Minolta XE

The Minolta XE (XE-1 in Europe, XE-7 in USA) came out in 1974, developed as result of the Minolta-Leitz collaboration in the mid-70s. The Leica R3 of that time was very much like the XE. The XE was the smaller and cheaper 'brother' of the more professional orientated X-1. It lacked its interchangeable finder and focussing screens and had a different shutter, a vertical traveling metal blade shutter, developed in cooperation with Leitz and Copal. Otherwise, it was a big and heavy camera of a very solid feel, too. It featured the CLC metering system introduced with the SR-T 101 and refined by the X-1, electronically controlled shutter speeds from 8s to 1/1000s and a mechanical 1/90s and it had an automatic mode (aperture priority) with exposure compensation. The viewfinder shows selected aperture and shutter speed, as well as the metered shutter time. The XE ranges between the completely mechanical SR-T 101 and the highly electronic XD. The XE and XE-1 model was available in chrome and black finish, the XE-7 in black only. There were two simpler versions, the XE-5 and the Japan only XEb.