richard_f1 Posted August 31, 2006 Share Posted August 31, 2006 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 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
michael_hohner Posted September 1, 2006 Share Posted September 1, 2006 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. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pete.purvis Posted September 1, 2006 Share Posted September 1, 2006 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. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
weatherman Posted September 1, 2006 Share Posted September 1, 2006 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 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bill_thorlin Posted September 1, 2006 Share Posted September 1, 2006 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. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
richard_f1 Posted September 2, 2006 Author Share Posted September 2, 2006 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 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
weatherman Posted September 3, 2006 Share Posted September 3, 2006 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. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jamesdak Posted September 5, 2006 Share Posted September 5, 2006 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. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
nate_macdonald Posted September 5, 2006 Share Posted September 5, 2006 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. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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