Comparison- Nikon vs Minolta

My apologies if this has been hashed out a million times before, but as a new member here am ready to purchase either the Nikon 5700 or the Minolta 7Hi. The money difference is not an issue for me between them, but picture quality is. Hmmmm...well, once I decide, I want to obtain it for a fair price.

It seems that some reports I have read give the 7Hi a great rating while others give it a solid rating.

As Minolta owners...what are the "real life" advantages?

Thanks in advance!

Should have added that much of my "important" use will be in lower light conditions at at distances. Beign able to take several shots quickly is important - verse having to wait several seconds.

Thanks again!

Type in find : Nikon vs Minolta :
that will keep you busy for a while

Allan

ScottMc said:

Should have added that much of my "important" use will be in lower
light conditions at at distances. Beign able to take several shots
quickly is important - verse having to wait several seconds.

Thanks again!

Click to expand...

Pretty tough to get the Nikon to take 28mm landscape shots.

Dr. Don Sandell said:

Pretty tough to get the Nikon to take 28mm landscape shots.

Click to expand...

Nah ..... that doesn't count even a little bit against a
flash that pops up all by itself

--
---------------
Andrew.

The d7Hi auto focuses aquires focus lock much more quickly and reliably, especially in dim light.

The d7Hi has more wide angle, and the 5700 more telephoto (but not that useful due to the focusing problems, except where you can use its infinity focus preset).

The 5700 has less digital noise, especially at higher ISO settings.

The 5700 will not let you mount a protective filter (unless you buy the 3rd party adapter - search the Nikon forum keyword Bernie Heins.)

The d7Hi has a much nicer, more retro, user interface. Lots more is directly accessible from buttons and knobs. It has more of the feel of a good SLR. Manual zoom is nice.

The 5700 has an LCD screen that can be flipped a full 180 degress, allowing composing hand held self portraits- of yourself, or yourself with your pet, etc.

The 5700 uses a small proprietary rechargeable lithium battery. The 7Hi uses very standard AA rechargeable NiCdH batteries.

arthur said:

The d7Hi auto focuses aquires focus lock much more quickly and
reliably, especially in dim light.

The d7Hi has more wide angle, and the 5700 more telephoto (but not
that useful due to the focusing problems, except where you can use
its infinity focus preset).

The 5700 has less digital noise, especially at higher ISO settings.

The 5700 will not let you mount a protective filter (unless you
buy the 3rd party adapter - search the Nikon forum keyword Bernie
Heins.)

The d7Hi has a much nicer, more retro, user interface. Lots more
is directly accessible from buttons and knobs. It has more of the
feel of a good SLR. Manual zoom is nice.

The 5700 has an LCD screen that can be flipped a full 180 degress,
allowing composing hand held self portraits- of yourself, or
yourself with your pet, etc.

The 5700 uses a small proprietary rechargeable lithium battery.
The 7Hi uses very standard AA rechargeable NiCdH batteries.

Click to expand...

--Arthur makes some good points.

What I would like to emphasize is his point "manual zoom is nice". Its a lot more than nice, its the only way a camera (other than a movie camera) should be designed. You need to be able to quickly zoom from one exteme to the other to frame your shots. A motorized zoom is great for a movie camera. It allows a smooth steady zoom for your motion pictures. Not so with a still camera. The only function is to frame the picture, and doing it quickly with manual controls is the preferred way. And lets not even mention battery drain. That's a small consideration.

Arthur's point about battery type doesn't really say which is best. The bottom line is that both systems work. Neither one is a good reason to choose or reject either camera.

I agree with the 28mm wide angle notes made so far. The wide angle is important. There are times you cannot "back up" through a wall to get the shot. Taking two shots and stiching them later is not a great idea.

Jim Rickards

Jim Rickards said:

Arthur's point about battery type doesn't really say which is
best. The bottom line is that both systems work. Neither one is a
good reason to choose or reject either camera.

Click to expand...

I'm really amused by this battery issue. If you read Nikon talk forum, you'll quickly notice that most serious shooters have purchased an external battery back/grip. Not surprising, because it looks like an average shooter gets about 80 photos with the tiny Li-Ion battery. An average D7xx user seems to get about 100 shots. Of course, both numbers are greatly varied depending of the type of use.

This finding is also backed up by Phil's results. Both the 7i and 7Hi beated the CP 5700 (166/155 min vs. 128 min) although Phil used 1600 mAh batteries in Minolta. Why he continues to use these almost pre-historic batteries when higher capasity ones (2000-2300 mAh) are available? Because his favorite brands, Nikon, Sony and Canon (in this particular order) use proprietary batteries?

As a result the 7xx series is still known as the battery hog...

Although I would advise the purchase of a 7Hi over the Nikon I would also point out that your prefered shooting conditions are not the ideal for any digital cameras. Focusiing is more problematic in low light & distance shots lack crispness & detail compared to close-ups.

Try to borrow a camera from a friend & test out your assumptions or buy from a retailer who will allow you to return it if unsuitable for your purposes.

-
keith c