Minolta XD7
The Minolta XD-7 ( marketed as the XD11 in the USA and as the XD in Japan ) was an SLR camera for the 35 mm format produced by the Japanese manufacturer Minolta .
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It was launched on the market in 1977 . The XD-7 was the first camera, in addition to the manual exposure setting both time and shutter priority offered. At the same time as the new automatic aperture control for Minolta, modified lenses were offered, externally recognizable by the designation “MD” and the additional driver on the aperture ring for transmitting the smallest aperture value.
Further equipment features
The XD-7 was the top model of its manufacturer when it was released and therefore had some outstanding equipment features at the time. In addition to the multi-automatic system, this also included a micro-honeycomb matt screen that provided an extremely bright viewfinder image, whose proprietary technology was also used for Hasselblad medium format cameras, which also significantly improved their viewfinder image. In addition, the camera could also be operated without batteries to a limited extent, as it offered two fully mechanical shutter speeds. Specifically, these were "O" (1/100 second) and "B" for long exposures . A winder (Auto Winder D) was available for the XD-7 , which enabled an image sequence of up to 2 images per second. The XD-7 had a remote release connector that could be used to operate both mechanical and electrical remote releases.
During the production period there was a small change in the position of the lever for manual exposure compensation. In the first models, this was so unfortunate that it was located under the ring for setting the film speed on the outside of the housing that it could be unintentionally adjusted using the strap. To rule out this, the position of this lever was shifted inwards by about 90 degrees clockwise on later models.
In addition to the XD-7, Minolta also offered a camera called the XD-5 , which had been reduced by a few features compared to its sister model and was accordingly offered at a lower price. For example, the XD5 lacked the display of the preset aperture in the viewfinder and the cover integrated in the viewfinder eyepiece, which prevents incorrect exposure measurement when taking pictures from a tripod or with a self-timer.
A special feature of the XD-7 and XD-5 models is the "Programmable decision logic" function in the automatic shutter setting "S". This automatically adjusts the shutter speed when the aperture range is exceeded in order to prevent incorrect exposure. Is z. If, for example, an exposure time of 1/125 sec is selected and the lighting conditions do not allow correct exposure even with the aperture open, the camera slows down the shutter speed until correct exposure is guaranteed. These interventions are indicated by an arrow pointing up or down (depending on whether overexposure or underexposure is prevented) in the camera viewfinder. By choosing a very short or a very long exposure time, appropriate trend programming can be carried out.
The XD-7 or XD-5 does not yet support TTL flash measurement , this was only implemented in the successor models X-700 and X-500. With a suitable flash unit, however, the flash readiness can be displayed in the viewfinder.
The robust metal housing of the XD-7, which largely corresponded to that of the Leica R4 due to the close cooperation with Leica at the time, was widely appreciated . In the successor model, the X-700 , it was replaced by a lighter metal-plastic housing.
Minolta XD-7 in the black version
Newer version of the camera with a different position of the lever for exposure compensation
Minolta XD-7 with Auto Winder D
Auto Winder D, back side
Web links
- The Minolta XD series (English)