[Astro-Baby]

Chris....easiest lens to work on is a 50mm f1.7 Minolta MC series, its very straightforward, lots of you tube vids and to be honest there is not much to go wrong. Its worth buying a complete banger to learn on...probably cost you the price of a baguette and coffee in Starbucks....cheap for a lesson in lens repair

[Chris_K]

Chris....easiest lens to work on is a 50mm f1.7 Minolta MC series, its very straightforward, lots of you tube vids and to be honest there is not much to go wrong. Its worth buying a complete banger to learn on...probably cost you the price of a baguette and coffee in Starbucks....cheap for a lesson in lens repair

Thanks - I'll go for it

[Astro-Baby]

Younwill need a few tools, soz forgot that, a lens spanner is a must have, check out neewer tools for this as they are quite cheap, you can get by usually with some philips micro screw drivers BUT if you ate going to get serious about it get some JIS drivers....you will need them if you run into a tough screw to get out. They have a steeper profile than a Philips.

If you do a Minolta lens watch the guides on you tube and watch out for the tiny ball bearing.....its MUCH smaller than you may imagine and can get lost very easy.

[Sam_I_am]

I just finished up going through that lens thread. Very interesting stuff.

Oh, and the 102 just came in.

[Sam_I_am]

Here is the SRT102. It came with the 50mm1.7 with Minolta hood, and a Vivitar 3.5, 135. It seems that buying a 135 lens was what everyone did back in the day, each kit so far has come with one. lol

This is the first camera so far that has some pitting on the finish. I am guessing it might have been stored in a damp location? Also, this is the first one that needs repair. I was making sure the battery compartment was clean and popped off the bottom plate to find this wire. It looks like it needs to be re-soldered to that little tab sticking off of the battery holder.

[Sam_I_am]

Is there an MA? (Minoltas Anonymous). My wife reminded me that I said I was going to sell these as I cleaned them up and tested them. I seem to have a problem letting them go (and I have not even named them...yet). Part of my problem is that I do not know which one(s) to keep and build around (other than the X700). I have googled "best minolta cameras" and there seems to be as many opinions as there are users. So I am asking for all your opinions as well.

I mentioned that other 101 that is heading my way. Also in the mail is an XG-7, and X570.

[Astro-Baby]

Yep thats the battery terminal wire. Its a common problems on these and lots of cameras from this period. The solder can fail.

Best Minolta ? Well that would depend on what you consider the best attribute to be....longevity, hipster looks, ease of use, technical prowess, heres my take on it as someone with a bad addiction to old cameras.

For tank like build and ultimate hipster looks it woukd be an SRT101 with the MC 58mm f1.4 in its day the SRT was a phenomenal sales success. The 303 is considered the peak of the SRT series but I think it looks ugly myself. Hipster el Supremo.

Ease of use probably the X700 with is program mode, its a sweet camera in many ways but the on switch does my head in. Early ones with tantalum capacitors are reliable, later ones less so but fixable easy enough. Best selling Minolta of all time so something was right about it. Nicer than Canons AE1 which it was designed to compete with. Plastic fantastic.

X570 is like an X700 but with no program mode but it does show what shutter speed is selected and what the meter wants where the X700 only shows meter suggestion. Personally I dont find that a problem and prefer minimal VF info, the OM1 suits me best with just a meter showing + 0 - as it keeps the view uncluttered.
Some people prefer the X500 over the 700 for its more ‘manual’ approach to things but to me it seems like a slugged X700.

XG series run away from these, known to be a troublesome box, best of the XGs is the XGM but later ones were bashed out in low quality in Malaysia. Trouble in store and can be serious. I have one to fix that has burnt out capacitors ...all four of the things.

XD7 or 11 my personal favourite, AP and SP modes plus full manual, sexiest looking Minolta, sleek, refined and very compact. Probably the best manual focus body of them all but never sold well in the day. Avoid any with unknown problems because they are nigh on impossible to repair for us amateurs and usually expensive for repairs. Beautifully made and if looked after very reliable (supposedly). I have two mostly bevause I cant decide which one of them to sell. One in chrome or one in black, black looks cools but silver looks more retro and better overall condition but only by a whisker. Every possible feature that Minolta could cram in with manual, ap and sp modes plus a ‘program mode’ full information VF, auto on once you lightly press the shutter, VF blind built in, exposure comp, final check metering all this plus amazing build quality....last of the well made cameras before the world turned to plastic with a disposable mentality.

XE...cant comment as I have not owned one but its HUGE and heavy like a Nikon F, its on my list to acquire once the right box comes up but you need a minter as they are prone to electronic problems as a consequence of them being bleeding edge in their day.

XM....rare and expensive if working and in good condition. El Dorado of Minoltas.

Keepers in my collection, SRT 101, X700 and a pair of XD7s.

If The house was on fire and I could take just one....the XD7

---------- Post added 06-10-20 at 11:38 PM ----------

Much more of this and we will all get banished from a Pentax forum honest mods I am trying to collect Pentax as well .......its not my fault people on eBay want stupid money for busted MX, LX and K series cameras

---

Last edited by Astro-Baby; 06-10-2020 at 11:37 PM.

[Jonathan Mac]

Have a look at the thread but normally I would strip the lens, quidk bath, no more than a few minutes in peroxide, a quixk bath in IPA and a wash down with water then dry and polish, barrels and metal parts a quixk bath in very dilute peroxide, IPA and then dry and clean, once dully dry blow everything with a rocket blower and reaaemnle using globes and chevking every part as you reaassmnle under a strong glass and a torch.

India Pale Ale??

[Astro-Baby]

IPA....Isoproply Alcohol trust me India Pale Ale would taste better for sure

[Sam_I_am]

You could try soaking it in an India Pale Ale....but you might not want to share.

[LesDMess]

XE...cant comment as I have not owned one but its HUGE and heavy like a Nikon F, its on my list to acquire once the right box comes up but you need a minter as they are prone to electronic problems as a consequence of them being bleeding edge in their day.

. . .

Much more of this and we will all get banished from a Pentax forum honest mods I am trying to collect Pentax as well .......its not my fault people on eBay want stupid money for busted MX, LX and K series cameras

The XE is similar in size to all the others of the time before Olympus introduced the OM series.



Most all of my camera acquisitions were from local listings with a few from KEH and a handful from auction sites. I definitely got far more for my money that way. In fact, I've even made purchases from across country and always got more then expected. Seems manual focus camera owners are an honest lot! It does require a constant watch and you never know when something would become available though!

[Sam_I_am]

The XE is similar in size to all the others of the time before Olympus introduced the OM series.



Most all of my camera acquisitions were from local listings with a few from KEH and a handful from auction sites. I definitely got far more for my money that way. In fact, I've even made purchases from across country and always got more then expected. Seems manual focus camera owners are an honest lot! It does require a constant watch and you never know when something would become available though!

I ran into this with the gentleman that had the AE1 program kit I found on craigslist. He lived 6 hrs from me and shipped it to me.

The minty motor drive for the 700x came in as did the XG7. The XG7 light meter does not work but the shutter does, so I know it is not the batteries. The 50mm lens must have been dropped at one time. The lens filter was dented and shattered. This is what it took to remove it...good news was the lens seems to be just fine.

So other that three letters of the alphabet, what are the major differences between the XD7 and the XG7 ?

[LesDMess]

So other that three letters of the alphabet, what are the major differences between the XD7 and the XG7 ?

I don't have an XG series but Rokkorfiles XG series has a good writeup on it. Released same time as the XD series but at a lower price, less features and used CDS metering cels. Otherwise, seems to be as good looking and equally capable series of cameras.

[Astro-Baby]

Les...thats weird, I did acquire an XE at one point but it was a dishonest eBayer and the camera was junk and went back, it felt a lot larger in my hands than a Pentax KX but it never went near my other cameras as it was dull of mould and in terrible shape. Quite surpised in your pics as it seemed so much larger and heavier closer to a Nikon F with a photomic head.

[Sam_I_am]

I don't have an XG series but Rokkorfiles XG series has a good writeup on it. Released same time as the XD series but at a lower price, less features and used CDS metering cels. Otherwise, seems to be as good looking and equally capable series of cameras.

Les, I must have read all that information at least three times before it started to sink in. lol

So many opinions and so many reasons for going with one camera over another. Like all manufacturers, there are good cameras in each series. The SRT 102/303, the XD11/7, the XG-M, X570, X700, with the XG-M and X700 giving you more auto features. The XD11/7 seems to be a more professional level, along with the X570. Of course these are just my musings after spending too much time absorbing all that info. 😄