| Author:
Pranal, India | Date: not recorded |
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| Pro | Picked up mine in 1999 in Japan. Have used it very frequently. Excellent results in out door. Built in flash is good for very close objects in a closed area. I have just picked up a Sigma Flash. Will check results using this. Otherwise, AF is pretty good |
| Contra | Continuous frame speed is rather slow when loaded (I checked the battery) and is annoying at times while shooting sports. spot button is in awkward position. |
| Thoughts | Overall very good pictures from this camera. Have been using 35-80 lense up to now. Will use a 70-300 soon. Did not get very good pictures of Grand Canyon, where as Hoover Dam pictures were excellent. For an amateur like me, this is very good for the price (compared to EOS...) |
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| Author:
rob barendse | Date: not recorded |
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| Pro | good price. nice handling. With a 70-300 mm you have a real nice combination. |
| Contra | 1. This beast eats batteries! (3, 4 weeks / 3, 4 rolls and changing again!).
2. I Miss in manual stand a continue focus option. |
| Thoughts | I never made one really bad picture with this one. It is really good value for your money. Only my battery problem.. I have to send it for service |
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| Author:
Alex Poole | Date: not recorded |
|
| Pro | Good Price. Good AF (in decent light). Aperture priority mode.
Supplied 75-300 4.5-5.6 is lovely |
| Contra | Supplied 28-80 4-5.6 is a dog.
AF is a bit iffy in low-light.
Spot focus button is in an annoying place, requiring you to pull back from the viewfinder or twist your thumb... |
| Thoughts | paid 350UKP with the two lenses Feb 2002. Shot 4 rolls so far to get used to it. The price was excellent with the 2 lenses, but the standard zoom is dissapointing. Will need to buy a better standard lens ASAP, but the tele-zoom is really great for portraits. |
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| Author:
Guddujan | Date: not recorded |
|
| Pro | Best price,auto focusing is perfect, Grip is good ,light weight nice finishing. |
| Contra | Viewfinder information is vertical, red eye reduction does'nt give good results etc. |
| Thoughts | I m a professional freelancing photographer, i have used this camera for One year with about average of 2 rolls per month, i m quite satisfied with its results, even i used it in extreme conditions like -15 degree centigrade temp. it did'nt disappoint me. Vertical viewfinder information is difficult to read, camera handling is easy. In short, keeping and handling ur camera with care results in lifelong relationship :) For Anyfurther discussion email: [email protected] |
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| Author:
Wojciech | Date: not recorded |
|
| Pro | Real spot metering,
Customisable, wireless flash |
| Contra | Viewfinder info in an awkward place - displayed vertically, which makes composing and checking the info imposible at the same time,
Red-eye reduction really weak,
loud AF |
| Thoughts | Pity there's no dof preview :( |
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| Author:
Chan | Date: not recorded |
|
| Pro | Small and Lightweight
Good metering |
| Contra | No DOF preview
Lack of second wheel for adjusting aperture in M mode
No user selectable continuous autofocus, unless you use the eye-start
Program not shiftable
No exposure index in the viewfinder
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| Thoughts | This is a well thought out camera. The only lacking aspect of this camera is the DOF preview. Otherwise you can work around it's weaknesses. It is very good value, but I would suggest getting a used 600si or the new 5 instead of the 505 at this point in time. |
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| Author:
unknown (legacy entry) | Date: not recorded |
|
| Pro | Price, Wireless Flash, light weight. |
| Contra | Not very solid. |
| Thoughts | used the 505si super camera for a year shooting on the average 3 rolls a month.
Accurate autofocus and AE. Wireless flash is a great feature. However, camera is not very reliable.
Film rewind broke in 3 months. Selective focus/Spot AF button broke in 10 months.
I don't feel like investing into Minolta any more, although Dynax 7 does sound like a great choice. In addition finding a set of lenses with the same diameter is not trivial at all. |
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| Author:
unknown (legacy entry) | Date: not recorded |
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| Pro | - |
| Contra | - |
| Thoughts | I picked one up last year, to back up my two 800si's, I do occasionally cheat and take the little one alone!! Excellent camera for price, even with the cheaper lenses. Only bother is small build and tight grip, after using bigger brother, but after a little use it fits OK. Have'nt got a bad picture yet!!! Thinking about entry/mid level? Get one of these! Starts up easy yet with enough features to keep you going. |
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| Author:
unknown (legacy entry) | Date: not recorded |
|
| Pro | - |
| Contra | - |
| Thoughts | Excellent handling, fast and precise automatics, good functionality. Autofocusing is mechanically slow. |
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| Author:
unknown (legacy entry) | Date: not recorded |
|
| Pro | The best choice on this price level. Have a look at its characterictis and its only weakness (IMHO).
These characteristics are present only on the XTsi/505si super (not in 505si/HTsi): quite solid with metalic mount, useful if you're always changing your lenses, but at this price don't expect a battle horse; eye-start function; panorama mode; dating (although I never use it!) and remote control terminal (useful for B exposure mode).
These are also present in the 505si/HTsi: custom functions (the most interesting being: AF/shooting priotity, film leader rewinded in or out of the cartridge, auto or manual rewind start, AE lock active while pressed or lock/unlock mode, AF area selection); hi-speed (1/4000) flash sync (with minolta HS or some Sigma models only); 1/125 flash sync with any flash; additional AF button (useful when the AF systems don't starts, what happens wuite frequently, or to lock the focus); bracketing (quite unuseful because it's jus -1/2,0,+1/2 EV); multiple exposures (as many as you want); slow sync flash (but just by keeping the AE-lock button pressed, so you can't use it with the self timer); anti red-eye pre-flash and wireless flash (2:1 ratio).
I used to have a 5xi and in comparison this is more solid (a strap eyelet of my old 5xi broke because it was plastic; now it's metal so it won't break) and has better AF and metering systems. |
| Contra | The AF system has a problem: it sometimes just won't start and you'll have to force it by pressing the AF button or pointing the camera to a very out-of-focus subjet. But once it's started it works terribly fast (much better than the 5xi) (Theoretically it uses the same AF system that the Minolta 9). Any questions or comments to [email protected]. (I'm refering to the European 505si model. Althoug I suppose it's just like the others I've heard there are some differences. But I just don't know, so check it).
I miss a lot the depth-of-field preview capability. |
| Thoughts | Remember that the quality of the photographs depends solely on the lense and the ability of the photographer. The camera just helps you on the second point. So I think this is a good camera, cheap enough to allow you to acquire good lenses. Unless you need a very fast AF (because you cover sports events) or a really rugged body that bears bumps, heavy rain and dust (then your choice is clearly a 9 or a used 9xi) or the PC connector for studio flashes or extra functionalities (DOF preview, shot data memory) you should choose this model. |
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| Author:
unknown (legacy entry) | Date: not recorded |
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| Pro | - |
| Contra | - |
| Thoughts | The Dynax 505si super is very handy with a smart wireless flash control, have a good cost/performance ratio and easy to use functionality. But at least my camera gives troubles when using it.
The AF focus is very slow (using a Minolta 35-70/3.5-4.5 and Sigma AF 70-200/2.8), you often have to focus on an item very out of focus to activate the autofocus, and then spot the motive again.
Sometimes, -mainly under non-ideal conditions, the portrait and landscape programs gives the same setting.
It also lack functionality to handle the difference between the build in flash and my Maxxum 3500xi AF Flash. The camera settings are in both situations based on the Build-in-flash(GN) resulting in low Depth-of-Field. |
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| Author:
unknown (legacy entry) | Date: not recorded |
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| Pro | - |
| Contra | - |
| Thoughts | Excellent price/performance-rate. The flash system works well even with the 1 segment sensor (tip: with an external flash you get much better results). In Switzerland (I think this camera will have the same features in the other countries), the 505si Super offers wireless flash control (only with some flashes) and HSS (only with 5400HS and Sigma 430 super). The most included 28-80mm lens(when you buy a set) is a really cheap lens. The AF system is faster with other lens (like the 50mm/1.4 or 70-210mm/3.5-4.5). The camera has got a data back and a panorama function (in Germany you find the same camera without this features, so you should look which version you buy). |
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| Author:
unknown (legacy entry) | Date: not recorded |
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| Pro | - |
| Contra | - |
| Thoughts | Great camera, great price. However as an old Minolta 7000i user I found the grip of the 505Si super at beginning not so good. After shooting a few films with this camera I start liking it more and moren. |
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| Author:
unknown (legacy entry) | Date: not recorded |
|
| Pro | - |
| Contra | - |
| Thoughts | Good camera with not so accurate flash metering and slow AF (you wait up to a half second until the autofocus reacts). Metal mount but plastic tripod fixation (if you don't use a tripod it don't matter...).
On the other side excellent(day-)light metering and very accurate AF system (also if it is dark).
The 505si Super is easy to use and has a good ergonomy. It also has got most of the features you can think of (I'm terribly missing the dept-of-preview-button of my old SRT-101). Note: You can't choice the interval by the autobracketing function. The build quality is good to very good. Notice that the Display in the viewer is on the left side, so you do not always see it.
This Minolta is a good offer for what it costs, even if it has some weak points.
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| Author:
unknown (legacy entry) | Date: not recorded |
|
| Pro | - |
| Contra | - |
| Thoughts | I have a one from 2 months. Works well. Many features. Set with 28-80 macro and 70-210mm macro.Nice shots - landscapes, portraits and macro flowers. Still testing it. Good investment for an pretentious amateur. |
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| Author:
unknown (legacy entry) | Date: not recorded |
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| Pro | - |
| Contra | - |
| Thoughts | Its very handy, cheap, lightweight and got all the features I could think of.
I paid eqv. to USD350 incl. 25%VAT.
The 28-80 lens included!
I dont think there is or will be a better value for money now when the
digital cameras are appearing.
They might phase out the r&d for even better analog still cameras in the future. |
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| Author:
unknown (legacy entry) | Date: not recorded |
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| Pro | - |
| Contra | - |
| Thoughts | The XTsi is near perfect ergonically. It now has wireless remote flash, so I assume it is now no different from the European versions. Took approximately 500 photos in Europe this last September, and got very few that I discarded. I used the much maligned 28-80 mm lens and was pleasantly surprised. I recommend this camera with no reservations. |
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| Author:
unknown (legacy entry) | Date: not recorded |
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| Pro | - |
| Contra | - |
| Thoughts | Light & easy to use (also for not foto-technical people like me) SLR Camera,
makes very good pictures with 28-80 mm and 75-300 Minolta lenses
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