-1(n) and I agree that the 80s Minolta looks really cool. The XG version I have has similar design from the XG-M. I love it.
isn't this a "disguised" Leica R4? 🤣
Thanks for bring back the memories...and yes, this camera was always underrated - Minolta glass is also exceptional (some ;-)
Pretty much. Leica shutter with a body anodized by Leitz
This is a fully Minolta camera that Leica re-badged (with some changes to electronic and metering). The Leica development collaboration was on the R3 / XE-7 shutter almost a decade earlier. Minolta made the camera and Leica used it as the basis for the R3. When the XD / XD11 came out the development collaboration phase was long over but they still had the contract. Leica used the XD as the basis for several generations of "R" cameras up till the R7. Minolta stopped after the XD and concentrated on auto-focus cameras. The shutter in the XD was Minolta (but maybe had some R3 experience input). After shading the Minolta shared prodigy all these years it is laughable if the Leica fans are trying to claim credit for this camera - maybe because the XD is more reliable? If so then it is because this version is the original with no Leica tinkering (to the electronics).
Hmm. On most cameras of this era, if there is a shutter speed that's a different color from the rest (and often with a "X" beside it) it's usually because that's the "X" synch shutter speed - the flash will fire whether or not you set this speed, but with anything faster you'll only get a partial frame, because that's the fastest speed where the closing curtain doesn't start moving until the opening curtain has reached the other side of the frame. The earlier cameras with the horizontal travel cloth focal plane shutter curtains had a X synch speed of 1/60 second, this body probably has the vertical-travel metal Copal shutters which started to appear in the early 1970s with the likes of the Pentax ME - these shutters synched at 1/125 second and slower. I'm more familiar with the earlier Minoltas (my father had a 100% manual SRT Super, probably also sold under different names). Aperture priority was easier to implement, so this began to appear before shutter priority and program modes, which required a mechanism that allowed the body to control the len's aperture. On a lot of cameras with electronic shutters (including my old Ricoh XR2s), the "X" shutter speed would still work with a dead battery.
Huh, I didn’t know all that. Thanks for the info!
Had one but it broke pretty soon and was beyond fixable (manual mode was the only thing working in it) so I got me Olympus OM2n and I am really happy with this little Zuiko miracle with astonishing viewfinder and absolutely outclassing off the film metering system. But considering these Minoltas arent that expensive I should get the Minolta XD7 again as well... if not for anything, but that buttery smooth winder button
I remember long ago... not being able to afford and F3, so buying and XD7 instead. It was the first camera i bought new and replaced my OM1n. It's been a long time and i want it back. My Spotty and Taks will hate me, but the hunt is on - black version with the 1.2.
I remember being at uni in London (79-82) and being so envious of another student who had one (XD7). They were so advanced and looked really good as well.
One question - can you still get the right batteries for them?
Yes! I bought some on Amazon. It just takes two standard LR44 batteries
I started off learning photography in the mid 90's using my Dads SRT-201. That was a really good camera as well. My GrandPap had a Canon AE-1. I used both. My first DSLR I bought in 2012 was a Canon T3i. Talk about feeling like I had a pro body compared to the older film cameras. Lol even though it was just a Canon Rebel consumer grade DSLR. But the cool think is. I bought adapters from Fotodiox that let me use those old Minolta and old Canon FD mount lenses on my T3i. I now use a mirrorless Canon R7 and with the EF to RF adapter I'm still able to use those old classic lenses.
Recently picked up a Minolta XD , all Black with a 50mm 1.2 f lens , Bought Minolta XD for $39
Great video👍🏻. I do like these cameras . I have an XD-5 and an XD-11. The only think that’s a bummer if you’re collecting these cameras is they it’s hard to find one that’s of acceptable condition. They seem to be used and abused for the most part. But yeah other than that these are hidden Jems
The XD11/7 or plain XD was Minolta's highwater mark in terms of being the total package of a mechanical camera. If you can find one with good electroncis and you own a boat load of MD Rokkor glass, the XD series is a no brainer.
Is it really all metal? I have an xd5 and the top is silver plastic yet the bottom is metal. Cheers
Fabulous camera. Still have it, but reach more often for the X-570.
How do people feel about the accuracy of the light meter? I was using an external light meter but it's not a spot meter, wanted to minimize setup so I'm thinking of ditching the external light meter and just using the in built one
Mine tends to underexpose by about a stop! It messed up my first roll but now that I know I just set the iso to half whatever the actual box speed is. I would give it a shot on some cheap film and see how it turns out!
A great camera that was sadly overlooked. It handled very well and was capable of delivering excellent results everytime.
XD-S is on my radar as it has a built in diopter dial.
(liked & subbed)
Gone back to college at 61 to study photography just got the xd s, the diopter is the cherry on the cake. Cant wait to shoot my first roll
@@jaysilverstone7221 nice!
try shooting with the xe-5 or xe-7 which were earlier models but geared towards professional work. The xd that you show here has a few more features, but it feels like a light weight toy compared to the xe series. The whole shooting experience is different with the heavier, better built cameras in the xe line.
Not sure the XD is under rated , it’s widely know. As a great camera. I enjoyed the content!
I found an XD11 that had been in storage for 20+ years and have been attempting to use it again, however, all the photos seem pretty underexposed, and in manual mode, I'm noticing that no matter what I set the shutter speed to, it's always going the fastest. do you know anyone that still does repairs on these?
Hmm, no I’m not aware of anyone that does but I’m sure some googling could find something. That being said it may end up being cheaper just buying a new one as film camera repair can get pretty pricey these days
Other than a user issue with exposing, you might need to check the shutter speed accuracy on your camera. Even then, I'm not so sure why it would be faster than what youve set it to.
@@antoniobajao6046 it turned out to be a bad shutter magnet. Bought another one on eBay.
This camera does have a program mode. Set it to shutter priority then 125
Shhhh!!! Keep it quiet! That, and the old Rokkor lenses ;-)
When I was a teenager, this was the camera I coveted more than any other (The X700 was my second-best)
Minolta design in cooperation whit Leica like the previous XE-1,Minolta woks whit Leitz/Leica and develop this XD11 and leica the R4.
However they are many differences between the too, specially the mirror box and the metering system.
i wish it had exposure lock. either way, this, and the X-700 are my favorite
The SRT s were amazing too!
I just found this in my cupboard. My gran had one I suppose 😅
I liked my XD11 too, I wish I never sold it.
Program had not been developed when the XD series came out.
You keep taking comparison stabs at the Canon AE1 but Canon A1 was the comparable model.
Minolta gang 🫶
The camera is great until the light meter fails, then you cannot use it...
XG series also GOOD
After looking at the prices it doesn't seem to be that underrated at all.
Great camera..I got one..to you new generation its an unknown and non interesting gear but to us old generation is gold in hand..it's the same camera as leica R4 and 5.