Somebody please tell me why I stick with Minolta!!

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JimC
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http://www.pbase.com/jcockfield

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M7D Owner and Loving It!!!!

I previously had the Maxxum 7 and usually stuck with the P mode and would venture into the A and S modes. I never used manual as I was afraid I would mess up the picture.

With the 7D I have taken a lot more pictures and have experimented more than I have ever before. The digital era has made practicing and perfecting pictures a lot easier and cheaper. Think about it...you can easily take a picture and review what the picture shows along with histogram (most useful feature on the camera IMHO). If you don't like the results you can take another shot until it is the way you like it.

Once you have taken the picture and have what you like you can easily review the parameters you set...aperature, shutter speed, mode, exposure compensation for future reference. This has helped me grow more than I could imagine...yes I know that the Maxxum 7 had a history function but i rarely used it once I had the pictures in hand.

You will not miss the scene selections of a P&S because you will quickly realize the "correct" setting for the scene you want as other have mentioned.

I waited a long time for the DSLR from Minolta and almost changed brands after using my cousings Nikon...I am glad I stayed with KM. It is easy to use, learn and enjoy.

Whatever your decision...good luck.
Tim

I miss the sports mode most of all. Everyone is saying its no great loss and yes you can get used to it but the camera is capable of doing the job much faster. If there is a strong wind, patchy cloud and lots of action through the viewfinder its a great shame you now also have to check for the flashing something in the viewfinder saying its going to under/over expose. It is a great shame that as you pay more for a camera you tend to exchange features rather than gain them. There is no reason why those other program bias options could not be included, even if they were within a menu

Sadly many people concider them "beginners modes", I call them modes of convenience.

Iain

If you set your maximum aperture you'll get the fastest shutter speed available for the light. What more can a 'sports' mode do for you? It certainly won't generate extra light, so there's no more checking the shutter speed than if you were using the picture mode.

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Cheers,

Dave

'Third one from the left — Konica Minolta 7D Adoption Society'

So when the sun comes out and the shutter speed is not high enough does it wind the aperture up for you? No it over exposes.

Iain

ovenglove said:

So when the sun comes out and the shutter speed is not high enough
does it wind the aperture up for you? No it over exposes.

Click to expand...

Only if you ignore the blinking shutter speed warning that lets you know you're at the fastest shutter speed the model supports for the aperture selected in Av mode and don't change it (or switch to another mode like Programmed Auto).

I don't own a 7D, and I haven't taken the time to look for how this works in a review. But, I have little doubt that it's letting you know something is wrong in this situation (probably a blinking shutter speed sitting at the fastest speed supported by the camera if light is too bright for the aperture selected).

It's probably similar behavior compared to his film camera, too.

IMO, if he reads the manual and learns just a little bit about basic photograpy, he should be just fine compared to using scene modes.

Also, the sooner he gets started, the faster he'll learn from any mistakes he does make (and he wouldn't need to worry about the cost of film processing so it's easy to experiment).

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JimC
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http://www.pbase.com/jcockfield

Yes the shutter speed is blinking to let you know something is wrong but the point is that in "sports mode" cameras will adjust aperture accordingly. Plus if you are using sports mode it implies there is lots of action and you don't want to have to concentrate on the action and keep looking to see if the shutter speed is blinking then change aperture acordingly.

Yes it is possible to get by without sport, lanscape and all the other modes but it is also possible to get by without using P mode.

Iain

Its called expressing views and opinions.

I don't know how much hand shake the KM option will fix. Probably not as much as you would like. I would investigate a light weight tripod and practice some.

Of course I use a Canon 20D (I know-boo hiss) but I usually find that a light tripod (I got a very light & serviceable one from Circuit City for $15.) helps a bunch. Also a remote shutter release helps. You might think that you can't take quick shots with a tripod, but you would be surprised.
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Mel
http://www.mellammers.net
My Photo & Kayaking Blog

If you are that impatient.... and may your next camera work OK.

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brettania
( http://digitalpick.com/dpgallery/showgallery.php?cat=500&ppuser=35 )

I loved my film 5, chose it when I knew next to nothing about SLRs. I didn't care about mirrors & stuff that I didn't understand back then, just the ability to shoot at higher shutter speed. Well, I chose the 5 for how it looked and some basic spec comparison.

I've never used the scene modes cos I've never trusted them, used the 'green' P button or P(A,S) most often.

. Shoot at high speeds? Go to P(S) and crank up to a high enough shutter speed you feel is good enough.

. Landscapes? Since you can take your time, why not try out the DOF preview button? A feature 5 had whilst many in it's class did not! (I hope I did not forget anything.

. Portraits? I don't know either since I've got cheap consumer zooms only. Can't do those f1.4 or expect good bokeh anyway, so, full auto then.

I've always liked the looks & layout of Minolta cams, to me, they've got the style & the sense. No offense to other cam users, personal preference.

I did consider switching many times (very frustrated) while I waited for the Digital 5 and got myself a Sony V1 as a stand in whilst I waited. When I saw how the digital 5 looked, I'm glad I did not jump switch.

Love at first sight? I loved you before I knew you? (Referring to the 5D)

Whatever, the wait for the 5D in the end was well worth it for me. How about you?

Hi, Wade

I can understand you need something quick and of ease; then D7D may not fit your style.

Always, you choose the tools that fits your need. D7D is for serious amateur. It means no discrimination here. Anybody has his own way to express thru photographing. Some wants them intuitive, others want them in perfectionism.... SLR/DSLR are meant for control and precision. It surely takes a while to get used to.

The handling of a SLR is the process to sharpen and develop your photographic skills, and it's, for me, an enjoyable journey. It's something about making full use of your tools to get what you want.

For pre-programed scenarios, it's good for point and shoot of course; but after all, they are nothing more than a combination of the features/contols. No camera algorithm is clever enough to take your own stead. They seem easy to use but the results are far from desirable effects. They give plain and 'me too' outcomes.

Sometimes, the logic is that you risk and experiment, you get the best results (from numerous failures of course); and on the contrary, you play safe you get just average or mass-production ones.

Please bear in mind, composition is your talent, controls of lights is definitely skills. And the latter is something that you and all of us can work on, while the former is just kind of simulations of the masterpieces.

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My album at: http://objective.bitfikler.com/geirove/web/

Wade, I was in a similar situation. Lots of Minolta glass, loved my Maxxum 5. I am notoriously impatient.

So... I bought the Olympus E300. Great colors and skin tones-has the scene modes you like. Additonally, has a dust removal feature that is outstanding at keeping your images clear.

You can get the body and two lenses (excellent kit ones, BTW) for about $750. Try it out and see if this might suit your needs.

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Good Golly Miss Molly

In this situation I'd probably used the "Program Shift" funcuion, i.e. set the camera to program mode, set the maximum shutter speed I think I can get way with (and test it with a couple of shots) and then let the camera deal with the apature if the sun comes out.

.... and if you needs somthing quick you can always use the non-green symboled program mode, you can also use "program shift" with this mode too.

I so appreciate everybody's comments & suggestions.

I am obviously a Minolta fan, or I wouldn't be hanging out in the Minolta forum. I obviously want to stick with Minolta, as I have had a fantastic experience with their products thus far. I don't want anyone to think that I am complaining with my post ... I am simply torn between the 7D and 5D as I know what I need out of a camera versus what I would like to do with a camera.

After much thought and several changes of my mind, I have determined that the 5D will be the right one for me. While backpacking in the backcountry, many images can be afforded the time to properly configure the camera settings. But things can also happen fairly fast that does not allow for that configuring ... ie. wildlife sightings. The bigger buffer of the 7D would be excellent for those types of situations, but realistically you may very well miss the opportunity for any picture at all if you are stuck trying to configure the camera.

In the end, the 5D makes the most sense for me. I can still experiment with shutter speed and aperture and white balance controls, while still retaining the ability to grab the camera out of my backpack, hit one button, and start shooting pictures of a mountain lion if the opportunity presents itself.

There is a great end to this story of the 5D as well. In the past day, I have received commitment from a Minolta Rep that I will have the 5D in my hands prior to my end of August trip to Montana. I look forward to experimenting with the camera and sharing the results with you all.

Thanks again so much for all of your help!

But the whole point of these modes is that you don't need to use shift or anything. If you have to take a trial shot and mess about you WILL miss action shots.

I tend to use shift mode most of the time and ocasionally just use A mode but every time I do this I think why on earth doesn't the 7D have these modes. The 7D requires enough messing around to get exposures correct at times without adding another variable to the formulae.

spend a few nights learning how to properly use a slr/dslr in terms of aperature/shutter/depth of field etc. It's not that hard. You'll then realize that the presets are not necessary as you'll have much more control of your camera with your new found knowledge. Then go out and by the 7D.

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http://www.pbase.com \pwh