Minolta Dynax / Maxxum 7
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| Pro | Just some of them: extremely comfortable (with VC-7!!!) and user friendly body; many important and really useful features in this camera range, more than in case of competitors; the battery package of the comfortable VC-7 can be used simultaneously with the camera's batteries so you need just switch it over if one of them is out; bulb time-count function (a problem-solving: you need to cover the small eye-start windows if you need backlight during bulb exposure); amazing data memory - you can learn much more about photography using this feature then reading a hundred books; etc.
I am in love with this body!!! ;-) | ||
| Contra | 1.) My main problem is the huge quality difference between Minolta bodies and lenses. In spite of brilliant bodies there are quite of poor optical qualitiy lenses. Not all of them of course, but generally I feel, Minolta has the weakest AF lens collection amoung main 35mm SLR producers (Leica, Contax, Nikon, Canon, Pentax all are better).
2.) AF motor is much stronger and faster in the Dynax 9 then in Dynax 7. What a pitty... 3.) It does not have a 100% view-finder screen. 4.) The mirror mechanics is a little bit loudish and trembling. (Nikon is much better.) 5.) Automatic MLU in lieu of manual one. (See below.) 6.) This really fantastic camera would have been given a metal coat. (For a little bit higher price of course.) | ||
| Thoughts | Generaly: almost the best camera body on the market!!! In my oppinion, if the metal and fully insulated body is not a relevant question, only the Nikon F5 can beat it. (I like D7 better than D9!!!)
At the same time some small, cheap but extremely useful development tips for this camera. 1.) I am an enthusiastic nature photographer and make macro photographs quite an often. If there is a little bit breeze or windy weather, the subject will be moving in the eyepiece almost continuously. Since the MLU (mirror lock up) is essential for a really sharp snapshot, it is not possible to forecast the position and movement of the subject within the frame two seconds later (auto MLU), after pushing the shutter release button. So I, together with other maniac photographers, would be surely happy with a manual MLU function: one push onto the button of the remote cord means mirror lock up, and the second push (at any time after the first one) would mean the exposition itself and mirror back to the normal position. (If I am right, Canon has this feature.) I am pretty sure that this programme modification would mean just some minor changes in the software of the camera, but its conduciveness will be much more efficient. 2.) the orientation of the remote control cord plug is horrible. The cable goes up from the camera but the gravitation pulls it down. The wires within the remote cord will be broken sooner or later. I think, this body would have been the base of the digital SLR camera of Minolta. I can hardly wait for this development!!!!!!!!! | ||
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| Pro | relyable in normal situations, silent, precise and fast. Very good ergonomy and user friendly. All the functions that a modern SRL camera should have, really at reasonable price. | ||
| Contra | Too many useless functions, and too many buttons, no tropicalization. Minolta accessories are not easy to find in Italy. Here Minolta has little sell. | ||
| Thoughts | I've used this camera for three years and about 50.000 fotos, without problems. It is exceptional for Amateurs and advanced amateurs. A little bit worst for professinists. I really suggest to use Vertical grip VC7. | ||
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| Pro | Excellent metering and very decisive AF. Quite sturdy feel, it does not feel fragile like the lower end Minoltas. | ||
| Contra | Ridiculous LCD screen positioning - I get nose grease all over it. Not very reliable. | ||
| Thoughts | I will not repeat what everyone has said here, but would like to just share some observations. The Dynax-7 seems quite well made but it has not been very reliable for me. It has failed for no apparent reason a few times when my cheap P&S cameras kept working just fine. It got soaked a bit in the rain and just died. I had to send it back to Minolta for servicing. It is a decent and versatile camera if it is treated well but it does NOT survive rough handling. Better get a Dynax-9 for that. | ||
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| Pro | Almost everything that a modern AF-SLR should have (plus good-looking body); very informative viewfinder and innovative (and practical, no gimmick) LCD display on back; low battery consumption that won't let you down (accepts power from either handgrip or body); wireless TTL flash (good Minolta tradition); 3 programmable user settings comes handy. | ||
| Contra | AF selector not quite responsive; no viewfinder blind; film exposure data not printing on film as Nikon's F80 does. | ||
| Thoughts | I have been using the camera for about 2 years, got familiar with its operation, and am proud being one of the Dynax 7 owenrs/users in this world. If someone ever ask me to recommend an AF-SLR at this price range, I will say Dynax 7 without any hesitation. Minolta has put lots of efforts into this camera and the reward - it has won lots of praises and awards. | ||
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| Pro | Good feature set I am not going to repeat here at a very good price.
I particularily like the wireless flash, the MLU, the overall handling, the rather low weight, the easy-to-push DOF-preview, the quick AF and the DMF. | ||
| Contra | Little, but serious however: The camera bends down when mounted on a tripod with a medium-size lens (e.g. 100-300 APO + 25mm extension ring), causing creeping. Yes, the camera itself bends down!!! So a little bit heavier construction to avoid this or a more decently embedded srew for te tripod would certainly help for macro and nature. | ||
| Thoughts | Very nice camera, but after having taken some 90 rolls I have the impresion to be able to outgrow it for features I hardly understand to be missing. My wishlist:
Metal case. Or better plastic. In bulb, it has a nice timer displaying how long the shutter is open. However, when using bulb, it usually is so dark that you can not read it. Dare to push the display-light button while exposuring??? And if there is a counter anyway, why not having a custom function to preset it's time and then automatically close the shutter? That would give infinite exposure times at the price of a software change. MLU, why not together with bracketing? Even could let the mirror stay up during the whole series. One more sw change... I miss (or have not found yet) the spot metering button as with the Dynax 700si. Only the knob to turn to spot, which is not possible to turn with my pudgy fingers while looking throuh the viewfinder. Finally: I am left-eyed. Would there be a chance to get the whole camera degigned "the other way round", like looking thorug a slide from the wrong side??? Well,ok, somewhat unrealistic, however, how many people are there being left-eyed? Wouldn't there be a more symmetric design? Why not having the AF-select button I am practicing to operate with my nose somewhere else??? Basically, will there be a Dynax 8 any time??? | ||
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| Pro | very good one, AF is great soft is good, everything is great... | ||
| Contra | ... except flash mataring. Maybe is beter with new lenses and flashes but with older is as usual. | ||
| Thoughts | v.v.v. good camera | ||
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| Pro | All the features that a Pro would want at a reasonable price | ||
| Contra | nothing really | ||
| Thoughts | I found that the camera would sometimes rewind the roll midway. This happens suddenly and I have not been able to find the cause | ||
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| Pro | Excellent features, very stable handling and the auto-everything mode results in very pretty pictures. Super fast autofocus, accurate metering, eye-sight correction and a variety of flash modes makes this a very good buy. The price is good too. | ||
| Contra | The autofocus turns out slower with the supplied 24-105D lens as compared to the Minolta 28-80 lens. Lens selection is very limited especially the wide-angle zoom ones, the Minolta 17-35mmG is way beyond me. The little cap that covers the PC-terminal falls off after a while. should make the cap screwable. | ||
| Thoughts | I agree with Mischka's comments on the moisture entering the camera. I took mine skiing, and condensation drained the batteries. There was blank screen and no activity when power on and i was initially shocked as i thought it was broken so fast. But waiting for it to dry and inserting fresh batteries, the camera worked again. Once while i was taking a bright object along the strand, the shutter locked itself open ( it was on full auto mode). I had to switch the camera off and on again to close the shutter. Software bugs?? | ||
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| Pro | An absolute dream. Fast and reliable, but if it fails you can take over anything in pressing one button. Flash exposure is great, even with the older (non-ADI) 5400HS, due to pre-flash. Relatively silent. | ||
| Contra | No "Pa" and "Ps" if flash is attached. | ||
| Thoughts | I loved my 800si, but this one is from a complete new 'generation'. The LCD screen can show the 14segments exposure, which is the a dream talking about controlling contrast, although is hardly ever necessary: the metering is very reliable. Minolta has some very good and cheap lenses: try the 24-50/4 for instance. Price from 200euros. The 100/2.0 (450euros) is a champion. The G lenses are expensive but as good (or better!) than those of our Canon-friends. | ||
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| Pro | All the pro features you could want. Light weight and built well. Egonomically well designed be able to change speeds without moving the camera from face. | ||
| Contra | Lens selection. Minolta lenses are good but they need to get to the Canon/Nikon level. | ||
| Thoughts | Pound for pound one of the best purchases for the money. A Pro and Am camera. | ||
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| Pro | Excellent! | ||
| Contra | Nothing | ||
| Thoughts | My sigma lens 70-300mm would not work past 200mm on the Dynax 7, was ok with 505si super.Sigma re-chipped the lens free of charge as some of their lenses do not work with the Dynax 7. | ||
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| Pro | Most of the features of the Dynax/Maxxum 9 (And more of it's own!) for less of the load and price. Ergonomy is really good. The VC-7 grip/battery is really a good investment. Sharp, precise and handles beautifully. | ||
| Contra | Non-alloy body, but none exist for this range anyway. | ||
| Thoughts | I have been using this camera for nearly 4 months now and has shot nearly 24 rolls of negatives with it. I am really satisfied with the results. This camera really helps in getting a higher percentage of "good" shots per roll compared to my previous cameras (Minolta 500si and 600 Classic) | ||
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| Pro | - | ||
| Contra | - | ||
| Thoughts | "This camera is superb", it can be heard from everyone, even at the shops... I just want to buy a good one. I can NOT decide Dynax 7 or Pentax MZ-S. I am afraid of the Minolta lenses however I know that a SIgma can be used instead....and I am afraid of the full plastic house of the camera. Pentax's magnesium house seems to be irresistable and the fantastic speed of its AF. ( and the far high quality lenses compared to minolta's )...I used an EOS 50E for 3 years and I liked it, but it was stolen... HELP PLEASE, and consider that in my country they are solt at the same price ( nearly ). [email protected] | ||
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| Pro | Everything | ||
| Contra | Nothing | ||
| Thoughts | This is absolutely glorious camera ! It is EXACTLY the camera that I dreamt about it but couldn't explained. I came yo this camera from Nikon N80 (good camera) and found that Minolta it is what I need and what I love. You'll improve your photography knowledge with it databank, you will be able compare the results taken with different light sources and exposition parameters and much much more. Touch it, take it in your hands and no words will be required. | ||
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| Pro | Great auto focus speed, almost overlly sharp. The large lcd gives all the info you would ever need. Stores info on exposure compensation, the lens that you used, basically everything. Just a fantastic camera. My personal favorite. | ||
| Contra | The lower priced Minolta lens are not very good. Be prepared to shell out some cash for a good quality lens. | ||
| Thoughts | If you are debating on getting a new camera, even if you are a beginner, I would consider the 7. | ||
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| Pro | Everything except... | ||
| Contra | a) due to many switches and controls can be easily affected by dust, sand or rain (not confirmed yet but this is my worry) b) when zooming I contstantly press with my left hand the lense release button, which is so sensitive that it immediately blocks the lense (AF, appreture, etc.) | ||
| Thoughts | Generally it is a great camera. I only hate this lense release button, which was not so sensitive neither in Dynax 5xi nor inDynax 700si. | ||
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| Pro | Lightweight, truckloads of features. When works. | ||
| Contra | Lousy reliability/build quality | ||
| Thoughts | This camera is a gem of engeneering when looked at in a showroom. I was so excited, I decided to give it a try over Columbus day weekend in White Mountains, NH. It rained. The camera was in the camera bag, which was inside my backpack during a 1000ft hike in the rain. When I came back and pulled out the camera it was wet. Not soaking, just wet. The on/off switch didn't work. After it dried, it refused to operate saying the batteries were dead. Later it started working again, so I was able to take some pictures of the Lost River. Even the on/off switch started to work. However the next morning, the switch died for good (I couldn't turn the camera OFF, it just kept draining the batteries). Now I am thinking they cahrge $400 extra for F100 for a damn good reason! | ||
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| Pro | Superior metering, Easily laid out controls and knobs. Very useful exposure data storage facility Very large and useful display with backlight | ||
| Contra | Amazingly NONE | ||
| Thoughts | After a research of over an year on various cameras and going through lots of reviews, I bought this camera. Before buying this, I had borrowed my friends Nikon N70 and tried to get it focus in dark using on-camera AF assist. but it failed. This camera surprisingly focuses Fast and precise. I am really glad that I got this camera. every penny worth of whatI spent. | ||
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| Pro | Excellent metering, wireless flash facility, easy to change controls | ||
| Contra | poor battery usage | ||
| Thoughts | excellent camera from minolta. easy to use, excellent metrering | ||
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| Pro | This is a phantastic camera where I have difficulities real disadvantages. | ||
| Contra | See commends: | ||
| Thoughts | I have a few Sigma lenses for the Minolta system. The Sigma 170-500mm /4.5-6.3 lense is not working if the I exceed the 300mm zoom. Then the SW of the camera hangs. This zoom is working properly on my 700si and 500si body. | ||
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| Pro | Fantastic camera with all the features a pro needs but very easy to use. The feel with the VC-7 is wonderfull both for vertical photos with all the controls on the grip in the same location as when holding it horizontally and horizontally with the extra weight for balance. | ||
| Contra | I've been so blown away by this camera that I can't find anything to complain about. Several reviewers mention that it's too plasticy and not up to pro standards. I disagree, it's not nearly as unbreakable as my old 9000 (which I use when conditions are terrible) but compared to my old 7000 it's built like a tank! | ||
| Thoughts | A truly fantastic camera! I love it. Holding it like part of my body. Everything is so natural. If it gives me the service that my 9000 has I'll be estatic! | ||
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| Pro | Super fast AF even in low light. Nice and big external LCD. The body has a solid feel though it is not metal. Has all the features you'll ever need. | ||
| Contra | None that I can think of. It is a bit worrysome that Minolta hasn't released a digital body yet. | ||
| Thoughts | A true winner especially when combined with the Minolta 24-105/3.5-4.5 D and the Minolta 100-300/4.5-5.6 APO D. | ||
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| Pro | superior AF performance in a side-by side perfomance with EOS1nRS | ||
| Contra | AF a bit noise comparing to quiet USM lenses though very accpetable. | ||
| Thoughts | This is an addition to my previous comments: Recently, i happened to compare my maxxum7 AF performance with my firend's EOS1nRS's one. Lenses: 24-105D on m7 and 35-135USM on 1n. M7 was faster in AF though 1n was fast enough. But the more superiority was in doing AF in low contrast/light situations where m7 was successful completing AF in some situations while 1n was not able to AF( both without AF assist light). USM motors are obviously quiet, though m7's AF noise level is quite acceptable too. But EOS1n shutter release noise level is so aloud that in overall mxxum7 i believe is a much quieter camera. In EOS line, i have head that elan7 is a very quiet camera if one is very concerned about camera's noise level. (have heard EOS3 is also very aloud.) | ||
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| Thoughts | Hi, I recently purchased a maxxum7 and noticed that when i set the custom function 23 to 2 so that the pushing the shutter release button partway down will not activate the autofocus, the eye-start autofocus does not work either. Could you please tell me if this is also the case for your cameras. By the way, i like this camera very much, though i had once to return a body which had problem in autofocusing. Hopefully this one won't have any problem. I switched from Canon EOS ( I used to own EOS 650, then 100 and the last one ElanII which i gave it to my ex-wife together with its 28-80, 100-300 lenses) to Minolta for the following reasons: 1- data saving, as i believe, is a must if one wants to improve his photographing skills. Many recent Minolta Cameras have this feature (800si, 9, 7) while the only EOS with this feature so far is their pro flagship: 1v. But that one is much more expensive than maxxum 7. Besides i do not like the ergonomics of EOS cameras as i will explain below. Maxxum7 saves data for up to 7 rolls of film and you don't have to use any other accesory or computer to review them. Among Nikon bodies F/N80s imprint data ( not all necessary ones say not metering type) between the rolls. But it is not still available in North America. Other ones (F100, F5) only save the data if they are attached to a computer (as far as i know). I have also purchased the data saver to keep the data of all shots taken. With ElanII, i experienced many underexposed or wrong exposed with the camera's meterings. To know the camera's metering weak points i decided to keep the records of exposure data. After a while i gave it up as this is an exhausting job to do when photographing, some times almost impossible if you are taking poeple or animals pitures as they are not patient! 2- Ergonomics of Minolta maxxum 7 is my very favorite one. I personally prefer knobs and dials to buttons. And Maxxum 7 is very good in this respect. But more important thing is that there are dedicated independent controls to important camera functions. For exapmle suppose you want to flash-compensate with ElanII. You have first to put down the camera from your eyes to push a button on the back of the camera. Some times you have to push it several times to see the falsh-comp. scale on the LCD panel since this button does several jobs. Then you rotate a dial to set the comp. value. Finally to return to the original LCD panel information you have to press the shutter release button partway down. On maxxum7 this is done bu just rotating a dedicated knob. And i can even do this while i keep the camera on my eyes. Even on Eos 1v with spo many focus points (which does not have eye-controlled focus), you have to pass several steps to choose a focus point and autofocus. On maxxum7 this is just one step(with the back dedicated joy-stick with which you can simoltaneously choose the focus point and focus. On maxxum7 you always have independent autofocus, metering (without having to press the shutter release button partway down), AF and AE lock. On ElanII there is only one button for all these which also does DOF preview. SO you can only have one of these controls at on times. Otherwise you have to go through the process of changing a custom function which is impractical most of the time. On other EOS bodies there is a dedicated DOF button which is better but still all other tasks are done by only one button so you can not have all of htem at once. 3-On EOS cameras you always have to press shutter release button partway down if you want to focus (in autofocus mode and even when you use eye-control as far as i remember), while in maxxum7 you can do in two other ways: The joy-stick on the back and with eye-start. With ElanII sometimes in the middle of checking the metering when i am looking through the viewfinder at exposure data, it turns off as 6 sec. illumination time is not always sufficiant for me. With maxxum7 the length of illumination time is adjustable. Besides with eye-start it remains on as long as you are looking through view finder. So it is not the speed of aotufocusing that makes a camera fast ( though even in this regards maxxum7 is at least as fast as EOS cameras though as far as i can realize), but it is the ergonomincs and control layout of the camera that speeds up photographing. 3- Viewfinder. maxxum7 has a very bright and big image inside the viewfinder camparing to EOS cameras. The catalogue say you its viewfinder is high-eyepoint that you can see the entire image even if you wear glasses. Well this is not yet the case for me bstill better than ElanII. Nikon F100 is perfectly better in this regard as i checked one in the store. 4- maxxum7 has more features than other cameras in the same price range even some features that you don't find in Nikon F100 and/or EOS3. Of course Canon EOS3 and Nikon F100 must also be excellent cameras (I specially liked spot-metering linked to focus point on F100 and EOS3. Maxxum7 has some thing that compensates for this at least partly. I also liked the Nikon F100's veiwfinder very much.) One has to pay more for them. I liked to have IS lenses of Canon or VR lenses of Nikon. But these particular lenses are rather expensive beyond my budget right now. In the future if i afford spending more money i would buy faster lenses which give me more freedom in depth of field as well. Perhaps by that time Minolta starts making similar lensesto with IS or VR abilities. I have read some lense tests around that Minolta consumer lenses have relatively very good quality. The purpose of these comparison is not to porve that Minolta is better than Canon or Nikon. It just reflects my personal tastes: what i like to have in my camera, and what is more important to me in a camera perhaps useful to some other people when they want to decide which camera to buy. | ||
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| Thoughts | I've been experimenting with my new Dynax 7 for about a week. I ordered a Maxxum 7 and got the Dynax. When I questioned Minolta in California, U.S.A. about it they said it was due to the huge demand for the camera. All models sold in the U.S. - whether Maxxum or Dynax - are covered by the U.S.A. warranty. I have found that the Dynax has a few features that Popular Photography magazine said were missing or incomplete. Mine does indeed count down from whatever number of frames I start with, and not just the 19th frame as reported in their test; and it also has focus confirmation in manual focus mode. Not sure how this came about, and not complaining either. The camera handles beautifully and I've tested the autofocus and found it extremely capable. The flash capabilities, especially the wireless, are not only accurate but fun. There are so many other features it'll take some time to get to them all. I chose it over the Elan 7 (no contest) and have no regrets over the additional cost. | ||
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| Thoughts | WoW! Minolta users should be proud of this camera. I have used Canon EOS Elan IIe, Elan 7e, EOS 3, Nikon N90s, Pentax ZX5n and Maxxum 800si and this camera is actually better technically and ergonomically. Super fast autofocusing and the ease of use is OUTSTANDING! I wish it had Canon's ECF! | ||
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| Thoughts | Dynax 7, a well-balanced AF-SLR that combines the ultimate focus control,clear operation and compactness.The freedom 2 create...,The vision is clear...,And now it's here..., Experience Balance That's Superior.Introducing the all Dynax 7 from Minolta. A revolutionary photographic tool superbly balanced 4 the creative results u expect. A complete focus control system coupled with an unmatched clarity-of-operation and compact system design,all add up 2 our finest SLR 2 date. The Dynax 7 is the new standard in next-generation SLRs, that only Minolta could achieve... *A state-of-the-art AF System with a 9-point focus area and first-rate focusing speed. *Instant and flexible switchover between autofocus and manual focus using a unique AF/MF control button. *The world's first Navigation Display with dot-matrix presentation features comprehensive user information 4 clearer operation. *Clear dial and lever controls that are easy-2-understand at a glance. *ADI(Advanced Distance Integration)flash metering that provides the highest level of flash control." referred from Minolta Dynax 7 catalogue. Impressive! | ||
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| Thoughts | Here are some impressions and thoughts after a couple days playing with the Dynax 7 and shooting 8 rolls. First of all, I was a cannon user for the last 4 years so please excuse some virtues that I discover as well as the lack of accuracy of comparison with other Minolta products. I did however go to my favourite photo shop in Belgium (I got the beauty in germany) to have a look and try other minolta bodies out of curiosity. VIEWFINDER The very first quality I would like to state about the 7 is since I spend the most important time looking in the it (this may change because of the navigation panel). To focus manually is a real pleasure, pushing you to let the AF rest a while. It is like the pixel grain is smaller so the image gains in definition: no more guesses in low light, either it is right on sport or it is not. When I tried the DOF on the 700i, I thought that I had got the wrong button and that I had actually pressed the shutter button because it was so noisy (not acceptable, really LOUD). Compared to that, the 7 is silent. The best is yet to come as for 1 : I have never seen or even imagined that this level of brightness could be possible with the DOF activated, even as small as f/16. 2: you can change the opening WHILE the DOF is pressed down and active. Maybe this is the case on the 1v or an F5 but I cant even afford to look at those beasts and certainly do not want to carry them around. The viewfinder alone is a enough a reason to me to switch for a 7. It is not just better than what I saw until now: its a different world. The focus precision and the luminosity while testing DOF added to the possibility to test in real time DOF will probably change and help improve my technique dramatically. I am also sure that the proportion of keepers will increase significantly. The eye relief is also good, with glasses I see the entire view finder without problem. Hmm & this should be normal on every camera. I got so used to mine that I even forgot that it was not the case. After a couple minutes only with the 7 I just realised what an improvement on comfort it is to be able to have a correct eye relief. To be perfect, the viewfinder would just need to cover 100%. AF The AF was quite another surprise for I thought that nobody could beat USM and to a certain extent this is still true. Minolta claims that the 7 has the fastest AF. I can not tell if this is true or not but it is sure fast like hell. The 24-105 D does not turn the focus ring while in auto focus witch is nice but once on focus lets you correct manually the focussing (although I never had to correct anything). I am not sure how they do this without a internal motor but it seems that there is some kind of mechanical pin that releases after focus is made and overrides the non focus ring rotation so the ring gets connected back again to the focus mechanism (just a guess based on the noise made when CF 22 is set). It can be as useful as annoying (if you hols the lens by or near the ring) but coming from cannon I discovered that you can put this setting on program 1, 2 or 3 and off on another one so it is there when you need it in a second: brilliant, efficient and simple. The noise of the auto focus is more than a USM but significantly less than the other Minoltas I tried in the shop (no real in field experience of the others). Louder than a USM does not mean that it is loud: it is really acceptable. The shutter cycle seems also to be more silent than the other Minolta systems. PREDICTIVE AF A friend drove a car straight on me at around 30 Km/h and the focus was always perfect, no delay. To try the capacity to keep focus from the right sensors to the left ones was tested by driving the car in zig zag towards me at around 20 Km/h. The only place we could do this was at night on the opened but covered mall parking (to have light plus nobody in the way). Since the mall is on top of the parking, the car was periodically hidden by the pillars of the parking. Nerveless, the focus on the car kept on with only once a slight focus on the pillar, this was corrected almost immediately (not ½ second). I am impressed by the performance and my best guess is that the boost of the chip has probably a big Impact on such accuracy. ERGONOMY At first look this is an impressive camera. You first think you are looking at a D7 (digital) rather than a Dynax 7 because of the lcd screen on the back (a dot matrix in fact, no color). The second thought that went threw my mind is that it had a lot of buttons everywhere and that is indeed going to be a long learning process, especially coming from such an ergonomic and straight forward cannon. It fits right in the hand. You can tell that Minolta made a tremendous and successful effort on the ergonomic side of the controls layout and location. It must have been a real night mare to manage to put all those controls in the right place: but somehow they did it. Of course, with the lense on it falls a bit to the front but this is common with camera of this weight. I suppose that this will be better with the vertical grip that I do not have. You may like or not the number of buttons on this body. The fact is that is simple to use, one function, one control. Simple and efficient. What I like in Minolta philosophy is that they acknowledge that a good idea is a good idea. You have the two dials (one in front, one in the back & Nikon like) plus a joy pad in the back (cannon like but ameliorated) plus those big analogue dials on the top. CONSTRUCTION Plastic feeling no die hard construction. Metal lens mount and metal film guide. Ive had a plastic camera for years and it never let me down so I now make a distinction between solidity and feel on solidity. The fact is that I have no idea of how solid it is, only time will tell. One thing seems sure: if you need a tropicalized body, the 7 is not for you. But is sure is for me. NAVIGATION PANNEL I dont have the courage not the time to put down all the navigation panel does because 1: there is too much (think of it and the 7 has it but youll probably find stuff you didnt think about) and 2: I did not have time to go threw it all & at least not enough to give a clear and detailed opinion. Dot matrix so no colour. Good option in my mind 1: the light of a colour display would disturb while composing (although the eye sensor turns the back light off and could have turned the colour display off as well) . 2: it could go threw batteries quite fast if colour. If you want, ALL info in panel, some info on panel, last 5 shots info on panel, size of icons and language can also be set to fit your mood. First camera ever to have user guide in the camera rather and a separate paper one. With D lenses will tell and show the focussing zone the depth to witch elements will appear in focus. Shifts vertically when you frame vertically. Memory stores info of 7 rolls AND prints them on the pictures. Possibility to transfer the data to a Smart media card via an adapter that you put on the lens mount. I do not have this option so dunno if it is easy. You can edit on the panel the 14 honey combs. And amazingly it will show you the measures of ambient light: not the values but the differentials values based on the correct exposition (shows you the parts that are correctly exposed, over exposed and under exposed WITH the values). This is not all, there is grey tones so you get the picture of your exposition in a glimpse. Adams would have loved this feature when he invented the zone system. FLASH Great to have a built in one in this type of body and it is a very good one. Two standard measures (with all lenses) plus a third if you use a D lens. 1: E-ttl conon style. Measures the pre flash with the 14 honey comb metering system (the metering for ambient light normally) 2: A-ttl cannon style specific 4 zone metering during the flash directly on the film (controls when enough hits the film). 3: With D lenses. Distance calculation based on guide numbers Nikon style . Plus: x syhchro 1/200, built in can be the master for slave units, PC connection, independent corrections of ambient and flash light, & The best built in flash in camera history. CONCLUSION I am bored of writing and hope this helped a little. Just cant figure out why the 7 is not marketed as the one . | ||