52 Cameras: # 123 - Minolta XE-5

03 Feb 2020: An astute viewer caught a mistake in the video. In metered manual, the shutter speed displayed in the viewfinder is the metered speed, not the speed you have set.
More images will be at exit272.com/?p=...

[@marcelocampoamor4761]

Hi thank you for the review- I think that the speed showed in the viewfinder when in manual mode is the recommended speed not the dial speed other than that a wonderful review

[@52cameras54]

Good catch. Thank you. I'll put a correction up in the description text.

[@dennisybe5629]

Nice review and very nice photos. I own a black XE-7 in near mint. However the power switch is not working. It rotates freely and is permanently in the on state. I guess that's better than off! It works beautifully but heard that the switch is fragile. I found a replacement switch on eBay but I'm reluctant to try diy fix. I would hate to mess up this gorgeous camera. I just have to remember to remove the battery when I'm done shooting and batteries are cheap! Thanks for the informative videos! ☺

[@52cameras54]

Thanks for watching. I regret selling my XE-7 so I can see why you don't want to mess it up. I worked on a much simpler S-RT 200 and it was challenging. It's worth using an XE-7, even if it limps a little.

[@journeyquest1]

I have 2 of each and they tend to have electrical contact problems over time. Including light meter.

[@Mr89siR]

Seems to be all minoltas in my experience.i am now the proud owner of 1 broken srt 101, 2 broken xd 1 broken x370n and now my xe light meter has gone haywire. For a company that put so much into engineering I really wish they wouldn't have cheaped out on electronics.

[@michaelmacias8]

Do you absolutely need the V3 batteries for the camera to work or it that just for the metering?

[@52cameras54]

Sorry for the slow reply. It will work at 'X' and bulb without batteries. 1/90 second instead of 1/30 or 1/60 for X sync makes it more useful without a battery but it's still really limiting.

[@monikakrampalcaite8138]

Hello, thanks for minolta's review. I just have one question about this camera. One man said that something bad with my camera's battery contanct and maybe this is why I can't take photos. When I press button, the curtains close and the screen gets black, it stops working. Then I set on X or B and it becomes good again: the screen isn't black and I can see everything from it. But when I try to take a photo, it happens again. Only I can take photos with X mode but I don't know how my photos will look...Maybe you know, what could it be a problem??

[@52cameras54]

He may be right. The viewfinder going black is the mirror sticking in the up position. X and B don't use the batteries so the mirror return works mechanically. The obvious first -- make sure the batteries are good and inserted correctly. The + goes into the camera (up when you put them into the battery cap). The lever on the left (from the photographers point of view) is the battery check. Move the lever down and the red light should come on. If it comes on, there is an electrical problem (maybe a loose wire, maybe more serious) somewhere inside the camera. If it doesn't come on, power isn't getting from the batteries to the body. Is there or was there corrosion (white or green crumbly coating) in the battery compartment? Vinegar on a cotton swab is good for cleaning it up. Bad corrosion may require a pencil eraser to get the contacts in the body and on the cap clean. Sometimes the corrosion travels along the battery wire which can cause bad connections or shorts inside. If good batteries and a good cleaning doesn't fix it, it will need repair or replacement. I hope this helps. Thanks for watching.

[@axelpatsch5939]

That's the camera I started shooting with. My mother had one of those and after she was fed up with me using her camera all the time I got an X-300 (X-370) for Xmas :-)

[@52cameras54]

I can see why, it's an addictive camera. It just *feels right*. I got an X-370 as part of a lot of cameras but I haven't had a chance to check it out yet. I hope it works. Thanks!

[@axelpatsch5939]

Later I also hat the X-700 and an XD-5. I really regret that I sold all my Minolta stuff when I cleaned up my house and thought that I would probably not shoot film anymore. I started shooting film again about a year ago though.

[@nancymontero2739]

My dad took all of my sister and mine baby pictures with that camera

[@52cameras54]

Cool. I like hearing some personal history about cameras. My dad used a Nikon F but we have more pictures from my mom's Instamatics.