Minolta Digital?

I have been shooting a Maxxium 7 (which I love) for a while now and I would like to add a digital camera to my bag. I have some concerns about Minolta digital. Every report I look at Minolta digital's come up on the short list. Why? Is it because their digital equipment is not up to par with the competition or is it that you have these die hard Nikon, Cannon, and Olympus digital owners out there that are doing the ratings. I am not looking for a camera to compete with my 7, just want something to complement it.

Please Help

Well, after buying a Minolta DImage 7, I sold my Maxxum 7000i...
if that's any help. ( BTW, I have never regretted selling the film camera).

--
Please visit me at:
http://www.caughtintimephotography.com

msgatti said:

I have been shooting a Maxxium 7 (which I love) for a while now and
I would like to add a digital camera to my bag. I have some
concerns about Minolta digital. Every report I look at Minolta
digital's come up on the short list. Why? Is it because their
digital equipment is not up to par with the competition or is it
that you have these die hard Nikon, Cannon, and Olympus digital
owners out there that are doing the ratings. I am not looking for
a camera to compete with my 7, just want something to complement it.

Please Help

Click to expand...

Your two questions:
1. Is the Minolta digital equipment not up to par?
2. Is there die hard owners doing the ratings?

For #1, I think the general opinions are that Minolta and the competion in 5MP (ie Nikon 5700, Sony 717 and others) will all give excellent photos. What drives people to chose one over the other is less clear. Features, for sure. The features of each make them better suited to different photogrpphers. I expect some bias is be expected, given human nature.

Question 2 is subjective at best. I'm steering clear of that one.

Note Melanie's comments. I think you will quickly favour (that's Canadian spelling) the digital camera over the film camera, no matter which one you choose.
--
Jim Rickards

Reviewers have their preferences for brand and features. This isn't a bad thing, you just have to read all the results. Minolta does less in camera processing which results in somewhat rougher results right out of the camera. Reviewers also have trouble finding the proper cameras to compare to each other. They seem to ignore price and size sometimes.

You didn't say which one you are thinking about. But here's a thought. If you love your film camera, then get a small camera to augment it. The F100 is a great camera and is small enough to take with you everywhere.

If you were going to replace your film camera then the selection process gets complicated, as I believe there are many to choose from and whatever you choose will be outdated soon leaving you wanting the new model.

Good luck in your decisions.
Here is my amature F100 album from 3 weeks of having the camera
http://hyperphoto.photoloft.com/view/allalbums.asp?s=cano&u=1753634

What does this phrase mean in the USA 'on the short list'.

In the UK to appear on the short list means its one of the best... seems from what you have written it means the opposite in the USA.

From what I've read in the reviews the D7 line should be near the top of anybodies short list... if you are interested in buying this type of digicam.

When you say "complement" your Maxxum, what does that mean to you? As Melanie stated, she purchased the right level Minolta Digital to actually REPLACE her Maxxum. To compliment in my definition would be a point and shoot that takes solid, fast shots with "out of the camera" pictures ready to go, very little post processing if any. For that, research, and buy the best in that category. It may or may not be a Minolta. I'd say Canon has some of the best point and shooters in terms of speed, build and picture quality looking at electronics specs, not camera specs.

I've not been a film camera user other than point and shoot, but with the onset of digital, I've been increasingly more interested in higher end photography, mainly because of post processing abilities.

B

msgatti said:

I have been shooting a Maxxium 7 (which I love) for a while now and
I would like to add a digital camera to my bag. I have some
concerns about Minolta digital. Every report I look at Minolta
digital's come up on the short list. Why? Is it because their
digital equipment is not up to par with the competition or is it
that you have these die hard Nikon, Cannon, and Olympus digital
owners out there that are doing the ratings. I am not looking for
a camera to compete with my 7, just want something to complement it.

Please Help

Click to expand...

--
http://www.pbase.com/brivers

Hi,

My Maxxum too is sitting in my dresser gathering dust, since I moved on to digital.

One the thing that was hardest to get into my head was that… there isn’t really any difference between turning pages in a photo album and clicking “next” on a computer…. You really do not have to print your photos to enjoy them.

Unless you are hanging the photo on your wall or you client wants print outs…. You simply do not “have” to make prints.

If you do want to print them, a 2 mega-pixel image will create a nice 8x10…. At the 7i’s 5 mega-pixel range, an 11x19 is not out of the question.

As far as going digital....especially in your situation… if you’re looking for a digital to “complement” your Maxxum… the 7i or the 7hi will more than feel enough like an SLR and provide you nearly every digital “bell and whistle” you could ask for.

Anthony
http://www.congiano.com/Photography/photography.htm
Minolta USA Photo of the Week http://www.minolta.usa.com

msgatti said:

I have been shooting a Maxxium 7 (which I love) for a while now and
I would like to add a digital camera to my bag. I have some
concerns about Minolta digital. Every report I look at Minolta
digital's come up on the short list. Why? Is it because their
digital equipment is not up to par with the competition or is it
that you have these die hard Nikon, Cannon, and Olympus digital
owners out there that are doing the ratings. I am not looking for
a camera to compete with my 7, just want something to complement it.

Please Help

Click to expand...

My post should of stated "not" on the short list. All reviews that I have seen have generally pointed to the Nikon, and Cannon products. Ocassionally some Olympus models.

Thanks

Geraint Morgan said:

What does this phrase mean in the USA 'on the short list'.

In the UK to appear on the short list means its one of the best...
seems from what you have written it means the opposite in the USA.

From what I've read in the reviews the D7 line should be near the
top of anybodies short list... if you are interested in buying this
type of digicam.

Click to expand...

When I said "complement" I wanted something to go along with my 7. I am considering the F100. I really do not have the funds to purchase the the 7 or 7hi at this time. As far as Cannon is concerned I was looking into the G2 but have also seen mixed reviews.

Thanks

Brivers said:

I've not been a film camera user other than point and shoot, but
with the onset of digital, I've been increasingly more interested
in higher end photography, mainly because of post processing
abilities.

B

msgatti said:

I have been shooting a Maxxium 7 (which I love) for a while now and
I would like to add a digital camera to my bag. I have some
concerns about Minolta digital. Every report I look at Minolta
digital's come up on the short list. Why? Is it because their
digital equipment is not up to par with the competition or is it
that you have these die hard Nikon, Cannon, and Olympus digital
owners out there that are doing the ratings. I am not looking for
a camera to compete with my 7, just want something to complement it.

Please Help

Click to expand...

--
http://www.pbase.com/brivers

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msgatti:

I you get a D7Hi it will in all probaility (as others have hinted) cause your Maxxum to gather dust. If you get a camera that works as well as this you may find little reason to continue to use film. Now if I wanted something as a point and shoot digital camera to take on vacation and pack in my pocket I'd pick an Olympus D40Z, Canon Powershot S40 or Minolta F100. The D40 for its pocketability, the Canon for strong build and range of controls, and the Minolta for strength, lightness and range of features.

One question though: Would you be OK with an EVF and no optical sight on the D7x?
John.

msgatti said:

Why? Is it because their
digital equipment is not up to par with the competition or is it
that you have these die hard Nikon, Cannon, and Olympus digital
owners out there that are doing the ratings.

Click to expand...

I have a theory that a lot of folks who have purchased the Minolta 7xxx series of digicams are using the camera primarily as a point-and-shoot device, and that's not where it's strength lies. If they will take the time to seriously learn all the features of the camera, and use them carefully and appropriately for each photo-op, they will be astounded by its capabilities. This is an extremely capable instrument.

Trudy said:

I am not looking for a camera to compete with my 7, just want something to complement it.

Click to expand...

Just for the sake of interest, I have not taken a single photo with my Leicaflex since I got the D7 (now D7UG) about a year ago.

Hi msgatti,

I'm an amateur photographer since 70's and owned quite a few cameras such as Nikon F2A, Mamiya RB67, Canon EOS 50E in the past 20 years. I resently sold my G2 and bought a D7Hi.

Many people spend awful lot of money to buy high end stereos for the so called Hi-Fi of sound. Whether the music is good or not is not so important. Sound quality always comes first. On the other hand, I spent only a fraction of the money they spent for a system to play my collection of CDs. As long as the system delivers decent quality of sound, I'm happy. My focus is on the music itself.

G3, 5700, 5050z, F717 and D7i were also on my short list. I picked D7Hi because I need a DC with a 28mm wide and F2.8 fast lens, PC sync terminal, manual zoom ring, CF/II slot and high performance shooting and buffering rate. There is actually no other pro-summer DC can give me these features at the moment. I admitted that there is a minor noise issue with D7Hi in high ISO but I can live with it. In fact, other DCs also have their own weaknesses. Based on my experience, D7Hi's speed of auto focusing, resolution, color and optical performance are very good. At least they are all slightly better than my old G2's.

However, I don't recommend this camera to my friends who only need a DC for general use because it's a bit expensive, harder to use and bulky (due to the shape). It seems that G3 is the best on this range at the moment as it's overall performance and features for general use are higher and richer. If you need an ultra fast lens and submarine housing, 5050z will be your choise. F717's performance is not bad but I do not recommend it because of the used of MS. It's expansive and size limited to 128MB only. 5700 is fine but I do not feel comfortable with it's high-tech way of operations through buttons and on screen manual. Lens is a bit slower, too.

Just my 2 cents

Cheers
Emil

http://www.pbase.com/cnemil

--
Minolta D7Hi, 3600HS(D)
IBM 1G MicroDrive
N Plus 128MB CF
Panasonic 128MB SD
Casio Exilim EX-M2
Canon EOS50E
Sigma 28-105mm F2.8
Cullmann 0741
Gitzo G026
Sony VAIO C1VGT and 5G notebook HD with enclosure

Hi Nathan,

Nathan74585 said:

Just for the sake of interest, I have not taken a single photo with
my Leicaflex since I got the D7 (now D7UG) about a year ago.

Click to expand...

Same here. My EOS 50E is always kept in the closet since I got the G2 (now D7Hi) about 1.3 years ago. I used to have a dark room equiped with an Omega color enlarger and many other instruments. Now, I have a digital dark room with Photoshop and PhotoImpact. I have not used my

RB67, FE2, F2A, Minox and Fuji point 'n shoot for more than 2 years becasue the digital era of photography has arrived.

As in sound recordings, not many users are still using cass. tape and LP now.

--
Minolta D7Hi, 3600HS(D)
IBM 1G MicroDrive
N Plus 128MB CF
Panasonic 128MB SD
Casio Exilim EX-M2
Canon EOS50E
Sigma 28-105mm F2.8
Cullmann 0741
Gitzo G026
Sony VAIO C1VGT and 30G 2.5" HD with enclosure

Great comments from all. The other end of digital is the computer. You need somewhere to download and may want a more sophisticated software for editing. Once you get the images to your liking why not print the keepers? So this leads to how good is your printer. All kinds of issues to think about. Even with a point and shoot. I've had 2 Oly's both great cameras and now use the 7i, which I love. My old X700 sits on the shelf, just because you can have instant prints. So think about this side of digital along with the camera choice. Good luck and happy shooting.

--
paddy

If you want a camera to complement the Maxxum 7, as in to use with it, then the 7hi makes sense with sharing and flashes but I also agree with Gene Thompson who said the camera does less in-camera processing...I don't know the technical specifications but I could take lots of point and shoot shots with my Olympus 3020Z and have them turn out a lot better than my D7i...but I've been able to get some great pics with the 7i that I couldn't get with the Oly. Strangely enough, I bought a Maxxum 5 to complement my Oly 3020Z...what was kind of backwards but it did encourage me to upgrade to the Dimage 7i. I still wish I hadn't sold the Olympus, though...I haven't used any Minolta digicams except the 7i but I've used the Oly 3020Z, the 700UZ, the 720UZ, and I would buy one of those for the money. In fact, the Oly C-730 is coming down in price and I'm thinking of getting one to back up my D7i...as I once broke it just as I started taking a much prepared for photo shoot...

Jb

msgatti said:

I have been shooting a Maxxium 7 (which I love) for a while now and
I would like to add a digital camera to my bag. I have some
concerns about Minolta digital. Every report I look at Minolta
digital's come up on the short list. Why? Is it because their
digital equipment is not up to par with the competition or is it
that you have these die hard Nikon, Cannon, and Olympus digital
owners out there that are doing the ratings. I am not looking for
a camera to compete with my 7, just want something to complement it.

Please Help

Click to expand...

Sounds like you should go for the S45 at least you'll be able to use the memory... if you decide to go for a D7 type digicam equivalent or DSLR later.

OR perhaps you don't mind ending up with two memory standards!?!

msgatti said:

Thanks

Brivers said:

I've not been a film camera user other than point and shoot, but
with the onset of digital, I've been increasingly more interested
in higher end photography, mainly because of post processing
abilities.

B

msgatti said:

I have been shooting a Maxxium 7 (which I love) for a while now and
I would like to add a digital camera to my bag. I have some
concerns about Minolta digital. Every report I look at Minolta
digital's come up on the short list. Why? Is it because their
digital equipment is not up to par with the competition or is it
that you have these die hard Nikon, Cannon, and Olympus digital
owners out there that are doing the ratings. I am not looking for
a camera to compete with my 7, just want something to complement it.

Please Help

Click to expand...

--
http://www.pbase.com/brivers

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I seriously looked at Olympus but I had a concern when I was told that Smart Media was being phased out. I had also posted this question on the Olympus forum to see if anyone else had heard this information.

Yesterday I received this email from Olympus regarding the inquiry that was sent to them:

Thank you for contacting Olympus Digital Technical Support.

SmartMedia is being phased out, but will not die for several years. Some of our new models use the new xD memory and some also use Compact Flash and IBM Microdrives. Take a look at our selection and see what types of media you want to use. You can then make a decision on a camera model.

This is your Email Response Tracking Number : . Please use this number if you need to refer to this email for further assistance. You can also browse our website by visiting http://www.olympusamerica


Now my concern is that if I purchase an older (discontinued) model or one that only takes Smart Media how long will I be able to purchase cards for use. Is only Olympus phasing it out or is the industry as a whole following along?

Jimbob111 said:

Jb

msgatti said:

I have been shooting a Maxxium 7 (which I love) for a while now and
I would like to add a digital camera to my bag. I have some
concerns about Minolta digital. Every report I look at Minolta
digital's come up on the short list. Why? Is it because their
digital equipment is not up to par with the competition or is it
that you have these die hard Nikon, Cannon, and Olympus digital
owners out there that are doing the ratings. I am not looking for
a camera to compete with my 7, just want something to complement it.

Please Help

Click to expand...

Click to expand...

msgatti said:

I have been shooting a Maxxium 7 (which I love) for a while now and
I would like to add a digital camera to my bag. I have some
concerns about Minolta digital. Every report I look at Minolta
digital's come up on the short list. Why? Is it because their
digital equipment is not up to par with the competition or is it
that you have these die hard Nikon, Cannon, and Olympus digital
owners out there that are doing the ratings. I am not looking for
a camera to compete with my 7, just want something to complement it.

Please Help

Click to expand...

--msgatti,

I too have a Maxxum 7 as my main workhorse. It's a truly great camera, the auto-focus is amazing for sports and wildlife. I purchased the 7hi about a month ago. I had been waiting on a Minolta pro DSLR (..still waiting), but have no regrets on the purchase of my 7hi. It's a very versatile little camera and packs a lot of features in a 5mp package. That would be the positive side to Minolta holding off on the release of their pro DSLR, they have packed every feature they can muster up into their current "flagship" digital camera. The rest of this thread does a great job comparing the different cameras, so I won't. But I can tell you that the 7hi feels more like the SLR your use too. It's very responsive and with it's small size is a great carry-anywhere camera. I probably take more casual shots now, than I use to. It's great knowing that I can delete images without worry over film expense. It's also great for studio work. You have a PC sync for lighting and you can test preveiw all working ideas (ala polaroids) before committing to an idea. And the image quality is pretty amazing. Good luck on your decision.
Sol

So, the new 5050z may be your choice. It supports SD, xD and CF I/II! Before I bought my G2, I also seriously considered the 4040z. I didn't picked it solely because of the previously unclear future of SM. As storage is a main concern to you, I recommend you to stay away from Sony's DC as MS is sufferring from the same problem.

So, it's short listed to D7x, 5050z & G3.

Pick a D7x if you need manual zoom & 28-200mm lens (7X zoom), it's SLR alike but more expansive.

Pick a 5050z for its compact size, F1.8 aperture (3X zoom) and submarine case option.

Pick a G3 if you need a versatile DC (4X zoom). It's features , performance and price are something in between the above two.

msgatti said:

SmartMedia is being phased out, but will not die for several years.
Some of our new models use the new xD memory and some also use
Compact Flash and IBM Microdrives. Take a look at our selection and
see what types of media you want to use. You can then make a
decision on a camera model.

This is your Email Response Tracking Number : . Please use this
number if you need to refer to this email for further assistance.
You can also browse our website by visiting
http://www.olympusamerica

Now my concern is that if I purchase an older (discontinued) model
or one that only takes Smart Media how long will I be able to
purchase cards for use. Is only Olympus phasing it out or is the
industry as a whole following along?

Jimbob111 said:

Jb

msgatti said:

I have been shooting a Maxxium 7 (which I love) for a while now and
I would like to add a digital camera to my bag. I have some
concerns about Minolta digital. Every report I look at Minolta
digital's come up on the short list. Why? Is it because their
digital equipment is not up to par with the competition or is it
that you have these die hard Nikon, Cannon, and Olympus digital
owners out there that are doing the ratings. I am not looking for
a camera to compete with my 7, just want something to complement it.

Please Help

Click to expand...

Click to expand...

Click to expand...

--
Cheers
T-Rex

Minolta D7Hi, 3600HS(D)
IBM 1G MicroDrive
N Plus 128MB CF
Panasonic 128MB SD
Casio Exilim EX-M2
Canon EOS 50E
Sigma 28-105mm F2.8
Cullmann 0741
Gitzo G026
Sony VAIO C1VGT
IBM 30GB Travelstar in enclosure

I've used Leicas (mostly rangefinder and one SLR) for the past 40 some years and have found them to be excellent 35mm cameras.

Last August, I bought a Minolta 7i because it has the features that matter most to me to continue my photography digitally: 28-200 mm equivalent lens, bright eye-level viewfinder that works much like a 35mm camera, wide range of adjustments running from full auto to full manual. I'd have bought a 7Hi if it had been available at the time.

I've used the 7i for photography ranging from photojournalism to family pix and like it a lot. I wish it had an f/2.0 lens. However, I find the image quality excellent using ISO 200 (the noise I read so much about doesn't present a problem for me) and can make do with the f/2.8 lens as a trade-off for getting the 28mm equivalent focal length.

Many years ago, I learned how to get some really decent shots with a huge Speed Graphic that had a single-focal length f/4.5 lens. My new 7i is so far superior to cameras many of the great photographers in history have used that I know it's a commentary on my skill -- not the camera's quality or flexibility -- when my pix don't measure up.

Bottom line: I'm selling my Leicas, which I love dearly, on E-bay and going entirely to my 7i. For what I want, I think it's superior to the Nikon 5700 or Sony 717, both of which seem to be excellent cameras also.

Jim

msgatti said:

I have been shooting a Maxxium 7 (which I love) for a while now and
I would like to add a digital camera to my bag. I have some
concerns about Minolta digital. Every report I look at Minolta
digital's come up on the short list. Why? Is it because their
digital equipment is not up to par with the competition or is it
that you have these die hard Nikon, Cannon, and Olympus digital
owners out there that are doing the ratings. I am not looking for
a camera to compete with my 7, just want something to complement it.

Please Help

Click to expand...