Minolta XD Mania Part One, The Evergreen Don Valley Brickworks
I got my crhrome Minolta XD back from Garry's Camera a few weeks ago and I wanted to give it a good workout so I packed it along with my black XD-11 for a photowalk through The Evergreen Don Valley Brickworks and along part of the Beltline Trail. With bright sunshine, this is going to be a colour film weekend, end of discussion.
The XD (Japan home market) and XD-11 (North America) are the same camera, in fact with a different outer shell and lens mount, it's a Leica R4 and R5, take out the electronics, an R6. Wish I could swing a Leica R system but lens prices are just plain silly these days thank you mirrorless full frame digital bodies. With the Minolta XD system you're getting pretty much the same experience. The XD system is pretty close in size and shape to the Nikon FM/FE platform with pretty similar ergonomics and was best in class in 1977/78 in terms of technology.
If you're looking for one, the XD(7/11 I really hate how Minolta designated their models in different markets), expect to spend around $100 to $150 and budget another $80 for a CLA with Garry's Camera. From my experience, a lot of camera techs in Southern Ontario won't touch electronic Minoltas from the mid to late 1970s. If you're a Minolta fan and have some MD Rokkor lenses, you NEED this camera.
Cameras: Minolta XD(11), MD Rokkor X 50 f1.7 lenses.
Film: Kodak Ektar 100, Portra 400.
The XD (Japan home market) and XD-11 (North America) are the same camera, in fact with a different outer shell and lens mount, it's a Leica R4 and R5, take out the electronics, an R6. Wish I could swing a Leica R system but lens prices are just plain silly these days thank you mirrorless full frame digital bodies. With the Minolta XD system you're getting pretty much the same experience. The XD system is pretty close in size and shape to the Nikon FM/FE platform with pretty similar ergonomics and was best in class in 1977/78 in terms of technology.
If you're looking for one, the XD(7/11 I really hate how Minolta designated their models in different markets), expect to spend around $100 to $150 and budget another $80 for a CLA with Garry's Camera. From my experience, a lot of camera techs in Southern Ontario won't touch electronic Minoltas from the mid to late 1970s. If you're a Minolta fan and have some MD Rokkor lenses, you NEED this camera.
Cameras: Minolta XD(11), MD Rokkor X 50 f1.7 lenses.
Film: Kodak Ektar 100, Portra 400.
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