I am thinking of buying a Minolta Film SLR (AF models)

After scanning some old family photos shot with a Zenit SLR i am interested in buying a film camera...since i have Amount lenses ( i shoot Sony ) i'm thinking of buying a Minolta AF SLR model

My first pick so far is the Minolta Maxxum/Dynax 7000... any other recommendations or tips ???? ( i plan to shoot color negative film because its dirt cheap to develop in stores)

After the develop i will scan the negatives myself in home.

Good choice I have a Maxxum 7000  and a 9000.. however a suggestion might be a 7000 i

if you can find one with program chips ( an option ).. its a nice film camera.. I've shot thousands with it. I think I remember shooting about 80 rolls the last years I shot film. around 2001.

Bill

EvilOne wrote:

Good choice I have a Maxxum 7000 and a 9000.. however a suggestion might be a 7000 i

if you can find one with program chips ( an option ).. its a nice film camera.. I've shot thousands with it. I think I remember shooting about 80 rolls the last years I shot film. around 2001.

Bill

Thanks Bill.... i will have to go downtown to ask the photo stores if they still develop film and then i will continue with my film endeavours ( to buy a film camera)

Will  write about  any future updates here in this thread !

Great this forum could use a little film input. keep us in the loop.

I am not a fan of the tv remote like controls on the early AF models. The viewfinders are nice and big even on the lower models.

Minolta SLRs released after the 9 support lenses with built-in AF motors: 9Ti, 7, 5, 4, 3, 70, 50, 40. A few 9's were also converted.

I've been using a Maxxum 70 for a year or so, and I like the controls, but I am not happy with image quality. I accidentally took a picture with ISO 16000 on my A5000 the other day, and it didn't look much worse than the Ektar 100 I just had developed. I haven't loaded another roll because it seems to be just a waste.

A good portion of the roll ended up blurry, and I wonder if some of that is mirror/shutter shock. I use manual lenses on the A5000 all the time without such issues. The Maxxum 70 is a really light body with a low end shutter. Maybe springing for a heavier body with a higher end shutter might reduce that problem.

A working 7 is still fairly inexpensive. I wish the 7 didn't crop the viewfinder image so much. It is larger and a little brighter than the pentamirror bodies. I am not a fan of the multiple dials--more ways to accidentally change something. The one I tried had a broken aperture mechanism so I returned it.

The little 5 is pretty well liked. The AF and metering system are downgrades from the 70, but it has a better shutter mechanism, and there is a small battery grip for it.

Or forget about motorized lenses and get something like the 600si or one of the higher si models.

digititus wrote:

I've been in this hobby for a long time, and I was led kicking and screaming into the digital world where I've now been for enough time to wish every image I own was in a digital format. Because of that I have been converting old images, by re-shooting some with a digital camera, scanning prints with a flatbed, and scanning negatives and slides with a dedicated Nikon film scanner that cost thousands.

Maybe you know what you are getting into, but scanning color negatives is an exercise in frustration, and requires a lot of time. The emulsions on color film create color casts on the scan that are very difficult, and time consuming, to correct. There is scanning software available with profiles to auto correct film, but you need a profile for each brand and type of film, and if you have old films, well good luck.

If you are plan to scan your negatives with a flatbed scanner, you may be disappointed with the quality. They will not match what you get with a dedicated film scanner, and for sure they will not match what you would have if you took the shot with a digital camera in the first place.

My advice is if you really care about the quality of your digital photo files, shoot them with a digital camera. But if you just like the idea of shooting with a film camera and the resulting prints are all you care about, I say go for it. I'm sure you will still find it to be a lot of fun.

I will still shoot with my digital cameras....film will be a side fun project (inspired by my father's Zenit prints)

Scanning will be done on tripod+macro lens+homogenous backlighting of the negative

I am experienced with color correction/color balancing (scanning and restoring thousands of bad aging color prints and color negatives helped me to learn a lot...also doing some work with Adobe Premiere (color balancing) for my video files.

sybersitizen wrote:

big aperture wrote:

My first pick so far is the Minolta Maxxum/Dynax 7000...

Why is the oldest Minolta AF SLR your first pick? Just curious.

Dirt cheap price and huge viewfinder magnif.( 0.85X)... coverage 94%

Bill also recommended the 7000i which is technically better but seems the design of the camera is more awkward (the grip part)

big aperture wrote:

sybersitizen wrote:

big aperture wrote:

My first pick so far is the Minolta Maxxum/Dynax 7000...

Why is the oldest Minolta AF SLR your first pick? Just curious.

Dirt cheap price and huge viewfinder magnif.( 0.85X)... coverage 94%

Bill also recommended the 7000i which is technically better but seems the design of the camera is more awkward (the grip part)

One of the most important parts of shooting film is to have camera hold discipline. When I was in college getting my engineering degrees, I took photography as an elective. That was almost 50 years ago.. The one relevant thing I took away from that degree and is still applicable today is camera hold discipline.

Most digital shooters do not have hold discipline because its a muscle memory skill. Todays cameras or lenses seem to all have stabilized bodies or lenses. So no need to train hold discipline ( today, people point their camera like a shot gun )( be it a single shot or a burst ). There is no breathing discipline. ( necessary with film ) Trying to compose a shot, and hold it is not as critical as it was back in the 60's and 70's. Not only that , muscle hold memory and breathing discipline  was an every shot focus. Since you only had a limited amount of shots ( 24/ 36) this helped us to train our body and mind to lock the camera to our body with arms and shoulders tucked tight to the body. Back then every shot counted. Every single shot counted. Compose, lock, hold breath, let a little out , squeeze the trigger.

So the evolution of the photography train has much to do with when you got on the photography train.. For many ( younger than me ) , the notion of real hold discipline does not existed, because todays cameras do not need it because of the stabilization.

if you have been doing stabilized shooting for 8 or ten years or more, you have relied on stabilization.. Going back to film, after years of stabilization wont be as easy as it seems because you have developed stabilized habits that directly effect un-stabilized camera photography.

OH my point... sorry.. the grips on these Maxxum cameras the 7's, 8's and 9's help with hold discipline.. choosing the right one will help with hold discipline. I found that my 7000i was the most comfortable for my hands. much like choosing custom grips for your hand guns. customs grips specifically designed for hold discipline. grips that will tighten up your shot groups, be it photography are target shooting.

Just a thought , and something I've carried with me for 50 years. Camera Hold discipline. I take it with me everyday even with my stabilized cameras..

Thanks for your input Bill

So from your experience the grip from the Minolta 7000i is more stable/ergonomic than the 7000? That might influence my decision....I could also buy the 9000 but it has worse VFM than the 7000/7000i

big aperture wrote:

Thanks for your input Bill

So from your experience the grip from the Minolta 7000i is more stable/ergonomic than the 7000? That might influence my decision....I could also buy the 9000 but it has worse VFM than the 7000/7000i

I said the 7000i was the best grip for my hands... that does mean it will be the best for you.. the grip is important. it should feel like an extension of your hand.

UPDATE 1:

Ordered a Minolta 7000 finally !!! Found one with a clean non bleeding LCD for 10euros...

When it arrives i will post some up and close photos of the BEAST  !

That is the one I have.  Great camera.  You will like it.

I have tried a few other brands and always been disappointed in them.  They were never as comfortable and as easy to use as my 7000.

Thanks...that gives me a lot of confidence

I am thinking of buying some Portra film for my first developed roll and then buy some expired/new Slide Provia film... why not haha .....

The camera will be in my hands next week and i will upload some nice photos of it.

The Minolta 7000AF was my first SLR , before that I just had a cheap ( and nasty ) point and shoot .

I bought it used in the mid 90's along with the 35-70mm f/4 , 70-210mm f/4 and 50mm f/1.7 and got great results . ( well , that's unless I messed up the shot !)

It cost me about a months pay , wages were crap then . Today a nice bottle of whiskey cost's more than what we got paid in week then , ignoring inflation !

.

The only thing that was bad about it was the slow A/F , but back in '85 it was the best and fastest A/F of any SLR .

Well it would be in a world of manual focus only cameras !

I still have it along with most of the Minolta SLR's (A/F & M/F ) and a load on nice Minolta  lenses that I could only dream of then .

.

I still shoot A mount and apart from a few Sony lenses and a few specialist type Sigma ones , all my main kit is Minolta gear .

They all work well on my Sony a900 , a77ii , a580 and Minolta Dynax 7d .

.

My most used film camera's are the Dynax 7's that I own , one with Rollei infrared loaded and one with Ilford FP4 .

If you start to get hooked on film , that's the one to get , I prefer it to the Dynax 9 .

Next ones most used are the Dynax 60/ Maxxum 70 and Dynax 5 with it's battery grip .

Another one that's nice to use is the Dynax 600si , works well , has dial's instead of buttons and menus , and is also cheap .

Good ergonomics too , like the Dynax 7 & 9 , and a much better camera than the 7000AF .

Worth keeping an eye open for one , just to try . At the price they sell for , you've not a lot to lose .Anything you don't like you can get most of your money back by re-selling on ebay .

You might even make a little profit if your lucky .

.

I seem to be going full circle now and I'm shooting more film than digiatl and have almost finished building my new darkroom .

Mostly 35mm , 120 roll film , 5"x4" and 7"x5" sheet film .

neilt3 wrote:

The Minolta 7000AF was my first SLR , before that I just had a cheap ( and nasty ) point and shoot .

I bought it used in the mid 90's along with the 35-70mm f/4 , 70-210mm f/4 and 50mm f/1.7 and got great results . ( well , that's unless I messed up the shot !)

It cost me about a months pay , wages were crap then . Today a nice bottle of whiskey cost's more than what we got paid in week then , ignoring inflation !

.

The only thing that was bad about it was the slow A/F , but back in '85 it was the best and fastest A/F of any SLR .

Well it would be in a world of manual focus only cameras !

I still have it along with most of the Minolta SLR's (A/F & M/F ) and a load on nice Minolta lenses that I could only dream of then .

.

I still shoot A mount and apart from a few Sony lenses and a few specialist type Sigma ones , all my main kit is Minolta gear .

They all work well on my Sony a900 , a77ii , a580 and Minolta Dynax 7d .

.

My most used film camera's are the Dynax 7's that I own , one with Rollei infrared loaded and one with Ilford FP4 .

If you start to get hooked on film , that's the one to get , I prefer it to the Dynax 9 .

Next ones most used are the Dynax 60/ Maxxum 70 and Dynax 5 with it's battery grip .

Another one that's nice to use is the Dynax 600si , works well , has dial's instead of buttons and menus , and is also cheap .

Good ergonomics too , like the Dynax 7 & 9 , and a much better camera than the 7000AF .

Worth keeping an eye open for one , just to try . At the price they sell for , you've not a lot to lose .Anything you don't like you can get most of your money back by re-selling on ebay .

You might even make a little profit if your lucky .

.

I seem to be going full circle now and I'm shooting more film than digiatl and have almost finished building my new darkroom .

Mostly 35mm , 120 roll film , 5"x4" and 7"x5" sheet film .

Thanks for your advice... for now film will be a side fun project..

But who knows... maybe i will get sucked in