You win some, you lose some. On HSS mode, the power of the strobe goes down significantly about a 1/12th of the original light. And this is after spending the money on the N8008. Not included in my definition are the X-300s, X-370n and X-7; I mention them because they have confusingly similar names, but they differ in more significant ways.. They are cheap enough now though you can always get more than one. An ’A’ indicates Auto mode (aperture-priority). The only drawback is reduce CIPA battery life. We have darkest in the room and complete control of the light. In 1992 (I remember the date; it was the year I had exchange students from Columbia & Denmark in my photo class!) The hot-shoe flash mount is located in the normal place on top of the camera. I prefer the aperture-priority option. I have used it for many weddings etc, and many day to day pics I just love the way it feels in my hands. In a way, I hope positive reviews like mine can change that. The displays are simple colored numbers visible through a clear opening located on the top of the camera to the left of the shutter release. A nice set of photos; my favorite is the b&w shot of the couple walking under the street lamp. Unlike LED lights, you pay for the battery and the light separately, which ends up costing you over $1000. top 10 business card holders for promotion list and get free shipping. But I can see how P mode on the the X-700 was a big deal in its day. Just be aware of the problem I had before you decide. The camera I used to take these photographs was a Minolta X-370s – a manual-focus SLR from the early nineties. The film rewinder is on the left top of the body. Or should you go for a higher-end camera instead – the Minolta X-700 for example? $200 (Hamilton Square) hide this posting restore restore this posting. Shop our extensive selection of products and … All the photos in this article, other than the ones of the camera itself, were taken with my MD Rokkor 50mm f/1.7. First, I understand that not all X-370s cameras have a cable-release socket, which is important if you plan to shoot long exposures. In the video or film world for the past 20 years, you used to use 20 different types of light to create a scene. Battery F. Camp Dix. Holding the X-370s to your eye, you can turn the shutter speed dial until the blinking LED (user-set shutter speed) joins up with the steady LED (metered speed). Very cool article, and awesome photos. When I say variants, I’m referring to three other models: the X-300 (1984), the X-370 (1984) and the X-7A (1985). Sorry, your blog cannot share posts by email. Which brings me to glass. For the strobe lights, we are using the Dynalite Baja B6 Battery-Powered Monolight. Second, some appear to have a diagonal split-screen focusing aid, though mine has a more conventional horizontal one. It has everything the X-370 lacked: Auto-focus, auto exposure, multiple program modes, etc. The way I like the setup my models when I shoot outside to put the sun coming up from behind her as a rim light. Now for the bad news. Let’s define variants. He passed them onto our program from an acquaintance of his. So for example, if you have your model wearing a beautiful dress and you want to capture a soft blurring motion in your picture you can do that using a continuous light. Is this what I was missing? For seven whole years, I owned just one film camera – the Minolta X-370s – and one lens – the MD Rokkor 50mm f/1.7. – in China. The X-500 (or 570) was introduced as a slightly cheaper model to follow the X-700, but was never as successful even though technically it’s a more capable camera (loses “P”, gains: correct metering in DoF preview[*], display of selected as well as recommended shutter in manual mode (a big mistake in the X-700 IMHO)and the ability to use fill-flash). New Sony 70-200 2.8 GM - USA Model $1,899 (Price Reduce) ... One Lot of (2) Minolta Camera Cases for Minolta SRT 35mm Film Cameras $25 (Dallas) pic hide this posting restore restore this posting. The film would still advance normally, but only for the first half or two-thirds of a 36 exposure roll. By the early 2000s, I was an impressionable teenager, and digital photography was the next big thing. If you are going to do videos and stills, I would recommend using constant light, which gives you plenty of flexibility for both. A big thanks to our model Elena G. for helping to make this video! The camera controls are simple and work well with that approach. Isn’t it the Pentax K1000? Second, despite the difference in price point, the X-700, like the X-370s, is a manual-focus, auto-exposure SLR. In Program mode, the camera sets both aperture and shutter speed, turning it into a virtual point-and-shoot (of course, you still need to focus). $100. ILCE-6000 + E 16-70mm F4 ZA OSS @ 20mm, ISO 200, 1/80, f/8.0. Using constant light outside is really hard because it’s competing with the sun and all sorts of ambient light sources. As I mentioned, there are ways around this shortcoming – using the ISO dial or switching to manual. In London all the Tube lines have different colours on the map, and many have matching handrails. As I write this my faithful, but now ill, Minolta X-370 sits in my lap. Or you can choose to set it a few stops higher or lower than the metered speed, to over- or under-expose. Even then I did get nearly 15 years of use out of it first. However, even a die-hard Minolta fan is unlikely to get excited about the humble X-370s. 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The film advance is right where it should be, on the right behind the shutter release where it’s easily operated by the thumb. The longer the roll, the worse the problem. This definitely makes for less grainy photos and just a nicer image. He teaches photography through his company, The Slanted Lens, which runs a popular YouTube channel. Copyright © 2014-2020, F Stop Cameras LLC, All Rights Reserved. But if you’re looking for a perfectly good camera on an ultra-low budget, I believe there are few which can match up to the X-370s and its variants. For all the continuous light segments we are shooting today, we are using the Aputure 120DII, which combines the power block and the control module into one unit. Now you’ve probably read enough misty-eyed accounts of discovering (or rediscovering) the magic of using a manual-focus film camera in the digital age to know what happens next. I thought I’d learned enough with my simple camera to appreciate the goodies associated with newer technology, so I bought a good used Nikon N8008. Then we have mono-blocks, which are essentially a power pack and a strobe head combined into one unit and you have a lithium-ion battery. $1,180. Nevertheless, the Minolta X-370s has a special place in my heart. I’ve chosen the X-700 as a benchmark for three reasons. In fact it was the last shot of the roll, I was taking the Tube to the photo-lab and trying to finish the roll before I gave it to them. Someone who knew nothing about photography could buy one, learn to load film and focus, and they’re good to go. Even knowing about the problem, and not knowing for sure if its been corrected, I’m still considering buying a new 370s. It has a similar camera design/form factor and somewhat of a similar base feature-set, although there are certainly some differences gained and lost in comparison. Finally, we get to the features. Your review covered all the bases and your affection for the camera is evident. Most are from Tokyo, a few from my travels in Okinawa and Hong Kong. The more pictures I shot, the harder it would be to advance the film or even trip the shutter. The lock also pulls up to act as a self-timer, a feature that is occasionally nice to have. My parents bought me a digital compact, and a few years later I upgraded to a bridge camera (a Canon PowerShot, to be precise). Is it superior enough to justify the price difference? As long as you learn to understand the basics of lighting and set up your lights properly, you are on your way to becoming a professional in no time. pic hide this posting restore restore this posting. Whereas with the strobes, I have a little bit more control over the light on her face. They all have pros and cons, and I could probably make a decent case for most of them.