I don’t know the Canon line, but I’ve heard a lot of opinion that the FT series was the highest achievement.  Pentax?  Consensus seems to favor the MX. 

 

Voigtlander topped out with its Prominent II, and Minolta…I’d have to say the XD-11 was top gun.  I might get an argument on this from admirers of the XK series, the X-570, the X-700, the XE-5, or—a smaller group—fans of the SRT 102.  These were great machines, but the breakthrough camera was the XD-11, which appeared in 1977. 

 

The late 70s were a golden era for photographers, mostly because of a revolution in lenses.  The computer came into its own as a design tool, and superb optics became available at reachable prices.  Auto exposure proliferated at the same time, and suddenly the streets were full of people wearing cameras.  Some were worn as jewelry, but there was a lot of shooting going on.  Even film stock made major improvements during the seventies.  There would not be another revolution on this scale until the digital takeover now in progress.  The XD-11 was part of this change. 

 

 

It offered:

 

Both aperture and shutter priority AE. 

 

Shutter priority with a “program” override. 

 

A brilliant viewing screen.

 

Great ergonomics. 

 

 

My first Minolta was an XG-7; it had aperture-priority AE, which I learned to work with.  I lost a lot of frames, true, because aperture-priority can give you both blurs and blown highlights.  If you set the aperture too small, you get a too-slow shutter speed; if you set it too wide, you get overexposure.  You end up adjusting the aperture not for sharpness or depth-of-field but for a workable shutter speed.  It’s faster to use shutter-priority and go directly to the speed you want. 

 

I’m aware of dangers with shutter-priority also.  .  This mode can force the camera toward f-stops beyond the range of the film, causing under- or overexposure.  The XD-11 mostly solves this problem.  If the camera demands too small an f-stop, the shutter will slow down to compensate.  It also adjusts speed for too-wide f-stops.  In the field, this is a great advantage.  You can set a shutter speed that is reasonable for conditions, confident that the camera compensates if pushed. 

 

Yes, it is possible for the shutter to slow down too much and give you a blur, but this seldom happens, and you can hear a slow shutter speed.  You can’t hear an incorrect aperture. 

 

My only complaint about the XD-11 is shutter lag.  When you hit the release button, the camera holds its breath a moment before taking the picture.  In certain situations, you want a Leica-quick shutter release, and this is not one.  However, I’ve never had a shot damaged by this, even though the lag makes me nervous.  It must be shorter than it sounds. 

 

The viewing screen of the XD-11 is many times brighter than any screen preceding it.  This is not negligible if you are working in dim light or have slow lenses mounted.  The screen also affords split-image focusing, which is indispensable for short lenses. 

 

This machine feels better in the hand than any other camera I’ve picked up.  Its balance and dimensions and covering are just right.  The film advance is smooth and positive, and all the controls are large enough to be easily handled. 

 

It does not have mirror lockup or AE lock.  I don’t miss the former, but an AE lock can save time when you need it most.  There is a workaround in the form of an exposure-compensation device; but it is slow to use and there’s no signal in the viewfinder when it is activated. 

 

Among the MD lenses made for this camera, I especially recommend:

 

24mm 2.8

50mm 1.7

85mm 2.0

100mm 4.0 macro

135mm 3.5

 

These optics resist flare, and they are sharp and contrasty.  They focus smoothly and are shock-resistant.  If you want to see what quality they can produce, use fine-grain film, middle apertures, and a tripod.  And for another percentage point in quality, use the self-timer to release the shutter.  The resulting shots will show you what a high ceiling you are working under. 

 

I’ve never understood why the qualities of Minolta MD lenses are so little known.  I do have some theories.  First and most important, Minolta never put together a camera that professional photographers adopted in any number.  Minolta tried for that market with its XK machines, but didn’t get the package right.  The lenses that Minolta developed at the time were professional-level, but were misidentified as amateur—because Minolta subsequently specialized in non-pro camera bodies. 

 

Further, Minolta put most of its promotional efforts into their camera bodies, not lenses.  If they had advertised the lenses separately and adequately, people might have bought the bodies to get the lenses, instead of buying the bodies with no thought of what the glass was like. 

 

Also, Minolta did not support their equipment in the pro community.  They didn’t have counters at major sports events, with loaner equipment for professional photographers.  This meant that day-to-day photographers did not see the pros using Minolta equipment and took it less seriously accordingly. 

 

Finally, Minolta failed to promote its unique lenses in the pro community.  The 85mm Varisoft was nonpareil for glamour work; the 100mm f4 macro was also top-flight.  Not enough professional photographers tried these lenses—or even knew about them. 

 

A useful contrast is the Canon camera line.  They’ve done little to advertise their lenses, even though they manufacture some star optics.  However, they’ve done everything else right.  With the F1 they entered the studios of professional photographers, and they’ve kept themselves visible with some flashy features such as eye-recognition autofocus.  And they do support their lines at major sports events.

 

The pictures on the following page were taken with MD lenses.  Because they were shot in 1979-80, I no longer remember which came out of the XG-7 and which out of the 101.  Allow me to call this a manual-Rokkor tribute.  Age has changed the color in all but the Kodachromes.  At some point, I'll add a shot or two taken with the XD-11--with the same lenses, of course.   

I've always thought "Rokkor" sounded like the name of a large dog, but these lenses are far from being dogs.  All but the last of the shots following can be clicked into a larger size.