jason_fitzmaurice Posted August 10, 2004 Share Posted August 10, 2004 Since I was 10 I have always used Minolta equipment, First my Dad's old XD-11, then an X-7a, Finally mu X-700 which I love. I have always laughed at the idea of an Auto Focus Camera (since I run a video company I have a very low opinion of AF Acuracy); however, I have a 15month old son, and he can move a lot faster than I can focus :) So for the first time in my life I want an AF Camera. I want to stick with Minolta, as it has always been good to me. I know I can't use my flashes and lenses from the X-700 (more is the pity). Basically I don't need anything more than the functions of an X series, but with Auto Focus for shooting my son. My X-700 will proably remain my main 35mm camera. I need to be able to a. Shoot in Manual Focus when I want to b. Override the Auto DX swtting of ISO C. Manually set aperature and shutter speed d. Not spend a lot of money on this used camera. What would those of you with experience Recomend? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
michael_hohner Posted August 10, 2004 Share Posted August 10, 2004 Check out <a href="http://www.nefkom.net/miho/foto/minolta/bodies.html">this table</a>. All except the 300si have manual focus. The "ISO override" column specifies which cameras allow to override the DX setting. Cameras with "M", "A", and "S" in the "Exposure Modes" column allow manual aperture/shutter settings. Check eBay for approximate prices. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
boulderjoe Posted August 10, 2004 Share Posted August 10, 2004 I am happy with the 5, it is a very cheap camera but works very well. -Joe Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
yuriy_tsibizov Posted August 10, 2004 Share Posted August 10, 2004 600si? It has nice classic controls. But it also has slow AF :-(. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
thomas_sullivan Posted August 10, 2004 Share Posted August 10, 2004 I also own the maxxum 5..........even new it's not that expensive.......and then you can buy used lenses for it. I did the same thing (manual to AF) 3 years ago, but my reason was I do a lot of low light photography, and was getting up in years, and although my eyesight is 20/20, night vision thru a viewfinder was getting tough. Minolta's AF 28, 35, and 100mm f/2 lenses are fantastic, btw. There are no BAD Minolta 50mm AF lenses........now zooms, ain't found one I'm happy with yet, though. If you need TTL flash, the Minolta flashes only work 100% with Minolta's "D" lenses. This I know nothing about, as I rarely use flash. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
grahams Posted August 10, 2004 Share Posted August 10, 2004 Jason If you are lucky, you may still find a NEW Dynax 5 / Maxxum 5 on a dealer's shelf. They are going for rediculously low prices since the DSLR revolution. My biggest competitor (read wife) has used one for three years now, despite having "graduated" to an Eos 30e, and it still brings in the shots, every time. The kit lens, a 28-80 3.5/4.5 feels cheap, but produces surprisingly good images, with 12 x 16 enlargements being sharp with good contrast. The new Dynax 60 / Maxxum 60 is not as nice a camera to use - it's heavier, has a slower max flash synch shutter speed, and the AF is not as reliable with slow lenses. It's also heavier. The Dynax 5 will become a "classic" that will be hard to find pretty soon. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
michael_hohner Posted August 10, 2004 Share Posted August 10, 2004 Thomas, ALL Minolta AF flashes work with the 5, with D lenses or non-D lenses. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
georg_kern Posted August 10, 2004 Share Posted August 10, 2004 It's easier to give "negative" recommendations. Stay away from very early models (the first AF series and the Dynax x000i series), as they are not that technical advanced. Also avoid the low-end models, because the small price difference in used cameras doesn't justify the limitations. The xi-series were somehow "strange" and I would only recommend the 9xi, if you are looking for a very robust and reliable camera (up to professional standards). I am a big fan of the si-series, which are the most well-thought Minoltas of all times (IMHO), maybe except the new 7 and 9, which would be much more expensive. 600, 700 or 800 si: does not matter much, all have more or less the same technical specifications, although the 600si has no built-in flash. Finally, my recommendation: 700si. It's dirt cheap (for what it is) at the 2nd hand market now. Regards Georg Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fmueller Posted August 10, 2004 Share Posted August 10, 2004 As far as I know, B&H still offers the Maxxum 5 for $149.95. In my opinion this deal beats anything you could get on a used AF SLR, because AF speed will be important for you, and the 5 should beat the older models hands down. For example a 600si would be a very nice camera for you, but personally I found AF to be more an annoyance than an adavantage. Having shot manual focus cameras for some years, I found I was faster manually focusing with my XD-7 than the 600si's AF. Since you haven't said what exactly your budget is, you should also consider that you can get a DSLR (Canon Digital Rebel) with a very nice kit lens (18-55mm, corresponds to 28-90mm on a film camera) for $879.95. I currently have my brother's Digital Rebel with me to check it out, and I am afraid if I was in your situation, and could scrape together the money, I wouldn't stay faithful to Minolta ;-)<div></div> Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bubba_clinton Posted August 10, 2004 Share Posted August 10, 2004 Jason, I have bought both used and new Maxuxm cameras, ranging from oldies (5000, 7000, 9000) to 7xi to si(s) to Maxxum 70. I loved almost all of them (except the 3 series, 400si and 5000 (too low end) and HTsi (with the plastic lens mount). But if I were you, I would consider buying a new one for your first auto focus SLR. The camera bodies aren't expensive. A new one tends to help you focus more on photography instead of worrying if a bad shot was the result of some old camera problems. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
yuriy_tsibizov Posted August 10, 2004 Share Posted August 10, 2004 Georg, 600si does have buil-in flash. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
edgar_njari Posted August 10, 2004 Share Posted August 10, 2004 I have a dynax4. The main differences between it and dynax 5 are that 4 can only shoot at 1/2000s, 5 can go down to 1/4000s. 5 has the deph of field preview button, and 4 does not. The electronic display in the viewfinder displays how much will you be over or underexposing the image in numbers, and 4 only displays + or - (over or under) In fact I bought the 5, and it was faulty, so I went to the shop but they didn't have any more 5's to replace it, and I didn't want to wait so I took dynax4 and got some cash back. The only thing I miss is the deph of field preview button. Anyway dynax 4 and 5 have a nice AF, you can do everything manual, so I think they would suit you well. But forget about manual focusing because the grip of the focusing ring is very light and unprecise (has a small turn) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
georg_kern Posted August 10, 2004 Share Posted August 10, 2004 To Yuriy: You are right. I mixed it up with the Eye-Start (hope I am right on this..) Georg Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jason_fitzmaurice Posted August 10, 2004 Author Share Posted August 10, 2004 Thanks everybody. Sounds like the 5 is the way to go then. I'll put one in my hands and see how it feels. I can't imagine giving up my x-700. I justlove it, and have too many lenses to make the full switch, but trying to focus on my son is getting too hard. I'm only getting a little more than half the shots in focus. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
brien_szabo Posted August 11, 2004 Share Posted August 11, 2004 The 5 is a nice camera but if you want a camera that has a more classic manual camera feel and exceptionally easy controls to understand then I would get the 600si. The 600si is also built better (IMO). You can get one used for about $300 or less if you look around. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bubba_clinton Posted August 11, 2004 Share Posted August 11, 2004 Jason, please also add 70 to your list when you try out the 5. It's about the same price as 5. Ergonomically, 70 worked better for me. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wei_zhang Posted August 13, 2004 Share Posted August 13, 2004 I have compared the 5 vs. the 70, the 70 is a little bit wider and bigger. The 70's flash seems to be a little bit bigger in size but I don't know if that will make any differences in term of power output. One thing for sure that I didn't like about the 70 and 4 is that they have plastic lens mount. They may work just fine with the lens we have, but to me that showed that they were trying to make it cheap. Maxxum 5 is the good way to go, in fact I am buying another one just for collecting (I don't think any 35mm autofocus SLR can get smaller than that and have that many features... it will definitely be a classic someday). Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bubba_clinton Posted August 13, 2004 Share Posted August 13, 2004 Wei, 70 doesn't have a plastic lens mount!!! I own one. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
thomas_sullivan Posted August 13, 2004 Share Posted August 13, 2004 Michael - yes, you are right, minolta flashes do work with the Maxxum 5 and any lens. I was actually thinking specifically the Automatic Distance Integration (ADI).....where the distance is precisely measured via the AF "D" lenses<br><br><a href="http://www.minoltausa.com/eprise/main/MinoltaUSA/MUSAContent/CPG/CPGProducts?cname=acc&fname=acc_f_max">Minolta Maxxum 5 "D" lens/flash explanation</a><br><br>sorry for the confusion Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wei_zhang Posted August 14, 2004 Share Posted August 14, 2004 Bubba - Sorry, my bad. I must confused with Maxxum 4 then. The 70 is bigger but less featured. The shutter can only go up to 1/2000 sec, but if you don't use the high shutter often (mostly we are using under 1/1000sec anyway), then it's should be fine with you. I do like the 5 a lot better (personal choice :). Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
s_p_briggs Posted August 20, 2004 Share Posted August 20, 2004 Jason, I'd get the Dynax 7000i (Maxxum 7000i). I've had one for over 15 years and I recently picked up another for next to nothing, virtually mint, off Ebay. My old one is worn out but I've never had any trouble with it. If the one I bought recently only lasted a couple of years it would be cheap and cost me a little more than a couple of disposable cameras!! Conversely, I bought a 600si Classic new a few years back and it's not a patch on my old workhorse. The bodywork on the more recent camera is flimsy plastic and I've had to have the motherboard replaced and several of the mechanical controls don't work properly. I've not been sufficiently impressed by any of the current Minolta range to shell out for them. Only the top end of the range models after the 7000i have the features that the 7000i has got. The 7000i has 3fps motorwind, the 600si is only 2fps, etc. I don't know what you are photographing, but the 7000i isn't as quiet as recent models, so if you're shooting nature, that might be a negative. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Create an account or sign in to comment
You need to be a member in order to leave a comment
Create an account
Sign up for a new account in our community. It's easy!
Register a new accountSign in
Already have an account? Sign in here.
Sign In Now