jipau.com

For my money the XL601 is the best all around Super 8 camera for just about anything having to do with portability and travel. No otherSuper 8 compact comes equipped with a built-in intervalometer (time-lapse movies anybody?); a self-timer (so you can shoot yourself); a sync socket & viewfinder shutter for pro quality single frame animation; remote contro lsocket; auto & manual exposure; macro lens; backlight control. The viewfinder on the XL601 is state-of-the art, bright, sharp,& easy to focus. The f/1.7 Rokkor 7.5 — 45 macro zoom on the XL601 is just as sharp as the best Canon lenses in this range, which is to say they’re at the very top of the heap in the mid-range category. I actually prefer Minolta lenses in this range because they render images that are warmer and more contrasty than the Canons. Nearest travel-size competitors of this quality are the stripped-down, auto everything Canon 514XL and Canon‘s 310XL, which at f/1.1 features the fastest Super 8 lens ever built but happens to be a PITA to focus. IMO the MinoltaXL601 are the perfect travel Super 8s and are superior to the Canons in every way. Vastly underrated and undervalued and therefore a SUPER BEST BUY at$75 – $250, depending on mileage and condition. Ratings: Optics: 08+ –Durability: 09 — Features: 10+ — Low Light: 08+