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Lynn@butkus.org

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Y o u r M i n o l t a X E - 1 i s a t o p - q u a l i t y s i n g l e - l e n sr e f l e x c a m e r a w h o s e
e l e c t r o n i c s y s t e m w i l l c o n t r o l e x p o s u r ef o r y o u a u t o m a t i c a l l y , f r e e i n g
you for more enjoyment or greater creativity. You can also control
exposure manually, with or without reference to the meter indication.
ln either case, your XE-1 offers full control of all camera exposure
v a r i a b l e s ,a n d a l l n e c e s s a r yi n f o r m a t i o n i s v i s i b l e w i t h o u t t a k i n g y o u r
eye from the finder. This eminently refined and well-thought-out
camera with its unique new electronic shutter lets you enjoy easy
handling, utmost smoothness and quietness,and considerate"fail-safe"
features throughout. Further, your XE-1 is an integral part of the
M i n o l t a S L R s y s t e m a n d u s e sa l l i n t e r c h a n g e a b l el e n s e sa n d a p p l i c a b l e
system accessories.lt is thus ready to grow with you and your needsfor
utmost versatility even in advanced, professional, or specialized
s c i e n t i fi c o r t e c h n i c a l u s e .
Before using your camera for the first time, study this manual
carefully all the way through - or at least all the sections needed to
cover your own photographic needs.As you read, attach the lens to the
c a m e r a b o d y ( s e e p . 5 0 ) , l o a d b a t t e r i e s ,a n d h a n d l e y o u r X E - 1 a n d
a c q u a i n t y o u r s e l f w i t h i t s p a r t s a n d f e a t u r e s .T h e n l o a d i t w i t h f i l m a n d
proceedto actual picture taking. In this way, you can take good photos
and begin to realizethe broad potential of your XE-1 right from the
start. Be sure to keep this manual for referencelater as necessary.

CO NT E N T S
MAIN FEATURES

....

NAMEsoFPARTS

..'.6

suMMARy OF OPERAT|ON
(ON,,AUTO")

.. . . "

B A T T E R I E SA N D P O W E R
f n s t a l l i n sb a t t e r i e s
Testing batteries
Powerswitch

E X P O S U R E . C O N T R O LF U N D A .
MENTALS

.. .. ' 21

BUTTON
STOP-DOWN

.....

".'"'
"""
"""'

22

.. .. 22

. . 10

M E T E R I N GM E T H O D S

1I z1
.'12

HOLDTNGTHE CAMERA

.. 23

VIEWFINDER

.'24

F i l m - a d v a n c el e v e ra n d f r a m e c o u n t e r . . . 1 7
FILM SPEED
Film-speedselector
ASA/DINconversionscale
Memoholder

"'2o

xE-l METERING POINTERS

WA'S OF USING AUTO MODE

. .. 27

18
19
19

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M E T E R E D / M A N U A L E X P O S U RE C O N T R O L
Metered/manualoperation
......
30
"X"and"B"settings ...
..32

WHEN AND HOW MUCH TO

ADJUSTEXPqSURE
... .. 48
ATTACHING AND REMOVING LENSES 50

FOCUSTNG
Depth-of-fieldscale
Depth -of -f ield p review
l n f r a r e d i n d e x.
Film-planeindex

.....3b
....35

USING OTHER THAN MC LENSES

AutoRokkorLenses
......51
R F ( m i r r o r - t y p e )a n d M a n u a l - P r e s e t
Rokkorlenses
....51

RELEASINGTHESHUTTER

.....

. ... 33
..34

36

R E W I N D I N GA N D U N L O A D I N G F I L M . . 3 8
FLASH PHOTOGRAPHY
SELF-TfMER...
MULTIPLE EXPOSURES

...

40

.....43
.. . 45

E X P O S U R E - A D J U S T M E N TC O N T R O L . . 4 7

S P E CF| f C A T I O N S . . .

......52

C O U P L E D A U T O M A T I C E X P O S UR E
RANGE
... .. 54
STANDARD LENS SPECIFICATIONS . . . 55
C A R EA N D S T O R A G E

.... . 56

MAIN FEATURES
Outstanding electronic exposure system
Incorporating the electronic auto-exposure
c o n t r o l s y s t e m d e v e l o p e df o r M i n o l t a ' s t o p X M
m o d e l, t h e X E - 1 c o v e r s a w i d e r a n g e o f
photographic conditions with high accuracy
and very low power consumption. lt resists
t e m p e r a t u r ea n d h u m i d i t y a n d m a i n t a i n s h i g h
p e r f o r m a n c ef r o m g e n e r a lp h o t o g r a p h y t h r o u g h
h i g h l y s p e c i a l i z e dw o r k . T h e X E - 1 ' s s y s t e m
f e a t ur e s :
o F u l l y a u t o m a t i c e x p o s u r e b y s t e p l e s ss h u t t e r s p e e d sf r o m 1 / 1 0 0 0 t o f o u r f u l l s e c o n d s ,
p l u s m e t e r e da n d f u l l m a n u a l
o M o n o li t h i c - l C m e m o r y a n d c o n t r o l c i r c u i t s
o M inolta's exclusive contrast-compensator
metering
o Better operation at high and low temperatu res
o T w o t i n y s i l v e r b a t t e r i e sa s a p o w e r s o u r c e

High-performance new shutter

's
The XE-1 unique new "CLS" ("CoPalLeitz Shutter"l is a metal-blade vertical-run
t y p e p r o v i d i n g h i g h p r e c i s i o na n d d u r a b i l i t y . l t
o p e r a t e sm o r e q u i e t l y a n d s m o o t h l y a n d o f f e r s
admi rablecompactness.
With basic design by Germany's Ernst Leitz
G m b H , t h e C L S w a s d e v e l o p e dt h r o u g h j o i n t
w o r k w i t h J a p a n ' sC o p a l C o . , L t d . , w h o f u r t h e r
contributed experience and original ideas.
Minolta supported and .cooperated with both
C o p a la n d L e i t z i n t h i s p r o j e c t .
Complete information-center viewf inder
o F o c u s i n gc a n b e d o n e i n t h r e e w a y s : B y t h e
s p l i t - i m a g eo r m i c r o p r i s mf o c u s i n ga i d o r o n
the mat f ield.
o Shutter speed, aperture figure, exposure
'
m o d e , c o u p l e d l i m i t s , a n d m e t e r i n gi n f o r m a t i o n a r e a l l v i s i b l ew h i l e y o u v i e w .
o M e t e r e d - m a n u a le x p o s u r ec o n t r o l i s p o s s i b l e
b y m a t c h i n g s h u t t e r - s p e e dn u m b e r s i n t h e
f in d e r .

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Minolta SLR bayonet lensmount

o V i r t u a l l y a l l e x i s t i n gR o k k o r i n t e r c h a n g e a b l e
l e n s e sc a n b e u s e d i n e i t h e r a u t o m a t i c o r
m a n u a l o p e r a t i o n ,t h e c u r r e n t l i n e i n c lu d i n g
some thirty models from 16mm fisheye
through 1600mm extreme telephoto. Att a c h i n g i s s i m p l e ,q u i c k , a n d s u r e ,w i t h f u l l a p e r t u r e m e t e r i n g f o r M C l e n s e s ,s t o p - d o w n
type for others.
o T h e X E - 1 a l s o u s e s a l l a p p l i c a b l es y s t e m
a c c e s s o r i e so f t h e m o r e t h a n 1 5 0 c u r r e n t l y
available.
V e r s a t i l e ,e a s y ," f a i l 6 a f e " o p e r a t i o n
o Unusually smooth, positivemultiple expos u r e sw i t h o u t f r a m e - c o u n t e ra d v a n c e
a UP to two stops' continuous exposure gdjustment over or under the normal electronic setting
o X o r F P f l a s h s y n c h r o n i z a t i o nt h r o u g h t h e
hot shoe or singleterminal with switch

o S e l f - t i m e r w i t h a d j u s t a b l ed e l a y f o r a u t o o r
m a n u a l e x p o s u r ec o n t r o l
o E y e p i e c e s h u t t e r f o r u n m a n n e d o r s i m il a r
operation
o O v e r s i z em i r r o r ; i m a g ec u t o f f n e g l i g i b l ee v e n
with 1600mm RF Rokkor lens
o ExclusiveSafe Load Signal monitors film
alignmentand advance.
o S h u t t e r r e l e a s el o c k e d w h e n p o w e r s w i t c h
off
o Mirror stays up, no exposure made when
battery power insufficient.
. "X" it/90 t"c. with X/MF sync.)and "B"
(bulb) settings operate without battery
power.
o Safety locks on "AUYO" setting, ASA dial,
a n d e x p o s u r e - a d j u s t m e nct o n t r o l
o Handy memo holder and ASA/DIN convers i o n s c a l eo n b a c k
o Unusually smooth short-stroke film advance

NAMES OF PARTS
Hot shoe
6

S e r i a ln um b e r
S c a l e - iIlu m i n a t i o n w i n d o w

F i l m - a d v a n c el e v e r

knob
Back-release

S h u t t e r - s p e e d / f u n c t i on s e l e c t o r

Rewind crank

A U T O - s e t t i n gr e l e a s e

F i l m - s p e e ds e l e c t o r

S h ut t e r - r e l e a s eb u t t o n
\

r e Ie v e r
M ultiPle-exposu

Battery checker

E x p o s u r e - a d j u s t m e ncto n t r o l r e l e a s er

M e t e r - c o u p l e rp i n

E x p o s ur e - a d j u s t m e n tc o n t r o l

Strap lug

F i l m - s p e e d - s e lc t o r r e le a s e

Aperture scale

L e n s - r e l e a s eb u t t o n

S e l f - t i m e rl e v e r
Aperture ring

Sy nc. term i nal

-

D e p t h - o f - fi e l d s c a l e
D i s t a n c es c a l e

Sync. selector switch

F o c u s i n gr i n g

S t o p - d o w n b ut t o n

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E y e p i e c e - s htut e r l e v e r
F inder eyepiece
Power switch
S a f e L o a d S i g n a lw i n d o w
Frame counter
Shutter blades
Sprocket
Take-up spool
Back cover
P r e s s u r ep l a t e

Rewind release
Battery-chamber cover

S U M M A R Y O F O P E R A T I O N( O N " A U T O " }
on this page outline use
The steps pictured
'on
automatic mode. They give a
of your Xi-t
general idea of how very easy it is to get

Move power switch

lp. 121.

checkb a t t e r i e s( s e ep . 1 2 ! -.

7 ff:;i:""'

to"Auro"
diar

perfectly exposed pictures with this camera and

are keyed to corresponding sections of the
manual for ready reference. This brief guide

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O p e n b a c k c o v e r ( p . 1 4 ).

n O i u s tf o c u s( p . 3 3 ).

S e t l e n sa p e r t u r e( p . 2 5 ) .

m a y a l s o b e u s e fu l a s a q u i c k r e f r e s h e rf o r g o o d
resultsafter you have not used the camera for
s o m e t i m e . l t i s n o t , h o w e v e r , a s u b s t i t u t ef o r

4irlrrouii.l

m properlv ; closecover

the detailed instructions in the rest of this

m a n u a l , w h i c h s h o ul d b e t h o r o u g h l y s t u d i e d
f or best results.

O d v a n c ef i l m t o " 1 " ( p . 1 6 ) .
5

s h ut t e r ( p . 3 6 ) .

1l

S e t f i l m s p e e d( p . 1 B ) .
$

t r r n p o w e ro f f l p . 1 2 1.

lzRewind

andr em ov e

(p.s).

B A T T E R I E SA N D P O W E R
T w o 1 . S - v o l t s i l v e r - o x i d e b a t t e r i e s ,M a l l o r y
M S - 7 6 o r E v e r e a d y 5 - 7 6 o r e q u i v a l e n t ,s u p p l y
the power for the meter, electronic exposure
c o n t r o l , a n d e l e c t r o n i cs h u t t e r s e t t i n g s .

IMPORTANT:
S h o u l d v i e w i n g b e c o m e i m p o s s i b l eb e c a u s e
the mirror of your XE-l remainsup after the
s h u t t e r h a s b e e n r e l e a s e d ,i t d o e s N O T m e a n
that the camera is out of order. This occurs
automatically to warn you when there is
i n s u f fi c i e n t b a t t e r y p o w e r f o r p r o p e r o p e r a t i o n
a t e l e c t r o n i c s h u t t e r s e t t a n q s .T o r e t u r n t h e
mirror for viewing, simply turn the shutterspeed/function selector to "X" or "B." For
f u r t h e r d e t a i l s ,s e ep . 1 3 .

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Installing batteries
1 Using a coin or similar object, turn the
counterclockwise
cover
battery-chamber
and remove it.
2. After cleaning terminals with a clean dry
c l o t h a n d h a n d l i n g o n l y b y t h e e d g e s ,i n s e r t
two of the specified batteries plus (+) side

3.

out into the sleeve on the inside of the

cover. (lf batteries are inserted improperly,
they will not make contact, and no current
will flow.)
Replace the cover and screw it in clockwise
asfar asit willgo.

12

T e s t i n gb a t t e r i e s
Depress the battery-checker lever toward
the bottom of the camera. lf the red lamp
l i g h t s , b a t t e r i e sa r e s e r v i c e a b l e .
T e s t b a t t e r i e s i m m e d i a t e l y a ft e r i n s t a l l i n g
t h e m . l f t h e l a m p d o e sn o t l i g h t , m a k e s u r et h a t
t h e y a r e f r e s h a n d h a v e b e e n i n s e r t e dc o r r e c t l y .
B a t t e r i e ss h o u l d b e t e s t e d f r o m t i m e t o t i m e
thereafter, preferably before starting each new
roll of film and particularly before starting
p i c t u r e - t a k i n gs e s s i o n so r t r i p s . A s e t o f b a t t e r ies will generally last for about one vear in
proper normal use.

Power switch
To operate the camera, move the power
switch to "ON." This will unlock the shutterrelease button and cause the meter needle in
the finder to move if there are sufficient light
and battery power.
When not operating the camera, always be
sure to move the power switch to "oF F." This
will lock the shutter release against accidental
exposures and prevent needless battery drain.

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Cold-weather oporataon
Batteries by nature tend to decrease in
c a p a c i t y a s t h e t e m p e r a t u r eg o e s d o w n . T h o u g h
t h e s i l v e r - o x i d eb a t t e r i e s u s e d f o r t h e X E - 1 a r e
s u p e r i o r t o m o s t o t h e r s i n t h i s r e s p e c t ,i t a l s o
h a p p e n sw i t h t h e m .
ll old batteries are used at temperatures
b e l o w O o C ( 3 2 o F l, t h e c a m e r a ' s e l e c t r o n i c
o p e r a t i o n m a y n o t b e s a t i s f a c t o r y .Y o u s h o u l d
thus replace older batteries with fresh ones
before using your XE-1 in cold weather and
c a r r y s p a r e f r e s h b a t t e r i e sw i t h y o u d u r i n g s u c h
use,

Low-voltage warning
Your XE-1 is equipped with a device to
warn you and prevent wasted fi lm if battery
voltage becomes insufficient while the shutterspeed/function selector is at an electronic setting (i.e.,any one other than "X" or "B") : lf
t h e s h u t t e r i s r e l e a s e dw h e n v o l t a g e i s t o o l o w ,
n o e x p o s u r ew i l l b e m a d e o n t h e f i l m , a n d t h e
m i r r o r w i l l r e m a i n u p t o p r e v e n tv i e w i n g .
Turning the shutter-speed/function
dial to
e i t h e r " X " o r " B " ( m e c h a n i c a ls e t t i n g s ) w i l l
reset the mirror to its viewing position. The
c a m e r a m a y t h e n b e o p e r a t e da t e i t h e r o f t h e s e
mechanical settings without replacingbatteries
o r a t a n y e l e c t r o n i c o r m e c h a n i c a ls e t t i n ga f t e r
inserting serviceablebatteries. In either case,
use the multiple-exposure lever (see p.45) to
recock the shutter without wasting a frame of
f i l m . ( T h e m i r r o r w i l l a l s o r e s e ta u t o m a t i c a l l y
a f t e r f i l m h a s b e e n a d v a n c e di n t h e u s u a l w a y
a n d t h e s h u t t e r r e l e a s e do n c e . )
NOTE:
lf the camera is not to be used for more
t h a n t w o w e e k s , i t i s a d v i s a b l et o r e m o v e t h e
batteries.

13

L O A D I N GA N D A D V A N C I N GF I L M
2.

14

out on the back-cover release knob

until the camera back springs open.

1. Pull

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Leaving the knob pulled out, position a film

cartridge in the chamber with the projectof the
ing-spool end toward the bottom
camera. Then push the back-cover release
knob all the way in, rotating it slightly to do
so if necessary.

3.

Insert the end of the film leader as shown

into one of the slots in the take-up spool so
that the tooth is engaged with a sprocket
hole near the end of the leader. Make sure
that the end of the leader does not project
f rom another slot between tabs on the spool.

15

T H I Sw a y

NOT this way

tt rrl

16

4 . O p e r a t e t h e f i l m - a d v a n c el e v e r s l o w l y u n t i l
the film has begun to wind firmly around
t h e t a k e - u p s p o o l a n d t h e s p r o c k e tt e e t h a r e
engaged with holes on both edges of the
f i l m . l f t h e a d v a n c el e v e r s t o p s a t t h e e n d o f
a full stroke during this procedure,release
t h e s h u t t e ra n d c o n t i n u e .

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5 . Close the camera back and push in on it

u n t i l i t c l i c k sl o c k e d .

6 . A red "S" should now appear opposite the

index in the frame-counter window. Adv a n c e f i l m a n d r e l e a s et h e s h u t t e r u n t i l t h e
index points to "1" on the frame-counter
dial.

7. A red bar should also now appear at the

left in Safe Load Signal window. This
i n d i c a t e st h a t t h e f i l m i s l o a d e da n d w i n d i n g
properly on the take-up spool. lf the Safe
L o a d S i g n a l d o e s n o t a p p e a r o r s w i n g sf a r t o
the right in the window, repeat steps 1
t h r o u g h 6 t o a s s u r et h a t f i l m i s p r o p e r l y e n g a g e do n t h e s p o o l . A s y o u c o n t i n u e t o t a k e
p i c t u r e s , t h e r e d s i g n a lw i l l m o v e g r a d u a l l y
toward the right in the window, indicating
t h a t f i l m i s a d v a n c i n gp r o p e r l y .

CAUTION:
F i l m s h o u l d b e h a n d l e da n d l o a d i n gd o n e i n
at least shaded from direct
subdued light
s u n l i g h tb y t h e b o d y .
Film-advancelever and frame counter
T h e f i l m - a d v a n c el e v e r i s d e s i g n e dw i t h 3 0 o
u nengaged movement before the beginning of
i t s e n g a g e ds t r o k e t o a l l o w s w i n g i n g i t o u t f r o m
the body so that the right thumb will fit
comfortably behind it. continuing to move the
l e v e r t h r o u g h i t s e n g a g e da n g l e o f 1 3 o o u n t i l i t
springs back to the unengaged position ad_
vances film and frame counter and cocks the
shutter for the next exposure. (To cock the
s h u t t e r w i t h o u t a d v a n c i n gf i l m , s e e p a g e 4 S . )
when the lever stops and resists further
movement at the end of a f ilm, never attempt
to force it farther. (see page3g for instructions
o n r e w i n d i n ga n d u n l o a d i n gf i l m . )
T h e f r a m e c o u n t e r d o e s n o t a d v a n c ew h e n
t w o o r m o r e e x p o s u r e sa r e m a d e o n t h e s a m e
frame. The counter automatically resets for
f ilm loading when the camera back is opened.

F IL M S P E E D
1B

Film+peed selector
Each f ilm on the market has an ASA or DIN
exposure-index number to indicate its sensitivity to light. For correct exposure, the meter
must be set for the effective exposure index of
the f ilm in use.
To do this, depress the selector release and
turn the f ilm-speed selector until the proper
ASA value indication clicks into place opposite
its index. Dots between numbered graduations
indicate ASA numbers as shown:

16
20
32
40
64
80
125
160
2so
320
500
640
1000
1250
2000
2s00

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CAUTI ON:
When settlng f ilm speed, the index of the
exposure-adjustment control (see p. 47) should
generally be locked at its zero position.
ASA/DlN conversion scale
A convenient scale for converting DIN to
ASA f ilm-speed ratings is located on the back
cover of the camera.

Memo holder
the ASA/DlN conversion table is a
convenient frame that can be used to keep
memos handy with the camera. lt is just the
Around

right size to hold the f ilm-box end, which can

be inserted as a reminder of the f ilm in use.

19

E X P O S URE.C O N T R OL
F U N D AME N T A L S
20

The two camera exposure-control settings

a r e l e n s o p e n i n g ( a p e r t u r e )a n d s h u t t e r s p e e d .
T h e s i z e o f t h e a p e r t u r e d e t e r m i n e st h e a m o u n t
or volume of light reachingthe film from a
given subject and lighting. The shutter speed
determines the length of time this light acts
upon the film. Apertures are expressed in
f - n u m b e r s ,w h i c h a r e l a r g e r f o r s m a l l o p e n i n g s
a n d v i c e v e r s a ( e . g . , f / 1 6 r e p r e s e n t sa s m a l l
o p e n i n g , f 1 2 a l a r g e o n e ). S h u t t e r s p e e d s a r e
e x p r e s s e di n s e c o n d so r f r a c t i o n st h e r e o f , w h i c h
are generally the reciprocalsof the numbers
shown shutter-speedscales. (e.g., 60 = 1l60
sec., but 2s - 2 f ull seconds). At usual
a p e r t u r e s ,e a c h f - n u m b e r s e t t i n g ( e . 9 . , f / 8 ) l e t s
in twice as much light as the next numerically
l a r g e ro n e $ l 1 " l l a n d h a l f a s m u c h a s t h e n e x t
smaller (f/5.6). Similarly, each shutter speed
( e . g . ,1 / 6 0 s e c . ) a l l o w s l i g h t t o s t r i k e t h e f i l m
twice as long as the next higher speed (11125t.
and half as long as the next lower one (1/30).
The interval between two standard f-numbers
l s a y , t 1 4 a n d f / 5 . 6 o r s h u t t e r s p e e d s( s a y , 1 / 1 5
a n d 1 / 3 0 ) i s o n e " s t o p . " T o t a l e x p o s u r eo n t h e
film is determined by the combination of
aperture and speed. Other things being equal,

u s i n g t h e n e x t s m a l l e rf - n u m b e r ( i . e . ,g i v i n go n e
s t o p m o r e e x p o s u r e )w i l l b a l a n c eu s i n gt h e n e x t
higher shutter speed (i.e.,giving one stop less
e x p o s u r e,) a n d s o o n . A g r e a t r a n g eo f c o m b i n a t i o n s ( e . 9 . ,f / 5 . 6 a t 1 1 3 O .f l 4 a r 1 1 6 0 ,t l 2 . B a t
1 1 1 2 5 , f 1 2 a t 1 1 2 5 0 ,e t c . ) w i l l t h u s y i e l d t h e
s a m e t o t a l e x p o s u r e .T h e s p e c i f i cc o m b i n a t i o n
y o u c h o o s eu n d e r g i v e n l i g h t i n gc o n d i t i o n sw i l l
d e p e n d u p o n t h e d e g r e et o w h i c h y o u w a n t t h e
greater depth of field (see p. 34) of smaller
a p e r t u r e s a n d t h e g r e a t e r m o v e m e n t - b l u rp r e v e n t i n ga b i l i t y o f f a s t e rs p e e d s( p . 2 9 ) .

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X E . l M E T E R I N GP O I N T E R S
Minolta's exclusive contrast-compensator
m e t e r i n g s y s t e m e m p l o y s t w o C d S c e ll s m o u n t e d o n t h e p e n t a p r i s m t o t a k e s e p a r a t e ,o v e r l a p p i n g l i g h t r e a d i n g sT
. h e s ec e l l sa r e c i r c u i t e d
so that the reading of each affects that of the
o t h e r t o a u t o m a t i c a l l yy i e l d o p t i m u m e x p o s u r e
in both normal and most high-contrastsituat i o n s . F o r b e s t r e s u l t s ,t h e p h o t o g r a p h e r s h o u l d
thus generally not make compensatory adjustment for such differences. One exception is
that exposure should generally be decreased
one to two stops if the most important subject
area is much brighter then the rest of the
picture. (e.9., is in a spotlight or shaft of
sunlight). Some photographers also prefer to
i n c r e a s ee x p o s u r e a h a l f s t o p o r m o r e w i t h a
backlighted subject or one whose most important area is considerablydarker than the area
s u r r o u n d i n gi t . ( F o r f u r t h e r d e t a i l s , s e e p . 4 8 ) .
T h o u g h t h e X E - 1 ' s s p e c i a sl y s t e ma n d f i n d e r
are designed to minimize the effect on the
meter of light entering through the finder
eyepiece under usual conditions, care must be
e x e r c i s e dt o p r e v e n t t h i s e s p e c i a l l y i f y o u w e a r
e y e g l a s s e s .U s e o f a r u b b e r f i n d e r e y e c u p i s
f u r t h e r r e c o m m e n d e dw h e n t h e s u b j e c t i s i n

s h a d ea n d t h e c a m e r ai s i n s u n l i g h t ,w h e n b r i g h t
sidelight falls between eye and eyepiece, or
when stop-down metering is used, particularly
a t s m a l la p e r t u r e s W
. h e n v i e w i n gi s u n n e c e s s a r y ,
t h e e y e p i e c es h u t t e r ( s e e p . 2 6 l , c a n b e u s e d t o
c o m p l e t e l ye l i m i n a t et h i s p r o b l e m .
Besidesoffering exceptionally long service
l i f e a n d c o n s i s t e n tc o n v e r s i o no f l i g h t t o e l e c t r i c a l v a l u e s ,t h e C d S c e l l s i n y o u r X E - 1 , l i k e a l l
o t h e r s , h a v e c h a r a c t e r i s t i c sc o m p a r a b l e t o h u man vision. They are able to "see" about the
same light and color as your eyes and photo
f i l m c a n ; t h i s i s a g r e a t a d v a n t a g ef o r a c c u r a t e
e x p o s u r e .L i k e y o u r e y e s , h o w e v e r ,t h e i r t i m e
o f r e s p o n s ev a r i e sw i t h t h e i n t e n s i t y o f t h e l i g h t
f a l l i n g o n t h e m . l t t h u s t a k e st h e m a w h i l e t o
become accustomed to low light levels after
e x p o s u r e t o b r i g h t l i g h t . F o r a c c u r a t ee x p o s u r e ,
you should thus be careful not to point the
cameraat very bright naturalor artificiallight
sources before making exposures. And you
s h o u l d g i v e y o u r C d S e l e c t r i ce y e s a s h o r t t i m e
t o g e t a c c u s t o m e dt o d a r k e r c o n d i t i o n s , w h e n ,
for example, taking pictures in shadow or
i n d o o r sa f t e r s h o o t i n gi n b r i g h t s u n l i g h t .

21

STOP.DOWN
BUTTON

M E T ER I N G M E T H O D S

22

other.

W i t h M C R o k k o r l e n s e s ,m e t e r i n g i s d o n e a t
full aperture, with the stop-down button at its
inner position (see left) , tor greatest sensitivity and accuracy. The viewfinder thus remains at maximum brightness for utmost ease
of composing and focusing, with the automatic
d i a p hr a g m c l o s i n g d o w n o n l y a t t h e m o m e n t o f
exposure to the aperture preset on the aperture
rlng.
metering is used for other
Stop-down
R o k k o r l e n s e s( s e e p . 5 1 ) .

At full aperture

Stopped dow n

The stop-down bu tton on the X E-1 has two

positions: Inner for full-aperture metering and
ou ter f or stop-down meter ing (see right) or
depth-of -field preview (seep. 35) .
Pushing the button once will set it at one of
these positions; pushing it again will set it at the

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H O L D I N GT H E C A M E R A
Your camera should be held in a comfortable position that will provide suff icient steadiness.A recomme ndable way that permits ready
operation of important controls is shown here.
To hold the camera horizontally, cradle the
bottom of it in the palm of the left hand with
the thumb and index or middle finger on the
focusing grip of the lens. The thumb and

camera body firmly with the right hand as

shown so that the index finger rests on the
shutter-release button.
In th is position, the
thumb
can conveniently operate the filmadvance lever.
The camera may be rotated to a vertical
position when held this way, the only differ-

middle or ring finger of the same hand can be

to tu rn th e apertu re ring. G rasp the

ence being that its rewind-crank end will rest in

the palm of the left hand.

used

23

VIEWFINDER
24

As you look through the viewf i n d e r o f y o u r X E - 1, y o u c a n s e e :

O F - n u m b e r o f l e n sa p e r t u r es e t ,
O S h u t t e r s e t t i n g( " A " f o r a u t o m a t i c; " X , " o r " B : ' o r s p e e d n u m n u m b e r f o r m a n u a lm o d e ) ,
O S p l i t - i m a g eI m i c r o p r i s m f o cusing spot,
O Shutter-speedscale,
O I n d i c a t o r n e e d l e( s h o w ss p e e d
being set on automatic mode; indic a t e sc o r r e c t e x p o s u r ew h e n a l i g n e d
with same scale number as speed
m a n u a l l ys e t ) ,a n d
O M e t e r c o u p l i n g r a n g el i m i t s .
For operation details, see the
f o l l o w i n g s e c t i o n so n e x p o s u r ec o n trol and focusing.

r25
60
30

r5
I
6
2
I

2s
6s

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A U T O M A T I CE X P O S U R EC O N T R O L
2.

1. Turn

Set the desired lens opening by turning the

aperture ring on the lens barrel. The f_
number set will appear centered above the

t h e s h u t t e r - s p e e d / fu n c t i o n s e l e c t o r t o
align "A UTO"
with the index, at wh ich
point
it is locked to prevent accidental
movement. The letter "A" will appear as the
shutter-setting indication at the right above

f rame in the f inder, and the shutter speed as

indicated by the needle at the right of the
f rame will varv automatically and steplessly
to yield proper exposure for the aperture
and other settings with the light being

thefinderframe.

metered.

25

26

3 . l t i s t h e n o n l y n e c e s s a r yt o c o n f i r m f o c u s ,
c o m p o s e y o u r p i c t u r e , a n d r e l e a s et h e s h u t ter.
4. The accurate rangeof shutter operation on
a u t o m a t i c m o d e i s 1 / 10 0 0 t o 4 s e c . , a s
indicated by the indention on the left side
o f t h e s h u t t e r - s p e e ds c a l e .W h e n t h e n e e d l e
moves above or below this indention, correct exposure will not be obtained, and the
aperture or other conditions should be
adjusted so that it points to a value within
the coupled range.
NOTE:
T o c o n t i n u o u s l y p r o v i d e m o r e o r l e s se x p o s u r e o n a u t o m a t i c m o d e , s e ep a g e 4 7 .

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Eyepiece shutter
For remote or unmanned operation or when
the camerais set on a support and usedwithout
viewing on automatac mode, be sure to rotate
the lever at the left rear on the finder as indicated to close the eyepieceshutter. This will
prevent unwanted light from entering through
the eyepiece and affecting the meter reading
and exposure when the eyepieceis not being
shielded by the photographer's head, as it
normally would be.

27

W A Y S OF U S IN G A U TO MOD E
On AUTO mode, your XE-1 will set the
precise shutter speed for proper exposure for
y o u a u t o m a t i c a l l y . E v e n s o , y o u h a v ec o n s i d e r a b l e c o n t r o l o v e r r e s u l t sa n d c a n a d j u s t a p e r t u r e
a n d s h u t t e r s p e e d o v e r c o n s i d e r a b l e r a n g e st o
s u i t t h e c o n d i t i o n sa n d y o u r s e l f .
General use
For usual good personal pictures with a
m i n i m u m o f c a r e w h e r e n o o a r t i c u l a re f f e c t i s
d e s i r e d ,s i m p l y t u r n t h e a p e r t u r e r i n g t o s e t a
medium aperture (say, about f/8) that will
provide as much depth of field (seep.34) as
p o s s i b l ew h i l e p r o d u c i n g a s h u t t e r s p e e d ( s a y ,
about 11125 sec.l fast enough to stop any
motion necessary in the subject and guard
a g a i n s tb l u r f r o m c a m e r a m o v e m e n t ( s e ep . 3 6 ; .

28

Aperture priority
There may be times when at will be most
tmportant to set the lens aperture to obtain a
particular effect, such as renderinga certain
r a n g e i n s h a r p f o c u s o r e m p h a s i z i n ga s u b j e c t
a g a i n s t a n o u t - o f - f o c u s b a c k g r o un d . I n t h i s
case, set the desired aperture, and let the

c a m e r a s e l e c t t h e s h u t t e r s p e e d .S m a l l f - n u m bers yield a shallow field of sharp focus,as in

Example A below, while large f-numbersgive
greater depth of field, as in Example B. To
d e t e r m i n ea c t u a l d e p t h o f f i e l d , u s e t h e d e p t h of-field scale (see p.34) or stop-down button
lp.22l .

A: Largelensopening

B: Small lensopening

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29

Shutter priority
At other times, the subject or effect you
want may make the shutter speedmore import a n t . I n t h i s c a s e ,t u r n t h e a p e r t u r e r i n g u n t i l
t h e n e e d l e i n d i c a t e st h e r e q u i r e d s p e e do n t h e
finder scale; exposure will automatically be
c o r r e c t . H i g h s h u t t e r s p e e d ss u c h a s 1 / 5 0 0 t o

1/1000 sec. can "f reeze" fast action, as in

Example C below. Such slow speedsas 112 to 1
sec. can be used to emphasize subject flow or
motio n, as in Example D.
No matter how the camera is used, it is imp o r t a n t t o s u p p o r t i t ( s e e p . 2 3 1 a n d r e l e a s et h e
shutter property (p. 36) .

C: High shutter speed

D: Low shutter speed

M E T E R E D / M A N U A LE X P O S U R EC O N T R O L
30

MeteredI manual operation

1 . W h i l e d e p r e s s i n gt h e A U T O - s e t t i n g r e l e a s ei f
f r o m t h e " A U T O " s e t t i n g ,t u r n t h e s h u t t e r speed/function selector to align any step
indication f rom "1000" through "4s" with
t h e i n d e x . T h e n u m b e r o f t h e s p e e ds e t w i l l
a p p e a r a s t h e s hu t t e r - s e t t i n g i n d i c a t i o n a t
t h e r i g h t a b o v et h e f i n d e r f r a m e .

2.

To set proper exposure for light as metered,

tu rn the aperture ring u ntil the needle
extends through the center of the number
on the shutter-speed scale that corresponds
to the shutter-setting number appearing
above the f rame. I f necessary alignment
cannot be attained, adjust the shutter-speed
setting or other conditions to permit it.

exposure
pos u r e
C or r ec t m eter ed- m anu al ex

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3.

Needle alignment can of course be disregarded and any shutter-speed and lens-aperture
combination set for full manual operation.

F u l l - m a n u a ls e t t i n g

www.orphancameras.com

32

and "8" sgttings

shutter settings are
and "8"
Both "X"
mechanically controlled. With either of these
letters aligned with the index, then, you can
view, make exposures, and advance film even
hough batteries are unserviceable or complete-

"X"

ly lacking.
Turning the shutter-speed/function selector
to align "X" with the index (while depressing
the A UTO-setting release if f rom "A UTO" setting) provides a f ixed shutter speed of 1/90 sec.
for fully synchronized exposure with electronic

flash, Xisting continuous light, and/or FP

f f a s h b u l b s ." X " w i l l a p p e a r a t t h e r i g h t a b o v e
the f inder f rameat this setting.
T u r n i n g t h e s h u t t e r - s p e e d / f u n c t i o ns e l e c t o r
to align "8" with the index (while depressing
t h e A U T O - s e t t i n g r e l e a s ei f f r o m " A U T O " s e t ting) sets the camera for making "bulb" exp o s u r e s .T h a t i s , t h e s h u t t e r w i l l o p e n w h e n t h e
s h u t t e r r e l e a s ei s d e p r e s s e da n d r e m a i n o p e n
u n t i l i t i s r e l e a s e d". 8 " w i l l a p p e a ra t t h e r i g h t
a b o v et h e f i n d e r f r a m e a t t h i s s e t t i n g .

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CORRECTION:
FOCUSING

The picture captions Subject in focus and

Out of focuE on page 33 should be reversed.

The focusing screenof your X E-1 features

a
split-image spot surrou nded by
a band of
m i c r o p r i s m si n t h e c e n t e r o f a m a t f i e l d .
To focus the camera visually with
usual
l e n s e s ,l o o k t h r o u g h t h e v i e w f i n d e r
w i t h r e n sa t
full apertureand turn the focusing
c o fr a r o n t h e
lensuntil the upper and rower subject
i m a g e si n
the spot are exactly aligned with no
broken
linesbetween them and/or the subject
imagein
the band does not shimmer or appear
broken
up. At this point, the subject image
within the
f o c u s i n g a i d s h o u l d a p p e a rc l e a r e s t
and seemto
b l e n d w i t h t h a t o n t h e m a t f i e r da r o u n d i t .
Subject in focus

Though the most satisfactory focusing aid

and method depends upon the conditions
and
personaf preference of the photographer,
the
above method may provide best iesu
rts with
l e n s e so f a b o u t 3 5 m m t o 1 O o m m f o c a r
rength.
G e n e r a l l y s p e a k i n g ,h o w e v e r , y o u w i l l p r o b ably find that using the sprit-image
spot wirl
result in most accurate focus *itt
subjects
h a v i n g v e r t i c a r fi n e s a n d w i t h w i d e a n g r e
renses;
the microprism band for fenses from
about
3 5 m m t h r o u g h 1 O O m m e s p e c i a l l yw i t h
subjects
n o t h a v i n g v e r t i c a r t i n e s ;a n d t h e p r a i n
mat fiefd
for longer lenses or macro or
other work
i n v o l v i n gc o n s i d e r a b l el e n s e x t e n s i o n .
Out of focus

33

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34

Depth-of-field scale
The distance behind and in front of the
f o c u s e dd i s t a n c ew i t h i n w h i c h t h e i m a g ea p p e a r s
acceptably sharp is called the depth of field.
Besides being greater the shorter the focal
l e n g t h o f t h e l e n s a n d v i c e v e r s a ,t h i s i n c r e a s e s
as the lens is stopped down and becomes
greater the farther from the camera the lens is
focused. lt is at its least for any given lens in
normal mounting when the lensis at maximum
aperture (as when metering and focusing norm a l l y w i t h M C R o k k o r l e n s e s )a n d a t m i n i m u m
f o c u s i n gd i s t a n c e .

T h e n e a r a n d f a r l i m i t s o f a c c e p t a b l es h a r p n e s sc a n b e d e t e r m i n e d f r o m t h e d e p t h - o f - f i e l d
s c a l eo n t h e l e n s b a r r e l . W i t h t h e l e n s f o c u s e d a t
a given point, the image will be in satisfactory
f o c u s f r o m t h e n e a r e rv a l u e t o t h e f a r t h e r v a l u e
o n t h e d i s t a n c e s c a l ei n d i c a t e d b y t h e d e p t h - o f f i e l d s c a l em a r k s f o r t h e a p e r t u r e t o b e u s e d .
For example, if a 50mm lens is focused at
5m (about 15 ft.) and the aperture is f/8, the
a p p r o p r i a t e g r a d u a t i o n st o l e f t a n d r i g h t o f t h e
index on the depth-of-field scale indicate acc e p t a b l e s h a r p n e s sf r o m a b o u t 3 . 4 m t o 9 . 7 m
( a p p r o x . 10 t o 2 7 f t . ) .

Depth of sharp f ield

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ITINA
$
l-

F ocu sed d ista nce ---+{

D e p t h - o f - f i e l d p re vi e w
Depth of f ield at any aperture and focusing
distance can be previewed visually by pushing
the stop-down button to release it to ats outer
position. This will stop the diaphragm down to
the aperture corresponding to the f-number
preset on the aperture ring, allowing you to see
much of the
th rough the viewf inder how
subject is acceptably sharP.
Pushing the stop-down button again to f ix it
at its inner position will reopen the diaphragm
to full aperture.
lnfrared index
For proper focus when making pictures with
infrared radiation, first focus your subject with
visible light as described above, then turn the
focusing ring to the right to align the point of
proper focus on the distance scale with the
in the
index designated with small red "R"
depth-of-field scale.
F ilm-plane index
The symbol on the camera top plate to the
right of the viewf inder indicates the exact plane
occupied by the f ilm in the camera. This can be
used to measure distance from subject to film

precisely where desired for photomacrography,

close-ups. etc.

35

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R E L E A S I N GT H E S H U T T E R
36

The way the camera is supported (see p.23lwhen exposures are made and how the shutter
is released are as important as focusing for best
photograph ic results, and to avoid blurred
pictures due to camera movement during exposure these factors become more critical the

DANGER OF CAMERA MOVEMENT

slower the shutter speed.

You may wish to use the f igure "30" on the
shutter-speed scale as the reference point to
gauge the chance of camera movement. When
the meter needle swings below it, you should
pay special attention to camera and subiect
movement in taking pictures.
of h ighest
the possible exception
With
speeds, the camera or hands holding it should
be firmly steadied against your face or body
when you releasethe shutter.
At slower speeds, it is advisable to steady
the camera against a doorframe, post, or other
firm support while depressing the release.

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lr
I

cJ')

lu)

I<

T h e s h u t t e r s h o u l d a l w a y s b e r e l e a s e dw i t h a
s l o w , s t e a d y s q u e e z e- n e v e r a q u i c k j a b - p r e f e r a b l yw h i l e h o l d i n gy o u r b r e a t h .
F o r m a x i m u m s h a r p n e s so n e x p o s u r e st o o
l o n g t o p e r m i t h a n d - h o l d i n gt h e c a m e r a ,m o u n t
i t o n a t r i p o d u s i n g t h e b u i l t - i n s o c k e to n t h e
bottom and trip the shutterwith a cablerelease
screwed into the threaded socket provided in
t h e s h u t t e r - r e l e a sbeu t t o n .

- -i;i

l f t h e e y e p i e c ei s n o t b e i n g s h i e l d e d b y t h e
p h o t o g r a p h e r ' sh e a d w h e n t h e s h u t t e r i s r e l e a s e d
in this way, the eyepieceshutter should be
c l o s e d( s e ep . 2 6 ) .
NOTE:
T h e s h u t t e r - r e l e a sbeu t t o n i s l o c k e d a n d c a n n o t b e d e p r e s s e dw h e n t h e p o w e r s w i t c h i s o f f .

37

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REWINDING
A N D U N L O A D I N GF I L M

2.
1. Push the rewind release.

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Unfold the rewind crank and turn it in the

direction indicated by the arrow on it until
the red Safe Load Signal bar moves out of

39
3.
the window to the left. You will then feel
tension on the film increase and disappear,
and the crank will turn freelY.

When you are certain that the film is

completely rewound, pullout the back-cover
release knob to open the back and remove
the cartridge.

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F LA S H P H OT OGR AP H Y
40

Y o u r M i n o l t a X E - 1 i s c i r c u i t e df o r X o r F P
f l a s h s y n c h r o n i z a t i o nt h r o u g h e i t h e r i t s t h r e a d e d P C s y n c . t e r m i n a l o r i t s c o n v e n i e n th o t s h o e .
Y o u c a n t h u s u s e e i t h e r d i r e c t - c o n t a c tc o r d l e s s
f l a s h g u n so r u n i t s h a v i n gc o r d s o n i t .

NOTE:
S i n c e , a s i n d i c a t e db y t h e t a b l e , 1 / 9 0 i s t h e
m a x i m u m s h u t t e r s p e e df o r p r o p e r X s y n c h r o n i z a t i o n , d o n o t u s e s p e e d sf a s t e r t h a n t h i s w i t h
e le c t r o n i c - o r a u t o - f l a s h u n i t s . F P f l a s h b u l b s
s y n c h r o n i z ea t a l l a u t o a n d m a n u a l s h u t t e r s e t t in g s .

Synchronization
T u r n i n g t h e s y n c . s e l e c t o rs w i t c h s o t h a t i t s
i n d e x p o i n t s t o t h e a p p r o p r i a t ei n d i c a t i o n s e t s
t h e c a m e r af o r s y n c h r o n i z a t i o na s f o l l o w s :
Sync.
seIecto r
switch
sett i ng

FP

Synchronized

Type of
f lash
E l e c t r o ni c
f lash
("st robe")

speed range in seconds

O n a u t o m a t i cm o d e
( s t e p l e s ss p e e d s )

On metered/manual mode
(step speeds)

4 through 1/90

4 t h r o u s h1 / 6 0 , X ( 1 / 9 0 ) ,B

C l a s sM o r
M F f lashbulbs 4 through 1/30*

4 t h r o u g h 1/ 3 0 * , B

C l a s sF P
f l a s h b ul b s

4 t h r o u g h 1/ 1 0 0 0 , X , B

4 t h r o u g h 1/ 1 0 0 0

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* C e r t a i nC l a s s - Mb u l b s h a v e f l a s h
a
d u r a t i o n l o n g e n o u g ht o c o v e r h i g h e rs p e e d s .

Connecting flash units

Bracket-type flash units are attached to the
camera by means of its tripod socket.
Cordless clip-on f lash units are attached and
electrically connected

by

simply

sliding them

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into

the

camera's hot

shoe. Sync. cords of

bracket-type conventional
units requiring them must be plugged into the
camera sync. terminal for operation.
either

clip-on

or

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SE LF.TIME

The self-timer bu ilt into you r M inolta X E-1

can be used to delay releaseof the shutter for a
variable number of seconds after actuation.
To operate it:
1. Advance f ilm.
2. Cock the self-timer by moving the lever
counterclockwise. Moving it as far as it will
go so that the small pointer on the opposite
side is aligned with the white reference mark
nearer the top of the camera sets the
self-timer for a delay of about ten seconds.

43

M o v i n g i t t o a l i g nt h e p o i n t e r w i t h t h e l o w e r
white mark will set it for about six seconds'
delay. Delays between these limits can be
obtained by settangthe pointer at interm e d i a t ep o s i t i o n s .

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3.

To start the
release button

self-timer, push the small

which is hidden under the
end of the lever when in its rest position.
lf the shutter is not cocked, the self-timer
will stop operating part way through its
cycle; it can be reset either before or after
advancing f ilm.
You can override the self-timer's release of

C A U T IO N :
F o r p r o p e r e x p o s u r e w h e n t h e s e l f - t i m e ri s
u s e d w i t h t h e c a m e r as e t o n A U T O , b e s u r et o
c l o s e t h e e y e p i e c es h u t t e r ( s e ep a ge 2 6 l '.

the shutter by pushing the shutter-release

button to trip the shutter at any time before
or after the self-timer has started operating.

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M UL T I P L E E X P O S U R E S
Double or multiple exposures are very
s m o o t h a n d p o s i t i v ew i t h t h e X E - l . T o i n t e n tionally make more than one exposureon a
s i n g el f r a m eo f f i l m :
1 . M a k e t h e f i r s t e x p o s u r ei n t h e u s u a lw a y .
2 . M o v e t h e m u l t i p l e - e x p o s u r el e v e r t o t h e
r i g h t a s f a r a s i t w i l l g o , u n c o v e r i n gt h e r e d
dot normally hidden beneath it. (Do not
touch or hold the lever in position during
the next step.)

45

3.

Operate the film-advance lever. This will

cock the shutter for the next exposure, but
the f ilm and counter will not advance. (Tfre
multiple-exposure lever will return to its
original position.)

4. Make your second exposure.

www.orphancameras.com

46

5. Repeat steps 2 and 3 as many times as

desired if you wish to make further expos ur e s .
6. After the last multiple exposure,advance
f i l m t o t h e n e x t f r a m e i n t h e u s u a lw a y , n o t
m o v i n g t h e m u l t i p l e - s x p o s u r el e v e r .
NOTE:
Exposure adjustment if and as desiredfor
m u l t i p l e e x p o s u r e sw i t h t h e c a m e r a o n a u t o l ode can be madeby
m a t i c o r m e t e r e d - m a n u am
m e a n s o f t h e e x p o s u r e - a d j u s t m e ncto n t r o l ( s e e
p. 49).

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EXPOSR
UE - A D J U S T M E N C
TONTROL
To deliberately give more or less exposure
on either automatic or metered-manual mode,
u s e t h e e x p o s u r e - a d j u s t m e n tc o n t r o l a s f o l l o w s :
While depressingthe adlustment-control rel e a s e ,t u r n t h e i n d e x t o t h e s i d e h a v i n g p l u s ( + )
numbers to produce more exposure or to the
side having minus (- ) numbers to produce less
exposure. The numbers indicate the amount of
a d j u s t m e n t i n s t o p s o r E V s t e p s ( i .e . , " + 1 "

indicates one stop more or double the zeroposition exposure, and "+2" means two stops
or four times more exposure; "-1"
is one stop
less or one half the exposure, and " -2"
produces two stops'less or one quarter the
normal exposure) There is a lock at the "O"
(zero) positiorr arrd click-stopsat both plus and
minus "'l " and "2" positions.The index may
be set at intermediate positions.
CAUTION:
Always return the exposure-adjustment control to zero af ter use.

47

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WHEN AND HOW MUCH TO ADJUSTEXPOSURE

48

1 . l f t h e c o n t r a s t - c o m p e n s a t i nsgy s t e mo f y o u r
X E-l does not automatically provide as
much exposureas desired in pictureswhose
m o s t i m p o r t a n t a r e a i s c o n s i d e r a b l yd a r k e r
than the area surrounding it, set the index
o f t h e e x p o s u r e - a d l u s t m e n ct o n t r o l a t f r o m
+112 to +2. Examples of such pictures are
o n e s w i t h s t r o n g b a c k l i g h t i n ga n d n o f i l l - i n
i l l u m i n a t i o n ,s u c h a s E x a m p l e sA a n d B , o r
subjects against a background of snow or
l i g h t - c o l o r e ds a n d , u n l e s st h e b r i g h t a r e ao c c u p i e sa v e r y s m a l l p a r t o f t h e i m a g ef r a m e .

2. lf the most important subiect area is much

brighter than the rest of the picture, set the
i n d e x o f t h e e x p o s u r e - a d j u s t m e nct o n t r o l a t
from -1 to -2. Examplesof this kind of
p i c t u r e a r e s u b j e c t si n a s p o t l i g h t o r s h a f t o f
sunlight, or against a very dark backgroud,
a s E x a m p l e sC a n d D , u n l e s st h e b a c k g r o u n d
occupies only a small area in the image
f rame.

A: Without adjustment

B: Exposure increased

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3 . A s a b o v e , w h e n c o p y i n g d o c u m e n t sp r i n t e d
o n w h i t e s t o c k o r o t h e r s u b j e c t st h a t a r e
p r e d o m i n a n t l yl i g h t i n c o l o r , a n a d j u s t m e n t
t o + 1 1 2o r m o r e m a y b e c a l l e df o r . S i m i l a r ly, you will probably want to make an
a d j u s t m e n tf r o m - 1 t o - 2 f o r p r e d o m i n a n t ly dark copy matter or that on a dark background.
4. You may also want to use the adjustment
control when making multiple exposures.
Exactly how it should be set will depend
upon the number of exposuresand the
e f f e c t d e s i r e d .A s i m p l e e x a m p l e w o u l d b e
C: Without adjustment

for a "spirit" or "ghost" picture in which

b a c k g r o u n dd e t a i l s s e e m t o s h o w t h r o u g h a
s e m i t r a n s p a r e n ts u b j e c t : W i t h t h e c a m e r a
set on a tripod so that it cannot move and
e x p o s u r e a d j u s t e dt o - 1 t o r e d u c e l i g h t b y
half, two exposures are made on the same
f rame (see p.45), one of only the background, the other with the subject in place
before it.
T h e a b o v e s u g g e s t i o n sw i l l s e r v e a s s t a r t i n g
points for trial; individualconditionsand
taste will of course determine exact final
e x p o s ur e .
D: E xposure decreased

49

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50

Attaching and removing lenses

To Attach
Align the red dot on the lens barrel with the
red dot on the camera lens-mount flange; insert
the lens bayonet into the mount; and turn the
lens clockwise until it locks into place with a
click.

To remove
Wh ile push ing the lens-release button, turn
the lens counterclockwise as far as it will go;
then lift the lens bayonet out of the mount.

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U S I N G O T HER T H A N M C L E N S E S
Metering and exposure with R F Rokkor,
Manual-Preset Rokkor
and
Rokkor,
l e n s e si s b y t h e s t o p - d o w n m e t h o d a s f o l l o w s :

2.

Auto

Auto Rokkor Lenses

1. After focusing, push the stop-down button
t o r e l e a s ei t t o i t s o u t e r p o s i t i o n .

3.

RF

Use automatic or manual mode as explained

on p. 25 or 30, respectively. The viewfinder
f ield will darken as the lens is stopped
down, and the split-field spot and microprism band may become u nusable due to
dar kening.
Leave the lens stopped down to the proper
taking aperture when releasing the shutter.
(mirror-type) and

Manual-Preset Rokkor

lenses
Proceed as for Auto Rokkors above, except
that the stop-down.button need not be pushed,
as metering may be done and exposure made
with it in either inner or outer position.

SPECIFICATIONS

52

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T y p e : 3 5 m m s i n g l e - l e n sr e f l e x w i t h a u t o m a t i c a n d m e t e r e d / f u l l - m a n u a le x p o s u r ec o n t r o l
L e n s m o u n t : M i n o l t a s L R b a y o n e t , 5 4 o r o t a t i n g a n g l e ;c o u p l i n gf o r f u l l - a p e r t u r em e t e r i n ga n d
a u t o m a t i c d i a p h r a g m c o n t r o l w i t h M C R o k k o r l e n s e s( s t o p - d o w n m e t e r i n g u s e d
f o r o t h e r R o k k o r l e n s e s ) ; b u t t o n f o r d e p t h - o f- f i e l d p r e v i e w a n d s t o p _ d o w n
m e t e r i n g . ( s t a n d a r d l e n s e s :M C R o k k o r 5 0 m m f l 1 . 7 , b o m m f l 1 . 4 , o r S g m m
il1.21
Auto-exposure Special low-voltage circuit incorporating 2 monolithic lC's varies shutter speed
control: continuously and steplessly to yield proper exposure according to metering
s y s t e m i n d i c a t i o n a t t h e a p e r t u r e , f i l m s p e e d ,a n d e x p o s u r ea d j u s t m e n t s e t .
A u t o - e x p o s u r er a n g e : E V 1 t o E v 1 7 ( e . g . ,1 s e c . a t f l ' | . 4 t o 1 / 1 0 0 0 a t f l 1 1 l a t
ASA 100 with f 11.2lens
S h u t t e r : V e r t i c a l - t r a v e r s em e t a l - b l a d e f o c a l - p l a n e t y p e ; e l e c t r o n i c a l l y c o n t r o l l e d s p e e d s :
1 / 1 0 0 0 t o 4 s e c . , s t e p l e s s l yo n a u t o m a t i c m o d e o r i n s t e p s o n m a n u a l m o d e ;
m e c h a n i c a l l yc o n t r o l l e d s e t t in g s ( n o b a t t e r y p o w e r r e q u i r e d) : " X " 11/ 9 0 s e c .) , , , 8 ' ,
S h u t t e r r e l e a s el o c k e d w h e n p o w e r s w i t c h o f f
L i g h t m e t e r i n g : F u l l - a p e r t u r eT T L t y p e w i t h o v e r l a p p i n g r e a d i n g st a k e n b y 2 C d S c e l l s m o u n t e d
on the pentaprism and circuited to provide optimum exposurein both flat- and
m o s t c o n t r a s t - il g h t i n g s i t u a t i o n s ;s t o p - d o w n m e t e r i n g a l s o p o s s i b l e
F i l m - s p e e dr a n g e : A S A 1 2 t o 3 2 0 0 s e t b y d i a l ( a r o u n d r e w i n d - c r a n k / b a c k - r e l e a s e
knob) with lock
D e v i c eo p p o s i t e f i l m - s p e e dd i a l p r o v i d e su p t o + 2 E V c o n t i n u o u sa d j u s t m e n to f
a u t o o r m e t e r e dm a n u a l e x p o s u r ew i t h 1 E V c l i c k - s t o p sa n d a l o c k a t z e r o s e t t i n g .
M i r r o r : o v e r s i z eq u i c k - r e t u r nt y p e ( P O v a l u e : 1 4 0 m m ; f i n d e r i m a g e c u t o f f n o t a p p a r e n t
e v e nw i t h 1 O O O m mf / 6 . 3 R F R o k k o r e x t r e m e t e l e p h o t o )
F i n d e r : E y e - l e v e lf i x e d p e n t a p r i s m t y p e s h o w i n g 9 4 % o f 2 4 x 3 6 m m f i l m - f r a m e a r e a ;
m a g n i f i c a t i o n :O . B 4 Xw i t h S O m m l e n sa t i n f i n i t y

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M a t - F r e s n e l - f i e l df o c u s i n g s c r e e n w i t h c e n t r a l h o r i z o n t a l l y o r i e n t e d s p l i t - i m a g e
f o c u s i n gs p o t s u r r o u n d e db y m i c r o p r i s mb a n d
F - n u m b e r s e t a n d m a n u a l s h u t t e r s e t t i n g o r " A " ( f o r A U T O m o d e ) v i s i b l ea b o v e
l x p o s u r es e t t i n g i n d i c a t e d b y n e e d l e
t h e f r a m e , s t e p l e s ss p e e d so r m e t e r e d - m a n u a e
o n s c a l ea t r i g h t o f f r a m e ; i n d e n t i o n s h o w s m e t e r - c o u p l i n gr a n g e .
E y e p i e c es h u t t e r p o s i t i o n e d b y l e v e r
F l a s hs y n c . : T h r e a d e d P C t e r m i n a l a n d h o t s h o e w i t h s w i t c h f o r X o r F P d e l a y ; X c o n t a c t :
E l e c t r o n i c f l a s h s y n c h r o n i z e sa t " X " ( 1 / 9 0 s e c . ) a n d l o w e r s t e p l e s sa n d s t e p
s p e e d sF
; P c o n t a c t : F P f l a s h b u l b ss y n c h r o n i z ea t a l l s e t t i n g s .
F i l m a d v a n c e : L e v e r t y p e , s i n g l e 1 3 0 o s t r o k e a f t e r 3 0 o u n e n g a g e dm o v e m e n t
S a f e L o a d S i g n a li n d i c a t e sf i l m l o a d i n ga n d a d v a n c i n gc o n d i t i o n '
M u l t i p l e - e x p o s u r el e v e r c o a x i a l w i t h a d v a n c el e v e r a l l o w s u n l i m i t e d r e c o c k i n go f
s h u t t e r w i t h o u t a d v a n c i n gf i l m .
A d v a n c in g - t y p e f r a m e c o u n t e r r e s e t sa u t o m a t i c a l l y w h e n c a m e r a b a c k o p e n e d ( n o
a d v a n c ew i t h m u l t i p l e e x p o s u r e s ) .
S e l f- t i m e r : L e v e r t y p e , o p e r a t i n gt i m e v a r i a b l ef r o m a p p r o x . 6 t o ' l 0 s e c .
P o w e r : T w o 1 . 5 v s i l v e r - o x i d ec e l l s , M a l l o r y M 5 - 7 6 o r E v e r e a d y 5 - 7 6 o r e q u i v a l e n t ,
COntained in camera base power both autO exposUre control and Shutter's
e l e c t r o n i c a l l yg o v e r n e do p e r a t i o n ;b a t t e r y c h e c k e ro n e n d o f b o d y .
Mirror stays up (no exposure made) as warning when voltage too low for
e l e c t r o n i co p e r a t i o n .
Turning power switch off locks shutter release.
O t h e r : 4 - s l o t t a k e - u p s p o o l ; m e m o h o l d e r a n d A S A - D I N c o n v e r s i o ns c a l eo n b a c k c o v e r .
S i z e a n dw e i g h t : 6 1 x 9 7 x 1 4 8 m m ( 2 - 3 1 8x 3 - 1 3 / 1 6x 5 - 1 3 i 1 6 i n . ), 7 7 5 9 1 2 7 - 5 1 1 6 o 2 . ) w i t h o ul te n s

53

www.orphancameras.com

C O U P L E DA U T O M A T I CE X P O S U R E
RANGE
WITH 58MM Fl.2 LENS

9. 32

=
&zz
o

16

11

5.6
4

2.4

TI

ASA 4OO
( D r N2 7 )

1.4
't.2

{'

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.s"o r6s ^pt'o ^S

1\-

\\

ASA 25
( D r N1 5 )

\1.u
Shutter Speed

q
STANDA RD LE NS S P EC IF IC A T IO N S
Lens

50mm Il1.l MC Rokkor

S o m m f 1 1 . 4M C R o k k o r

58mm t|1.2 MC Rokkor

M e t e r - c o u p l e dG a u s s - t y p es t a n d a r d l e n s

Type:
Construction:

6 e l e m e n t si n 5 g r o u p s

7 e l e m e n t si n 5 g r o u p s

7 e l e m e n t si n 5 g r o u p s

Angle of view:

460

460

410

Minolta Achromatic

Coatingl

M i n . f o c u s i n gd i s t

0.5m (1.74 ft.l

0 . 5 m( 1 . 7 5f t . )

0.6m (2 ft.)

F u Il y a u t o m a t i c , m e t e r - c o u p l e d

Diaphragm:

1 . 7, 2 . 8 , 4 , 5 . 6 , 8 , 11 ,1 6 1 . 4 , 2 , 2 . 8 , 4 , 5 . 6 ,B ,11 , 1 6 1 . 2 ,2 , 2 . 8 ,4 , 5 . 6 ,8 , 1 1 , 1 6
Aperture scale:
Eachwith full and half click-stops
D o u b l e h e l i c o i ds y s t e m

F o c u sn
i g:

55mm

F i l t e r t h r e a dd i a m . :
Dimensions:
Weight

64.5mmx 41mm
l O 2 - 9 1 1 6 "x 1 - 5 1 8 " 1

2 3 0 9( B - 1 8o z . l

65mm x 46mm
@ 2 - 9 1 1 6 "x 1 - 1 3 1 1 6 " 1

70.5mm x 54mm
l A 2 - 1 3 1 1 6 "x 2 - ' tl 8 " l

305g(10-314oz.l

475g(16-314oz.l

55

www.orphancameras.com

CARE AND STORAGE

56

o As with all high-precisioninstruments, no

part of your XE-1 should ever be forced at
any time. lf operation is not asyou think it
should be, carefully restudy the applicable
instructions or consult an authorized
M i n o l t a s e r v i c er e p r e s e n t a t i v e .
o A l w a y s k e e p y o u r c a m e r a i n i t s c a s ew i t h t h e
l e n sc a p p e d w h e n n o t i n u s e .
. Never subject your carnerato shock, high
heat and/or humidity, water, or harmful
c h e m i c a l so r g a s e s .
o Never lubricate any part of the body or lens.
. Always use a body cap when a lens is not
i n s t a l l e d o n t h e b o d y . K e e p l e n s e s ,p r o p e r l y
c a p p e d f r o n t a n d r e a r , i n t h e i r c a s e sw h e n
not in use.
. Never touch the shutter bladesor anything
inside the front of the body with the
f i n g e r s .T h e s ep a r t s a n d t h e i n s i d eo f t h e b a c k
should be dusted with a soft brush from
t i m e t o t i m e a s n e c e s s a r y ,w i t h p a r t i c u l a r
c a r e n e v e r t o e x e r t p r e s s u r eo n t h e s h u t t e r
blades. The anti-corrosion treatment of
these blades may cause them to appear
brownish or soiled, but this is normal and
may be disregarded.

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o N e v e r t o u c h l e n s o r o t h e r g l a s ss u r f a c e sw i t h
t h e f i n g e r s . l f n e c e s s a r y r, e m o v e l o o s em a t t e r
from them with a blower lens brush. Use
special photographic lens tissue or a soft
clean cloth to remove smudges or fingerp r i n t s w i t h a g e n t l e c i r c u l a rm o t i o n . O n l y i f
absolutely necessary,the tissue may be
m o i s t e n e d v e r y s li g h t l y w i t h n o t m o r e t h a n
o n e d r o p o f a s a t i s f a c t o r yq u i c k - e v a p o r a t i n g
fluid cleaner specially compounded for
photographic lenses.Such fluids must never
be dropped directly on the glasssurface.
o S m u d g e so r f i n g e r p r i n t so n t h e m i r r o r m a y
b e r e m o v e d w i t h l e n s t i s s u es li g h t l y m o i s t e n e d w i t h l e n s - c l e a n i nfgl u i d a s a b o v e .
o E x t e r n a l c a m e r a a n d l e n s - b a r r e l- b u t n o t
glass - surfaces may be wiped with a soft,
s i li c o n - t r e a t e dc l o t h .
o N e v e r l e a v e t h e s h u t t e r o r s e l f - t i m e rc o c k e d
when the camerais to be stored overnightor
l o n g e r . l t i s a d v i s a b l et o o p e r a t e t h e f i l m
advance and release the shutter once or
twice from time to time during extended
storage.
o lf the camera is not to be used for more
than two weeks, the batteries should be
removed.