C41
Kodak Portra 400
Kodak Portra 400 is a professional C-41 color negative film known for flexible exposure latitude, natural skin tones, and fine grain.
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slr-35mm
The X-700 (1981) is Minolta's enthusiast 35mm SLR — program AE plus aperture priority and manual, TTL center-weighted SPD meter, electronic shutter to 1/1000s, and full TTL flash (PX series flashes). Bright pentaprism finder at 0.9× magnification. The body is metal-on-aluminum with polycarbonate skin, 505 g — among the lightest SLRs of its era.
Reference
Recommended film stocks for the 35mm format your camera takes.
C41
Kodak Portra 400 is a professional C-41 color negative film known for flexible exposure latitude, natural skin tones, and fine grain.
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Kodak Tri-X 400 is a classic black-and-white film known for strong tonality, visible grain, and documentary character.
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Kodak Gold 200 is a daylight-balanced C-41 color negative film with warm color, moderate grain, and a classic consumer-film look.
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Before you buy used
About this camera
Minolta's longest-running 35mm SLR. Program mode, bright finder, and Rokkor lenses for cheap.
| Field | Value |
|---|
| Format | 35mm |
| Mount | Minolta MD (also MC compatible without metering automation) |
| Years | 1981–1999 |
| Shutter | 4s – 1/1000s, electronic horizontal cloth |
| Flash sync | 1/60s |
| Meter | TTL center-weighted SPD |
| Modes | Program, A, M |
| Weight | 505 g |
| Battery | 2× SR44 |
Released 1981, replacing the XG-M as Minolta's enthusiast top body (the XK / XD-11 lineage was simultaneously phased out). Production continued an unprecedented 18 years until 1999 — the longest run of any Minolta manual-focus SLR. The X-570 (1983) was a slightly stripped-down variant. After the X-700 came the Maxxum / Dynax 7000 line (1985, autofocus, A-mount — incompatible with MD lenses).
The X-700 is the most-bought late-period Minolta. Production volume was high and spare bodies are everywhere. The Rokkor lens system (50/1.4 MD, 50/1.7 MD, 35/2.8 MD, 28/2.8 MD, 135/3.5 MD, 100/2.5 MC) is technically excellent and historically cheap — the kit lens 50/1.7 MD is one of the best $20 normal lenses ever made.
For 2026 buyers, an X-700 + 50/1.7 MD Rokkor at $100 is one of the cheapest "good film camera" bundles available, and the program mode means you can hand it to someone who doesn't know cameras and they'll get reasonable exposures.
Minolta MD mount: full automation. MC mount: mechanical-only metering. The Rokkor lens line includes some legitimately great glass: 58/1.2 MC (cult), 50/1.4 MD, 35/2.8 MD, 24/2.8 MD, 100/2.5 MC. Motor Drive 1, Auto Winder G, PX flashes (PX-200, PX-280, PX-360, PX-500), Data Back QD.
BW
Ilford HP5 Plus is a flexible ISO 400 black-and-white film with classic grain and strong push-processing tolerance.
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Kodak Ektar 100 is a fine-grain C-41 color negative film with saturated color and high sharpness.
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