Minolta 7 film SLR - personal experience with older lenses?

[richard_f1]

Hello,

 

I am thinking of buying a Minolta 7 film body this week. It will complement my 9000.

 

Does anyone have personal experience using this body with the older Minolta AF lenses? I have the

20 2.8, 50 1.7, 28 2.8 and 135 2.8. My zoom fell in the sea and I have never felt a need to replace it.

One day I might get more lenses but for now I am just going to use what I have. An extra body is more

helpful to me right now than extra lenses.

 

I'd just like to know that there are no focusing performance problems using these older lenses. I know

that certain focusing features of the body may not work but all I need is for the camera to focus quickly

and quietly.

 

Also, how useful is the VC7 ? I like the idea of being able to use AA batteries - does anyone do this, and

how long do they typically last? I know "your mileage will differ", but general impressions are helpful.

 

thank you very much for any advice or personal experiences you can share.

 

Richard

[michael_hohner]

Your lenses will work, and compared to your 9000, AF speed will be lightning fast. AF noise deoends mostly on the gearing in the lens, so don't expect a significant change there.

<p>

I'd also recommend the VC-7, but not so much because of the AA battery option, but because of the better handling both vertical and horizonal, and because of the vertical controls.

[pete.purvis]

I agree with Michael. I have the 28/2.8, 50/1.4 and 100/2.8 macro, all of the older vintage,

and they work like champs.

 

The reasons I bought the VC-7 are the battery option plus the increased size of the entire rig.

If you have big hands, the M7 is a bit small, particularly if using a heavy lens such as the

100/2.8. Adding the VC-7 made a perfect fit for me.

 

The metering is dead-on. I shoot slides and after running a few rolls of bracketed photos, I

found that shooting about a half-stop under gave the best solution for me.

[weatherman]

I can't say anything against Dynax 7 but I realised that dedicated grip makes the whole thing soo huge that I have to leave it in the bag or at home. It's true that with the grip you look so cool but as we have recharegeable Cr123 type batteries nowadays, if I were you I'd not spend my money on VC7. If you are to become a pro, that's another story of course..

Ersagun

[bill_thorlin]

Ergasun - what rechargeable batteries do you use and are they satisfactory ? In view of the fact that 20-30,000 tons of non-rechargeable ones are thrown away each year it makes environmental as well as economic sense to switch if at all possible.

 

As to the lenses I am not going to argue with Michael :) as I have never seen/heard of any examples where there was a problem - AF speed might be an issue sometimes but it is worth it if it is good Minolta glass.

[richard_f1]

Thanks everyone! If only someone had answered my post about preferred shops in Hong

Kong :) I will check it out tomorrow and see how it feels in the hand.

 

My main idea with the VC7 was to run it on AA batteries - I like that feature on the 9000

and the 505si I use as a secondary body ran out of juice in the wilds of Sichuan province

where I couldn't buy the special batteries (my spares ran out too). That, and the slow

autofocus and intrusively loud winder on the 505 are what prompted me to think of the 7.

I know the 9000 AF is as slow as a snail but I use it in MF with a split prism finder.

 

But the VC7 could make it all too big - I hardly ever use the MD90 on my 9000 for

basically the same reason (although it is even louder than the 505). Why not buy another

9000? I figured having the two different bodies would make things more flexible for me.

 

Anyway thanks everyone for your helpful thoughts.

 

R

[weatherman]

Regarding CR123 Rechargeables;

Uniross CR123 Rechargeable Battery should be compatible with cameras. Sold in Maplin shops in the UK. http://www.maplin.co.uk/Module.aspx?ModuleNo=46261&doy=4m9&C=SEO&U=strat15

Have no first hand experience though..

All the best

E.

[jamesdak]

I have two 7 bodies and use a VC-7 on both. I have fairly small hands but the grips make it so much nicer to holder. I also do a fair bit of vertical shooting and the controls on the grip make it very nice.

[nate_macdonald]

The VC-7 grip is fantastic, once it's on there you'll wonder what you were doing without it.

Buying it new at a store will usually involve big bucks, well it used to anyway. I imagine the grips would be discounted now if they're available at all...but I'd recommend looking for a used one first.