Stepless shutter speeds
program mode
AE lock
MD-1 motor drive (optional)

slow flash sync
no pro 2.8 lenses made by minolta all are 3rd party

This is my primary camera for all events that I shoot for the local newspaper. I use with it a Tokina 80-200/2.8 APO lens and it yield fantastic results better than needed for publication use. I highly recommend it for anyone who is a student or someone who wants to casually start taking photos, but I would not reccomend it for the working professional, because of the lack of features that they look for (AF, high speed sync, etc.)

Customer Service

None ever needed but their website is fantastic

Similar Products Used:

spotmatic II (pentax)
Canon A1
Nikon FM

I bought the X700 with MD 50mm/f1.7 lens in 1983. This is a simple manual focus camera to use - not much frills, good for beginners and yet expandable for more experienced photographers. The "P" mode is very good for me when I just started. So is the "A" mode. You can fully use "M" mode to override the camera's proigrams. I find the metering/exposure is accurate. The AEL lock button is good to lock in exposure for tricky lighting. The depth of field preview button is good too. The raised grips at front & back of camera is confortable to hold. The viewfinder is very bright & clear. The 360PX flash works very well with the X700 in TTL mode. Flash exposure is accurate too. I have used it in beach, rivers, sea, snow, sun and rain - a rugged camera indeed. A pleasure to use.

I would like it to have at least 1 mechanical shutter speed in case the batteries go flat. Also prefer the flash X sync speed to be 1/125 sec instead of 1/60 sec. Likes it to display selected shutter speed in viewfinder (like X300 or X570 does). More quiet mirror slap sound. Backlighted viewfinder info display for viewing at night!

Currently, there are not so many current production lenses and accessories for the X700 line. even the top rated 360PX is out of production-- this is a disadvantage of the X700 line. But then if you don't mind 2nd hand (used) lenses, flashes & accessories, the X700 is ok.

Value for money. Easily picked up & used by beginners using "P" mode, and fully worked on by advanced amateurs/pros using all the modes. Many cheap used lenses & accessories around.

Customer Service

Minolta Singapore service centre is just 45 min bus ride away. They are an experienced lot, responsive & helpful.

Similar Products Used:

X300, X570, XD-11, XE-7

Fully Progammable mode, aperature priority and full manual settings. It's a solid and rugged body that I've been bashing around for 11 years. AE lock and depth of field preview as well as dedicated TTL flash are great features on a bargain camera. My favourite lens is still the 50mm f1.7. This really is quite a feature-packed camera and affordable.

Shutter priority would be nice as would. a little more info in the viewfinder. Slow sync speed. The shutter has jammed a couple of times (I think from overuse). I've since added a second X700 body to my camera bag for just such emergencies.

I have truly loved this camera since I started using it 11 years ago. It is easy to use for the ultimate beginner, and yet has enough "pro level" features to grow with you as a photographer. I have created some outstanding images with this humble camera - which have even wowed the F5 crowd. Lens quality is excellent and can be picked up fairly reasonably. I am just now considering entering the autofocus market, but I'll hang onto my X700s as back-ups

Customer Service

The shutter problem. Unfortunately I'm not near a Minolta service rep and used an independent repair shop. A year later the problem resurfaced.

Similar Products Used:

Pentax ME Super
Canon A1

Easy to use for beginners, rugged construction (early 90's model), good selection of lenses and accessories available, can be use with automatic exposure settings or completley manual.

Slow flash sync speed,
does not show actual f-stop and shutter speed in viewfinder, electronic shutter release failure is quite common.

I purchased my X-700 in 1990, to use to learn photography. The camera has been near flawless in the last 11 years that I've used it, no matter whether I am taking landscapes, seascapes, auto racing, or nudist photographs. I don't like the auto-everything cameras of today, so the X-700 suits my needs perfectly. This is a great multi-purpose camera.

Customer Service

Very good. I purchased my X-700 in 1990, and the camera only needed repairs once. That was last summer, after 10 years of use, when the electronic shutter release failed.

Similar Products Used:

Pentax ME Super

"All you need" without the unnecessary gimmicks. Simple functional layout. Excellent build quality in it's price class.

MD Lens selection shrinks with years.

This is an anniversary gift to my X700 - it will be 10 years old this spring, so why not add an extra 0.02 points to reach Hall of Fame? Besides some scratches, it's still the same reliable workhorse. Unless you do a lot of indoor flash photos, - as reviewers already said, 1/60 shutter is too slow - and you don't need outdoor shutter faster than 1/1000 - this is a perfect camera for a serious amateur. To me, the x700's controls are much easier and clearer than Nikon's. The only improvement I'd add is a brighter focusing screen and an auto winder (smaller than the Minolta's own clunky Powergrip).

Customer Service

I can hardly imagine you'd ever need it. Never failed!

Similar Products Used:

Nikon FM2, F3

The Automatic and Program functions are quite astounding

The only fault I see is the lack of Minolta lenses and accessories

This is a very good camera for the price. I will always stay with them

Similar Products Used:

Minolta 370, Petra and olympus

Small and light design, lots of possibilities (DOF, TTL-flashing, exposure-lock, exposure-correction), very logical handling, big and cheap second-hand market, good line of MD-lenses. the looks of this camera are very good :-)

The sync frequency is quite low (1/60 s), no auto-focus (if you would like to use that anyway...), no mirror-lock

I very much like the look, feel, size and weight of this camera. When you are walking the whole day with a camera around your neck you can really appreciate that, and feel pity for those people walking with their huge, flashy camera's. You also won't need to study on the manual for a week before starting to make pictures. It is manual-focus, yes, but this camera gives you ALL you need to make great pictures. I also own a x-500, several lenses and a px280 flash unit. Total costs won't compare with when you buy a new camera with accesories and it all fits into a small photography back-pack! Second-hand gear for this camera is plentyfull, which gives you the possibility to experiment with it and collect an imposing set of lenses etc.. The fact that it is still produced after 20 years gives a good indication of it's strengths!

Customer Service

No experience yet

Similar Products Used:

None

Durability, DOF, good system

1/60 sec flash sync,no spotmeter

This is the camera I use most often. The AF cameras are worse and I´ll get rid of them soon.
The MD lenses are superb (7,5mm fisheye,45mm f/2, 50 mm f/1,4 and 80-200 f/3,5 Sigma). With the MD-1, this camera system is simply fantastic and has never let me down, so far. This is the last camera I´ll sell although it has its shortcomings.

Customer Service

None

Similar Products Used:

Minolta XG-2, Minolta Dynax/Maxxum 7000, 5xi, XTsi, Canon T70

Fully Programme, A or M mode
AE Lock
Simple to operate yet sophisticated
Audible beeps
Bright & Good information viewfinder

None

An excellent camera in its own class. Sophisticated yet simple to operate. Very intuitive, it's a camera that you can grow with. Therefore excellent for beginners to even professional. Very good range of lenses and accessories during its prime but now overshadowed by AF cameras. Try buying second hand if you can still find. It's my very first camera and just simply love it, had it since 1988, afters years of abuse it's still during extremely well with a once in a blue moon overall maintenance. Strongly recommended!

Customer Service

Excellent, just for general maintenance servicing

Similar Products Used:

Minolta 800si

Lite weight, Easy to use. Manual settings as well as auto settings.
Rugged. Very accurate exposures.

Haven't found any weakness yet.

This is a great camera for the amateur as well as the professional. Its does everything.

Customer Service

Haven't needed any service in 15 years of use.

Similar Products Used:

Minolta 7000i