Minolta XE-7, any user experience?

[shadowfox]

I agree ...

plus I have always been a sucker for brassing 😉

Yes, you're sick... like me 🙂

Congrats on the XE-7, is the viewfinder clear? no black fuzzy stuff across (inside the viewfinder glass, on the prism to be exact) ?

 

[asiafish]

R3 and XE-7

R3 and XE-7

Actually there is a lot more in common than just the shutter. The R3 (I own both R3 MOT and XE-7) was obviously based on the XE-7, with many parts in common including the bottom plate, shutter, film advance mechanism (except for the lever itself), and too many others to list. Hold them side-by-side and they are obviously the same camera.

Here are the differences between R3 and XE-7:
Lens mount and related mechanisms for aperture control (obviously), Mirror box, pentaprism (silvered in R3), pentaprism housing (metal in R3, plastic in XE-7) and the addition of spot metering (all enclosed in the mirror box except for switch around the shutter speed dial) on the R3. They are the same size, use the same cases and even the meter needle motor Minolta's CLC (contrast light compensator) metering are identical in the R3.

Oh, by the way, the XE-7 is by far my favorite Minolta SLR, just as the R3 is my favorite Leica SLR. I also own X-570 and SRT200, but the XE-7 is the one I always grab for shooting with Rokkors and my R6 usually stays home while the R3 is used with my Elmarits.

Hi IG
I have a XE7 and would fully agree with sitemistic. It is a very well built camera and very reliable too. And it is heavy - about 750 gramms without lens. It is my workhorse SLR. The mirror slap is a little bit louder than at the R3 but this is also depending on the maintenence of the camera. The finder on the R3 is much brighter but the XE7 finder is (for me) absolutely sufficient in low light situations, never had any problems.

I have made wonderful slides with this gear and Ektachrom 64 film. Because of the metering mode of the XE7 you have to underexpose Ekta 64 by 1/3 f-stop. BTW I have a very rare lens for the Minolta MC/MD mount, it´s a 2,8/24mm VFC wideangle. I is specially made for architecture and landscape shots. The days I have bought it, it was very expensive (for me) and I have collected money about two years untill I could afford one.

The XD11/XD9 or the X700 are wonderful cameras too, but for me, they have too much electronic parts inside wich can fail or brake down.

Please forget the fairytale is told of the R3/XE7. The only part they have both is the copal shutter. There was only a joint-venture of Leitz an Minolta in developing a modern SLR in the early 70-s.

Regards
George

 

[Nokton48]

Here is a Meter Repair Flikr page on the Minolta XE-7:

http://www.flickr.com/photos/64926118@N06/sets/72157632989580298/with/8512136345/