Minolta X-700 film camera

[JamesB]

This is my wifes fathers camera. she has had it ever since he passed away many years ago. she never used it and I dont know much about film stuff.

Anyone here know anything about this camera

James

[Big Dog]

Originally Posted by JamesB

Anyone here know anything about this camera?

Use one fairly regularly. What do you wish to know?

http://www.mir.com.my/rb/photography...s/minoltax700/

http://www.kenrockwell.com/minolta/700.htm

http://www.angelfire.com/ca4/shikishima/manual/

Google - it's a good thing ...

[JamesB]

thanks, I looked some time ago and found nothing,

Guess I may try to explore film some. maybe strictly B&W since I have never done so.

James

[Murph]

Its a superb camera, and additional lenses are cheap.

[boldimagery]

All those knobs on top have all the answers. If you have mastered a digital SLR a film camera is a walk in the park. Film has one ISO. It come in 12, 24, and 36 exposure rolls. Everyone will want to sell you a four pack of the stuff. You can't change the ISO once you load the roll you committed. It has center weighted metering just like almost all digi SLR's have too to change exposures you turn the shutter speed dial. To change your aperture you change your setting on the aperture ring on the lens.

The "A" stands for Auto. That is really it. If you never loaded a film camera. The canister will only go in one way. Then you pull the film over to the take up spool. Slide the film leader in the slot. Spin the spool by firing and advancing the film crank a couple of times. Close the door fire the camera advancing the film to "1" in the frame counter window.

When you get ready to take the film out. Be sure to press the little button on the bottom prior to you rewinding. Then go to your local lab for processing.

That be it. That is a camera. The X-700 was one of the longest production runs of a manual focus camera. It was right up there (almost... LOL!) with the Pentex K1000.

Have fun!

[LoungeLizard]

That used to be my camera - after my Minolta SRT-201.

It's a great camera. Simple to use and did a great job for me.

Let me know if I can help. We can meet up sometime.

[CaptainTom]

check the condition of the "gaskets" on the film door. They have a tendency to deteriorate over the many years of use. They can be fixed by any good camera repairman.

[Cope]

One of those " I never should have sold it" cameras. If you decide to shoot a lot with it, find a MD-1 Motor drive/grip. It makes the X-700 a really nice package. The Rokkor MD lenses are preferred, and available cheap on ebay. Before I got into DSLR last year, I had bought an X-700/MD-1 and several clean lenses to replace the one I traded off 25 years before. I had to sell it all to finance the DSLR move, but I still regret it. There's something about manual focus SLRs that's hard to explain.

[henryp]

Here's another link with a pdf of the manual.

[henryp]

.

[JamesB]

I got some B&W film, read the pdf manual provided in the links above, I cleaned the camera and the 28mm lens and polarizer filter, put in some fresh batteries and Im ready to tackle Bid Bend in a few days.

I guess big bend national park could offer at least 1 place to get a some what decent B&W photo

this will be my first time shooting B&W film, but not my first trip to Big Bend, so I have a few ideas on where to go

James

[venchka]

Take your polarizer, Kodachrome 64 & Velvia 50 to Big Bend. In case you didn't know, both Kodak & Ilford make a B&W film that can be processed by every mini-lab in the country. They use C-41 (color negative) chemicals.

Enjoy! Share your results.

[ChadT]

That was my first SLR...got it when I was probably 12 or 11 and had it until I was 30. Man, I wish they made DSLR's that tough at that price point....