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Konica-Minolta Maxxum 7D

by Bob Atkins, 2004


The following material is from the Konica-Minolta press release concerning the Maxxum 7D (known as the Dynax 7D outside the USA).

The World's first*1 Digital SLR camera with revolutionary, body-integral, Anti-Shake technology

Konica Minolta is delighted to unveil the Konica Minolta Maxxum 7D. This groundbreaking 6.1 Megapixels resolution, interchangeable lens digital camera is the World's first digital SLR to contain a body integral CCD-Shift, "Anti-Shake" (camera shake compensation) technology that enhances picture quality, performance and improved handling characteristics.

The Maxxum 7D is compatible with the full range* of Maxxum AF lenses.

The Konica Minolta Maxxum 7D is an interchangeable lens digital SLR camera that inherits many of the high specifications and much of the Award winning performance from the Maxxum Series SLR cameras.

Introduced in 1985, the Minolta 7000; the first 35mm film SLR with body integrated AF system designed to use interchangeable AF lenses.

The new model's high technological standards and heritage make it an intensely appealing camera.

The Maxxum 7D is a digital SLR created using a broad range of sophisticated photographic technologies each developed with years of camera making experience and expertise.

The unique built-in CCD-Shift type "Anti-Shake" technology endows the new camera the first digital SLR to feature body-integral Anti-Shake function. The key benefit of Anti-Shake is it can support all Maxxum AF lenses. *2 Anti-Shake technology allows photography with reduced blur due to camera shake, even when shooting dimly lit scenes or when using telephoto lenses and shooting macro subjects without the aid of flash or a tripod.

Other key contributors to the new camera's performance are its 6.1 million effective pixels, housed on an APS-C size CCD and the Konica Minolta proprietary CxProcess™ III image processing technology, that delivers high definition, natural looking images.

High speed image processing is achieved through the all new Advanced LSI Engine, designed to help provide fast data handling for improved camera responsiveness and control.

The camera also sports a large, easy to view, high definition, 2.5-inch color LCD monitor housed on its rear panel. The large screen provides a large clear display for menu navigation and image display. It also displays relevant shooting information and camera settings.

In keeping with its acclaimed Maxxum film SLR counterpart the Maxxum 7D inherits a similar, simple to use Mode Dial and Lever Operation system. To enhance handling further the new model also features a superbly bright, easy to view, high performance optical viewfinder.

In addition, the new digital SLR offers a comprehensive function set designed to meet a diverse range of photographic challenges and user needs. The Konica Minolta Maxxum 7D is complemented by a broad range of Maxxum accessories that offers photographers a complete system back up.

Product Highlights

1. World's first*1 digital SLR to be equipped with a body integral, CCD-Shift camera shake compensation. Anti-Shake technology that supports all genuine Maxxum interchangeable AF lenses. *2

2. Excellent picture quality derived from a high resolution 6.1 million pixels (effective) APS-C size CCD and original CxProcess™ III image processing technology

3. A large easy to view 2.5-inch high-definition color LCD monitor that combines menu navigation with image and data display.

4. Combines simple operation in a stylish, compact package inheriting the product ideals of the Maxxum range of film SLRs. Versatile imaging functions designed to satisfy any photographer's needs, whether they are an amateur or enthusiast.

5. Excellent system back up and accessories to cater to a broad range of subject genres and conditions.

Maxxum 7D Features

1. The World’s first*1 digital SLR with body integral Anti-Shake Technology and CCD-Shift Mechanism. Providing simple compatibility with Maxxum A Mount optics and allowing all Maxxum interchangeable AF lenses to be used.*2

2. Konica Minolta award winning Anti-Shake technology has been selected as “European Photo Innovation of the Year 2004 – 2005” by EISA*4 and provides an equivalent correction effect*3 allowing the use of a shutter speed 2 - 3 steps slower.

Now it’s possible to reduce blur caused by camera shake. Even when taking photos in dimly lit or twilight scenes or in natural light with a telephoto lens, as well as macro shots – without relying on a higher ISO setting, the aid of a flash or tripod.

Anti-Shake responds quickly to both broad, low velocity slow-swaying motion of the camera body and the higher frequency movement typical of camera shake caused by a photographer’s muscle.

The Anti-Shake technology can be switched on or off via a dedicated switch on the camera’s back. When activated an Anti-Shake indicator is displayed in the viewfinder to keep the user informed how much shake is being detected.

3. Consistently high picture quality is ensured by the 6.1 Million (effective) pixel APS-C size CCD, the unique CxProcess™ III image processing technology. This is delivered by a combination of Konica Minolta’s expertise in photosensitive materials and exposure control technologies. Each is integrated here in this new model to ensure superb picture quality and to help make the most of any attached Maxxum AF lens.

• A large 6.1 Million effective pixel APS-C size CCD allows shooting of high-resolution images that have a wide dynamic range but with reduced noise, in highlight and shadows.

• A newly developed Advanced LSI image processing engine designed for the Maxxum 7D enables high-speed processing of large quantities of data and has been designed to improve image processing at high-sensitivity settings, ensuring reduced image noise while retaining high picture quality. This combination also helps ensure a handling response similar to the smooth shooting rhythm associated with 35mm film SLRs.

• CxProcess™ III is a Konica Minolta original, image processing technology designed to provide impressive and natural looking images. CxProcess™ III achieves these stunning, natural looking images by integrating a broad range of photographic technologies gained from the Konica Minolta experience in this area. It ensures clear and crisp pictures, natural skin tones and packs in detail ideal for recording faithfully landscapes or macro subjects.

4. A large, easy to view monitor that works as both the menu Navigation Display and Image Review Screen.

• Easy to view 2.5-inch High Definition LCD Monitor mounted on the camera’s back-plate is the large, easy to view 2.5-inch, high resolution 207,000-pixel color monitor. It quickly and clearly displays captured shots for fast image appraisal. Image histogram data can be overlaid without obscuring the displayed image Thanks to its large size, it can also display up to a 16-frame thumbnail index display.

• Menu and Navigation Display

The LCD monitor works as a Navigation Display allowing seamless operation with clear and concise camera settings displayed with comprehensive shooting information, indicated with large and easy to read text. Aiding ease of use further, the display automatically switches from horizontal to vertical format when shooting in the upright “portrait” format.

5. Simple operation and a stylish design ethos inherits design features and ease of use from its Maxxum 7, 35mm film SLR camera predecessor.

• Intuitive Operation with Mode Dial and Lever System

The new model inherits the dial and lever operation system from the Maxxum 7, a system highly regarded by owners or its user-friendliness. It offer’s intuitive operation making it particularly familiar to users moving up to the new digital model from the silver halide SLR predecessor. The exposure compensation dial and easy to use exposure mode dial is also inherited from the Maxxum 7, making it familiar and helping users respond quickly to changing shooting conditions or rapidly changing picture opportunities. A separate white balance lever is provided for fast white balance control, enhancing ease of use even further.

• Easy to view High Performance Viewfinder

A spherical acute matte focusing screen is used in the viewfinder for accurate, bright, critical focusing assessment. The new model incorporates an optical glass pentaprism viewfinder with 0.9X Magnification Factor and 95% Field of View for easy scene assessment and composition.

• Highly Durable and Reliable Magnesium Alloy Body The Maxxum 7D has a robust build quality due to its magnesium alloy front body panel and base. The tough build also enhances camera reliability.

6. Enhanced shooting functions and versatile control designed to satisfy photographic enthusiast and amateur users.

• High Performance - High Speed AF

The new model incorporates a central cross hair type 9-point and 8-line AF sensor array. This provides high precision AF and high performance subject tracking of moving subjects within the frame. The AF system enables both Predictive Focus Control and Subject Tracking for high speed focus adjustment of moving subjects making it ideal for capturing fleeting moments or use in sports photography.

• RAW+JPEG Simultaneous Recording

You can choose to shoot either JPEG or RAW images or both combined with the simultaneous RAW + JPEG Dual-format Capture Mode for improved post-shoot workflow.

• High-Speed Continuous Advance and Image Processing with Large Capacity Image Buffer

The new model allows high speed continuous shooting of up to 9 consecutive frames at up to 3-frames per second in both RAW or RAW+JPEG modes due to the inclusion of a high capacity image buffer. Additionally it also allows continuous shooting of up to twelve 3008x2000 JPEG images at the extra-fine image-quality setting and fifteen JPEG images the same size at the fine image-quality setting. These high-speed shooting capabilities are ideal for capturing momentary expressions, sports or fleeting action shots, while retaining high picture quality throughout.

• Comprehensive Image Adjustment and Control for Creative Picture Capture

a) Image correction: 5-step fine control adjustment for sharpness, contrast, color saturation and hue.

b) White balance (WB) setting: In addition to the auto mode the new camera has six presets for WB plus a custom mode for precise white balance settings in difficult lighting conditions. This model also features numerical setting for color temperature which gives photographers a higher degree of color temperature matching. Fine-tuning is possible over a range from 2500K to 9900K in 100K increments providing a broader range than with the Auto White

Balance or Preset White Balance alone. This feature also allows precise control when directly input from accurate measurements calculated by the Konica Minolta Colormeter IIIF.

c) Zone Matching: A new technology that allows the precise reproduction of tonal gradations in highlights and shadows; essential in difficult shooting conditions with predominant highlights and helps ensure noise free lowlight images. The Zone Matching system permits effective control of high and low key tone capture; the former important for highlight capture in shots such as white of a of wedding dress; the latter for low light situations.

7. A wide variety of system accessories are also available adding versatility for all shooting styles and adding flexibility for any photographer’s needs.

• The dedicated VC-7D Vertical Control Grip for Maxxum 7D connects to the camera body and provides a reassuringly firm grip on the camera. It enhances, upright camera control and overall ease of use, particularly for portrait format shots.

a) Comfortable operation and handling for vertical shooting

The VC-7D’s sure-hold grip gives confident handling characteristics. The grip has a dedicated shutter-release button, front and rear control dials, AF/MF control button, AE lock button and AF area selector button, thereby delivering comfortable and reassuring handling characteristics to the camera in either horizontal or vertical shooting situations.

b) Dual lithium-ion batteries can be inserted and used in tandem

The VC-7D allows two lithium-ion batteries to be used simultaneously for an enhanced power supply. This allows photographers to take advantage of shooting many more images without worrying about recharging batteries.

c) AA batteries can also be used

Adding still more versatility, high capacity AA Ni-MH batteries can also be used.

• A broad range of Maxxum system accessories are available including D-Series flash units, remote cords and an angle viewfinder. The D-Series flash and D-Series lenses, which include built-in focus distance calculation, the new model gives improved exposure accuracy. Combined with high-precision ADI flash metering the camera provides high-precision lighting control that answers the most demanding and diverse needs.

• DiMAGE Master is optional software to improve creative workflow for advanced users. Diversified tools for classifying and comparing images boost work efficiency in of selecting the best shots. A newly developed RAW processing program enables more accurate color reproduction.

NOTES:

*1) As an interchangeable lens digital SLR camera

*2) Use of Anti-Shake with some specialist lenses may be subject to particular usage conditions.

*3) Anti-Shake picture blur correction effect amount varies with shooting conditions and lenses used.

*4) The European Imaging and Sound Association who publish 50 major photography and AV

magazines in 20 European countries.

About Konica Minolta Photo Imaging

Konica Minolta Photo Imaging Europe GmbH is a leading provider of consumer and commercial photographic materials, photographic equipment such as analogue and digital cameras, and measuring instruments. With operative bases in 14 countries in Europe the company covers the three business areas of photo imaging, cameras and measuring. Konica Minolta Photo Imaging Europe is a subsidiary of Konica Minolta Photo Imaging, Inc., headquartered in Tokyo, Japan. With a total workforce of 7,200 employees world wide, Konica Minolta Photo Imaging is aiming for net sales of € 2.1 billion in fiscal 2006. Building on its strong core of optical technologies developed over many years as a camera manufacturer, Konica Minolta Photo Imaging aims to be a corporation offering products and services that are essential to all areas of digital imaging.

Website: http://www.konicaminoltaeurope.com/

Terms and product names may be trademarks or registered trademarks of their respective holders and are hereby acknowledged.

Specifications

CAMERA TYPE Digital SLR camera with built-in flash and interchangeable lens
LENS USED Minolta A-type bayonet mount
IMAGE CAPTURE Image sensor Interline primary color CCD (23.7 mm x 15.6 mm) with interlace scan
No. of pixels (approx.) Total: 6.3 million, Effective: 6.1 million
Sensitivity Auto, ISO 100 / 200 / 400 / 800 / 1600 / 3200 equivalents
White balance control Automatic, Preset (Daylight, Shade, Cloudy, Tungsten, Fluorescent, Flash), Custom,Color temperature setting available
RECORDING Recording media Type I and Type II CompactFlash Cards / Microdrive, SD*Memory Cards / Multi Media Card*    * with optional SD-CF1 in use
File format JPEG, RAW, RAW+JPEG,
(DCF 2.0 compliant, DPOF supported by printing functions in ver.1.1, Exif 2.2)
Format function FAT 12, 16, 32 supported
Folder name formats Standard, Date
No. of recorded pixels Storage capacity (approx.)
(with 256MB CF card in L / M / S size)
L: 3008 x 2000, M: 2256 x 1496, S: 1504 x 1000
(L: 3008 x 2000 / M: 2256 x 1496 / S: 1504 x 1000)
STD: 138 / 235 / 463, FINE: 81 / 141 / 292, EXTRA-FINE: 41 / 72 / 157,
RAW+JPEG: 19 / 21 / 23, RAW: 26 / - / -
Color mode Natural (sRGB), Natural+ (sRGB), Adobe RGB (ICC)
Image quality mode Standard, Fine, Extra-fine, Raw, RAW+JPEG
Contrast / saturation / sharpness / hue adjustment 5 steps: -2,  -1,  0, +1, +2
Noise reduction Available at shutter speed longer than 1 s
Delete function Single, multiple, or all frames in a folder / memory card can be deleted
*selectable in the Menu, except single frame deletion
PLAYBACK LCD monitor 2.5-inch TFT color, Total pixels: 207,000
No. of frame displayed 1, Index (4, 9, 16 selectable)
Display mode Image only, image + text, image + text + histogram
AF SYSTEM Type TTL phase-detection system
Sensor CCD line sensors  (9 points, 8 lines with center cross-hair sensor)
Sensitivity range EV-1 ~ EV18 (ISO 100 equivalent)
Main functions Wide area with local area selection, AF-A/C/S/MF switchable, predictive focus control for moving subject, auto-tracking focus-point display
AF illuminator Activated with the built-in flash in low-light / low contrast situations.
Range: 1 m ~ 5 m / 3.3 ft ~ 16.4 ft
AE SYSTEM Metering type Direct TTL metering; 14-segment honeycomb-pattern metering, Center-weighted metering, Spot metering
Metering cell 14-segment honeycomb-pattern SPC
Metering range EV 0 (EV 3 with Spot metering) ~ EV 20 (ISO 100 equivalent, with f/1.4 lens)
Exposure modes P/Full-auto program (Programmed AE with program shift), A, S, M
Exposure compensation ± 3EV in 1/2 EV increments, ± 2EV in 1/3 EV increments
Flash compensation ± 2EV in 1/2 EV increments
Flash metering system Multi-segment ADI / P-TTL flash metering, Manual
AE lock Automatically activated with AF lock. Available with AEL button
BUILT-IN FLASH Guide No. GN 12 (in meters at ISO 100), GN 17 (ISO 200)  * with 24mm lens cover in use
Recycling time Approx. 3 s
Control Manual switchover; lift-up for Fill Flash, push down for Flash Cancel
Flash mode Fill Flash, Pre Flash with Red-eye reduction.
(Rear flash sync, Wireless/Remote off-camera flash, High-speed sync. Flash* (*available with external flashes))
SHUTTER Type Electronically-controlled, vertical-traverse, focal-plane type
Range 1/4000 s ~ 30 s, Time-exposure (Bulb) possible
Flash sync speed 1/160 s (with Anti-Shake OFF), 1/125 s (with Anti-Shake ON)
VIEWFINDER Type Eye-level fixed system with optical-glass pentaprism
Focusing screen Spherical Acute Matte (G-type as standard)
Field of view Approx. 95%
Magnification 0.9x  * with 50mm lens focused on infinity, at -1 m-1
Eye relief Approx. 25 mm from the eyepiece, 21 mm from the eyepiece frame in -1 dioptor
(-1m-1), Eyepiece cup removable.
Diopter control -3.0 ~ +1.0 m-1
DRIVE Drive mode Single,Continuous, 10 s / 2 s Self-timer, Single bracket, Continuous bracket
Continuous advance(approx.) Max. 9 frames (RAW / RAW+JPEG),max. 12 frames (JPEG, L-EXTRA-FINE), max. 15 frames (JPEG, L-FINE)
Interval 2-240 frames, Interval time:0.5/1-10/15/20/30/45/60 minutes, Start timer is equipped. (Settings: 0.5 to 24 H, in 0.5 increments)
Self-timer 10 s / 2 s delay selectable, with time display by LED
Exposure bracketing With 0.3 / 0.5 EV increments, 3 / 5 frames
ANTI-SHAKE System CCD-Shift mechanism
Shake display LED indicator in viewfinder
Shake compensation Equivalent to 2 – 3 steps in shutter speed(varies according to the lens used & shooting conditions)
OTHERS Other functions Instant playback, zone matching, remote-storage function (Requires firmware update. Firmware updater and DiMAGE Transfer software will be available for download in January 2005.)
PC interface USB 2.0 High-Speed
Video output PAL / NTSC
Operating temperature 0 to 40 degrees centigrade / 32 to 104 degrees Fahrenheit
Printing output control Exif Print, PRINT Image Matching III, PictBridge
Battery Lithium-ion battery NP-400
Battery performance No. of frames recorded: approx. 400 (CIPA measurement),
approx. 600 (Konica Minolta measurement)
External power source 6 V DC (with specified AC adapter AC-11), Vertical Control Grip VC-7D (possible to adopt two NP-400 batteries, or six AA size Ni-MH batteries)
Dimensions (WxHxD) Approx. 150 mm x 106 mm x 77.5 mm / 5.9 in. x 4.2 in. x 3.1 in.
Weight (approx.) Approx. 760 g / 26.8 oz. * without batteries and recording media
COMPATIBLE COMPUTERS IBM PC / AT compatible computers: Windows Me, Windows 2000 Professional, Windows XP (Home / Professional), Windows 98, or Windows 98 Second Edition
Apple Macintosh computers:Mac OS 9.0 – 9.2.2, Mac OS X v.10.1.3 – 10.1.5, v.10.2.1 – 10.2.8, v.10.3 – 10.3.5.

Number of frames recorded according to image quality and size

Image quality mode No. of recorded pixels File size (approx.) Continuous advance Storage capacity
(w. 256 MB CF Card )
RAW 8.6 MB 9 26
RAW + JPEG L (*) 11.5 MB 9 19
M(*) 10.2 MB 9 21
S(*) 9.3 MB 9 23
EX-FINE L 5.9 MB 12 41
M 3.3 MB 14 72
S 1.6 MB 20 157

 

Image quality mode No. of recorded pixels File size (approx.)
Continuous advance Storage capacity
(w. 256 MB CF Card )
FINE
(JPEG)
L 3.0 MB 15 81
M 1.7 MB 19 141
S 850 KB 30 292
STD.
(JPEG)
L 1.8 MB 19 138
M 1.0 MB 26 253
S 540 KB 43 463
*
L : 3008 x 2000, M: 2256 x 1496, S: 1504 x 1000
  • The actual number of frames may vary according to the subject and media used.
  • The computer and operating system must be guaranteed by their manufacturers to support USB interface.
  • Users with Windows 98 and Windows 98 Second Edition operating systems must install dedicated driver software included in the DiMAGE Viewer CD-ROM.
  • Inherent limitations in current LCD manufacturing technology may result in the appearance of one or more light or dark pixels in the LCD monitor. Such light or dark pixels do not affect overall performance or camera operation and are not indicative of monitor damage.
  • Specifications and accessories are subject to change without notice.

Notes

Problems may be encountered when other USB devices are being used in parallel with this product.
Only a built-in USB port is supported. Problems may be encountered when the camera is connected to a USB hub.
  • The Konica Minolta logo and "The essentials of imaging" are trademarks or registered trademarks of Konica Minolta Holdings, Inc.
  • MAXXUM and CxProcess are trademarks or registered trademarks of Konica Minolta Photo Imaging, Inc.
  • Windows is a registered trademark of Microsoft Corporation in the United States and other countries.
  • Apple, Macintosh and Mac OS are trademarks of Apple Computer, Inc., registered in the U.S. and other countries.
  • All other brand and product names are trademarks or registered trademarks of their respective owners.

Where to Buy

The following retailers support photo.net if purchases are made via these links.

Adorama

 

Robert M. Atkins

Readers' Comments


Add a comment



Hubert Figuiere , October 12, 2004; 11:03 A.M.

On one side we have Olympus and the E-1 that has the "auto-cleaning" system, and on the other side Minolta with the 7D that has anti-shake at CCD level. When will we get that on Canon and Nikon to use the lenses we already have ?

Thang Hoang , October 12, 2004; 02:14 P.M.

Canon and Nikon have a full array of lenses. They've had many iterations of the DSLR and therefore been thru a maturing phase. Minolta has yet to even announce pricing on a camera that was slated for a fall 2004 release.

I think those in the Canon/Nikon camp that complain about any "lacking" need to take a reality check. You've had DSLR's to use.

Stephen Lutz , October 12, 2004; 02:24 P.M.

A friend of mine shoots Minolta, and has been using the previous digital camera, from the late 90's, that Minolta came out with. It's, I believe, 1.75 MP and was cutting edge in 1996, but has been obsolete for years. He's happy to finally have a digital option for his lenses. Frankly, it doesn't sound like Minolta is too serious with supporting their SLR shooters. The Digital Maxxiumm 7D seems too little, too late to me, whatever it's desirable qualities.

Sean Garrick , October 12, 2004; 02:58 P.M.

From the point of view of the photographer, amateur and advanced, I'd say that anti-shake on EVERY LENS is a lot more than what the other manufacturers are offering. Pros, and a few others, can afford to outfit their toolkit with VR/IS lenses but for the masses its not feasible.

6MP is not the most but I've printed several images from my 5MP Sony F717 on 13x19 using an Epson printer and have been more than pleased.

Aleksandar Milivojevic , October 12, 2004; 09:21 P.M.

"When will we get that on Canon and Nikon to use the lenses we already have ?"

Probably never. Or at least not in near future. Both Nikon and Canon have very pricey VR/IS series of lenses. Implementing it on the camera level would shrink market for those lenses to film camera owners (and that segment of market is becoming smaller and smaller every day). It's all about making profit, not about making good stuff.

Greg Chappell , October 12, 2004; 11:22 P.M.

The real question is, when will the Minolta users actually GET this camera. This thing has been talked about for MONTHS. Until it's actually out, Minolta users have no advantage at all.

Ilkka Nissila , October 13, 2004; 06:35 A.M.

The 7D has a 0.9x viewfinder which puts it heads and shoulders above the Nikon and Canon offerings in the same price class. The anti-shake comes free, and it works with lenses meant for available light work (fast primes) which are sorely lacking in N/C VR/IS offerings and will probably always be because of the necessary extra elements in optical stabilization.

I think it doesn't really matter if Minolta is late in the game. If this camera works properly they'll be ahead of the game in the consumer class which includes most DSLR users.

Larry Anon , October 13, 2004; 01:28 P.M.

Addressing the issue of whether or not Canikon will provide in-body image stabilization by saying that they've been selling DSLRs for the past few years is bizarre. As for the release of this camera, pricing has finally been announced for various markets (including the US) and it will be shipping in November. You can pooh-pooh the shipping date as being bogus but at least wait till after November.

Alistair Windsor , October 13, 2004; 02:46 P.M.

There is this interesting caveat about the effectiveness of anti-shake being dependent on the lens. My guess is the longer focal length lenses will benefit less since the same amplitude of camera shake translates into much larger movements of the image on the sensor. Canon and Nikon both intervene earlier in the optical path and thus can use smaller motions to cancel out the shake. With long lenses the sensor will have to move rapidly with moderate amplitudes. I don't know how the Maxxuum 7D implements A/S but it remains to be seen whether it will be as effective as Canon and Nikons IS/VR solution. It is just a case of wait and see.

Sean Garrick , October 13, 2004; 10:52 P.M.

From the info at http://www.dpreview.com as well as the Minolta A2, it seems like Anti-Shake gets you 2-3 stops. But you're right - experience will answer all questions.

Ilkka Nissila , October 14, 2004; 08:59 A.M.

A Canon 28-135 mm at 50 mm has about f/4 max aperture. A 50 mm f/1.4 would be ok at 1/125 s & iso 400. If you can now shoot with reasonable confidence at 1/20 s, that gives you an advantage of 3 stops when using the 7D+50/1.4 over the Canon IS lens set at 50 mm, and 2-3 stops over the 50 mm on a Canon or Nikon DSLR. I think it's going to be extremily useful for situations such as shooting in a church or interiors where you cannot bring a tripod.

Daniel Oi , October 15, 2004; 07:42 P.M.

My guess is the longer focal length lenses will benefit less since the same amplitude of camera shake translates into much larger movements of the image on the sensor. Canon and Nikon both intervene earlier in the optical path and thus can use smaller motions to cancel out the shake. With long lenses the sensor will have to move rapidly with moderate amplitudes.
Alistair Windsor, October 13, 2004

Remember the advantage of IS/VR/AS is a relative one compared to the normal handholdable shutter speed. The absolute shake of the image at the focal plane for a longer lens will be bigger than a shorter lens, but only if the shutter speed is the same. However, at the same ratio of shutter speed to focal length, the image blur is roughly the same.

A blurry photo (say 2 stops under the "1/f" shutter speed rule) will have the roughly the same amount of image blur (wander of the image on the image plane) whether it's a 300mm lens or a 50mm lens. Hence, the sensor motion required to correct these "2 stops of image blur" is going to be the same (to a first approximation). I.e. A 300mm lens will suffer the same image wander on the focal plane in 1/60th of a second as a 50mm lens in 1/10th of a second.

Cheers,
Daniel.

Rob Dome , October 21, 2004; 11:53 A.M.

I talked to a buddy of mine at Camera's West and he said they finally got a price for the 7D it's about what I expected it to be at $1599 without a lens this is US market for those of you not familiar with Camera's West (AKA Ritz, Wolf, etc.)

Alistair Windsor , October 22, 2004; 11:18 P.M.

Sean, there is no doubt that it works on the A2 it is just a question of how well it scales up. I will not be in the market for a 7D regardless since I am committed to the Canon system. My interest is purely academic and my suggestion purely speculative based on the language of the press release.

Philip Wang , October 23, 2004; 07:26 A.M.

An interesting test: I was keep hitting the photographer's hand that holding the 7D during the shooting. The picture generated seems not blured.

I tried only a few times. This is not a scientific, well planned test but just to satisfy my curiosity.

Shooting with the 7D, the camera can move a little, but the target cannot move :).

Gustavo Pocobelli , October 23, 2004; 11:35 P.M.

It seems to me that this Anti-Shake can work only if the image on the focal plane in the back of the camera is larger than the CCD. Right now, the CCD is 1.5X smaller than the image, so the CCD has room to move up and down, or left and right, and still remain inside the image, so no problem arises. But how can it work if the CCD should become the same size of the image? How could it work with a factor of 1X, as the Canon EOS 1Ds has? The moving CCD would miss a part of the image. A new system of lenses would then be required.

Ilkka Nissila , October 24, 2004; 08:02 A.M.

Yes, obviously the technology requires that the sensor is small and the image circle is large. Such a set of lenses (35 mm) and sensors (APS) xist and are popularly used today in many SLR brands. Why should this change, when excellent images are obtained with the APS size sensors used today?

Gustavo Pocobelli , October 24, 2004; 06:32 P.M.

Ilkka, for the same reasons that Canon is making the EOS 1Ds cameras: 1. that a 17-35 zoom remains 17-35, rather than becoming a 26-53 2. that prints could be made larger than those which can be made with APS size CCDs. A way around 1. would be for Minolta to come out with a 12-24 zoom, to fill the gap. But 2. would require a larger CCD (unless a new way of increasing the pixel density on the CCD is found).

Daniel Oi , October 24, 2004; 08:41 P.M.

AS usually doesn't need to move that much to compensate for handshake. Just look at a typically blurred photo and you'll see that the blurriness is only a few percent of picture height. For a 36mmx24mm format CCD, it'd probably only need to have an image circle about 5% bigger than 43.3mm, say 45.5mm. Typical 35mm lenses have image circles at least that big (especially telephotos where AS is most useful), unless they are ultrawide lenses, suffer from severe vignetting anyway, or else are baffled to deliberately restrict the image circle. The shutter would have to be slightly bigger of course.

Anyway, even if the image circle was exactly 43.3mm, I'd trade 1mm of slightly darker corner for a sharp rest of the image. It's no problem to crop it out (I crop most of my pics anyway). Since viewfinders are usually 95% or less coverage, you probably didn't even intend to frame the extreme corner anyway:).

Cheers, Daniel.

Ilkka Nissila , October 25, 2004; 11:22 A.M.

I'm sure Minolta will ultimately come up with new zooms which have the popular angle of view ranges just as Nikon has. I'm a prime lens user and I'm not the least bit bothered by the difference in FOV. As for the print size, it doesn't depend on the sensor size alone. There are big differences in 6 MP APS digital SLRs in terms of image quality and I'm sure (though without firsthand experience) the Minolta is capable of excellent images, just as my D70 is. How many images do you print larger than 8x12 inches? A few, yes, but since Nikon has already announced a 12.4 MP APS size sensor, and they seem to suggest that it wasn't any problem to make, Minolta may eventually in a few years do the same. While you may get better images from a 1Ds, twice the weight isn't exactly very attractive and one might as well get a decent medium format camera for those applications which require top quality beyond what the 12 MP D2X is capable of. I'm not in the least bit interested in carrying a 1.5 kg body alone and Minolta has come up with yet another reason to support the APS sensors: vibration reduction with all lenses. With their 0.9x viewfinder magnification, once that gets to the Nikon line, I have little or no interest in larger sensors even if they can be made economically in 10 years or so.

Jay Williams , October 26, 2004; 09:54 P.M.

I've got a possible solution to the problem of having anti-shake on a potential 9D with a full-size image sensor and high resolution, such as 12MP.

You can shoot at full resolution and retain the correct cropping of the lens at its indicated focal length and NOT have anti-shake enabled, OR you can engage anti-shake, if needed, and the camera will automatically crop the image to, say, 8MP with something like a 1.5x cropping factor.

So, if you're in a situation where anti-shake is paramout, you just have to give up some angle of view and resolution. If angle of view or resolution is paramount, you just turn off anti-shake.

By the way, I'd love a 9D. Well see. Also, I ordered my 7D a week ago from Ritz...they were one of the first online companies to list it for pre-order. Now, so are Adorama and B&H.

Jay

Rich P , October 27, 2004; 10:51 A.M.

I tried this camera on Saturday October 23, at the Photo Plus Expo in New York. Some say that it's too little, too late. My opinion is to the contrary. I'm a non-bias Nikon owner and I think that this camera's design it great. Anti-shake technology seemed to work as advertised and it's also does well for the value of all Minolta AF lenses. The street price is estimated to be around $1500 and it feels it. The LCD screen is among the nicest I've seen (in clarity, size and functionality). The Minolta engineer said that the 7D is made to be picked up and used like the Maxxumm 7 film camera. I think they've accomplished this.

Rich P.

Ted White , October 28, 2004; 12:26 A.M.

Guess why I just put my Maxxum 7 with Vertical Control Grip VC-7 on e-bay?

I bought two of the first 1985 Maxxum 7 bodies when they were introduced, and over the years have accumulated 8 Maxxum lenses. They'll all work on the 7D. AS an afterthought, the Maxxum 7 is a serious piece of work. I would expect the 7D, which appears virtually identical, to be even better.

Jay Williams , October 29, 2004; 01:34 A.M.

I have a question about the 7D.

In the menu, you can choose between two different ISO ranges: 100-1600 and 100-3200. Why? I don't understand why you wouldn't always want to be able to choose from among all ISO possiblities. I think I've seen this same feature in other digital cameras, too, and the same question applies.

Thanks, Jay

Ilkka Nissila , October 29, 2004; 02:44 P.M.

The sensitivities above iso 1600 are implemented in software/firmware instead of adjusting the analog amplifier gain of the pick-up circuit. So there may be no benefit in using iso 3200 instead of using iso 1600, underexposing by 1 stop and applying a levels adjustment.

Jay Williams , October 29, 2004; 06:57 P.M.

It sort of seems odd, then, that the option for ISO 3200 exists at all. I guess it's high speed for Dummies. That must be meant to be used in tandem with the full-auto Program mode (another feature for Dummies).

Ilkka Nissila , October 30, 2004; 05:57 A.M.

I suspect it's there for those who use JPG and don't adjust the files in an image editor before having them printed.

Jay Williams , October 30, 2004; 04:02 P.M.

Ahhh. That does make sense. Thanks for the explanation. :)

Jay Williams , November 16, 2004; 07:47 P.M.

Read my review of the Maxxum 7D at www.jpwphoto.com.

Timothy Nolan , November 29, 2004; 10:57 P.M.

Well, as it was with the A2, Nikon now has this feature in the Coolpix 8800, so it wouldn't suprise me to see it in something D70-ish, though perhaps for the bigger iron they're continue to push the VR lenses...

I just don't see a guy with a D70-level body dropping a $2900 lens on it, though I could be wrong.

Ilkka Nissila , December 01, 2004; 02:45 P.M.

I believe the Coolpix 8800 has vibration reduction in the lens, not the sensor.

Arunas Salkauskas , January 03, 2005; 11:42 P.M.

"I've got a possible solution to the problem of having anti-shake on a potential 9D with a full-size image sensor and high resolution, such as 12MP"

The solution you propose wouldn't actually help - the problem is that with motion, light from a single point source is spread across multiple pixels as the camera moves. The anti-shake, or any image stabilizing technology, aims to keep the image static on the sensor so that you don't get motion blur.

Simply using a larger sensor and cropping it would give you a smaller blurry image.

Note that this sort of stabilization doesn't help to freeze fast motion in the scene - it helps compensate for short shaky motion of the camera relative to the scene.

--

ISO 3200 is handy for those times when there isn't enough light to take a photograph at ISO 1600. There are times when you just wouldn't get an image at all. With ISO 3200, you stand a chance of recording the information. Why not always have it available? Since you can often setup the camera to change ISO at the spin of a wheel, it's nice to be able to jump from 100 to 1600 quickly without jumping to 3200. But if you're keen to get any image at a particular venue, you set it up to jump to ISO 3200 right away.

Albert Yang , February 23, 2005; 05:03 A.M.

I feel that the current DSLR's are lost in the Megapixel race... Most have made me yawn, as it's a different dog with the same fleas, but the D7D seems to be truly innovative..

BUT... I have no idea why there isn't a camera with the combined specs (I think) everybody wants.. It drives me nuts! I don't mind 6MP at all, it's more than enough for the average joe, and I'll take 6MP over 8MP or even 12MP anyday provided I can get:

*ISO 25-6400 (I'd love to take waterfall pics without an ND.. ISO25 @F22 would be just lovely.. By the same token, ISO6400+AS+200mmF2.8 = no flash needed for indoor plays etc..) *100% viewfinder (So I can compose EXACTLY WYSIWYG) *1/500th flash sync (Since I can "cut" the sensor input time on DSLR's vs film, I have no idea why this is not done on all DSLR's.. (maybe someone smarter than me will explain to me..) Fill-flash is important to me for outdoor portraits with high backlit situations and a need for fill in the foreground.) * Mirror lockup + Timer / Remote triggerable * 2nd Curtain sync * Wireless TTL * Full 16bit colors per channel * Runs on 4AA batteries / CR-V3 batteries.. That way, if I'm in Timbucku, I can always buy AA batteries. As AA batteries keep improving (was high of 1800mA 3 years ago, 2500mA just came out) So we aren't locked into proprietary batteries.

You give me a DSLR with these specs, and I don't care who makes it, I'll buy it! The arguement of Canon glass vs Nikon glass vs Minolta glass.. Look.. If you are comparing the kit 28-80mm f5.6 (body caps as I call them) vs. L series vs G series vs. whatever series.. Every line has good and bad lenses, and every line has exceptional lenses.. I find it to be totally BS when people tell me they can tell what lens was used..

I hope Minolta blows the doors wide open, and put out a D9 and a D5. With the continued advances in DSLR's, the race is afoot, and getting only better..

I am rooting for all the manufacturers, especially Canon, Nikon, Minolta, and Sigma. I'd love to have a Foveon on a D7D...

As for the AS problem and full-frame..

100% fullframe OR 95% frame + AS.

It's not a big problem at all.. "Pixel Binning" is done already.

Shawn Gibson , April 13, 2005; 06:21 P.M.

Unfortunately (for my wallet) I played with one of these tonight, and to be honest, the idea of grabbing one and adding a Contax 85mm 1.4 seems SO attractive to me, that I might abandon my Nikon/Canon fetish...

VERY nice camera, if the IS does what it says...a stablized German glass portrait camera, might be just around the corner for me...

Shawn

John Kelly , May 12, 2005; 04:10 P.M.

I'm attracted to Maxxumm 7D features, but Minolta did such a terrible job on the 5400II scanner (excessive and wrong plastics, sloppy quality control) that I'll generalize from the experience of returning two scanners and avoid the camera.

Scott Eckert , May 14, 2005; 02:13 P.M.

Don't let your bad experience with the 5400? keep you from looking at the 7D. It is a good camera. I own it and like it a lot. If you come from film cameras, it is very user friendly with lots of well laid out knobs and buttons for easier use than menus.

Ruslan Lavrentyev , May 19, 2005; 05:38 A.M.

I played with Dynax 7 with 28-100 lens kit (1600 $) in electronics shop. VF is dark (with 5.6 lens), compared to chip NIkon F60. AF is slower when of my Nikon F90 and started to hunt, though it was fairly light in the department. AF area is narrow. The grip is small and not handy. I LIKED THE BUILD THOUGH.

Dan Snyder , June 16, 2005; 02:28 P.M.

The main disadvantage i see to the CCD-shift anti-shake system is that it will not (i'm presuming) correct for the angular deviation you camera my experience. IE, the shift can only correct for vibrations of the camera where the direction of the optical axis does not change. This would be the reason why longer focal length lenses would be more susceptable to shake; the same angular deviation of the optic axis results in a greater deviation of image on the film/sensor plane. As far as i know, canon's IS system is for this reason superior to the CCD-shift system

Gurpreet Singh Bhasin , August 22, 2005; 05:35 P.M.

Why is this called a review? It is just a spec copy.

Al Li , September 16, 2005; 08:21 P.M.

Be careful with the fireware update on the 7D. I follow the instruction on KM's site and updated the firmware on my 7D. The screen stated " Firmware Updated". I turned the camera off and the 7D just stopped working. I contacted KM; they email me a UPS label right away to get the camera fix, but I am going to lose a few good shooting days. Just be careful with your firmware update.

Aside from that, I love my 7D.

Peter Pflum , November 09, 2005; 04:42 A.M.

i recently purchased a 7d, i bought it at a local camera shop with a statewide presence. i took it home and charged it up, and started testing it out. Wonderful camera but something was wrong, the flash didn't function at all. i check the manual and it clearly stated the flash will fire anytime it is raised...not only didn't it fire it didn't register that it was raised...i took it back, and exchanged it the next day i had time, probably about a week later. the new one functions perfectly, and exactly how i expected. i picked it over the d70 and the 20d because of its size [chunky] and controls [plethora], the antishake and big lcd were a bonus. the ergonomics are that great, its feels solid in your hands, and the rubberized EVERYTHING is nice, all the dials really let you focus on the image, i love it as much as my rollei 3.5f...its that good. Hands down makes the digital rebel feel like a toy. and there's a 200 dollar rebate going on now. making my kit cost about 1100 dollars including a nice 2gb cf card.

Helmut Schoenleber , December 06, 2005; 04:22 A.M.

After using the 7D for half a year and about 4000 pictures, I'll probably stick to it. It's the 10th camera in my life. My dad used his Bessa for 50 years...

Alan Browne , January 08, 2006; 05:51 P.M.

I tried adding two links to my comments on the 7D and my anti-shake test. Wouldn't go through. Some kind of posting error. These links are strictly non-commercial.

My review: http://www.aliasimages.com/Max7Drev.htm

Anti-shake test: http://www.aliasimages.com/KM7D_AS_Test.htm

Bob Atkins "review" above seems to be little but a regurgitation of the spec sheet.

Brooks Gelfand , January 20, 2006; 03:39 P.M.

According to a press release from the company, Konica-Minolta will withdraw from the camera business as of 31 March 2006. Here is a link to the release: http://konicaminolta.com/releases/2006/0119_03_01.html

Matus Kalisky , February 28, 2006; 09:17 A.M.

Just got the 7D - and I am wondering to find a "mechanical" shutter inside. I understand (according to booklet) that it shields the CCD from dust when the lens is down, but why it is in use? I checked it witl long exposures with 2s timer (== MLU) and one can hear the shutter being opened (after those 2 seconds). What is is good for? Why not to make pure "electronical" shutter on the CCD? I think that this issue is directly connected to rather poor flash-sync times.

Apart from that - the viewfinder is not really small (better than in 5D), but when comared to my girlfriends Dynax 7 - it makes one cry. The body is rather sturdy but I still find the Dynax 7 to be better build - the differences are more in detailes. I expect the signs on the dials to come of rather fast as they are "sticking out" rather than beeing engraved into the dials.

Anyhow - it is still a very nice kamera and the AS is a little wonder. For me it is a big step up from C-5060WZ which served me well for 2 years. I hope to see the continuation from Sony both on cameras and lenses.

Artur Nogueira , May 21, 2006; 08:57 A.M.

As Sony acquired the camera dept of konica-Minolta, I am very curious about their new Alpha System. I always found that the Maxxum 7D, is probably one of the best well designed cameras in the market - I am a Nikon owner - and the merge of Sony could be a very interesting one. The new Sony camera is very similar in design to the Maxxum 7D / 5D and I am really expecting to grab one Sony Alpha, just to see how it handles.

Mark K , June 01, 2006; 11:03 A.M.

Despite being a great cameras with good handling, exceptional good color, I will like to see a camera with more acurate AF, more SSM lenses and better AS, probably incorporating IS/VR functions in the lenses

gordon freeman , June 15, 2008; 10:11 A.M.

Hello everyone,
For a long time now I've been annoyed by the fact that my Konica Minolta 7d has inclinometer, but there's no software that would automatically rotate my vertical pictures.

As a result I have written program that helps: it converts Minolta-specific orientation info into proper EXIF-compliant tag. As a result, after using my program one can use every other auto-rotating tool to do the rest (see Picasa as simple and free, but there are many others too).

The program its free, source code and binaries are available through sourceforge. If you would like to try it out, the link is: http://orient-fixer.sourceforge.net/

Every feedback is very welcomed.


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