EBay can be a camera collector’s worst nightmare, or a place where dreams can come true. Fortunately this time around it was closer to the latter (maybe.) While scanning the Minolta auctions recently I came across an XD-11 listing. This 35mm single lens reflex has been described as one of the best manual focus SLR cameras made by Minolta. It was developed in association with Leica (another camera brand I’ll probably never be able to afford), for their ‘R’ series of Leica SLR cameras. Introduced in 1977, the XD-11 (XD-7 outside of the USA), features TTL metered Manual, Aperture and Shutter Priority modes. Shutter speeds from one second to 1/1000 plus Bulb, and will even function without a battery at 1/100 when set to ‘O’ on the speed dial. It has a faster X-sync than the popular X-700 camera, 1/100 versus 1/60 for the X-700, and even a separate exposure compensation dial with a range from -2 to +2. All-in-all a great camera from the 70’s and this auction caught my eye due to the current low bid. There were only a couple of hours to go, and the seller described the camera as functional but with some possible exposure issues. The Minolta f/2 45mm MD Rokkor-X lens attached to the body was apparently in perfect condition as well. So I bid. What the hell, it was late, I didn’t expect to win it and I went to bed after submitting a maximum bid amount. To my surprise the next morning I had won this classic SLR for about twenty bucks. Yeah, 20 bucks!? A great deal for just the lens let alone a camera too. It’s a good thing the XD-11 has a tough metal chassis. Upon receipt of the camera it is obvious this baby has been dropped at least once. Even small dents can mean trouble. A portion of the plastic around the eye piece is broken, but the viewfinder is still bright, albeit slightly dusty. The lens is perfect, and since it will fit all of my other MD mount manual Minoltas, I’m not out anything if the camera won’t function properly. The original soft leatherette is pealing back due to shrinkage, which I later read is a common issue with early models. Again, www.cameraleather.com will solve that problem. After closer inspection the camera does seem to function accurately. Of course I won’t know for sure until the first fateful roll of Agfa APX 100. If she works it will be proof that Minolta built cameras to take a beating and still perform well. There is a great repair shop here in Phoenix called Ritz Collectibles (www.ritzcam.com) that may be able to work some magic if I discover this XD-11 has been abused beyond use. If possible; results coming soon.
Friday, January 6, 2006
New Year Bargin
EBay can be a camera collector’s worst nightmare, or a place where dreams can come true. Fortunately this time around it was closer to the latter (maybe.) While scanning the Minolta auctions recently I came across an XD-11 listing. This 35mm single lens reflex has been described as one of the best manual focus SLR cameras made by Minolta. It was developed in association with Leica (another camera brand I’ll probably never be able to afford), for their ‘R’ series of Leica SLR cameras. Introduced in 1977, the XD-11 (XD-7 outside of the USA), features TTL metered Manual, Aperture and Shutter Priority modes. Shutter speeds from one second to 1/1000 plus Bulb, and will even function without a battery at 1/100 when set to ‘O’ on the speed dial. It has a faster X-sync than the popular X-700 camera, 1/100 versus 1/60 for the X-700, and even a separate exposure compensation dial with a range from -2 to +2. All-in-all a great camera from the 70’s and this auction caught my eye due to the current low bid. There were only a couple of hours to go, and the seller described the camera as functional but with some possible exposure issues. The Minolta f/2 45mm MD Rokkor-X lens attached to the body was apparently in perfect condition as well. So I bid. What the hell, it was late, I didn’t expect to win it and I went to bed after submitting a maximum bid amount. To my surprise the next morning I had won this classic SLR for about twenty bucks. Yeah, 20 bucks!? A great deal for just the lens let alone a camera too. It’s a good thing the XD-11 has a tough metal chassis. Upon receipt of the camera it is obvious this baby has been dropped at least once. Even small dents can mean trouble. A portion of the plastic around the eye piece is broken, but the viewfinder is still bright, albeit slightly dusty. The lens is perfect, and since it will fit all of my other MD mount manual Minoltas, I’m not out anything if the camera won’t function properly. The original soft leatherette is pealing back due to shrinkage, which I later read is a common issue with early models. Again, www.cameraleather.com will solve that problem. After closer inspection the camera does seem to function accurately. Of course I won’t know for sure until the first fateful roll of Agfa APX 100. If she works it will be proof that Minolta built cameras to take a beating and still perform well. There is a great repair shop here in Phoenix called Ritz Collectibles (www.ritzcam.com) that may be able to work some magic if I discover this XD-11 has been abused beyond use. If possible; results coming soon.
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
No comments:
Post a Comment