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Photos from your first Minolta digital camera

Started Mar 2, 2021 | Discussions
wtang
wtang Contributing Member • Posts: 684
Photos from your first Minolta digital camera
6

A recent post from Bill (EvilOne) brought back some great memories and got me thinking. Wouldn't it be great to have a thread where we can all share some photos from our first Minolta digital camera? Maybe share one photo per post and provide a little back story to either the picture or how you got started with Minolta (or both). Feel free to share multiple photos, but lets keep it to a single photo per post so hopefully we can build a nice long thread. . . like back in the old days.

I'll go first. I bought my first Minolta digital camera back in the spring of 2002, 19 years ago. My first child was born just a couple years before and I was taking lots of photos of him. I was tired of spending money developing film and ordering prints. I tried a couple of cheap 1 megapixel digital cameras and I loved the convenience and immediacy but I hated the picture quality. I decided to buy my first "real camera" so I read all the online reviews I could find (and stumbled upon DPReview for the first time!) I decided what I really wanted was the flashy new 5 megapixel Minolta DiMAGE 7, but I couldn't afford it. So I decided to settle for its little brother, the 3 megapixel DiMAGE 5, which I picked up at B&H Photo. That sharp 7x Minolta GT lens and SLR-like ergonomics sparked my love affair with Minolta digital cameras that continues to this day. I still have the Minolta 3600HS flash from my original kit that I still use with my Sony A7ii today. Plus I have a Konica Minolta A200 that I still use to take employee photos for their ID's at work.

Regards,
Warren
http://www.pbase.com/wtang

One of my early images taken with the DiMAGE 5. A bunch of sparrows shivering in the cold on a drab 2002 winter day in Central Park.

 wtang's gear list:wtang's gear list
Canon PowerShot SD850 IS Konica Minolta DiMAGE A200 Olympus Stylus Tough 6000 Kodak EasyShare Z990 Nikon D300 +12 more
Paul Barnard
Paul Barnard Veteran Member • Posts: 3,798
Re: Photos from your first Minolta digital camera
3

This was shutter actuation number 11 for the camera.  It had a couple on it when new then i fired off a few at home to make sure it was working.  This is probably the very first image I took with the 7D.  All my Minolta and Konica Minolta were film cameras until the 7D arrived.

I bought the camera in Bristol in August 2005 and went straight home, collected the dog and set off walking along the Kennet and Avon canal from Bath.  It was a beautiful day and pretty much impossible not to get nice images.  The Steady Shot was a revelation as the bouncing dog on a lead didn't help with a steady stance...  Over the next 12 years The camera went with me on every vacation and significant trip out.  I have thousands of wonderful images and memories from it.  It still ranks as my favourite camera despite it having been technically eclipsed by the Sony mirrorless cameras.

And to close the loop this was the last outing of the 7D before I went to the Sony A7Rii

The 7D does still get an occasional outing and the colours from it are definitely 'Minolta'

 Paul Barnard's gear list:Paul Barnard's gear list
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EvilOne
EvilOne Forum Pro • Posts: 14,627
Re: Photos from your first Minolta digital camera
3

Nice thread.... My first digital Minolta was a Dimage 7HI...bought Christmas of 2002.. cost 1299.00 It had LCD screen, took video, sound and had 5 MP. Lots of revolutionary developments in this camera.

  • 5.24 megapixel (5.0 effective megapixels) sensor creates 2560 x 1950 images for prints at 13 by 17 inches and beyond
  • 7x optical plus 2x digital (14x total) zoom lens with autofocus
  • Included 16 MB CompactFlash card holds 5 images at default resolution
  • 60 second movie mode records at 15 fps; built-in flash synchronization terminal
  • Connects with Macs and PCs via USB connector; powered by four NiMH rechargeable batteries

A B&W technique with some color overlay

Good thread

Bill

 EvilOne's gear list:EvilOne's gear list
Minolta DiMAGE 7Hi Nikon Coolpix 990 Konica Minolta Maxxum 7D Sony Alpha DSLR-A700 Sony SLT-A77 +5 more
EvilOne
EvilOne Forum Pro • Posts: 14,627
Re: Photos from your first Minolta digital camera
2

Hard to believe that such a good idea has gone by the wayside. Lots of people claim they come here often, yet the idea of adding some content seems far fetched. Breathing some life into this forum is not a futile effort. All it takes is the ability to give a little.

My C5 Corvette with CCW Wheels and Baer Big Brakes system

 EvilOne's gear list:EvilOne's gear list
Minolta DiMAGE 7Hi Nikon Coolpix 990 Konica Minolta Maxxum 7D Sony Alpha DSLR-A700 Sony SLT-A77 +5 more
EvilOne
EvilOne Forum Pro • Posts: 14,627
Re: Photos from your first Minolta digital camera
3

Some Early Konica Minolta 7D shots

John Heinz Wildlife Preserve

 EvilOne's gear list:EvilOne's gear list
Minolta DiMAGE 7Hi Nikon Coolpix 990 Konica Minolta Maxxum 7D Sony Alpha DSLR-A700 Sony SLT-A77 +5 more
wtang
OP wtang Contributing Member • Posts: 684
Re: Photos from your first Minolta digital camera
1

Here's another photo from my Minolta DiMAGE 5, taken in the fall of 2002 at Bushkill Falls in PA.

Regards,
Warren
http://www.pbase.com/wtang

 wtang's gear list:wtang's gear list
Canon PowerShot SD850 IS Konica Minolta DiMAGE A200 Olympus Stylus Tough 6000 Kodak EasyShare Z990 Nikon D300 +12 more
Paul Barnard
Paul Barnard Veteran Member • Posts: 3,798
Re: Photos from your first Minolta digital camera

EvilOne wrote:

Some Early Konica Minolta 7D shots

John Heinz Wildlife Preserve

I believe you posted that second one before. 😀

 Paul Barnard's gear list:Paul Barnard's gear list
Sony a7R III Sony FE 55mm F1.8 Sony FE 70-200 F4 Zeiss Batis 25mm F2 Sony 1.4x Teleconverter (2016) +5 more
Hike Pics
Hike Pics Senior Member • Posts: 2,917
Re: Photos from your first Minolta digital camera
3

Hey Warren, thanks for the great post idea!

As the newest contributor of the forum my first KM/M was acquired only a few years ago. I found an A200 for $28.95 on September 18, 2018. It came with most everything except the box and paperwork. When I first powered it on it made a bad rapid clicking noise and the display was jittery. I found out that day, through the forum here, that the Anti-shake was not working correctly. It caused the sensor to be slightly off skew from the lens and caused a slight vignetting at the top corners. I have to remember to zoom a little from the wide end to get ride of it, or crop it out in post.

Anyway, this is from the very first test. Not a great photo but I loved the color and sharp lens enough to make me want to get a few more models.

-- hide signature --

...Wes...

EvilOne
EvilOne Forum Pro • Posts: 14,627
Re: Photos from your first Minolta digital camera

Paul Barnard wrote:

EvilOne wrote:

Some Early Konica Minolta 7D shots

John Heinz Wildlife Preserve

I believe you posted that second one before. 😀

Its a colorful shot.. I think I posted it about 10 years ago..  Maybe longer, and maybe shorter. Its Not a great shot.. but the nice thing about my Photos is that I like them for their content and not so much their Quality. After all I'm just a snap-shot shooter and never claimed to be anything more. ( I see the smiley face ) Here's smiling right back at you Paul...   Thanks for the comment.

Bill

 EvilOne's gear list:EvilOne's gear list
Minolta DiMAGE 7Hi Nikon Coolpix 990 Konica Minolta Maxxum 7D Sony Alpha DSLR-A700 Sony SLT-A77 +5 more
EvilOne
EvilOne Forum Pro • Posts: 14,627
Re: Photos from your first Minolta digital camera

Nice shoot, the colors always seem to stand out.. thanks for adding some content. Its a great idea for a thread. Hope some shooter would look through their Photo gallery and offer some shots of their own. Lots of Minolta shooter have moved to Sony Like myself but I still come here.

The nice thing is, I Have over 80,000 photos to choose from for appropriate content,

Bill

 EvilOne's gear list:EvilOne's gear list
Minolta DiMAGE 7Hi Nikon Coolpix 990 Konica Minolta Maxxum 7D Sony Alpha DSLR-A700 Sony SLT-A77 +5 more
wtang
OP wtang Contributing Member • Posts: 684
Re: Photos from your first Minolta digital camera
3

This was one of the first photos taken with my new DiMAGE 5 as I was testing it out after unboxing and inserting AA batteries. If I had put the Minolta box on the floor, I'm sure my cat would have enjoyed sitting in it. But instead, she just sat in her favorite blue box.

Regards,
Warren
http://www.pbase.com/wtang

 wtang's gear list:wtang's gear list
Canon PowerShot SD850 IS Konica Minolta DiMAGE A200 Olympus Stylus Tough 6000 Kodak EasyShare Z990 Nikon D300 +12 more
EvilOne
EvilOne Forum Pro • Posts: 14,627
Re: Photos from your first Minolta digital camera
2

Its good to have a camera at the ready when an opportunity presents it self while exploring the swamp.

You never know when an opportunity will present itself

 EvilOne's gear list:EvilOne's gear list
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wtang
OP wtang Contributing Member • Posts: 684
Re: Photos from your first Minolta digital camera

What kind of alligator is that? 😂

 wtang's gear list:wtang's gear list
Canon PowerShot SD850 IS Konica Minolta DiMAGE A200 Olympus Stylus Tough 6000 Kodak EasyShare Z990 Nikon D300 +12 more
EvilOne
EvilOne Forum Pro • Posts: 14,627
Re: Photos from your first Minolta digital camera
1

wtang wrote:

What kind of alligator is that? 😂

I'm trying real hard to make this thread fun.

Bill

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Hike Pics
Hike Pics Senior Member • Posts: 2,917
Re: Photos from your first Minolta digital camera
1

Even though this is technically my 2nd Minolta digital, my A2 was purchased less than a month after my A200. For $22.25 in great shape with the OEM battery.

-- hide signature --

...Wes...

EvilOne
EvilOne Forum Pro • Posts: 14,627
Re: Photos from your first Minolta digital camera
3

Bill

 EvilOne's gear list:EvilOne's gear list
Minolta DiMAGE 7Hi Nikon Coolpix 990 Konica Minolta Maxxum 7D Sony Alpha DSLR-A700 Sony SLT-A77 +5 more
Joseph Balson
Joseph Balson Regular Member • Posts: 299
Re: Photos from your first Minolta digital camera
3

I didn't keep 100% of the photos I took with the 7D, after I got it in february 2005 I must have tested the various function before taking a first "real" photo and didn't keep the other ones.
So, this is the very first I took with the 7D.

-- hide signature --

It's just some glass, some silicon and magnesium. It isn't a religion.

EvilOne
EvilOne Forum Pro • Posts: 14,627
Re: Photos from your first Minolta digital camera

Very nice kitty shot

Thans for sharing

Bill

 EvilOne's gear list:EvilOne's gear list
Minolta DiMAGE 7Hi Nikon Coolpix 990 Konica Minolta Maxxum 7D Sony Alpha DSLR-A700 Sony SLT-A77 +5 more
wtang
OP wtang Contributing Member • Posts: 684
Re: Photos from your first Minolta digital camera
2

Not from my first Minolta digital camera, but my third Minolta digital camera, the venerable DiMAGE 7Hi.  I took it on a trip to Greece in 2003.

Regards,
Warren
http://www.pbase.com/wtang

Santorini, Greece

 wtang's gear list:wtang's gear list
Canon PowerShot SD850 IS Konica Minolta DiMAGE A200 Olympus Stylus Tough 6000 Kodak EasyShare Z990 Nikon D300 +12 more
EvilOne
EvilOne Forum Pro • Posts: 14,627
Re: Photos from your first Minolta digital camera

Very nice shot... Capturing memories, never gets old.

Bill

 EvilOne's gear list:EvilOne's gear list
Minolta DiMAGE 7Hi Nikon Coolpix 990 Konica Minolta Maxxum 7D Sony Alpha DSLR-A700 Sony SLT-A77 +5 more
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