Minolta X-700 | This Old Camera #16 

Your videos are so ... professional, I could not image how to make it more professional. But this doesn't mean , that your videos are .. boring or something like that. I wait always after each video for your next video. Great that you are back !! I always grab a coffee or tea, and some sweeties and have 10-20 min journey into the very interesting world of analog photography !! I would be interested in some Contax / Yashica Stuff.... Thanks for sharing !

Busy clearing out my father in laws place and found this exact camera. All it seemed to need was the batteries and a roll of film. It’s now part of my camera kit sitting next to my Nikon D850 for when I shoot historic motoring events.

I'm so glad you're back to making videos, watching these are honestly so informative and relaxing, I love the vibes

The Knight is back!.... feels like I haven´t see videos of your for ages. Anyway cool video!

I get so happy whenever I see one of your vids in my feed!

So glad to see you are back! I really enjoy your videos.

great job man! I love the fact you took the time to go over the camera. It was really helpful for a beginner like me. I'm sure many people will find it useful as well!

I really like how you put in some old articles and advertisements! It was super fun to see those! Nice review!

them beautiful 1980s minolta commercials!! thumbs up for that.

Really love the new version, look and feel of your show. Thanks for your content !

glad to see you back with another episode, thanks.

I know this video is old but I’ve watched like twenty other guides and this is the best and most comprehensive. Thank you 🙏

By far the greatest video I've seen on the X-700!

The best Minolta video for the beginners I have ever seen, Thank you!

this video was very well made. very professional and helpful

Nice review - just picked this one up myself and am super excited to see how it comes out!!

Please never stop making videos. You are my favorite camera related channel.

I have had this camera a week I found your discussion very accurate I look forward to future revues.

YASSSS! MINOLTA X-700 BABY! #minoltagang You always use time for us to wait to see your awesome content meaning videos !

A most enjoyable review,I just got a basically new version on Ebay, and am enjoying it immensely. I shoot a lot of digital and film, and this camera is a joy to use. Cheers!

Hey! Thanks for this video! I was given one of these by a friend recently and it's super good to find out a little more about the history. In the scene where you're talking about prices, I think it would be super helpful to actually _write_ CAD as well as saying it.

This is a very well thought out and well presented video.

Very informative video for someone that's new to this, thank you. I just picked up one with a lens and flash for only $7. Can't wait to see how the pictures turn out

Great series. Keep them coming!

Great video. Relaxed informative and very good explanations for a novice like me. Have some of these beautiful classics at display at home - got inspiration for finally using them. Thanks for sharing:)

i am a lucky owner of a super rare BLACK japan only version without AEL and a low serial below 1007xxx. It is an amazing camera. Never failed me.

Glad to see a new vid from you dude, my Minolta X-700 is currently loaded with ilford HP5+, the 50mm f,1.4 and the motor drive attached as I post this comment, great video as always and keep up the good work

Nice video for this popular camera. Very thorough. Thanks

Love your channel! I wish you had a podcast. Keep up the excellent work.

Another fantastic episode!!

Hey bud we spoke about the EOS 3 a little while ago I'm just glad to see you are back and are feeling better

This format is really working. Great video. I reckon you should explore some of the old folding, roll film cameras from the 1920s-1950s. There’s a lot of lost beauty in them, they take photos with a “classic” look suited to their age, and can sometimes be found dirt cheap in working order. The same can be said of some Baldax and Agfa fixed lens rangefinders out there (Balda Super Baldina and Agfa Super Silette, which are only a few dollars).

Great content and research, which is becoming RARE on this platform. Thanks Azriel! (I swear by this camera, I've owned 4 of them. Everything you need, very little you don't.)

My first camera was an X-700. I leaned photography with that camera. It was a solid camera. I used it in my early photojournalism days. I moved to Nikon only when the meter started to drift and all my shots were hot. I just used exposure compensation to correct it or stopped up either aperture or shutter. Regardless, I bought it in 1986 and passed over the Maxuum. Glad I did because the X-700 is a classic. No one talks about the Maxuum line.

I bought one about a month ago and it's a nice camera to use . Loved the video .

Have my Mum's X700 with 35 - 70 zoom, I love this camera. It had an unused film loaded in it so I went out and took some shots and I was amazed how good they are. Always switch off when not shooting as batteries can drain.

Another great episode! Would love to see something on the F4 if you can get your hands on one, I think it would be interesting

Again you inform us in your way with beautiful old video material. It brings you back to the photo days in the eighties. Thank you so much .

Yessssss !!!! You're Back 😁

The X570 deserves more recognition as it offers fully metered manual mode which the X700 lacks.

I admit, I watched this episode somewhat anxiously. I personally carry a Minolta X-570 as my daily camera (which is almost identical to the X-700, +/- a couple features. I agree, it's nothing fancy but it's got a certain understated charm to it. It's also very reliable and the images never disappoint. As always, your review was well-rounded and fair :)

I’ve had X700’s and X570’s over the years, also many older manual Minolta. Although I liked the X700 I preferred the X570 since I like to shoot in manual mode. Alas neither the X700 or the X570 are working anymore. I think the Florida humidity has done them in. Thanks for the video. I’m glad you’re back.

Hi Mr. Knight. Great review of another classic camera. Thanks for the nostalgia. Please review the Canon A-1. Thank you!

You have the Minolta X-700 of beards. Thank you for an amazing video!

I love the X700! It's my favorite camera of all time! In fact I have two and want more!

This camera has been my go to for all things music venue photography! I have a f1.4 for it and it does amazing! Its a tough camera and makes super sharp images!

Great camera i used mine for years with fuji velvia , i never looked at auto focus cameras ,

Another fantastic episode Azriel! I personally had a Minolta X500 (the model below the 700) around 5 years ago. Really great camera, though mine had some serious build quality issues, with the film door flying open a few times ruining some rolls of Provia 400X (very expensive even then!) with some memorable shots on them, and the ASA selector dial coming apart in my hands. I ultimately sold it on and switched back to my Olympus OM-10 as my main SLR. Unfortunately I sold some very nice Minolta lenses alongside it I wish I still had for my SRT Super now!

I want one of those so bad, something about them I like. Possibly owning 2 maxxum 7000's. Keep up the good videos.

The fact that i found a new in box x700 with flash, lens, and case, just shows how amazing this camera is

Great video!! Always like your videos. Do a review of the Agfa Optima IIIs. I have one and I think it's a pretty rugged 35mm.

Nice throwback as always man, you should review the OM 1 for its significance. Also consider the XD7/11 for being minolta's best

Thank you for making a new video, I almost gave my hopes

excellent as always- very glad to see you are posting again- how about a Soviet Zenit, the helios glass can sometimes be very special (sometimes not so much-quality control was a crap shoot)

Very nice review as always! My X-700's shutter died after a year or so of regular use, but I've got to admit that its viewfinder is amazing; way better than most of its contemporaries. All in all, I guess that I prefer my utterly loyal ME super over most Minoltas and Olys, since in my experience they both do not age very well... I just love Pentax!

Thanks for the vid, recently bought a good condition one with the original shoulder strap, original instruction manual and a 50mm 1.7, all of that for just 110€

Thanks for your great video. ;)

I can’t wait until you make a this old camera video on the Minolta XD series or Minolta a-7 and a-9.

Nat Geo, Discovery and whoever else. When Attenborough retires, hire this man.

I love your camera memory lane thing, but a few details: The X-700 wasn't the last camera produced for their SR mount before the release of the Alpha/Maxxum/Dynax AF cameras, that title actually goes to Minolta X-9 and before that Minolta released the X-500/X-570 and the X-300/X-370 as well as later updates as the X-300s and X-300n. I think Minolta also released the XG-M (X-70 in Japan) slightly after the X-700. The X-500/X570 actually have a feature that is much appreciated; it's not only fully metered during manual mode photography but it also displays the set shutter speed in the viewfinder so in essence you got match-LED fully metered photography with the advanced flash metering system.

I have that camera. The 50mm Minolta lens is great. Sharp images. Again long live Minolta!

good photos this time!

Great video. But you forgot one detail, in minolta cameras like the x-700 or the xd in order to take multiple exposure you need to press the film release button an reload the camera, you will notice that the film slide doesnt move and thus keeps the same frame

Review Minolta XG1 please!! That camera is rarely reviewed by anyone!

I have one. I need that drive grip though!

I‘ve denied all automated SLRs that I found on fleamarkets recently because I didn’t want to add another one to my Spotmatic SP1000 and FM2n but I had my hands on a working Praktica BC20 with a 50/something and was nearly convinced. According to your video I think I should consider another camera system, though. Maybe you could compare a BC20 (or similar) with the X700.

Great thanks very much.....

Kodak retina III, please and thank you...keep up the good work, we all appreciate it.

I love my X-700, it's my go to 35mm slr. It's beaten to hell and the frame counter stopped working on the 3rd roll I ever put through it, (which I understand is common) , but she's a shooter.

Awesome Video, Thanks. I love your Vid's :o)

Sometimes when I try to focus on an object, the microprisms never disappear. The split image is aligned, but sometimes the microprisms never disappear. Do you know why?

In after #minoltagang (great vid, as usual).

Managed to get one for 71$ on ebay 🎉 i love auctions

The Minolta x700 I have, the advance button won’t won’t budge. Does anyone know how to fix that?

Have you reviewed any of the manual Nikon cameras like the FM,FM2 , FG and so on . I have a Nikon fm and it's quite a good camera but fully manual . Loved the video .

Nice job, Azriel. How about a Minolta XD review?

Great video, some more Pro's - it is good looking, you can rewind the film without spooling it in the canister. Con: there is a flaw with a capacitor that may stop the release, but this can be relatively remedied by replacing that part. Suggestion for next review something from the 50's all manual.

Nice review. I have and use this camera too. In fact I have a few minolta cameras...... Ok, that's a Lie. I have , many, many, many, many, Minolta cameras and accessories and even more Lenses for them. There's a few things that I wish you had mentioned if not covered in your review with this camera. Such as the common problems with this camera that often makes them sell for pennies on the dollar. These can be fixed really easily. I have three copies of the x700 camera that I picked up on eBay all for less than $50. One of them I got for $20 that was not firing. And one that I picked up for about $35 with a few lenses and flashes ended up not working after a couple of months of use. Both those two cameras I mentioned had a capacitor failure problem. It's an issue that's well-documented all over the Minolta message boards and websites that are dedicated to classics or Minolta cameras. It's easily fixed if somebody knows how to solder. I don't see too many of these deals on eBay anymore for the less than $50, like I used to see about six or seven years ago, but they do come up. When that happens, you can get them for really cheap and fix them yourself for just a few dollars. However it is also means that you must make sure that a Minolta MD camera works, if you're buying one off of eBay or some other website, before you pay more than $75 for it. It's something that seems to happen often and if the seller says he has no battery to test the camera with then you should assume the capacitor is dead or needs replaced really soon (because that's often the case) and spend accordingly. Also the x700 has a hack that can be done to modify the light meter, though I can understand if that may be too complicated to cover in a review

I have two of these. :)

Can you review the Canon sure shot line of cameras?

How about a look at the Konica FT-1 motor. It was quite an advanced camera for its time 😊 I still own one but sadly battery leaks mean it no longer functions.

These cameras have notorious capacitor failure problems. If you get to test it, it may have a stuck film advance and the meter may read until you press the shutter release. If it does this, you need to replace 1 or 2 capacitors. The one on the bottom is easy while the one on top requires special or homemade tools. Often it is only the bottom capacitor and the fix is easy. If these capacitors have not been replaced, expect failure in the near future.

Oh, I got an idea for cameras to review; pick one of the camera maker Chinon, an early CX or CS or why not a later CE-4 or CE-5? The early should have a little of cult status as they feature modern vertical metal shutters and are not battery dependent for operation except for metering and besides using M42 mount you can find some really interesting lenses from Meyer-Optik Görlitz or others with special character to use or the fact that Chinon bought their lenses from independent lens manufacturers with cult status on their own like Kino Precision Industries (Kiron in the US) or Komine and secondly they have a very American connection few seem to know; Kodak aquired a majority stake of Chinon shares in 1997 so most of the advanced Kodak cameras since was actually made by Chinon.

I would love to see a this old camera about the Yashica mat tlr

I prefer the X-570 / X-500. It doesn't have P mode, only A, but it displays also the chosen shutter speed in the viewfinder when in M mode, so for me it's more useful. All the same accessories still work. And they can be bought really cheaply.

What about reviewing the Nikon FA or Fujica AX-3?

Fun camera to use, but it ain’t reliable enough. Still think I’ll get mine fixed.

If you really want to go for an obscure but good camera try and review the Yashica Lynx 14E. I found one at a thrift store and was amazed at how good it is

I'd like to see something medium format, or another film episode.

Great review. Have you reviewed the Canon T90?

Hi, would you have any chance in the future trying to shoot with medical x-ray films? They are pretty convenience for large format photography.

The x-700 wasn't the last manual focus camera by Minolta. There was the x-500, the x300 and the x300s before the AFs.

Damn bro, only 100 bucks for a typical X700? In Australia, its like 300 USD after conversions.

best beginners camera, i use mine X-700 when i can, simple to use, even in manual mode!

I was lucky enough to get a Cosina CT1G for £20 recently, basically a K 1000, fell in love with it, ruined my first lot of film by tearing it on the last shot, second roll through (a bit disappointed with the Jessops 400 I put through it as it was very grainy in low light, out of date film, can't complain). Prefer it to my Olympus 350, which is saying something; bought 130mm lens to try out soon. Bought an Olympus OM 10 with autowinder at the same time and haven't looked at it since; doesn't feel right. Funny how the feel of a camera is 80% of its quality.

How about medium format 120, like Mamiya 645, great camera own 2 of them.

Pls do the minolta X300!!

Can you make a Video about the Nikon FA or the olympus om2

Do this for the AE-1 Program and the Yashica 35 Electro!

Man, I regret selling it, it's such a great camera. Only reason I sold it: unreliable with batteries.