Minolta X-700 Camera with 3 Lenses, Flash, Weston+More!

This sale is for a Minolta X-700 Camera with 3 Lenses (Minolta MD 50mm f1.7 Prime, Tamron 28mm f2.5 Adaptall 2, Tamron 80-210mm f3.8 with hood), Minolta Auto 280 PX Flash in case with Minolta Wide Panel, Weston Master III Exposure Meter with cone and diffuser that has a crack in the glass but is very accurate, shutter release cable and switch, Ensinor 2x Tele-converter in case, Hoya 49mm collapsible rubber hood, Hoyarex adapter and 3 filters, Owners Manual and a Minolta guide to SLR system of creative photography all in very good condition as seen in the actual pictures.

This is a fantastic camera kit that really does have everything you need to get ome fantastic results as the X-700 is still rated as one of the most versitile SLR cameras and won many awards over the years including the European "Camera of the Year" award in 1981 and is still the number 1 choice for many photography students around the world. I found this review on Ciao that I thought would be a lot os use as it tells you more about the camera and features:

I've been interested in cameras since 1984 and was employed in the trade for thirteen years-so I know a little bit about them.

I first purchased an X-700 back in November 1984 at the princley sum of £177.90 from a long closed shop in Wolverhampton called Photomecca, which included a Minolta 50mm F1.7 Standard lens and a Minolta wide strap,and have owned two since-I have got through cameras faster than most people get through food. i was always chopping and changing my equipment for something better...or so I thought.

The first thing to bear in mind that altough automated for it's day, the Minolta X-700 would be considered a basic camera

in todays terms. For example, manual wind and rewind, manual setting of film speed (DX Film coding had just been introduced on another Minolta camera the AF-E compact-the world's first) and manual focussing so there is plenty of scope for getting things right-and wrong!Well, on picking up the camera, the first thing to notice is the lovely handling-the controls fall easily to hand, the viewfinder info is clear and uncluttered and the body/std lens has a lovely positive solid feel to it. Rather like a Leica SLR camera but at a micro fraction of the price.

The spec includes three exposure modes;

PROGRAM- the camera measures the light and sets both the aperture and shutter speed, ideal for beginners or to work fast. The actual mode was more advanced than it's contemporaries as it was biased towards higher shutter speeds, a common failing in photography being camera-shake, this reduces the possibility somewhat so incresed the 'hit rate' of successful pictures.

APERTURE PRIOITY-The aperture or the iris on the lens is set and the camera sets the corresponding shutter speed. Very useful for controlling 'Depth of field' (which determines how much of the subject is in focus) Critically, the X-700 has a Depth of Field Preview button which allows the user to see how much of the subject is in focus.

MANUAL-The user sets both the aperture AND the shutter speed-total control overexposure but also offers the greatest scope for mistakes by beginners, so use with caution at first.

Other facilities include Through the lens TTL flash which actually measures flash output off-the-film resulting in very accurate flash and well exposed flash pics , auto flash synch speed setting which will prevent an elementary mistake of setting the shutter speed faster than 1/60th sec (and having a nice stripe town the middle),exposure compensation which enables the user to intentionally lighten or darken the picture on PROGRAM or APERTURE PRIORITY modes, ability to take the excellent Motordrive MD-1 which can fire at 3.5 frames pers

second, interchangeable focussing screens (by an authorised Minolta agent) which enables the viewfinder to be customised to a particular type of photography eg A grid screen for Architecture so vertical and horizonal lines can be aligned, an ISO/ASA rating for the meter of 25-1600 and an electronic cable release socket-for vibration free photos when used on a tripod.

The Top plate is a masterpiece of design, showing you exactly what the camera is doing with a lock on the PROGRAM mode and the option to switch the 'bleeps'off.

It also allows access to the range of superb Minolta MD lenses, which are some of the very best-if you purchase one, I would advise Minolta lenses only.

Results? When used in it's constraints set in 1982 it delivers superb , sharp pics both using normal ambient light and flash.

in fact, I have used a multitude of more expensive cameras since and none have delivered sharper pics.

And drawbacks? This is no digital camera, no instant results and the scope to get things horribly wrong if the instructions are not read, as with any camera of its era. The flash sync speed is too slow at 1/60 sec-try using flash in daylight with iso 400 fim. Experience is also required to obtain the best results.

But, when mastered, the quality of results will blow away any digital camera available at present.

A good example would cost around £130-160 and turn up fairly frequently in Jessops and other specialist photographic dealers, if you come across one BUY IT! I never bettered mine despite changing brands several times.