Minolta X-1

The Minolta XM came in 1972 on the market and was built in about until early 1980. The XM was Minolta's attempt in the camera - professional class to gain a foothold and paroli to offer the established competitors from the houses Nikon (Nikon F and Nikon F2) and Canon ( Canon F-1 ). For this reason, the XM was designed and built at enormous expense, always with the condition that it should be even better than the great competition.

The result is an extremely advanced for the 1970s and courageous camera with impressive features: The XM has interchangeable viewfinder, time automatic, electronically controlled shutter with a large time range and an extremely solid case. Interesting feature of the XM is a sensor switch on the right front of the camera over which the measurement system of the camera is automatically switched to the detention.

Disadvantage and criticism of the XM was the missing motor connection (motor connection was not designed for the XM ). To meet the demands for a motorized XM, brought Minolta 1976 XM engine ( a modified XM with permanently integrated motor unit and increased transport mechanism ) on the market. With the XM engine, a new auto - finder was delivered, which has an extended measuring range and its measurement cell responds faster. Nevertheless, the XM engine was not a success. The professional photographers had doubts regarding reliability and stability of an electronic professional camera.

The XM was Minolta's top model in the non- AF camera generation. Although the XM offered a lot of functionality and quality that never made it, however, to emerge from the shadow of the professional models from Nikon and Canon. She remained the only Minolta professional version with interchangeable viewfinder. Only in the autofocus era Minolta tried again the way into the camera professional camp, with the Minolta 9000 AF and later the Minolta Dynax 9

Data and features

The Minolta XM is a 35mm SLR camera with TTL light metering. The lens mount is the Minolta SR- bayonet, the associated lenses are designated " MC Rokkor ". With the introduction of the first multi- automatic SLR Minolta XD7 1977, the transition was made to the compact, designed for automatic iris MD Rokkore, which can also be used with the XM.

The closure of Minolta XM is a horizontal focal-plane shutter with very thin, epoxy resin - coated titanium blinds. This shutter is electronically controlled and operates on 1/2000 second to a full 16 seconds. The shutter speed is set to " classic " on a shutter speed dial on top of the camera. The manual shutter speeds on this button from 1 to 1/ 2000 seconds adjustable ( plus X and B). In automatic mode ( AUTO position on the shutter button, but only with the AE and AE -S finder of XM and XM motor) Camera controls shutter speeds of full 4 seconds to 1/2000 second. The flash sync speed is 1 /100 second.

Shutter speeds up to 16 seconds are possible. To this end, B must be selected and a lever (located under the shutter speed dial ) on the shutter speed can be adjusted seconds shutter speeds 2, 4, 8 and 16.

The measuring system of XM is integrated into the AE or AE -S viewfinder. This means that " integrated" metering and aperture priority is possible even with these investigators. The film sensitivity range of the XM is 12-6400 ASA.

The self-timer is mechanical on the XM and can be varied over the self-timer lever. Fade to control the depth of field is done by pressing a button next to the lens mount, about the rotation through the mirror lock-up (manual folding of the oscillating mirror before triggering ) is pressed.

The XM has interchangeable viewfinder. There are six different viewfinder, which can be used both on the XM and the XM motor. Only two of these viewfinder provide metering and aperture priority. This automatic viewfinder eyepiece shutter and have a separate switch for the measuring system of the camera. On top of the automatic viewfinder exposure compensation scale to take account of correction values ​​. For all other investigators, the exposure must be determined by an external light meter. Flash devices are connected to the XM via accessory shoe. This can be pushed over the film rewind knob on the camera body.

The viewfinder of the XM features a large and clear viewfinder image. Showing 100 percent of the image field and set on the lens aperture. In addition, with the automatic seekers is still a time scale on the right side of the viewfinder image visible.

The XM has brass top and bottom caps that were painted black. The rear wall can not be removed.

  • Camera: 48 × 84 × 147.5 mm
  • Weight: 670 g
  • AE Finder: 50 × 76 × 65 mm
  • Weight: 225 g

Power supply: two 1.5V silver oxide batteries (eg EPX76 )

Accessories

Interchangeable viewfinder

• Automatic prism viewfinder AE: standard viewfinder, which provides automatic timer ( with 2 after the Minolta CLC metering principle [ "Contrast Light Compensation " ] connected in series CdS cells)

• Automatic prism viewfinder AE -S: First standard XM engine and later with XM (Exposure Metering with blue silicon cell)

• Prismensucher P: simple prism viewfinder without exposure meter

• Lichtschachtsucher W compact folding waist-level viewfinder with magnifier

• Magnification Viewfinder H rigid loupe viewfinder with 6.2 × magnification

• tracking prism finder M

Shims

For XM, there are 10 matte and clear glass discs (P, M, PM, G, L, H, S, C1, C2 & C3 ) and a micro- honeycomb plate (AP, the forerunner of the later micro honeycomb technique of XG and XD series). The shims can be replaced by removing the viewfinder. Depending on the focusing screen are partially exposure compensation needed ( setting the AE - seekers XM ).

Versions

The XM was regionally sold under different names, in America as XK and in Asia under the name X -1. The functions and features are the same for XM, XK, X-1.

Minolta Maxxum 9000
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