Minolta X-1 / XM / XK
The Minolta X-1 is known under a few different aliases. In Europe, it was branded the XM while, in North America, it was known as the XK. The X-1 was its designation in the Japanese market.
The X-1 was introduced to the world as early as April of 1973, and was meant to be the flagship of the Minolta SLR lineup. It was one of the sturdiest and most advanced Minolta cameras of its time; meant to compete for the professional market with Canon's F-1 and Nikon's F2. Unlike these other cameras, the X-1 was lacking one big feature: no motor drive. Minolta corrected this in 1976, by releasing an updated X-1 that had a non-detachable motor drive.
Other than the motor drive, or lack of, the X-1 was full of other features. There are a whole series of finders that can be attached to the camera, including an AE finder that allows aperture priority exposure. The camera also has interchangeable focusing screens, a self-timer, depth of field preview, and even multiple exposure options. The X-1 has a wonderful titanium foil shutter curtain, making it pretty rugged. The shutter speed range on the camera is 16 seconds up to 1/2000th - not bad for a camera of its age. Additionally, it has a novel feature called the "senswitch," located where the fingers of your right hand rest when you hold the camera. This button, when depressed, turns the meter on. When you set the camera down, releasing the button, it turns the meter off and saves battery power.
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