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My "new" α9 has arrived !

Started 6 months ago | Discussions
neilt3
neilt3 Veteran Member • Posts: 3,008
My "new" α9 has arrived !
5

No not the Sony ( alpha) α9 , the Minolta α9 film camera !

Also posted in the film forum , but belongs here too really .

A.K.A Minolta Dynax 9 or Minolta Maxxum 9 depending on the market it was sold in .
The α ( alpha ) branding was used in the Asian market , Dynax in Europe and other places , and Maxxum in the USA .
When Sony bought the imaging division off Minolta in 2006 they used the "α" branding for all DSLR's then the later SLT's and new E-mount cameras .

The camera was Minolta's last professional camera released in 1999 .
At this time all Minolta A mount lenses were mechanically driven by a screwdriver from the camera body .
In 2000 Minolta brought out the Dynax 7 and along with it a range of SSM lenses whose AF drive was inside the lens ( similar to how Canon drive the EF lenses ) .
Only cameras from the Dynax 7 were compatible with these new lenses , including the SSM and SAM lenses that Sony were to bring out later .

Minolta offered an upgrade to change the circuit board to enable these lenses to function along with the new ADI flash control , when Sony took over this upgrade was dropped . End off .

Then someone managed to all the tooling and parts over at Runtime in Bremen , and the upgrades were available again .

Not a cheap upgrade but I considered sending mine in despite not having SSM lenses ( I did have some SAM lenses ) but before I did anything about it Runtime got bought out , and that was an end to that ....

These cameras that have had the upgrade when they come on the market are often silly money , a look on ebay and only Japanese sellers are offering them at £1000+ plus VAT !

I've been keeping an eye open for one of these upgraded cameras for years .
I've finally got one !
A seller in in the U.K put one up on offer and I picked it up for half the going rate !
Still the most I've ever paid for a film camera , even the medium format and large format cameras I own !

So now it's paired up nicely with my Carl Zeiss Vario-Sonnar 24-70mm ZA f/2.8 and Tamron SP USD 70-300mm f/4-5.6 , along with my Sony SAM lenses .
Cameras loaded with kodak Ultra Max 400 , so hopefully it'll get me some nice results .

Minolta α9 , A.K.A Minolta Dynax 9 , Complete with it's SSM / SAM & ADI upgrade .

 neilt3's gear list:neilt3's gear list
Minolta DiMAGE 7 Minolta DiMAGE 7Hi Konica Minolta DiMAGE Z5 Konica Minolta DiMAGE A2 Konica Minolta DiMAGE A200 +68 more
Joseph Balson
Joseph Balson Regular Member • Posts: 299
Re: My "new" α9 has arrived !

That is a hell of a camera. Simply the best 35mm camera ever made.
Sadly sold mine decades ago when I switched to Nikon after a brief period with the Maxxum 7D. Always missed it.

-- hide signature --

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

neilt3
OP neilt3 Veteran Member • Posts: 3,008
Re: My "new" α9 has arrived !

Joseph Balson wrote:

That is a hell of a camera. Simply the best 35mm camera ever made.
Sadly sold mine decades ago when I switched to Nikon after a brief period with the Maxxum 7D. Always missed it.

Thanks , it is a nice camera .

For general use I prefer the Dynax 7  . I've had a standard Dynax 9 for about fifteen years but I've always wanted an upgraded one . Finally got it . 

The Nikon F6 seems to be comparable camera if you don't want to lug an F5 around .

I like the option on cameras of either having a vertical grip or taking it off depending on the lens or usage .

 neilt3's gear list:neilt3's gear list
Minolta DiMAGE 7 Minolta DiMAGE 7Hi Konica Minolta DiMAGE Z5 Konica Minolta DiMAGE A2 Konica Minolta DiMAGE A200 +68 more
Hike Pics
Hike Pics Senior Member • Posts: 2,917
Re: My "new" α9 has arrived !

Congratulations on the find! I've looked a few times in past couple of years for one. Either they are as rare as hen's teeth or someone buys them up right when they are listed. Or both!

neilt3
OP neilt3 Veteran Member • Posts: 3,008
Re: My "new" α9 has arrived !

Hike Pics wrote:

Congratulations on the find! I've looked a few times in past couple of years for one. Either they are as rare as hen's teeth or someone buys them up right when they are listed. Or both!

Thanks .

After Runtime stopped offering the upgrade i kept my eye open for one and when ever one came up it was for daft money .

Typically there's always some on offer from Japan, but they all want £1000 and wonder why they never sell one.

I don't think many were converted really , so you do really need to get lucky or pay through the nose.

IIRC between the cost of the upgrade and the cost of buying a camera to do the upgrade on was a bit more than I have payed for this one , so I'm happy .

When I bought my first Dynax 9 I got lucky .

A guy in Ireland put one up for sale at £125 or to make an offer on eBay .

At the time they sold for between £250 to £300 , so I just bought it . I half expected a brick in a box to turn up with it being offered so cheap , but turned out to be a good example.

I probably keep them both .

 neilt3's gear list:neilt3's gear list
Minolta DiMAGE 7 Minolta DiMAGE 7Hi Konica Minolta DiMAGE Z5 Konica Minolta DiMAGE A2 Konica Minolta DiMAGE A200 +68 more
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