The Minolta X-500 is an SLR camera. It was sold to photographers from the year 1983. Production took place in a factory in Japan. In the USA, a functionally identical model was sold as the Minolta X-570.
The camera comes with a Minolta SR bayonet. There are a large number of lenses available for this mount. As already mentioned, the focus is set manually. For the bayonet, there are zoom lenses as well as fixed focal lengths. The adjustable apertures depend on the lens.
The Minolta X-500 comes with an automatic exposure. This allows the shutter speed to be automatically selected by the camera, based on a set aperture. The exposure meter is designed for films with a sensitivity of ISO 12 to ISO 3200.
In addition, there is a manual mode on the SLR camera. Here you can freely select shutter speed and aperture. Values from 1/1000 second to 1 second are available for the shutter. In the automatic exposure mode, the longest shutter speed is only four seconds. There is also a Bulb mode for long exposures.
For long exposures, you can mount the camera on a tripod. It is also advisable to use a cable release for this. A self-timer is also built in.
A flash can also be used via a socket or the hot shoe. The shutter speed for flash photography is given in the manual as 1/60 second.
The dimensions of the Minolta X-500 are 13.7 x 8.9 x 5.1 cm according to the manual. At the same time, it weighs 480 grams. The camera requires two SR44 batteries (eBay / Amazon*). However, LR44 button cells (eBay / Amazon*) can also be used.
Films for the Minolta X-500
The Minolta X-500 is designed for the 35mm format. 35mm films are still manufactured today. They can be developed in most laboratories. The film transport is mechanical. But there is also a connectable motor for the model.
A color film for the 35mm camera would be the Kodak Ultramax 400*. A possible film for black and white images is the Ilford FP4 Plus*. Both films give solid results with the analog camera. However, there are of course other films for the camera. For example, Adox, Lomography or even Fujifilm offer suitable products.
