Buying and Collecting Minolta: A Guide for Newbies

Updated August 22, 2024

My first efforts to find information about Minolta SLRs were overwhelming and frustrating because there is so much written about these products. Some of the information is great and some, of course, is a waste of time. I hope this resource list will save time and frustration for others.

*** Buying Your First Minolta Camera and Lenses***
This section is provided for those who are new to Minolta gear and to photography and need advice on buying their first camera and lenses.

Autofocus Cameras and Lenses
Buying Your First Minolta Autofocus Film Camera and Lenses: Advice for Newbies

Manual Focus Cameras and Lenses
Buying Your First Manual-Focus Minolta SLR Film Camera (and Lenses)

Manual Minolta SLR Cameras
Minolta ER (1961)
Fixed lens SLR sold from 1961-1963 – (Mike Eckman) ; VMLP 11: The Minolta ER—Strange Quark

Minolta SR Line (1958)
The SR-2 was the first Minolta SLR and was released 1958. Supposedly, the first camera was designated “2” because the CEO considered “2” to be lucky (I cannot substantiate this). The SR-2 is expensive and hard to find (I saw a broken one go for 100.00+ at auction). The SR-3, while not as lauded as the SR-2, is also relatively hard to find. There are plenty of SR-7 and SR-1 cameras to be had.

SR Line Overview (Rokkor Files)
SR-1 (Film Retriever); (TinkeringWithCameras)
SR-3 (VMLP 7: The Minolta SR-3–The Best Version of the Minolta SR-2?)
SR-2 (Mike Eckman); (VMLP 3: The Minolta SR-2, the Start of Something Big)
SR-7 (Vintage Photo); (Mike Eckman)
SR-T SC-II (VMLP 26: Minolta SR-T SC-II—I never saw it coming)

Minolta SR-T (1966)
Black SR-Ts are rare and sought after. Some consider the SR-T 102 to be the best of the SR-T line because the early models show aperture information in the viewfinder and have mirror lockup. The SR-T 202 has similar features to the 102 but without mirror lockup. All are sturdy models that work well. My first ever SLR was an SR-T 101.

SR-T 101 – (Jim Grey) (35mmc)
SR-T 102/303/Super New! (AnalogJan); (Ken Rockwell); (Imaging Pixel);
SR-T 201/101b/SR 101 (FilmShootersCollective); (ImagingPixel) – Look for the rare SR-T 201 Ritz edition, black body with a waffled black covering.
SR-T 202/303b/SR 505 (Casual Photophile) (Down the Road)

Minolta XK (1972)
The Minolta XK was announced in 1972, representing Minolta’s step into the professional photography market. These cameras are now expensive collectors items–even broken ones sell for as much as 200.00. Worth a try if you can get your hands on one.
(Rokkor Files); (Causal Photophile)

Minolta XE (1974)
The XE line is famous for being co-developed with Leica. The XE-7 and XE-5 both have Leica shutter assemblies. The Leica R3 and R4 use Minolta designs. Minolta also produced lenses that were adapted for Leica: 35-70mm f3.5, 70-210mm f4, 75-200mm f4.5, and 800-200mm f4.5.

XE-7 (Alex Luyckx); (Casual Photophile); (Mike Eckman)
XE-5 – (ShootFilmCo); (Casual Photophile)

Minolta XD (1977)
The XD 11 was the first SLR with both aperture and shutter priority modes. Beautiful design and lightweight—my favorite manual Minolta. The second camera model from the Leica collaboration.

XD11 (VMLP 13: The Minolta XD-11–A Love Story) (Casual Photophile)
XD5 (Urban Adventure League),(Imaging Pixel) (Matt’s Classic Cameras)

Minolta X Series (1981)
The X series introduced full program autoexposure mode. They were very popular when released and are easy to find. The X-700 won an EISA camera of the year award in 1981.

Here is an excellent overview of the “X” camera series from Mel at High 5 Cameras, who also offers refurbished cameras for sale (UK). The ‘X’ Factor – Minolta X-700, X-500, and X-300

X-700 (Dusty Grain); (The Analogue Experience); (Simon Hawkett’s Photo Blog)
X-570 (VMLP 29: The Minolta X-570–Excellent Companion); (Imaging Pixel, (Mike Eckman)
X-370s (Casual Photophile); Overview of X-370 camera family (678 Vintage Cameras)

Minolta XG Series (1977)
A series of consumer SLRs. The XG-M is considered the best. The XG7 was the first.

XG7/XG-E, XG2 (Mike Eckman); (35mmc)
XG-M (VMLP 19: The Minolta XG-M, Second Time’s the Charm); (ImagingPixel); (Alex Luyckx Blog)

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Manual Lenses
Minolta made many highly respected lenses. My favorite reviews are quite technical and only made sense after I had been shooting for a few months. Here is a good overview of the best manual lenses that a new user might want. I will add links for specific lenses over time. For those eager to jump into the numbers, use the reference links at the bottom of the page. Here is an excellent manual lens overview (678 Vintage Cameras).

Minolta Lens M0unts
Here is a visual guide that explains Minolta lens mount terms—SR, MC, MD, A, D:
*** (VMLP 1: A Visual Guide to Minolta Lens Mounts—SR to A)***.

Primes
Minolta 24mm f2.8 – (Casual Photophile); (Four Billion Years)

MD/MC 28mm f2.8 – (Alex Luyckx), (Casual Photophile)

35mm f1.8
– MC Rokkor HH (MC II) – (Lens AQ Works)
– MC Rokkor 35mm 1.8 (MC-X) – (Phillip Reeve) There are multiple versions of this lens. I have the MC-X version, and that is the version reviewed here.
– MD 35mm 1.8 (MD-II) – (Rokkor Files)
– MD 35mm 1.8 (MD-III) – (Lens QA Works)

35mm f2.8 (MC, MD) – There are nine versions of this lens spanning 1959-1981. The best are rumored to be the first MD and the MC versions, though the included review of the MD III, final MD version, is very positive. (Lens Works), (My Favourite Lens)

45mm f2 – This lens has a lot of enthusiastic fans. (Casual Photophile Review); (Alex Luyckx)

50mm f1.4 – (Plain MD and MC PG are considered the sharpest) (Lens Works ) compares different versions of the 50mm 1.4

50mm (MD III) – (Lens QA Works) Comparison of the final iteration of the manual 50mm lens.

50mm f1.7 (all perform well and about the same)

MC Rokkor 55 mm f1.7 – (JonasRask|Photography) (Phillip Reeve)

58mm f1.4 MC PF – (AlphaTracks); (The Noisy Shutter)

58mm f1.2 PG (MC II) – (VMLP 22: MC Rokkor-X PG 58mm 1.2—My Precious) (Ice Cream Geometry); (MC-X Vintage Lens Reviews);

Telephoto & Macro
Macro Rokkor 50 mm f3.5 – (Photo Art From Science); (Casual Photophile)

85mm f1.7 – (Phillip Reeve); (Casual Photophile)

85mm family – (Rokkor Files) Comparison of manual Minolta 85mm lens

100mm 2.5 (MD/MCx) – (678 Vintage Cameras); (Phillip Reeve)

100mm f3.5 Macro – (Lumenicity) (Phillip Reeve)

135mm f2.8 (MC, MD) – (AlexKunzTaipei) Highly praised for sharpness. The most sought after models are those with 4/4 lens configurations. These are the last MC Tele Rokkor model and first two MD Tele Rokkor models.

MC Rokkor-X 200mm QF 1:3.5 (MC-II) – (Lens QA Works)

MD 200mm f4 – (Lens QA Works)

Zooms
Minolta lenses adapted for Leica — (Here is a link to the most authoritative description of the Minolta-Leica collaboration. It is a forum post that has PDFs of an magazine article)

MD 35-70mm f3.5, Macro
There are three versions of this lens. The first version is labeled MD Zoom Rokkor. The second version is MD Zoom, and the third is MD Zoom, with Macro. The second and third versions are considered the best.
New! (The Noisy Shutter); (Lens QA Works); (Phillip Reeve, Version 3)

70-210mm f4 – Precursor of the AF Beer can, and one picked up by Leica. Highly regarded. (Lens Works)

75-200mm f4.5 – The precursor to the 70-210mm f4 (also Leica). Rather obscure these days. I could not locate a decent review. Some say it is sharper. This is less expensive, if you can find one. (See comment: Japan Camera Hunter)

MC Rokkor-X 80-200mm f4.5 – (VLMP 27: MC Rokkor-X 80-200mm f4.5)

Minolta Only
MD 24-35mm f3.5 (Open Source Photography), (artaphot: English and German) (LensQAWorks)

MD Rokkor 24-50mm f4 (RokkorFiles, LensQAWorks) – Highly praised and hard to find

MD 50-135mm (Lens QA Works); There are two versions, but they are the same optically. I have read good things and bad things about this lens. I have yet to really test mine.

MD 28-85mm f3.5-4.5 (Imaging Pixel) (Rokkor Files); ( VMLP 12: Minolta MD Zoom 28-85mm, f3.5-4.5 —Yeah, You Want One of These)- May be my favorite manual Minolta zoom, but 75-150mm is also in the running.

MD 35-105mm f3.5-4.5 (Lens Works); there are two versions of this lens. The earlier version (1982) has a 16/13 element design. The later version (1983) has a 14/12 element design. The 16/13 design is said to have superior IQ. This review is for the later, 14/12 version.

MD 35-135mm f3.5-4.5 – There is only one version of this lens, and one comes across it rarely.
(VMLP 20: The Minolta MD Zoom 35-135mm, f3.5-4.5—The Jury is Still Out) (Lens Works)

MD 75-150mm – There is only one version of this lens. I’ve had only limited experience with this lens (Lens Surprise), and it performed beautifully!
(Phillip Reeve), (Four Billion Years)

MD Zoom 100-200mm f5.6

MD 100-300mm f5.6 – (Mu-43), (artaphot) hard to find, and no reviews so far.

Minolta TLR Cameras
Minolta Autocord
When I started the Vintage Minolta Love Project, an Autocord–any Autocord– was out of the question. Well, recently, an Export model (1958) came my way that I could afford. Cosmetically, it has seen better days. Happily, the lenses are free of haze and fungus, and the focus works perfectly. Good things continue to come to those who wait.

Reviews
(35mmc)
(Casual Photophile)
(Mike Eckman)

CDS Model – (35mmc)

Reference List (Models, Years, Features)
(Fred Math)

Rangefinders
Minolta-35 (Minolta’s Leica-inspired rangefinder) ; New! (VMLP 34: The Minolta-35 IIB—Inspired by Leica and Very Nice! ), (Flynn Marr Photography), (Shutter Bug)
There are eight models: Model A-F, Model II, and Model IIB

Minolta A (VMLP 24: The Minolta: Minolta’s Rangefinder Reboot); (Mike Eckman)
Introduced in 1955, the Minolta A was the first of a series of rangefinders that included the A-2, Super A, A3, and A5.

Minolta A-2 (Camerapedia)
Follow up to the Minolta A. My copy has the f2.8 aperture.

Minolta Super A – (Mike Eckman) Released in 1957, the Super A is an interchangeable lens rangefinder camera with a unique lens mount. An array of lenses were released for it: 35mm/f3.5, 50mm/f1.8, 50mm/f2.8, 50mm/f2, 85mm/f2.8, 100mm/f.3.8, 135mm/f4.5. Rare in US.

Minolta A5 – (QuirkyGuyWithACamera) – A bargain find that worked! Sharp lens.

Minolta AL – (ChristpherJOsborne) – Continuation of the “A” series, has a non-coupled light meter

Minolta V2 -(Casual Photophile); (35mmc) Rare rangefinder with top shutter speed of 1/2000

Minolta V3 – (Camerapedia) Rare rangefinder with top shutter speed of 1/3000

Minolta Hi-Matic 7S – (Alex Luyckx) I finally tried one. It was much netter than expected–a keeper for sure.

Minolta Hi-Matic 7sII
This is the last rangefinder from Minolta released in 1977. It is known for is sharp lens and small size. I had decided never to buy a rangefinder, but obviously, I caved. Glad I did!
(Ray Phung Photography) (Analog Insights); (Rokkor Files)

Folding Cameras
Semi Minolta P – (Camerapedia)Released in 1951, it has a telescoping viewfinder and takes 6×4.5 images using 120 film. The lens is actually very good. Finding one with a working shutter can be a challenge.

Minolta Semi III – (CameraWiki) – I’m still getting used to mine.

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Autofocus Minolta Cameras
Maxxum 7000, 9000 (1985)
The Maxxum 7000 was the world’s first camera with body-integral autofocus and was very popular when released. Beyond its historical significance, it is a collector’s item because of a lawsuit filed by Exxon. The “XX” in Exxon overlaps, and unfortunately, so did the Xs in “Maxxum.” This is known as the “crossed XX” pattern and is sought after by Minolta collectors. They are relatively rare, especially in working condition. The Maxxum 9000 is a professional camera and has an interesting battery grip/winder if you can find a working one.

On seeing the 7000, I hated the design. Having used one I got for 15.00, I love it. It has the best viewfinder I have experienced–like looking through a window. The Maxxum 7000 won the EISA camera of the year award in 1985.

Maxxum 9000 – (Maxxum 9000—Nice and a Little Confusing); (Tinkering with Cameras)
Maxxum 7000 – (Kosmo Foto); (Simon Hawkett’s Photo Blog);(VMLP 4: Maxxum 7000)

Maxxum 7000i, 8000i (1988)
The Maxxum 7000i has improvements over 7000, but I still like 7000 better. The Maxxum 8000i is a minor upgrade over 7000i.

Maxxum 7000i (Down the Road – Jim Grey) (VMLP 18: The Minolta Maxxum 7000i—A Nod of Appreciation (With Affection)
Maxxum 8000i (VMLP 9: Minolta Maxxum 8000i — “i” Is for Intelligence!)

Maxxum 7xi, 9xi (1992)
These cameras may be one reason Minolta is no longer around. They are black blobs with few buttons and are completely unintuitive–they flopped. The 9xi is a professional model.

7xi (VMLP 15: Minolta Maxxum 7xi—Comme ci, Comme ça); (Simon Hawkett’s Photo Blog)
9xi (Camera Legend), (Jim Grey)

Maxxum XTsi, 400si, 600si, 700si, 800si (1995)
The 600si and 700si are very capable and easy to use. The 600si has ergonomics similar to older manual cameras. The 700si won all four major photography awards. The 800si is odd. It is relatively hard to find, but it has interesting features. For example, it can record exposure data (lens FL, aperture, shutter, EC, for up to nine rolls of film).

XTsi (ImagingPixel); (Shutterbug)
Minolta 400si/ Dynax 500si (Casual Photophile); (hoto)
600si (VMLP 21: The Minolta Maxxum 600si: A Perfect First Camera); ; (CameraGX); (Bob Nuttmann)
700si (Simon Hawketts’ Photo Blog); (Alex Luyckx)
800si (Amateur Photographer); (Mike Eckman)

Maxxum 5, 7, 9 (2000)
All models have their fine points. The Maxxum 5 is quite capable, packed with features, and weighs little. Great if one has small hands. It has subject modes, custom functions, bracketing, etc. The Maxxum 9 is a highly respected professional camera. It’s expensive if you find one. The Maxxum 5 is a great travel camera and can usually be had for under 40.00.

The Maxxum 7 is a technical marvel. When using a Minolta “D” lens, pressing the DoF preview gives a readout on the back LCD panel that shows a diagram with the actual distance to the subject and DoF numbers! A great feature for understanding DoF and hyperfocal distance. It has every possible function, including memory for recording exposure data.

Maxxum 5 (Jim Grey); (JWHubbers); (Quirky Guy with a Camera)
Maxxum 7 (VMLP 28: The Minolta Maxxum 7— I’m Pretty Sure Picard Has One); (Casual Photophile); (Steve Huff Photo)
Maxxum 9 (CasualPhotophile), (35mmc), (Thomas Eisl)

Maxxum 70
These were the last film cameras. I like the Maxxum 70. It is lightweight with a nice grip and is packed with features. The Maxxum 5 and Maxxum 70 are great cameras for those who want to try film on a budget.

Maxxum 70 (VMLP 31: The Maxxum 70–The Last Hurrah); (Alex Luyckx); (35mmc); (ImagingPixel)

Point & Shoot Cameras
Minolta Freedom Zoom 160 – (UrbanAdventureLeague) (35mmc); (VMLP 17: Minolta Freedom Zoom 160)
I bought a Minolta Freedom Zoom 160 after reading a great review on 35mmc. It is a great little camera.

Minolta AF-C New! (VMLP 35: The Minolta AF-C—Seeing is Believing); (Casual Photophile ) Introduced in 1983, this has a fixed 35mm 2.8 lens that is quite good. Excellent camera.

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Minolta/Sony Digital Cameras
Maxxum 5D, Maxxum 7D
They produce beautiful images and have very low noise for their age. They were among the first cameras with built-in image stabilization and forerunners of modern Sony A-mount digital cameras. Finding one might be difficult, and when you do, they are not as cheap as one might expect given their age.

Maxxum 7D – (Luminous Landscape); (Steve’s Digicams)
I am amazed at the colors that come out of this camera. It performs well. I got mine for a song, expecting to get a higher pixel camera later. I am definitely keeping this.

Maxxum 5D – (Kurt Munger)
Great colors. Beware of the “first frame black” issue. My camera has this issue, but still works, although it is very annoying. This was a Goodwill buy and cost very little, so still worth it.

Sony
New! Sony a100 – (Photographic Central) – It reminds me so much of my Maxxum 5D, except is has no problems. Has a 10.2 MP CCD sensor and captures flowers beautifully–even red and yellow.

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Autofocus Lenses
Autofocus lenses do not receive as much acclaim as their manual cousins; however, many are excellent. With the exception of the macro lenses, the first generation, released in 1985, are the best versions. Review links are for the 1985 versions when possible. The G and APO lenses are professional and are not listed here. Those listed are easy to find.

Prime
28mm f2.8 – I have limited experience with the lens, but it doesn’t seem to be much better than the AF 28-85mm. (Kurt Munger)
50mm f1.4 (Ken Rockwell)
50mm 1.7 (Optical Limits) (Kurt Munger)
New! 135mm f2.8 (Thinking Beyond 50mm, II: Going Long with the Minolta AF 135mm F2.8)

Macro
50mm f2.8 – I love this lens and often use it instead of the 50mm 1.7. (Ken Rockwell)

100mm f2.8 – considered one of the best macro lens available (some say THE best). (Casual Photophile)

Zoom
28-85mm, f3.5-4.5 (VMLP 23: Minolta AF 28-85mm 3.5-4.5—Not Famous, But Good ); (Kurt Munger) – This is a decent lens, especially stopped down. But there is no reason to buy one if the 28-105mm is available.

28-100mm f3.5-5.6 (D) (Alex Luyckx)– An okay lens. I have gotten decent results at f5.6 and f8.

28-105mm, f3.5-4.5 – VMLP 8: Minolta Maxxum 28-105mm — Very Good, Rarely Mentioned; (MrBazReviews); (Dyxum) – One of my favorite lenses, but for some reason rarely mentioned.

28-135mm, f4-4.5 – Image examples [The Golden Hour , West Coast Captures]; (Kurt Munger) “Secret handshake” lens widely praised for sharpness, but it is heavy, which limits my usage.

35-70mm, f4 (1985 version) (Kurt Munger); (VMLP 16: Minolta (1985) AF 35-70mm f4–Short and Sweet)
Another underrated lens. It’s sharp with less distortion than my 35-105mm. The 35-70mm f4, 50mm 1.7, and 70-210mm f4 make a good starting set for those new to Maxxums.

35-105mm, f3.5-4.5 -(VMLP 25: Minolta (1985) AF 35-105mm f3.5-4.54—Buy One (You’ll Thank Me Later) Sharp lens, but some copies have significant pincushion distortion.

70-210mm, f4 – Beercan, famous and excellent New!
New! (Alex Luyckx); (VMLP 14: Minolta Maxxum 70-210mm (Beercan)—It’s De Rigueur ); (Kurt Munger)

75-300mm, f4.5-5.6 – Big beercan (Kurt Munger)

References
Manual Cameras and Lenses

Minolta Manual Lens DB – Exhaustive list of all Minolta manual lenses. It introduced a naming/classification scheme that has been widely adopted.

Rokkor Files – The best historical coverage of manual Minolta gear I have come across. If you want dates, models, and other details with lucid, interesting narrative, this is it.

Vintage Lens Reviews – Detailed reviews of manual focus lenses

Autofocus Cameras and Lenses
Dyxum – Crowdsourced reviews and ratings for Minolta and third-party lenses for A-mount and Sony E-mount. The focus is on digital cameras, but the reviews and ratings apply just as well for film.

Kurt Munger – Detailed reviews of Sony and Minolta autofocus lenses

Earth, Sun, Film Posts