Minolta Autofocus Camera Bodies

The new Minolta Maxxum 9 does not have 3 cross sensors, it only has one. Read the description from the Minolta Europe web page carefully: "AF Type: Minolta's through-the-lens (TTL) phase-detection system with 3-point AF system with a Cross Hair Type CCD line sensor"

Though the Maxxum 9 technically has mirror lock-up, it is the "Delayed Shutter Mirror Lock-Up" type. Mirror flips up, camera waits 2 seconds and the shutter opens.

As far as the mirror lock is concerned, what difference does it make? The is the same exact system that all the Canon EOS has except for their ultra high-end models. And only the Pro Nikon cameras even have a mirror lock up, all of their others (including both the N90s and new F100) don't have any form of mirror lock.

Mirror lock has never been available to the Minolta Maxxum line, so this is a big deal that we all have been asking them for a very long time. They finally listened!

I owned the 700si, and I have to say it still keeps up with the top-end cameras of late. I shot an air-show. And I noticed only Minolta cameras was able to catch small contrasts in its AF. The press had its Canon 1n and it couldn't capture an aircraft WAY HIGH in the sky. I got the shot, but I didn't have the 400 lens he had either, so my shot was small. Nevertheless, I told him my camera could focus on something like clouds in the bright sky, which I do believe Canon still cannot do yet. And I use a 70-210/F4 with a 2X teleconverter which makes it an F8. And my camera can still auto focus. Canon just announced their EOS-3 can now focus with an F8 lens.

I got my hands on the new Maxxum 9 yesterday when the Minolta rep rought one in to a camera store in Austin. This thing is a work of art. It is a tank but didn't seem all that much heavier than the 9xi. The rep had the 17-35 zoom attached to it. The viewfinder was bright and the autofocus fast and accurate. It has exposure comensation in 1/2 and 1/3 stops and flash compensation. The viewfinder is 100%. There is a 2-sec mirror lock-up delay before the shutter fires. The controls seem easy to use and get to. Even though the camera is heavy, it is nicely balanced and feels great to hand hold. The camera store price will be $1500 which is also what I have seen at the New York stores when it becomes available. This will be a pleasure for Minolta users to have if they can afford it. Erik H. Pronske

I was lucky enough to purchase the Maxxum 9 here in Austin last week. What a wonderful camera!!! The features I have found the most useful are the 100% viewfinder, the mirror lock-up (2-sec mirror pre-fire), the exposure data memory, and the bracketing in 1/3 stops to name a few things. There are lots of custom functions that will be useful, even to a simple mind like me. I have been shooting some of our wild flowers and using mainly the Maxxum 300/4 lens with/without extension tubes. I have deliberately shot with slow shutter speeds (on a Gitzo tripod) with the 300 to see if if the mirror pre-fire makes a difference with camera shake. It does! The same shots with my 9xi and the 300 at slow shutter speeds consistently showed what I thought was camera shake. I have mainly used the camera in spot meter mode with a grey card and with +/- 1/3 bracketing, the metered exposure seems to be the best one with the new Kodak E100VS . All three exposures usually would be acceptable, whereas when bracketing +/- 1/2 stop the +1/2 stop would be over exposed. When using the mirror 2-sec pre-fire I have not used a cable release. I figure that 2 seconds is enough time for the camera to recover after pushing down on the shutter release. I hope this is useful. Contact me if there are any questions.

I looked at the Maxxum 9. It has many desirable features and it really is solid-- mostly . But I didn't like the mushy, wobbly exposure dial. I especially didn't like the $1,500 price tag. Did it ever occur to the folks at Minolta (marketing?) that pricing this model below its competitors might be a good idea (F100, EOS-3)?

I plan to extend my photographic reach with the much-reduced Canon EOS-1N ($950 after rebate). Canon does make some marvelous glass afterall. But I will hang on to my 700si for general-purpose shooting.

I don't know what 9 you looked at, but the one I purchased certainly did not have mushy exposure knobs. Also, the 9's competition isn't simply the F100 and EOS-3, but also the F5 and EOS-1n. The F100 and EOS-3 are cheaper for a couple reasons, like neither have the build quality that the 9 has, neither have 100% viewfinders, the F100 doesn't have MLU, and neither have as fast of flash sync. Of course it would be great if the 9 were $5, but unfortunately Minolta figured they could charge what it is worth.

NEW Maxxmum 7 ( ALPH 7) is comming.

In 5days, new minolta SLR camera is comming. The feature of that camera is almost same as 9, but the price is half. I tried to use this camera at the MINOLTA service station yesterday. I felt the AF speed of this camera is much faster than 9, even faster than Nikon F5 and Canon EOS1N. And New D lens from minolta has the same function of Nikon D lens, which could send the distance information from Lens to Camera. Next, I was very surprised because new Minolta flash could give us Hish Speed (HS) flash even when you use cordless flash. I have used two alpha 9 bodies, and I asked to Minolta company to make new CPU for alpha 9 which give us the Same CPU of alpha 7.

Hi there,

I am a newbie in photography (I'm only 17 years old at this date so, I've still got time to learn :) I got a P&S camera at my 12th birthday from my parents it was a Ricoh with a zoom option. Because I could work for half a year lately due to problems at my school, I had the money to buy a better camera (I already liked photography) I compared some models (not too expensive) such as the Minolta 404si and the Canon 3000 and 300. I chose the Minolta because it was easier to use and cheaper than the Canon 300 and had more options than the Canon 3000 has. I shot about 400 photo's with it now, and I'm very happy with it. When used with colour slide film you can get really nice colours and a great quality (at least for an amateur like me :) and it only costed me about US $ 300 (including standard 28-80mm lens) A really good beginner buy!!

The author isn't joking when he calls the bottom of the line Minolta a point-and-shoot SLR. I borrowed one from a friend of mine. It is nicer than a P&S because of the viewfinder, but you can't control anything on the camera. You have a program mode and 5 additional modes. In none of the modes can you even determine what the shutter speed or the apeture is set to. Needless to say, you can't change the shutter or apeture either.

I have a Canon Rebel XS. That camera includes roughly the same modes present in the 300si. However, it also has important features for beginning photographers, apeture priority and shutter priority. Even if using the basic mode, you can see what the shutter and f/stop is, so you can at least learn what the various shutter speeds can do to pictures. I would easily recommend the Rebel over the Minolta for beginners.

Calling the 300Si a P&S with interchangeable lenses has a point, but does not do the camera justice. I'd rather call it an entry level machine, which it is. Many people want more than a P&S but either cannot afford a fullblown SLR like a Dynax 800Si or a Nikon F80, or they are scared by all the controls. Inserting a camera like the 300Si into the market allows Minolta to give these people a taste of an SLR without the large investment and the steep learning curve. Good marketting of course, as a lot of them will want a camera with more features in a year or so, and the obvious choice then will be a 505Si Super or maybe an 800Si. Maybe cameras like this will give more people a chance of using an SLR, thus lowering prices or increasing the choice of equipment available to all. All brands are being hit by the ever greater number of people moving to cheap (superficially, that is) one-time cameras and supermarket digitals. This cuts into the P&S market, which in turn hits the SLR market (as less people will move up). Giving people an easy upgrade path only makes sense.

You were talking about the 300si and the 400 series Minoltas as P&S of SLRs and you are right. I myself use the 3xi and believe that it is surpassed only by the 700si and better models. By feature content it is now replaced by the XTsi. The eye-start is the best user friendly feature i have seen in an SLR yet.

As to the marketing of Minolta, I would say that with their model line, they are good marketers. Minolta is the only company in my view that uses its high end products for a long time. The 5400 flash is used for many years now. Unlike Cannon that sells complete EOS crap for the entry level and Nikon that is selling the N65 for amatures, Minolta is able to go from the P&S (with lens and filter choice) to the complete professionalism in indistructible 9ti.

I racked up over 4000 shots with my 3xi, and it is a camera I can give to my mother to take picture of me once in a while.

I've had my Minolta 404si (Set with the 28-80 lens) for about a year and a half now. It's my first SLR so can't really compare to other cameras. However I did compare to the closely priced Canon (300?) when I was buying it. I bought the Minolta because of price (it was cheaper), and functionality - I seem to remember it had a few extras. The only critical comment I have is that the Minolta can be a little slow when it comes to focusing. SO if you're going to be a sports photographer, consider the Canon first.

Minolta Dynax(Maxxum) 5

This is a great camera, probably the best there is for the money. For a full review, see my website:

http://www.virtualtraveller.org/dynax5review.htm

Its now been two years that I bought the Dynax 505. The great advantage of minoltas is the very good user interface which invites you to experiment with settings. What I don't understand about modern cameras is that they are all so small! I have big hands and everything is OK as long as you carry the camera with standard zoom. Now I bought a rather large flash unit (starblitz) and its plainly painfull to hold the camera for long times with this big chunk of weight on top. I fabricated myself a large grip with AA batteries for fixing under it. My little dynax now looks like a Nikon f5 but how wonderfull to hold for me !

Hi! Last week I got my brand new Dynax 7 and what a joy. Easy to handle and manage, lightweight, fast AF. I haven´t found anything to miss from the 9xi.

I've had an XTsi for about 2 years. My wife dropped it. The only thing that broke is the tiny plastic hook that holds the back cover closed. So much for a plastic case. I now have a large "C" clamp holding the camera shut while I try to find a repairman willing to replace the back cover. I don't recommend plastic cameras for outdoor photography.

Camera Dropping Isn't Wise Regardless the Construction

Just my two cents worth... Cameras weren't intended to be dropped indoor or outdoors. Only the foolish would be surprised their camera is broken after they droped it. I'd recommend a strap and reasonable care whether the camera frame is metal or plastic.

PS: I own both kinds and love them equally :)

I work for a school newspaper, and our photography cabinet has one Minolta body with an 80-200 lens, in addition to a couple pentax bodies and our drool-worthy F100 and stack of lovely AF-D Nikkors. My adviser loves the Minolta. My former editor loved the camera. I hate it. I hate it very very much. It hates me too. And I think I know why.

My adviser occationally shoots photos, when I am overloaded (I'm currently the only photographer on staff). She loves to take our F100, slap a 75-300 AF-D Nikkor on the front, add an SB-25 to the top, And go shoot basketball photos. She set that camera up so that, essentially, she does not have to think, just frame, zoom, and pull the trigger.

My former boss is the current owner of a Canon Rebel Ti and a 28-90 EF lens. She attempts to shoot football with this lens. She attempts to shoot basketball in a poorly lit gym with 400 speed film, and the Ti's built in flash, which pops up automatically. 400 is not bad, a personal friend of mine uses it in the same gym all the time and gets great stuff with it. He has a camera with a built-in flash. But he does not use it. He firmly inserts an SB-80DX into the top of his camera and cranks it to full manual power.

My point is: My ex boss nd my adviser are all the kind of people who don't like having to think about every detail of exposure, focus, and flash metering. Minoltas, in general, are the cameras for them. The camera does all the guess work for you, leaving you to frame the next issue's front page photo and not worry about anything else. Hell, our minolta body/xi lens combo will even automatically ZOOM for you.

I work a little differently, however. I currently own a Nikon FM-10 with the stock 35-70 lens, to which I added, almost immediatly, a 70-210, and have just recently added, a 300/4.5. There is only one thing I removed-the camera body's meter batteries. Instead I have a Sekonic handheld.

I make every decision myself. Sometimes, it doesn't come out right. Most of the time it does, which appeases my editors, and wins me some photo contests here and there. Using my school's minolta, which is done when I forget to lug my FM system and flashes, and other stuff to school, and always at gunpoint, is a nightmere. Its like arguing with a woman, there are two ways to do it, neither works. Sometimes I try to set the camera how I want it. With little slider things instead of controll wheels, and buttons I don't understand, this is a major problem. The camera itself doesn't like being told what to do, either, so it proceeds to freak out.

On the other hand, if I let it do its own thing, handheld shake, flash popping up when I don't want it, and other random things make me want to kill myself before my editors see my screwed-over photos and kill me first.

In general, a consumer minolta is not the camera to pick if you like controlling exposure. It is not the camera to use if you like manual focus, because focusing manually means pulling back the electronically controlled zoom ring and moving it to the left or right. It never gets it right, and when switching to manual focus and back it makes a horrible whirring noise for several seconds, which freaks people out, including me. It is not the camera to use if you were raised on Nikon F-AiS or another manual system.

Its for my adviser. Its for my former boss. Its for my dad, who's eyes glaze over when I say "f-stop" Its not for my mom, who spent 20 years shooting wildlife with an Olympus OM-2. And from my experence, its not for me. I don't know a single pro who uses any of minolta's "pro" cameras. 1/12,000 and wireless flash do not a fine camera make, espically when they have no control. Which reduces them to a well experenced, very knowldgeable, very skilled, consumer.

I don't the understand the previous comments about how minolta cameras are lousy simply because these cameras have the ability to make decisions for the photographer. I think the person's comments were made simply because he could not be bothered to either read the camera manual or sit down and figure things out before using the camera for an assignment. Pop-up flash? You could easily disable that if you read the camera manual. Handheld shake? Get a faster film or a lens with a bigger aperture, or even a tripod. You say it like it's the camera's fault that you shook it when you press the shutter. As for the "little slider things instead of controll wheels, and buttons", well, take a look at the Maxxum 9 or 7.

If you have a preference for manual SLR systems, that's fine and great. But please don't present your arguments in such a way that it seems like there is no other way to get the job done except to use a manual camera ("not for my mom, who spent 20 years shooting wildlife with an Olympus OM-2." Shit, I guess all those NG photogs out there using Canon EOS cameras are doing it all wrong.)

Wait, didn't you just call the Nikon F100 'drool-worthy'? Is the F100 a 'manual' camera? Why don't you just stop bashing the minolta system and just admit that you're just a Nikon equipment snob instead?

You don't know any pro who uses minolta cameras? Well, does that mean it is WRONG for a pro to use one? Does that mean that a professional photographer will give sub-standard work if he uses minolta cameras? I would be happy to list out some websites of pros that do use minolta, but do you care?

Please don't dish equipment just because it doesn't suit your style of taking photos. Even a simple point-and-shoot camera will give you good photos if you use it properly.

Two years ago I bought my first SLR after having spent years with only point and shoot cameras. I went into a camera shop in La Coru�a, Spain and asked them to help me get a good camera to help me develop my skill as an amatuer hobbyist. I really wanted something great as it seemed I had been wanting something like this for years. I bought a used Dynax 800is and I was totally stunned by the results. I have truly been blown away by the quality I could get from the very first roll. I have never taken a class in Photography and I have just begun to learn while looking at the amazing photos I can view on websites such as this one.

We are coming strong into the digital age and now I also have a digital. I have a Canon Powershot A75. It?s handy and takes good snapshots but if anything, it helps me learn more about how to get the best out of the Minolta which completely blows it away for crispness, detail and complete flexibility. I love it and learning curve is high and very exciting. Never before had I gone into a photo print place and asked for enlargements for framing. From the very first roll of film, I had seven shots I felt were good enough for this. I love both of my cameras for totally different reasons. I just feel I could not have gotten any SLR with this quality anywhere near the price for which I paid. It is an amazing camera and I would strongly reccommend it to anybody.