Cold, hard reality sets in...

Guy Pyetan wrote:

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'm sorry if I'm coming across that way, it's not intentional. I'm not oversensitive - I'm just abrasive. I'm not much into computers or messageboards, if I'm violating some convention let me know. The capitailization that I use is for emphasis - I'm NOT shouting, if there's a way to do it better let me know. I take nothing personal here, and I mean nothing personal - you don't know me and I don't know you. And except for the Pissant that doesn't think that I'm a "Good American" I haven't got a quarrel with any of you (but that's off topic and I refuse to stray anymore).

i was talking rather more generally I think than you were
and talking about the camera for an average user of a prosumer
digicam.

That may be a problem in and of itself. I don't know if Minolta is really targeting the "average user". There are so many features on this camera that I believe it is hard to define. If they had left off a few features the intended "Target Group" might be more obvious, and there might actually be less dissention here. I think that part of the problem is that it is too broadly targeted.

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.

O.K. who's sensitive now? I said "a hundred" and you turn it into "millions"! I'd like to see you pack the batteries for that! I have nothing against snapping away merrily - it's just not what I do. Never meant to offend (although the statement was rather harsh), it's just an expression of what I feel as a photographer. I can certainly understand a family man taking "millions" of shots at a bithday party, or some other family gathering - things move fast and you are after fleeting expressions and "moments". But for the landscape, general nature, industrial, or even the models that I shoot I spend 90% of my time studying the lighting, 9% of my time setting up, and 1% actually shooting. I certainly shoot more with digital than I do with film just because it is "free", but I refuse to get sloppy because each session is a learning experience and you reduce the effectiveness of the lesson by overshooting.

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.

Neither of us will know until we use it. I really do not expect to have a problem. I use a ballhead, with a mounting plate as described above. I honestly can't tell you which of my cameras have offset tripod sockets. I did look at my Casio today - waaay over to one side and it doesn't even bother me in the least (subconsiously I must compensate for it).

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.

Valid for those people, not for me - remember you were addressing your comments to me. On a winter's day you'll probably be grateful that the camera is warm - might even keep it from sticking to flesh (remember it has a lot of exposed metal).

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.

You're probably right - but you're in my thread. Once again I think that the camera is a little "confused" as to it's intended audience. I don't think that a $1500 camera is aimed at the average "consumer/prosumer". I don't know if the term "prosumer" is even a valid one. I wouldn't expect a prosumer to be interested in the low res video recording - you want video you use a camcorder. I also wouldn't expect a prosumer to be interested in all of the "auto" features (thankfully they don'y use the miserable push button zoom). And the pop-up flash? Well I'd rather have a PC socket. But that's the way it goes. Maybe I should take a trip to N.J. and talk to whoever has input on these things (a 2 hour drive for me in my POS car - THANKS CHRIS!).

Anyway opinions are free, as is Phil's review.The brave few who still purchase this camera will know more in the next few weeks. I'll certainly drop in with a report. For now I vote that we all start clicking on the pop-up ads and make this guy some money!

PAX