Minolta XG-9

The Minolta XG line, made between 1977 and 1984, was a short-lived offering, set below the XD line and the SRT line, all sold simultaneously.  The XG models were aimed at the amateur market, getting in line with the electronic models by other camera makers. All models bear little differences, so unless you look into a specific model, any of the lot would do. Plenty are available in the used market for a little price, a true bargain for an able shooter.

The XG-9 on my desk is a compact, lightweight camera that belongs to the ‘read the manual first’ tribe. I thought it was dead till I delved deeper; see notes below.

The camera operates on aperture priority auto or manual exposure. Set to auto, a red dot on the scale at the viewer’s right will show the selected shutter speed, governed by the user’s aperture setting. Over/under exposure will show at the top/bottom LED at the scale.

The manual setting is awkward, as the meter does not engage when outside the Auto setting. To determine shutter/aperture values, set the dial to auto, read the values and then set the same manually.

Minolta XG models:

Good to know:

• The shutter trigger needs a finger touch to activate. Using a glove or not fully touching the trigger with the ring around it will not fire.
• The shutter speed dial enters A mode with a turn. To return to the manual setting, press the tiny button next to it.
• The front red lens shines with battery check and self-timer.
• Remote shutter release on the left of the lens barrel base.
• Load batteries with the plus side out.
• A red line in the tiny slot by the winder hub confirms that the film is properly loaded.
• Shutter locks on overexposure.
• For exposure compensation, set the ‘A’ mark to the desired compensation value.