Cold, hard reality sets in...

Hi Wayne,

I think you're being a little oversensitive in the way you write. I am not intending a personal criticism of you or your photographic skills. i was talking rather more generally I think than you were and talking about the camera for an average user of a prosumer digicam.

Onyour point about taking millions of photos on the off chance that you get a good one. I have to say I take millions of photos and I am happy with many that I get. I am lucky enough to have fairly diverse likes ref subjects and find lots of things to take pictures of. I make no claims about my skills but I get many pictures that I like and I get many that I dislike. The great thing about digicams is taht at least my bum ideas don't cost me.

On the point below I would say

I use all of my cameras (except the view cameras) mounted to RRS
plates. I will mount this camera to a plate that positions it THE
WAY THAT I WANT IT POSITIONED on a tripod head. You haven't even
held the camera yet and you think that the position is wrong? As
for the ring position, obviously dumb. I can cut it, I can tape it,
I can ignore it - I won't know which until I live with it for a
while.

I haven't held the camera yet. You're absolutely right. I have read Phil's review and I tend to believe that the man knows what he is talking about as he gets to handle more cameras in a methodical fashion under a variety of shooting environments and test environments than either you or I.

His reviews are typically fairly accurate and fair. He criticised the tripod mount positioning as well as a number of other ergonomic features. In the same way that I don't need to stick my hand in a fire to find out if its hot and if it will hurt me I believe that I can rely on being told by Phil that the tripod mount is mis positioned. I will of course like the true camera fan and gadget fan that I am rush off to my local camera shop to take a look at the D7 cos I am interested.

As for the heat thang well. On a hot day when you've been tramping
around clutching said device in your hot sticky little paw and
grilling your fingers and your hands are wet with sweat. You're
more likely to drop the camera. The heat will irritate you.

What is this an ad for "Banana Republic"? I don't live in the
tropics, and I hate to sweat. The scenario that you propose would
have me THROWING the camera at whoever put me in the position that
you've described. NOT a problem!

Yes and many people will take this camera off to the tropics or the middle east or hot places in the US or even the UK on the one day a year we get heat around here. Also many people do not have a choice about where they go (on business) but want to take a camera with them.

Please understand I'm not rubbsihing the D7. It seems to take
lovely shots. The lense seems very nice. Its good bits are very
good but the bad ones are a tad offputting. For me the battery
issue is a killer. Fine compare your DC to a film camera. For me
one of the best points about DC's isthat they should be able to
take many more shots than a film camera before needing attention
for film changes. Now the DC's like the E10 can take 250-300 shots
on a set of batteries they fulfill this criteria for me.

Our needs/wants/desires are different. I want a camera that I can
"bum around with" and get good photos. I do intend to continue
shooting the "serious stuff" with film. This takes the place of
35mm when I'm too lazy to carry a kit, in an experimental mood when
I want immediate feedback, when I'm too cheap to use film, when I
want to be able to show prints made MY way within a few hours or
days (color darkrooms stink! - literally), or when I'm doing
something for money and it will do the job.

For the most part prosumers buy a camera as a package. So they look
for something that look good. Feels good and offers them as many of
the facilities of the pro cameras as they can get at the price
point. Furthermore of course it must me capable of taking good
pictures.

Reverse the order of each of your points and you have my priorties.

Yes but I sincerely beleive that most prosumers are probably closer to me than to you in their requirments I could of course be wrong - I have no evidence just a feeling.

I don't beleive that the D7 does all of these things. It

does some of them but will it be enough - not for me! Then again
look at how. Minoltas SLR's changed design from the days of their
original Minolta 7000 to their latest in the range. They seem to go
from boxy to standard camera shape - big curvy handgrip/textured
finsih etc.

If you guys should go ahead with the D7 enjoy it. It certainly
seems to be capable of producing great shots in the right hands.
For the moment though I'll stick with my E10 and look enviously at
anything which weighs less.

If I had an E-10 I wouldn't be looking to trade either - in my mind
they're both in the same "generation". But I will prefer the D7
over the E-10. Nothing is more frustrating to me than needing a few
more mm's or a few less and not having them available. Getting an
increased focal length range at NO penalty in image quality seals
the deal for me.

Note all the comments above constitute my own opinions and mine alone.

As do mine.

Anyway If you get a D7 please keep us updated as to what you really think about it - both likes and dislikes. I've always liked Minolta and have a soft spot for them. They are also great innovators so..... I'm still keeping an open mind.

Guy