In 2016 I bought my first Minolta film camera. Since then my collection has been continuously growing. There is something special about the film cameras and I am particulary affected by Minolta. Its cameras combine beautiful design and functionality making them a joy to uses even decades after their release. It is hard to imagine a modern digital camera to still be fully functional thirty years later. My collection is inspired by a poster showing the 70 years of Minolta history. While I do not stick to this roadmap and I purchase any interesting Minolta cameras I come across it still remains a source of inspiration. Another reference I use is the website www.rokkorfiles.com. Its author has documented in detail some of the most remarkable Minoltas.
Minolta XD 7
The Minolta XD 7 is my favorite film camera by far. It was manufactured between 1977 and 1984 and sold as XD11 in the United States. It is solid and reliable but still compact and lightweight. At its launch it was the first ever camera to offer both aperture and shutter priority mode. The shutter is electronically controlled and can go as fast as 1/1000. According to some sources and based on my experience the shutter speed can, however, manage shutter speeds faster than 1/1000 in practice. Also a fully manual mode with a shutter speed of 1/100 is availbale. Paired with the optional autowinder one can shoot up to two frames per second.
In my collection I have three silver and one black Minolta XD7, the latter being more rare on the market.
Minolta X-700
The Minolta x-700 was introduced in 1981 and succesfully sold for almost 20 years. It was the the first Minolta to introduce P-Mode and also the last flagship manual focus Minolta camera. The x-700 is made out of plastic but still very solid.
Minolta x-500
The Minolta x-500 was first released in 1983 and meant to be a cheaper alternative to the x-700. It features a slightly improved viewfinder over the x-700 while keeping many of the features. The body however feels more plastic and less premium.
Minolta x-300
Minolta x-300 is the cheapest camera of the x lineup.
Minolta STR 102
The Minolta SRT 102 was manufactured between 1973 and 1975. It is part of the SRT lineup introduced in 1966. together with the lens mount MC (Lenses remain compatible with the later MD mount used by XD and X series Minoltas). The SRT 102 is much heavier than the more recent XD7 camera. Also it is a much more manual camera. The batteries are only used for a light-meter. However, there is no aperture priority mode and the shutter is controlled mechanically.
Instamatic E
The Instamatic E is a rangefinder stay film camera released in 1971.
Minolta 28 2.8
The Minolta 28 2.8 is a lightweight wide angle prime lens.
Minolta 24 2.8
The Minolta 24 2.8 is a wide angle prime lens with good image quality.
Minolta 50 1.4
The Minolta 50 1.4 is the standard prime lens of the MD mount
Minolta 135 2.8
The Minolta 135 2.8 is a bright telephoto prime lens.
Minolta 70-210 4.0
The Minolta 70-210 4.0 is a zoom telephoto lens.
Minolta AF cameras
The Minolta QT Si was my first ever film camera. I bought it at a thrift shop in flagstaff, AZ for USD 9.99 with a 28-70 kit lens. Before my trip to California in 2016 I upgraded to a HT Si Plus offering more settings and a Minolta 50mm 1.7 prime lens. The photos in the San Diego and Tijuana collection were taken with this combo.
