Konica Minolta XD-5 35mm Manual Focus Camera Body

In 1979 Minolta released a second model in the XD Range, called the XD5. This camera had all of the features that made the XD7/11 so good, with the exception of the aperture readout in the viewfinder, the viewfinder blind, and the film safe load indicator. Given that these are only minor changes, and the mechanical and electronic components of the cameras are identical, the XD5 makes a great selection if you are unable to find a XD7/11. Several changes were made to the XD Series bodies during the course of production. The first models came with an outward facing exposure adjustment lever, made of bare metal. This lever was later given a black plastic tip, and in the last period of production, this lever was moved to point inward. Also, part of the way through the production of the XD Series, Minolta started painting the 125 number on the shutter scale green. This was designed to assist with the use of the shutter priority exposure control for inexperienced users, as if all settings were set at "green" (ie. minimum aperture, "S" on mode setting and 1/125 of a second), good shots should result. It is noted that the shutter priority setting on the XD11 is quite advanced, and that if the selected speed is insufficient at the widest aperture, it will reduce the speed until a correct exposure ensues. In the pictures at right you can see the early positioning of the exposure adjustment lever (left) and the later position (right). I find the earlier design easier to use, particularly when adjusting exposure while looking through the viewfinder. In these images you can see the early shutter speed dial (right) and the later version (left). It is important to remember that the green 125 is NOT the flash sync speed position. For flash photography with non-dedicated flash units the shutter speed dial should be set to the red "X" which gives a speed of 1/100 sec.