My history with the X-700 goes back to about 1989. I was living in Madrid, Spain and just beginning my photography journey. I had started out with a gifted Minolta Maxxum autofocus system but eventually adopted manual focus as my vibe. The X-700 did everything I could want it to do and proved itself worthy on many occasions. I apologize if this ends up sounding like a love letter, but the X-700 was perfect for a budding photographer on a budget.
That camera went everywhere with me. I would leave my day job at 5pm, grab my camera bag and wander the streets of Madrid until nightfall. On the weekends I would jump on a train and explore different towns and regions. With that X-700 I photographed serene landscapes, medieval castles, city streets, violent riots, the aftermath of terrorist attacks, and the running of the bulls. That camera shot the one and only magazine cover in my old portfolio.
It followed me back to the US to travel all over the Western states. I used it for fun and for work as I explored different disciplines in photography. Another X-series body usually rode along as a backup. My lenses ranged from 28mm to 200mm, and I rarely felt ill-equipped to capture whatever I set my mind to.
It was a hard-working camera, subjected to all kinds of conditions. Whether in the brutal July heat in Utah’s Zion National Park or the cold and wet conditions while smelt-dipping on Washington’s Cowlitz River, it kept on shooting. Although the meter was a simple center-weighted system, I trusted it with sensitive assignments on slide film. It handled nearly all scenes very well.
At some point in the early 2000s I realized that the film advance wouldn’t work unless the motor drive was attached. The plastic gears had just given up. I continued to use it with the motor drive, as that’s how I had been using it for over a decade.
I was no longer shooting professionally, as I had burned out on city life and working for an advertising agency. I moved to a small town with little opportunity for the types of photography I did. My X-700 was thus re-tasked with a much more important mission: documenting my two sons’ early years.
Meanwhile, the world was changing. The digital revolution had begun, and film was losing ground fast. Labs closed. Film became more scarce. An entry-level Canon DSLR revived my interest in photography. My Minoltas were deemed obsolete, packed away and eventually shipped off to KEH.
Years later I was admittedly surprised by the resurgence of analog photography. As I began to re-engage with film, I realized how much I missed my Minolta system. My father gave me his old SRT-201 (complete with a “hippie strap”) as well as a few nice lenses. This was the impetus I needed to reassemble my old system.
Any discussion of Minolta’s X series cameras should include a mention of the dreaded capacitor problem. In the bottom of many of the X series bodies, there is a single capacitor that has a tendency to fail, leak and corrode the circuitry. The result is that the LEDs in the viewfinder will light up, but the mirror won’t return, the shutter won’t fire, and the film won’t advance.
This is a relatively easy fix for somebody that can handle a soldering iron (and find the right replacement). The X-700 has more than one capacitor that is prone to failure, and one of them is considerably harder to access. Even once you manage to replace the capacitors, there could be other problems that drive up the repair costs. I have now seen several bodies with shutter capping problems.
To be fair, I don’t think Minolta’s designers and engineers anticipated us having this discussion in 2025. These cameras were not built to last multiple lifetimes. Obsolescence and innovation are how most camera companies stay in business. Nevertheless, the X-700 stayed in production from 1981 to 1999. That’s an impressive run, considering Minolta launched their autofocus Maxxum line in 1985.
On the front of the camera is a small badge with “MPS”, an acronym for Minolta Program System”, referring to the full program mode available on the X-700. With the lens’ aperture ring set to the smallest aperture (newer lenses had a lock), the X-700 could use a full program mode, controlling both shutter speed and aperture. This mode is set on the shutter speed dial, by rotating to the green “P”.
There is an aperture-priority mode, designated by the letter “A” on the dial. You choose the aperture and the camera chooses the shutter speed. In either automatic mode, shutter speeds down to 4 seconds are possible. The aperture and the recommended shutter speed are visible in the viewfinder. Manually set shutter speeds range from 1 second to 1/1000, plus bulb.
Although the features were very impressive in 1981, none of its capabilities really stand out as wildly innovative or extreme. It is simply a very effective tool that can handle most situations. I wonder if Minolta had given up hope of ever capturing a significant portion of the professional market. This camera was somewhat modular, with optional focusing screens, motor drives, dedicated flashes, and a full suite of capable lenses.
It is perhaps those lenses that keep me coming back to Minolta. They had always been serious about their glass, as they understood that the lens affects the image in ways that the body cannot. They were meticulous in ensuring that color transmission characteristics did not change from lens to lens. Their optical standards of resolution and contrast were high but with a balanced approach.
Is the X-700 the perfect camera, for every type of photography? Of course not. Does it have shortcomings? Of course it does. I prefer more complete metering information in the viewfinder, but my my shooting style rarely demanded it. Aperture Priority was usually used in the streets, as I had already chosen the film stock appropriate for the lighting conditions. Manual mode ruled the studio environment, as I carefully metered lighting with a Minolta flash meter.
When using flash, particularly in a fill flash environment, 1/60 second is a bit slow. Minolta’s decision to go with a horizontal cloth shutter likely required that. Vertical metal shutters are usually capable of faster sync speeds. Again, not a big problem for most of my photography, but it’s nice to have a faster flash sync speed option for certain scenarios.
Minolta’s X-700 was a constant companion for years, and was a purchase I never regretted. The controls became second nature through muscle memory. The meter was utterly predictable, in the best way. I can only hope that enough of them survive long enough to bring yet another generation the joy of using a fine camera.
Specs:
Designation: Minolta X-700 35mm camera
Introduced: 1981
Manufactured: Japan
Lens Mount: Minolta SR (often called MD mount)
Weight: 501g (17.7oz)
Shutter: Horizontal cloth focal plane, electronically controlled
Shutter Speed range: 1-1/1000 second plus bulb in manual, 4-1/1000 in A/P modes
Flash Sync: 1/60 second
ASA range: 25-1600
Hot shoe: Yes
Meter: Center-weighted TTL
Modes: Metered manual, aperture-priority, Program
Battery: 2 x LR44 1.5v batteries (or equivalent)
Self-Timer: Yes
DOF Preview: Yes
Mirror lockup: No
Multiple exposures: No
