Minolta XK Motor (1976–1985)
The Minolta XK Motor was Minolta's professional-grade 35mm SLR, introduced in 1976 and built for the US market. Asia knew it as the X-1 Motor and Europe as the XM Motor. It was Minolta's answer to the Canon F-1 and Nikon F/F2, and it carried an original retail price of around $1,000. The big difference was the integral motor drive built into the body. It advanced and rewound film at up to 3.5 frames per second, powered by 10 AA batteries. It kept aperture priority auto exposure throughout, with a built-in light meter that accepted film sensitivities from ISO 12 to ISO 6400.
The XK was built as part of a full system with interchangeable lenses, finders, and screens, including the specially designed Rokkor-X lenses. It was a rugged, multi-featured system camera, and it became the basis for Minolta's later generations of electronic cameras. The motorized version arrived late, though - too late to significantly boost its market adoption. One noted test of its reliability came from photographer Wayne Ralph. His XK Motor, shooting at 3.5 frames per second, captured the moment a test pilot lost his life, and the images were published worldwide. Ralph later picked up an XD model with an attachable motor drive as a backup, but noted it never matched the ruggedness of the XK Motor.
Today the XK has a loyal following among collectors who appreciate its durability, craftsmanship, and performance. The XK Motor itself is ultra-rare and hard to find. Around 2012, two examples appeared on KEH Camera in bargain condition at roughly $500 each. That is a fraction of the original price, and it reflects the niche status of the model even among Minolta enthusiasts.
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