Approx. dates of manufacture: 1981
Shutter speeds: 1 to 1/1000, plus B. X-sync at 1/60th
Lens Mount: Minolta MD
Batteries: two LR44 button types
Approx. original price: $488 (MSRP)
Approx. street value: low-moderate
According to Wikipedia, this was Minolta's top of their mid-tier XG series, where it replaced the XG-9. It also claims this is the first camera with the new Minolta logo (dark O with the horizonal lines). It was also the basis for their next top-line, manual focus SLR, the X-700.
Minolta liked to offer a lot of cameras with small differences between them (their srT was big on this). According to McBroom's Camera Bluebook, 1995-96 edition, this is the XG lineup:
All have aperture-priority auto-exposure, non-metered manual (except the XG-A), and automatic flash using dedicated units. All offere epxoure compensation, a self-timer, and accept the accessory Winder-G.
XG-1: has the older-style body and the old Minolta logo on the prism. Does not accept the accessory Data Back G.
XG-1n: still says XG-1, but has the updated X-570 / X-370 ergonomically-styled body, and the later Minolta logo. Will accept the accessory Data Back G.
XG-7: an XG-1 with a film-memo holder on the standard back. Will accept the accessory Data Back G.
XG-7A: a black-bodied XG-M.
XG-9: an XG-7 with a window in the viewfinder for direct aperture readout, and a depth-of-field exposure lever.
XG-A: an XG-7 without manual exposure capability.
XG-M: an XG-9 with AE lock and the updated ergonomic body and the new Minolta logo.
XG-SE: a black-bodied XG-7 with an Acute Matte focusing screen, which is much brighter than the standard one.
I don't know how they kept track of it all.
$6 from the thrift shop and works fine.
Modern Photography Test: September 1981
Owner's Manual: Orphan Cameras.com
Reference: Wikipedia entry
