Which Minolta SLR for close-up work?
Minolta XE-1 with Auto Bellows I, Focusing Rail I,
MC Rokkor 58mm f1.4 and Angle Finder V.
Minolta SLR bodies
There are several different SLR series made by Minolta during the decades - see MUG pages for details. Here I want to tell some opinions of my own considering the close-up photography with Minolta manual focusing SLR cameras. Because the differences comes up mostly when using extension devices, I tend to weight their usage here. Using a close-up filter or lens stacking does not make so much difference between different bodies.When choosing a body to close-up work, some gadgets are more useful
than others. Here is my list of those I find useful:
Different Minolta SLR models have different systems in their exposure control, and some of them are better suited to close-up photography than others. Here is a short listing of different camera types and best extension systems to work with them.
SR The first SLR series of Minolta without through-the lens metering.
SR-T The first Minolta SLR series with TTL metering.Therefore you can use any extension unit with no difference in metering - you always have to calculate the right exposure, which is unpractical. Some of the oldest bodies have differences in auto diaphgram systems. I do not recommend these bodies for close-up work. More collectibles than useful.
XM The first and only true pro Minolta SLR bodyFully mechanical and well suited for all kind of macro work. Can use any bellows or extension tubes, automatic and manual. With manual extension devices, focus and frame with full aperture and then close down to desired aperture for sufficient DOF, then set the suitable shutter speed aligning the metering needles as usual. You don't have to touch the DOF preview button. With auto extension tubes you can use the standard exposure method - they retain both metering and auto diaphgram functions. With auto bellows units you must meter stopped-down. First frame the picture and focus, then set the desired aperture value for DOF. Advance the film - the DOF button does not work if the shuttter is not cocked! Push the DOF button to check the DOF and set the correct shutter speed by aligning the metering needles as usual. You can then either shoot with lens stopped down or release the DOF button, refocus or reframe and shoot without stopping the lens down again.This series fits especially well for close-ups. If interested, look for a body with mirror lock-up - this series is the only Minolta SLR except the XM with some models offering it. The MLU is operated with a lever on the right side of the lens mount (seen from top of the camera) - the similar lever on the left side operates the X/FP sync choice, if it is present. The best extension devices for this series are the automatic extension tubes or Auto Bellows I.
XE The fine old AE SLR.This is the ultimate body for close-up photography among manual focusing Minoltas. User-interchangeable focusing screens and finders allow better focusing, mirror lock-up helps and shutter offers long exposures - longer than any other Minolta before AF eera. The motorized version of the camera, the XM Motor, lacks the MLU - otherwise it is similar (but much more expensive, heavy and difficult to repair!)There are two finders offering TTL metering with both manual and aperture priority AE - Finder AE and the newer version, Finder AE-S. The AE has two CdS cells and similar metering system than XE-series. The AE-S finder uses center-weighted metering by a silicon diode, which reacts faster and is exceptionally sensitive. It goes down to -1 EV. This is a definite advantage in close-up photography.
Three other finders made for the XM are all without meter. The plain finder is not an option for close-up work, but the waist-level finder (focusing straight from the focusing screen like when using old 6x6 TLR's) can be useful, especially in ground-level work. The third one is specially made for extreme close-up work. It is called high-magnification finder, and shows only the central area of the focusing screen with higher magnification. It doesn't have a meter, so it is practical only in some special work - not usually for an amateur. The XM is hard to find on used markets and expensive if found in good condition, and the finders are usually even harder to find.
The exposure system is similar to SR-T's, except when metering stopped down with aperture priority AE you should always leave the lens stopped down before releasing the shutter - otherwise the AE will change the exposure, leading to incorrect result.
The best extension device choices for this camera are automatic extension tubes or Auto Bellows I.
XD World's first 35mm SLR with both shutter- and aperture priority AE.Exposure system is similar to XM with AE-S finder, so these cameras are pretty much alike to use - except that XE lacks interchangeable finders and focusing screens, and its longest shutter speed is 4 sec. Use with Auto Bellows I or automatic extension tubes.
XG Minolta XG is the consumer class SLR introduced about the same time than XD.These cameras replaced the XE series. Together with them Minolta introduced a new lens lineup called MD Rokkors. They have an extra pin - the MD pin - in the aperture ring to faciilitate the shutter priority AE. Both aperture priority AE and manual exposure metering work fine with older MC lenses. When used with extension devices the shutter priority is NOT recommended, although some third-party extension tubes facilitate it - Minoltas own never have the MD pin. Anyway, shutter priority is hardly ever needed in close-up photography, so it is not a problem.These bodies also offer a safety mechanism called final check. They determine the exposure twice: First, with lens wide open and second, final time when the lens has been closed down to set aperture but mirror is still down. If the XD meters difference between the first and second reading, it adjust the shutter speed to get the right exposure. This has some effect in using auto bellows - the viewfinder reading will not be the same than actual (and right) shutter speed. This system is not as sophisticated as Olympus OM which reads the exposure off the film and can change the exposure when the shutter is open - but it is a helpful system anyway.
There were also new bellows units introduced together with XD cameras. The Auto Bellows III and Bellows IV replaced old Auto Bellows I and Bellows III. Their diaphgram mechanism differs from that of Auto Bellows I.
The exposure system with final check allows the photographer to be more lazy - the camera corrects many failures, but not all. Use manual or aperture priority AE, never the shutter priority. The stop-down button does not lock down. It can be used only to check the DOF and read the real shutter speed. To take the photo with any kind of extension device, just frame the picture, set the desired aperture and check the DOF and read the metered shutter speed with pushing the DOF button in. In manual metering, set the shutter speed according to this meter reading. In aperture priority AE you can just set the aperture you want and release the shutter.
You can use any extension device with XD, but the best fits are automatic extension tubes or Auto Bellows III.
X-series The last MF Minolta series.XG has aperture priority AE and manual exposure - cameras TTL-metering does, however, not work in manual, only in automatic exposure. This restricts the usability of XG with certain extension devices. Some models also lacks the DOF button, which I think is essential for any close-up photography. These cameras also lack the final check of XD bodies.Simplest way to use extension with XG cameras is to use automatic extension tubes - you can work like without any special devices. The second choice is a totally manual bellows or extension tubes - with them, you can use aperture priority without any special procedures. If you are using either of the Auto Bellows units, you must first meter with aperture priority AE, pushing the DOF preview button, then change to manual exposure and set the metered shutter speed. If the body does not have DOF button (like the XG-1), you cannot meter with Auto Bellows - or you have to meter with full aperture, then count down how many steps you are going to stop down to get the correct shutter speed, and then set it manually.
Generally, if you already do not own an XG body, I would avoid buying one if your target is in close-up photography. At least make sure the model has the DOF preview button.
In short, for a macro work, I would first recommend an X-700, then X-500/570, XM, XD, XE or SR-T - depending on your situation. Avoid lower end X-series, SR- and XG-series, if you intend to do a lot of macro work. If you intend to use flash, then the TTL flash metering makes the choose easy: The X-700 or X-500/570. The X-500 is ok, but you get the X-700 for the same price and it offers easier way to use aperture priority AE. If you prefer manual exposure setting, then the X-500 is better, because it has better viewfinder information in manual metering. It shows both the shutter speed the camera recommends and the one you have selected, X-700 shows only the recommended one. If you are not interested in using flash, then the XM might be worth thinking - if you just find one in good condition and for reasonable price. If you already have XD or XE, they are fine.This series can be divided into two parts in terms of usage with extension devices. The first part, lower-end bodies - that is all with model number lower than 500 - is similar to XG series. The upper-end bodies: X-500 (X-570 in USA) and X-600, offer better metring (silicon cell) plus an extra help for a close-up photographer: TTL, OTF flash metering. They do not have the final check operation, so I recommend them to be used with either automatic extension tubes or manual bellows. Their focusing screen can be changed in Minolta service, and at least 1998 a full matte screen was still available in Finland for X-700.The top model X-700 combines the final check system with TTL flash, and is therefore the choose of a close-up photographer of this series - and, with a good reason, of all the manual focusing Minoltas. Except the more advanced flash system it is similar to use than the XD cameras, when close-up photography is considered. To get use of the TTL flash, buy any of the normal flashes - PX 360, PX 280 or PX 132 - I would recommend the top model, PX 360 - and the Cable OC to be able to set the flash off the camera. With the two other flash you will also need a separate flash shoe to get the cable OC connected to the flash. Or buy the macro flash PX 80.
The X-700 is now discontinued, sadly, but I suspect there are still spare parts available for some time. The older models can usually be repaired only by using old, broken bodies as spare parts. And the part most likely to broke, the electronics, are usually not available. The all mechanical SR and SR-T are easier to repair, and especially SR-Ts are commonly available.
I've added a page about the system I would consider as an ideal setup for all-round nature work here.
More about close-up photography and Minolta
| Close-up main page | |
| Macro lenses | Different macro lenses available for Minolta manual focusing SLRs |
| Extension devices | Extension tubes and bellows |
| Other equipment | Other close-up equipment available for Minolta MF cameras |
| Photos | Some of my close-up photos |
My other pages
| Home | My home page. |
| My photos | My photo pages |
| Subjective lens evaluations | of some Minolta's lenses |
| Minolta XE | The finest Minolta ever made |
| Tele lenses | of 300mm length of longer for manual focusing Minolta |
| Links | Yes, links. |