Minolta X-700: Measuring instruments for adjusting

Andreas Thaler · Jan 28, 2024

The Minolta Service manual lists the following measuring instruments for adjustments on the X-700.

Some of them I can imagine, others are unknown to me.

I wonder if these devices can be substituted today to be able to carry out the measurement work? Some of the original devices are already historical.

Standard luminance box: provides defined exposure values (EV)?
EE tester: What do you do with it and what does the abbreviation EE stand for?
Camera standard tester?
Strobo tester?

If Reveni Lab's Kickstarter project (tip by @ic-racer) covers most of these functions, should the X-700 be fully adjustable again? Apart from the mirror angle adjuster?

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4season · Jan 28, 2024

That tester looks great! If it's built around Arduino, that should bode well for longevity, and the source code should be easy to customize.

Zenit camera mirror angle adjustments are used for viewfinder collimation. It's not difficult.

"EE" was a common abbreviation for "Electronic Exposure" aka Automatic Exposure.

A mirrorless digital camera fitted with manual focus macro lens can function as a collimator.

ic-racer · Jan 28, 2024

The EE (Exposure Error) function of my tester uses a sensor that both measures light intensity and the shutter speed. I believe that Reveni tester does the same.

Andreas Thaler · Jan 29, 2024

4season said:
Zenit camera mirror angle adjustments are used for viewfinder collimation. It's not difficult.

"EE" was a common abbreviation for "Electronic Exposure" aka Automatic Exposure.

A mirrorless digital camera fitted with manual focus macro lens can function as a collimator.

Thanks!

Andreas Thaler · Jan 29, 2024

ic-racer said:
The EE (Exposure Error) function of my tester uses a sensor that both measures light intensity and the shutter speed. I believe that Reveni tester does the same.

Thanks!

Andreas Thaler · Jan 29, 2024

I will work more with the measuring devices and the corresponding settings on the X-700. The information about this in the service manual is slowly becoming clearer to me.

It could also be that the X-700 was the last SLR from Minolta that did not require diagnostic software. I have to look in the service manual for the Minolta 7000.

And then I'll take a look at whether the Reveni tester is solid on the market and will probably order a copy. For me the device is surprisingly affordable.

Chan Tran · Feb 1, 2024

Now when you work on newer cameras you will need diagnostic software and the cable to connect. How do you find these? I know with the Nikon F5 one can adjust the exposure meter and shutter speed via software but how do we get the software. Manufacturers won't let these software get out even though they no longer use them. There is also the problem that most of these software run on old OS like DOS or Windows 95 but that I can handle.

Andreas Thaler · Feb 3, 2024

Chan Tran said:
Now when you work on newer cameras you will need diagnostic software and the cable to connect. How do you find these? I know with the Nikon F5 one can adjust the exposure meter and shutter speed via software but how do we get the software. Manufacturers won't let these software get out even though they no longer use them. There is also the problem that most of these software run on old OS like DOS or Windows 95 but that I can handle.

I think these cameras - and all after them - have limited serviceability.

Perhaps you can also set important electronic functions manually, in „manual emergency mode“, but in practice you have to hope that the factory settings hold.

The shutter of the F5 adjusts itself automatically. How to adjust this manually, I don't know.

Chan Tran · Feb 3, 2024

Andreas Thaler said:
I think these cameras - and all after them - have limited serviceability.

Perhaps you can also set important electronic functions manually, in „manual emergency mode“, but in practice you have to hope that the factory settings hold.

The shutter of the F5 adjusts itself automatically. How to adjust this manually, I don't know.

You can do that using the software without having to disassemble it. It said in the service manual. If you have the software. I believe the software is a DOS based software.

Andreas Thaler · Feb 3, 2024

Chan Tran said:
You can do that using the software without having to disassemble it. It said in the service manual. If you have the software. I believe the software is a DOS based software.

I'm afraid the software for this was lost and was never released to the public.

Minolta X-700: Measuring instruments for adjusting

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