Minolta XE-1

March 27, 2016

Minolta XE-1 w/ Rokkor 35-70mm f3.5 Macro

One of the prettiest cameras to come out of Japan, the Minolta XE-1 is the European version of the Minolta XE-7. I bought an XE-7 a few months ago, unfortunately an inoperative example. I loved the looks and feel so much though that I just had to get another. If you saw the preview from last week, you'll know that this camera was brought back from the dead, and now works pretty well.

In my hands, this is one of the most comfortable manual cameras. The heft is just right, and it's a tall camera, which means that my somewhat large hands fits comfortably. A person with small hands will find this camera possibly a bit too big. The controls are all just where you would want them to be. I love all the features this camera offers yet keeps the body from looking too busy with buttons and switches all over the place. The shutter release is towards the front of the camera with the advance lever being positioned just so that makes this camera very fluid to use. Speaking of that, the film advance on this camera is very similar to the XD11, being extremely smooth and easy. The XE-1 has a little longer throw, but has less resistance than the XD11.

The shutter speed dial locks when you place it in Auto so you must press a small button to release it to the manual settings, however you can't go from Auto to 1,000th second, you have to go all the way around to get to that speed. I have found the automatic shutter speeds to be fairly accurate, although not as good as the XD11 or the X-700. When used in manual mode, the meter shows you in the viewfinder which shutter speed to use. The viewfinder also shows your current aperture and in auto mode shows which shutter speed it is choosing. On the left side of the camera there is a dial where you set your ISO and then on the opposite side of the dial is where the exposure compensation is. Both require you to press a button to be able to move them to prevent any accidents.

The XE-1 (XE-7 and XE-5 as well) are almost completely dependent on batteries. Two LR44 batteries (or equivalents) are all that are required to bring the camera to life. The meter stays on if the camera is switched on, so remember to turn it off if you are setting down the camera for a period of time. A film advance indicator lets you know that your film is advancing correctly. Also, there is a double exposure switch attached to the advance lever which I personally never use and it would be difficult to accidentally bump it.

A mostly electric camera that requires to be turned on. You can

also see the shutter curtain switch pushed out which blocks out

the viewfinder.

To wrap up, this is a very nicely made camera that is a must own for any Minolta collectors. My personal recommendation is to use an XD11 or X-700 for more accurate exposures and also reliability. These cameras are beautifully made on the exterior but the interior has 40 year old electronics which usually don't stand up well to the test of time. Buy a maintained XE camera as they are very commonly found for "parts or repair". The XE-5 is essentially the same camera without the viewfinder curtain, double exposure switch, or the film advance indicator. The XE-5 can usually be found for less money with a working meter. I got mine for "parts or repair" and was able to get it working wonderfully with no repairs for very cheap, but expect to pay around $100 for a good example with a 50mm Rokkor lens.

All images shot with Rokkor 35-70mm f3.5 Macro and Kentmere 400