Minolta X-370 replacement!!!

Ok .. I have been here before in grief counceling when my first X-370

had to be laid to rest... Some of you might remember me from not so

long ago. Well, I went out, I moved on , I bought another X-370. It

looks as though it is brand new.. Worked amazingly on the first 10

rolls of film and now...... Ughhhhhhhhhhh... It is, I want so badly

to call it a POS its unreal, but I am holding out hope that I will

not have to add Anger management to my grief counciling adventures.

I will take it to the shop ect.. ect.. but my question is this...

Is there another camera body out there that I can use all 6 of my MD

mount lenses on? Please tell me there is hope and that I am not stuck

with these lenses with no other body alternatives?

You all are the best , thanks for the help.

Marylou...

Seagull cameras are Minolta X series clones. Minolta now only makes the X-370S. You may also find the X-700 on the used market.

Being new to these forums, I don't remember you from before, and I couldn't find posts about your earlier problems by using the search function, so I'm probably missing something you've discussed before, but I'm curious about the phrase "It looks as though it's brand new." Is there something so bad about the new, warrantied X-370S bodies that makes taking a chance on buying used, and then spending more money on repairs, the better route?

Actually John, I was new and inexperienced when I bought my first Minolta via a pawn shop, but I felll in love with it even though it was banged up alittle. Once I had it put down, I wanted to stay with the X-370 because I had aquired 3 rather nice lenses with it, so I went on eb*y and found a great deal on this one I have now. It came with enough wonderful acessories and 3 really nice lenses , case ect. and when I got it, ("It looks as though it's brand new.") I was unaware that Minolta even still made the X-370 any longer until after I had purchased this second one. I have heard some say they have had thiers for years with no problems, I have had 2 in less than 6 months that have more than my share. Maybe a new warrentied camera is the way to go then .. Thank you so much for your help John....where were you when I bought my first one ....(sigh)

Marylou

<P>Yes, the X-370 is still available new, and there are a million used X-series bodies of various vintages. If you buy from a dealer there would probably be 3, 6 or 12 month warranty. The X-700 was a hugely popular and highly specified camera, and is a good used buy. I should prefer the XD-11 if you could find one - better build quality than the X-700 and all the features except TTL flash metering.</P><P>The MD lenses also fit the SR series cameras. The SRT-101 is a real classic though I'm not sure about the battery situation.</P>

I have several X series Minoltas including the 370 and 2 700s. All are quite old except for one quite new X-700 I bought just before they discontinued them. I think they are worth repairing, unless they are trashed, but that's a personal decision. The 700 is a cornerstone camera which won design awards, and is a favorite of mine. Buying anything used is a gamble, believe it.

Any Minolta manual focus camera can use your MD lens, but only the latter X-series makes use of the MD tab for various operation modes, such as the X-700's program mode. You can get any SRT, XD, XE, XG, XK and X-series body. They all have different features and capabilities, depending on what you want with the camera. You might search Web sites on the different models and features. I would not recommed looking at earlier SR-series bodies from the 1950 and early 1960's.

 

And don't necessarily think an older model isn't reparable, some are reparable from the sheer volune of parts, such as the SRT-series, and some aren't, such as the XK (not necessarily recommended unless you need it's full capabilities). Many people, myself including, like the XD-series, especially the XD (Japan), XD-7 (Europe) and XD-11 (US). It has both aperture and shutter priority with manual mode, EV control (in f-stops), etc., and it's a compact, lightweight camera. There are also many X-700's on the market, some still in store stocks. It's a hard camera to beat for its features and capabilities.

 

Good luck, Scott.

Stick with a Minolta. The nice thing about Minolta manual focus cameras is that, with the exception of a few collector's items, many can be replaced for $100 or less, and most can be replaced for under $150. With this in mind, I recommend getting a backup body, whether an X-370 or one of its more advanced brothers (or sisters): the X-570 or the X-700. There's also the XG series, which is fully electronic like your X-370, or the SR-T series, which has an internal meter but is fully mechanical.

 

Technically, your lenses will also fit on any of the following Minolta cameras: the SR series, the XK, the X-600, the XE series, and the XD series, but for reasons I won't bother to go into, these are usually higher priced because they are more collectors' items.

 

I have an X-570 and an X-500 (European version of X-570); I normally shoot with one of them and keep the other for a backup or keep it loaded with a different type of film. I also have two SR-T 101 cameras that I keep as mechanical backups and also use for long exposures when I don't want to waste batteries -- I went ahead and removed the batteries for the SR-T cameras and either use my X-570 or an external meter to determine exposure.

 

Hope this helps. Feel free to contact me if you have questions.

There are TONS of choices on the used market, if you shop carefully, but from a PRACTICAL standpoint, your best bets are certainly to get either a Minolta X-700 or an X-570. Both of these seem to me to be far better built than the X-370, which is a highly cost reduced version of the X-570. The XD, XG, and XE-series cameras are also available, and some of them are GREAT cameras (particularly the XE-7, XD-11, and XD-5) but they will be harder to get repaired than an X-700 or X-570.

 

Interestingly enough, the X-700 is the top of the line manual focus Minolta in recent years, but many serious photographers, Myself included, prefer the X-570 because it has better viewfinder information in Metered Manual mode, and sacrifices only the Programmed automatic mode of the X-700. Programmed Mode is something many serious photographers never would use anyways. But either the X-700 or X-570 will fulfil your needs if you get one from a reputable vendor.

A piece of info you may want to check out. I can't remember where I heard it but I don't think Minolta actually makes the 370 any longer. I think it is OEM'd to someone like Cosina, just like Nikon's FM10 (which is reported to have QA issues).

 

Take your money and buy a used X-700 instead of fixing the old one (if you have to pay for it - warranty work is another story).

My first camera was a xd-11. I loved that camera. Did everything I wanted, had a very sharp 50mm 1.4 on it. After it was liberated in Amsterdam, I bought a xd-5, the same camera without the aperture display in the viewfinder. I got the 50mm 2.0 lens. Lasted about 20 rolls of film and then the shutter bound up. Being grey market, it never got fixed. I replaced that body with a x-370. Tried to go to photography school with that setup.

Wrong. I would focus, know it was focused, and be shooting at reasonable speeds and my images just weren't sharp.

Went out and bought a Nikon FM2. 35mm 2.8 and a 105 2.5. Sharpest lens I have ever used (well except for my fujinon 150 6.3 view camera lens). Now 14 years later, I still shoot with that very setup and am still amazed at the sharpness of the Nikon system. Gave the x-370 away to a friend who isn't a critical photographer and he is still appy with it.

 

My advice? If you stay with Minolta, get either the earlier xd-11 or the later x-700. Or sell it all and get a Nikon FM series camera.

 

tim in san jose

I'd recommend the X-570 (or European X-500). It has aperture priority and metered manual. I like it because in manual mode it shows both the set shutter speed and recommended shutter speed in the viewfinder. It also has TTL flash capability (with the proper flash). Keh usually has a few in excellent condition.

 

Tom

Hi Marylou

 

I know exactly where you are coming from; after taking my first steps in photography with a Canon EOS system, I 'inherited' (kind of) a Minolta manual focus system: X-70 (in Japan - is a better camera than the one that is still in production) or XG-M (in North America) and a set of good lenses.

 

The build quality of the MD lenses and the viewfinder of the X series Minoltas compare to the PRO stuff in today's Canon line-up.

 

As a result, I have become a bit of a Minolta fanatic; I carry around all my Minolta gear together with my Canon EOS gear now. I follow religiously ebay auctions of rare ultra wide lenses, and I regularly check pawnshops for them (in a previous thread I have asked fellow Minolta users about my lens discoveries in a shop - and guess what: I have snatched two beautiful prime lenses for practically nothing).

 

Now, go to a zoo and try to photograph a psycho big wild cat that moves around non-stop (try jaguars or pumas, not lazy lions!) with your manual focus Minolta system� Do not even try � you cannot anticipate such a beast�s move as fast as a micro computer on a auto focus camera.

 

Or, try landscape photography with your 1970s technology and battery Minolta at freezing temperatures� Actually, do not waste any money � it cost me a lot to find out that an old Minolta camera is COMPLETELY useless in winter in a place like Toronto, Canada�OLD technology, useless BATTERIES. If you live in Florida, that is another story.

 

On the other hand; you are making a critical group of three portrait; let�s say with a MD 85mm 1.8 (I bought this � my best lens � for practically nothing�), but they are not on the same focus plane! You are shooting at 1.8! Focus is so critical� And you get your hands on that beautiful, luxurious manual focus dial and get exactly what you need through your big, bright viewfinder�

 

Periodic high repair costs versus beautiful, strongly built lenses; complete breakdowns in cold temperatures versus affordable tank like metal bodies. Super dumb center-weighted metering versus super predictable center-weighted metering�

 

The answer: you can do a lot with your manual Minolta system, but do not expect to do everything until you catch up with technology. Do you want to go down that road?

 

I say YES!

You all have given me alot to think about and I am not quite ready to part with it just yet, so, I shall send this one to the shop and look for another body, probably the X-570. I have heard alot of good things about them so, here goes ... lol .. thanks all.. I have had a photo.net member email me and offer to sell me one for a reasonable cost. A second body is a definite must no matter what I choose... Thanks again to everyone for this help

Cheapest option is the Centon DF-300, which is a Chinese clone of the X-300. You can also use a real X-300, X-9, X-500, X-700 and quite a few others.

probably already too many cooks in the kitchen, but i really enjoy my x-700 and intend to keep using it until i can either afford 16 megapixels (good joke, huh?), or the x-700 gives out (which also isn't likely). you can find very high-quality x-700s on e-bay, but i've had a very good experience with KEH, so have a look around if you've not already taken the plunge.

I think my experience in replacing my X-370 with a X-570 that I got on Ebay would be of interest.

 

Here the thread "What's wrong with this camera":

http://www.photo.net/bboard/q-and-a-fetch-msg?msg_id=0056U7