| Author:
Richard Bond, normal Amateur | Date: Fri, Jun 8, '07 at 12:43 CEST |
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| Pro | I have just started using the 9000 I referred to much more than previously, mainly because I am disillusioned with digital so I thought I would find out the cost of replacing the lcd. I was quoted £88 + cost of parts!!!! Still a very useable camera. With good lenses. |
| Contra | Planned obsolescence. |
| Thoughts | Better look at ebay for another Minolta body. |
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| Author:
seb, normal Amateur | Date: Sat, Jan 1, '05 at 23:10 CET |
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| Pro | feels good in hands, controls are well disposed and easy to twitch. Has all you need: 1/250 flash sync, DOP, diopter adjustment, multiple exposure... Extra pros: manual rewind, takes AA batteries (cheap), and lots of accesories. |
| Contra | AF is crap except for taking motionless subjects on a sunny day (AF assist module is an accesory).
The electronics on old second hand 9000s are moody. I keep getting about four completely unexposed shots per roll supposedly because the shutter doesn't open. |
| Thoughts | A collector and performer.
A dinosaure to love. |
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| Author:
Richard Bond, normal Amateur | Date: Tue, May 25, '04 at 20:39 CEST |
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| Pro | Good solid body, easy to use after a short time, no problems with exposure using different modes at all. Feels really good to hold, left hand has little to do, normally. Minolta f2.8 135mm is probably the sharpest 35mm lens I have used. Like the use of AA cells, in emergency can be obtained almost anywhere. |
| Contra | SLOW af, mine has stain on top lcd spread about 1 mm. in 10 years!
Had Very bad experience at a conference when taking pictures with hammerhead flash
on bracket when shutter speed gets knocked to wrong speed very easily,
when shooting rapidly. |
| Thoughts | I am changing to digital photography, I am disappointed at Minoltas
apparent lack of interest in compatability with their existing camera owners (35mm) SLR range. |
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| Author:
Gerald Hebenstreit, normal Amateur | Date: Mon, Sep 23, '02 at 15:48 CEST |
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| Pro | ? |
| Contra | LCD-panels blurs; now 2nd (expensive) repair of depht-of-field preview - because then also the aperture control is not working (does not shut); slow auto focus because of only 2 AA-batteries (3 V) opposite to Minolta 7000 (4 AA or AAA = 6V)= much faster
heavy. |
| Thoughts | do not buy a used 9000-
very bad long-term quality - better buy a used 7000 |
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| Author:
john price | Date: not recorded |
|
| Pro | Spares are getting esasier to access in the UK |
| Contra | None |
| Thoughts | Re Judy Gassett's enquiry. If she is based in the K, Minolta Uk have now acquired a fresh stock of LCD panels for the 9000.
From [email protected] |
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| Author:
Judy Gassett | Date: not recorded |
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| Pro | I bought in 1986 and loved it ever since. Layout and controls always seem logical and easy to use. Very rugged body and comfortable grip. Love the manual rewind and AW90 for faster rewinds |
| Contra | LCD panel bleeding now |
| Thoughts | Where can I get the bleeding on the LCD panel fixed and is this likely to reoccur? |
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| Author:
JOHN C PRICE | Date: not recorded |
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| Pro | As a Minolta enthusiast I bought my 9000 firstly as an economical addition to my collection, but particularly for its PC flash socket. Repairs and overhaul are straightforward here in the UK through Minolta UK. I also use it primarily as an indoor or studio body for close-up work in manual focus mode. |
| Contra | There are no contras to Minolta equipment, surely! ! |
| Thoughts | The replacement focusing screens are an additional bonus |
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| Author:
Fitz Fitzgerald | Date: not recorded |
|
| Pro | Manual advance (quiet operation) with no winder, spot meter, data imprinting between negatives with 'Program Back Super 90' and a larger grip to fit my big hands. Very bright viewfinder. Depth-of-Field preview is great. TTL flash meetering when used with Minolta AF or PX flashes. Very low power consumption and uses AA batteries (they last 6 months or so in mine). Enough options and accessories to fill a book. |
| Contra | Not made anymore, very sad... Autofocus was 1st generation and dislikes moving objects about half the time (needs more sensors on both axes), hunts in low light (I use Manual Focus about half the time). Hard to find replacement parts, but a large used market is present (LCD screen has a tendancy to bleed a small amount in old age, but mine hasn't yet). The removable external flash bracket (CG-1000, not the onboard flash shoe) sets the flash to the left (instead of the right) and causes the vertical grip to be upside down when used together (I use a 3rd party rotating grip now). |
| Thoughts | This is still my favorite Minolta camera of all time, and it will probably be until another 'manual advance' Minolta (that takes Maxxum lenses) comes along. I use the split-field PM focus screen (for super sharp focusing), the Program Back Super 90 for data imprinting between negatives (so I learn from mistakes and keep track of date/time). I own a MD-90 high speed drive with the Ni-Cad pack, but the only thing I use it for is for a vertical grip with shutter release. When I need a winder, I use the AW-90, it makes less noise and it's not as hard on the drivetrain. Soon I hope to get a remote data interface (using DR-1000) and a compatible Minolta light meter. Someday, I may get a 600si or a 7 as a backup but right now, this is my favoite camera. My primary uses are for weddings, worship services, nature, etc. The kinds of places where being covert is top priority, nobody sees me, nobody hears me, and I get a good capture of the moment without disturbing the participants. Serve Christ and God bless, Fitz. |
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| Author:
Dieter Dittrich | Date: not recorded |
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| Pro | quiet operation without motor drive, but can be added when noise not important. All the features one could want, except wireless flash. Love the switches to turn things on or off and leave it like that, such as self timer and A/M focus. PC connection, spot meter, DOF and others. Focus screens are a snap to install. |
| Contra | They don't make it any more. So sad. |
| Thoughts | Bought the 9000 to use for skittish wildlife as it has the option of no motor drive and the A/F can be turned off with a sliding switch. I bought a 9xi as a back up, it had the awesome capability of wireless flash. It is now broken. My 9000 has a moisture problem and I can't get it repaired. Have ordered a used 600si as back up for my 7000i, just to be able to use my wireles flashes. It also has retro controls. But too bad Minolta makes no unit with optional motor drive disconnect and manual rewind like the 9000. A connection for a remote power supply and they would have a big chunk of the outdoor photography market for themselves. I wanted to try an F4 a few years ago and decided right then that my muscels are big enough. And to Andrew Bilewycz, too bad you can't send us a post card, now that you have returned to the stone age. |
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| Author:
Andrew Bilewycz | Date: not recorded |
|
| Pro | As before |
| Contra | Forgot to mention:
Changing apetures and shutter speed was an "Eighties Nightmare"! You know the type. When dials were out and slider switches and buttons were in. Soooo unbelievably slow and awkward!
|
| Thoughts | How the hell I was sold on this blatant marketing ploy/fad I'll never know! |
| |
| Author:
Andrew Bilewycz | Date: not recorded |
|
| Pro | Good modular system, great lense quality (especially pro lenses), Manual wind-on and very compact without motor-drive, innovative manual rewind crank, nice balance with motodrive and long lense, great view-finder info, film-back extends range of abilities superbly |
| Contra | Very plasticky. Build-quality does not inspire confidence, spot meter "oval" shaped, will not take a bit of rain without complaint, most normal lenses (of the time) were terrible to manually-focus, anti-diluvian auto-focus, Back very slow to learn and use. |
| Thoughts | I bought this camera in the mid-eighties when, I believe, it'd first come on sale. Had a Contax system (RTS2, 157MM +lenses) but was doing stage photography and wanted a spot meter.
When I first tried the camera I was wowed by it's spot-meter, but more by it's auto-focus.
Sold my Contax kit in order to get it ....
And regretted it the small majority of the time of the time. Auto-focus hated moving objects, and low-contrast, but did help some of the time. Had various parts that did not inspire confidence, such as the DOF stop-down (horrendous!) and the wind-on lever. Both came out of the toy-box, though neither of these actually failed, ever! In fact it was quite nice to use without the Motor-drive.
The super back added many qualities, far beyond my ability to use, but was slow in use, and more akin to programing a computer, but not quite a Mac.
The lenses were superb, (if not up to the quality of Zeiss) but terrible to manually focus, unless it was a 300mm f2.8 or 80-200mm f.2.8 etc and above. These, and their high-end sisters had much more substantial focus rings. In fact, I had a load of screw-on grips tooled specially for the problem lenses.
The spot-meter, I soon learned, was not quite restricted to the view-finder centre circle as Minolta said, but traced instead, a horizontal oval/cigar. But like anything else you learn to interperate the readings, and it was still far better than center-weighted avaerage.
Which says it all! A complex affair, my relationship with this camera. But soon after I bought it, Contax brought out the 167MT, a machine I now have, with an intergrated spot-meter/AE-lock/autobracket facilty that is quick to use and does not kill my thumb the way the 9000 did.
And Zeiss lenses, I prefer by far, thanks to doing a lot of growing-up. |
| |
| Author:
Jan Lazebnicek | Date: not recorded |
|
| Pro | best for starting photography,
comfortable to use, Xsync, very handy |
| Contra | small thick tin on bottom of mirror goes out
and manual focus is not acurrate especially second hands, shutter sometimes does not open
to repair need to glue thick metal on opening
curtain arm. display often goes down. |
| Thoughts | AF is good only in summer at very contrast
subjects, m going to try to use near infrared laser or super LED in AF flash light. |
| |
| Author:
Patrick Sheehan. | Date: not recorded |
|
| Pro | Very reliable camera, I have two and use them all
the time, very solid to hold and great with the
motordrive attached. |
| Contra | The top data panels are starting to bleed and although I am getting them repaired it is expensive, parts availability can be a problem.
If Minolta want want to keep serious Photographers
then they should give this issue serious consideration. |
| Thoughts | My favourite lenses are the 20mm and 24mm for Landscape work and the 50mm Macro for close-up. |
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| Author:
Michael Seah | Date: not recorded |
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| Pro | Built like a tank. Very sharp forcus. All pro feature like shadows & highlight. Uses two "AA" battery. Great for all manual controls that is using all AF lens. |
| Contra | Slow AF. I don't use them. |
| Thoughts | I always carry this around more than other camera. I love it. |
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| Author:
Mark | Date: not recorded |
|
| Pro | One of the best all-rounders evr built! Mine has been through mud,sand,storms and it still battles on. The optics are fantastic and the ability to just fire the shutter without the anoyance of a whiring motor is unique in the AF market. |
| Contra | Slow AF, but I never use it anyway, The focusing ring on the lenses could have been bigger! Minolta take note? |
| Thoughts | Love it, and sugest you buy one! If you can only afford second hand lenses stick to prime! The old zooms were a bit fuzzy at larger then 16x12. (maybe I should use the AF after all?!) |
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| Author:
Dan | Date: not recorded |
|
| Pro | An absolute tank. I've used mine for 16 years with no down time. |
| Contra | Slow autofocus speed compared to newer cameras. Super 90 back great but has a long learning curve. |
| Thoughts | This is a really great camera which was way ahead of it's time. My first Maxxum was a 7000 which I bought when it first came out (it's a cross XX). That was a fine camera but it didn't give me enough control. I bought my 9000 as soon as it was anounced and have used it ever since with no problems. I have the motor drive which gives it a better feel and the Super 90 back which is very useful but hard to master.
I have just purchased a Maxxum 7 which is blowing me away! I'll be using my 9000 for years to come as a backup especially when the going gets rough. It's built like a tank and although obsolesent it still produces excellent photos and uses all the lenses I have includintg the Ds I bought for my 7(without the features that only work with the 7). |
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| Author:
unknown (legacy entry) | Date: not recorded |
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| Pro | - |
| Contra | - |
| Thoughts | It took me nearly 15 years to finally buy one. I had to settle for a 7000 15 years ago.
Which is great as well. But I absolutely love the 9000. Lots of great features and accessoiries like
the program back super 90 and such. Although they are getting a bit scarce now.
I'm also thinking of buying an extra body for parts, since the folks at the minolta repair shop told me
that parts are getting more and more difficult to get hold of. |
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| Author:
unknown (legacy entry) | Date: not recorded |
|
| Pro | - |
| Contra | - |
| Thoughts | I have two 9000 and been used in Asia and the US (New York area). Not a single problem. I think this is the only camera that has manual winding and I love it. The camera feels right the first time you hold it. I also like its weight. It give you a solid feel. I am looking for a third 9000 for parts for the future but I think I worry too much. |
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| Author:
unknown (legacy entry) | Date: not recorded |
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| Pro | - |
| Contra | - |
| Thoughts | Probably the best AF camera ever built! No motordrive! Has all you need (except manual shutterspeeds). Unbeatable with teh databack super. |
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| Author:
unknown (legacy entry) | Date: not recorded |
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| Pro | - |
| Contra | - |
| Thoughts | i hawe two 9000 bodies, one from december '90 and the other from april '92. They are very good, Shift Program is fantastic, lenses are very ggod too (my favourite is 35/2). Shame for autofocus from Flintstone age, and for weight.
New Dynax 9 is the true heir of 9000 |
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| Author:
unknown (legacy entry) | Date: not recorded |
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| Pro | - |
| Contra | - |
| Thoughts | Excellent design and features. The operation is simple, logical, yet thorough.
From Spot Meter, to AE-Lock, to choosing the desire apreture and shutter speed,
even @ program mode, the operation is seamless.
Although the AF is kind of dated in today standard, it's adequate for a pro,
and has been built beyound its time, 4-fram-per-sec in continous AF mode!
Die-hard body construction is true. It have been using two 9000 with MD-90
for the past twelve-years, from Canadian Artic Storm to Malaysia Equator
Summer. It haven't fialed. Need more proof?
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| Author:
unknown (legacy entry) | Date: not recorded |
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| Pro | - |
| Contra | - |
| Thoughts | A wunderful camera, can take almost evryting.
With AW-90 perfect balance bout a bit hevy.
Wery easy to ahndel, you have evryting you ned. Perfect total manual and wery good in P mod with AF. Wery good at concerts working manual.
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