Minolta XG-1 + MD 50mm F1.7

Minolta introduced the XG-1 in 1979 as the entry point to the XG series — slotted below the semi-professional XD line and above the all-mechanical SR-T bodies — and what it gave beginners was the thing that mattered most: get the aperture right and the camera does the rest, silently and accurately. The XG shutter is a horizontal cloth curtain running stepless from 1 second to 1/1000 in aperture-priority mode, which is a genuinely better way to expose film than the stepped speeds on a mechanical body. It also carries Minolta's clever Touch Switch: rest a finger on the release and the meter wakes, no half-press required. Paired here with the MD 50mm f/1.7, the standard lens that a great many people learned photography on, and one of the sharpest normal primes of the era at any price.

Specifications

• Type: 35mm SLR, aperture-priority automatic with manual shutter speeds
• Mount: Minolta SR bayonet — accepts the full MC and MD Rokkor system
• Shutter: Electronically controlled horizontal cloth focal plane, stepless 1sec to 1/1000sec in auto, plus Bulb
• Metering: TTL centre-weighted CdS cell, full aperture
• Flash sync: 1/60sec, hot shoe
• Exposure compensation: Plus or minus 2 EV
• Extras: Touch Switch electromagnetic release, electronic self-timer with LED and beep, battery check
• Power: Two 1.5V SR44 or LR44 cells — the camera is fully electronic and will not fire without them
• Lens: Minolta MD 50mm f/1.7, 6 elements in 5 groups, 49mm filter thread, minimum focus 0.45m
• Weight: Approximately 490g body only

Condition

• Cosmetic: Excellent++. Minimal signs of age or use. The lens is fully clean with coatings intact.
• Functional: Fully working, including the light meter.

Included

• Minolta XG-1 body
• Minolta MD 50mm f/1.7 lens
• Camera strap
• UV filter

Two things to know before you buy. The XG-1 is fully electronic, so a dead battery means a dead camera — carry a spare SR44 pair. And like the rest of the XG line, the meter reads in aperture-priority mode; switch to a manual shutter speed and you are working off experience or a handheld meter. Neither is a fault, and neither is unusual for an automatic body of this generation. What you get in return is one of the quietest, smoothest shutters Minolta ever built, with a clean f/1.7 prime already mounted.