Dynax 9 and Dynax 7 - personal experience sought

[richard_f1]

Hello everyone,

 

Please don't flame me for this. I have searched high and low on here and elsewhere.

 

I am out to buy a nostalgia (I mean film) SLR. Choice for various reasons is between the 7 and the 9,

both of which I have finally found here in Hong Kong second hand.

 

Has someone compared both? I can't do it because the 2 are in different shops.

 

My instinct is to go with the 9 because it is tougher, and without the LCD screen will go easier on the

batteries. Also, the one I have found comes with the VC9, whereas the 7 is without grip. I want to be

able to use AA batteries, and I don't want to hunt around for a VC7.

 

I don't mind so much about the 9's potentially slower AF because I don't do sport or wildlife and my

other camera is a 9000 I use almost exclusively in MF. I am not sure I need the features on the 7 either.

It's main advantage is that it is cheaper.

 

The 9 sounded pretty loud though. Not sure compared to the 7 because I couldn't compare side by

side.

 

And so here is my question - has anyone got a view, based on experience. of whether the 9 (or the 7)

are louder in mirror-slap and wind-on than say a 505si (which is the only one I can compare with).

 

I know these are basic questions and that this kind of thread sometimes annoys people but I do try to

reciprocate by answering people's questions when they write in, and so I hope that if this annoys you,

you won't take any offence.

 

And, needless to say, a very big thank you in advance to anyone who can help me.

 

regards,

Richard

[jpursley]

Without direct experience with the 9, I can only address one of your later questions:

 

The 7's mirror and winding noise is much quieter and also much, much faster than the 500si-series...both by maybe a factor of four...or thereabouts.

[werner1]

Richard that's a tough choice. I am not the person you were looking for regarding advice as I do not own the 9, but do own the the 7. For the last three years I have shot mainly Medium format and use that 95% of the time. When I do use the 7 I am always awestruck regarding the technological finesse of this camera. The Maxum 7 is BAR NONE the MOST sophisticated camera Minolta ever built. I also use the VC7 and find it an essential ingredient to to the overall beauty of this system. Having said that, I am always on the lookout for a 9. It is the last PRO camera that Minolta ever made, and is built to take along to the Amazon. You did not mention if price was a factor, the 9 will usually sell for more. If price is not a factor in the choice then I would go for the 9. The grip is extremely useful, and if your looking for nostalgia then with gentle use it should last forever. If it has not been updated it will not have the D capabilities, but frankly I don't see this as being an issue at all. While overall the the 7 has more features the 9 still has faster FPS, and I believe holds more data regarding exposure info. The 9 is I believe a classic and if you have a choice of either irregardless of price and the 9 has a grip then go for the 9. That would be My choice. Let us know which way you went.

[bill_thorlin]

Just a few thoughts from an "old buffer" suffering from "nostalgia" based in the UK :)

 

Battery use on the 7 - not so much of a problem if you go the rechargeable route which I am now doing.

 

VC7 grip - not easy to find and they go for nearly as much as the camera, so would it be significantly cheaper in the end ?

 

If the price difference is still significant then you can always use that difference to improve the quality of the glass you have ( a factor im my choice ).

 

The superiority over the 505 has been answered by others so that should not now be a problem.

 

Not really knowing what sort of photography you do and what the price difference is, is the ruggedness and "pro" status of the 9 that important ?

 

In the absence of full knowledge of your conundrum ( help I sound like someone else! ) I have just pointed out some other factors that may be relevant to your choice but ultimately only you can decide - however it may be a comforting thought that either way you will end up with a great camera :)

[peterblaise]

.

 

Both got reviews as "best" cameras, the 9 was praised as best camera of all time of any type, the 7 as one of the 10 best SLRs of all time. (PhotoTechniques magazine)

 

The 7 is more sophisticated (smarter and faster computer, ADI, back panel display of exposure matrix and so on) yet may also be less compatible with 3rd party lenses (though that's Sigma's problem, right?).

 

The 9 is heavier, larger, and more rugged and can be updated to run the SSM lenses, faster shutter, too.

 

You can't go wrong either way. The 9 still tends to be twice the price of a 7 which I watched being twice the price of the 507si/600si/650si, the camera that relaunched the whole Minolta direct-input/direct-readout knobs in 1995.

 

- 507si/600si/650si ~$150

 

- 7 ~$300

 

- 9 ~$600

 

Better prices can be had individually - as much as -50%!

 

Let us know what you do -- these cameas will spoil you for "using" any other camera since they are so easy to control, and of course their focus and exposure smarts are great, too.

 

Click!

 

Love and hugs,

 

Peter Blaise peterblaise@yahoo.com Minolta Rokkor Alpha DiMAge Photographer http://www.peterblaisephotography.com/

[richard_f1]

Thanks very much each of you - good pointers which are helping me clarify my choice.

Tomorrow is D-Day so to speak - have to get it before I return to Beijing.

 

On this rare occassion cost is not a question because I can afford either.

 

The main factors are the ruggedness, quietness and AA operation. I just got back from 6

weeks in remote parts of China where the old 9000 performed fine on one set of AAs,

while the noisy 505si I was using for slides ran through 2 sets of its hard-to-get-out-

there little lithium batteries (or whatever they are). Also, its winder was rudely intrusive

and a couple of times I had to give up taking pictures. It finally died half way through a roll

up a mountain 2 days from a town, and once dead you can't do anything - couldn't even

get the film out to put it in the other body. I couldn't find batteries for it, at least not ones

that looked like they hadn't sat in a hot shop for 5 years! But AAs are everywhere. That's

why I want the grip.

 

I mainly use my cameras for "reportage" or "people photography", "street" or whatever it is

called - you know, pictures of people I meet and places I go! And for landscapes, where

noise generally is irrelevant. But I plan a trip through dusty and remote central Asia next

summer which is why I am a little more inclined to the tougher body and less fussed about

the AF speed. The dust on these bumpy roads was really phenomenal - all my gear is filthy

and needs a clean! Next year's trip will be alot longer so I figured I'd plan now while I'm in

HK and have access to stuff (there is lots of 2nd hand for sale in Beijing actually but not

much recent minolta and pretty pricey).

 

The SSM upgrade doesn't matter to me because I don't have any of those lenses.

 

Anyway if it is true that the VC7 is nearly as much as the camera, then the 9+VC9 is about

the same price. Amazing! And it took alot of hunting just to find the 7, I don't want to

have to spend ages seeking out the grip.

 

Sounds like I just made my decision, huh? :) The first part anyway, "which one?". The

harder one is, "should I get one at all".

 

Thanks very much for your help, I appreciate it alot.

 

I will let you know if I summon up the courage overnight to actually drop the cash on it.

 

Incidentally they are pushing the Sony Alpha heavily here at the decent shops in Mong

Kok. There are dudes in Alpha t-shirts and everything. I asked if they had any Dynax 7 film

bodies left over and the guy says "huh?". Sign of the times, fellow nostalgians... :)

 

kind regards.

R

[bill_thorlin]

Buy it - after all it is only money and the world could end tomorrow :)

 

Earlier - "( though that's Sigma's problem, right ? )" - only Sigma ??!

[peterblaise]

.

 

Yes, so far, ONLY Sigma has shown incompatibility with the Minolta Alpha/Dynax/Maxxum 7 BUT the same lens works on the later Minolta Alpha/Dynax/Maxxum 5 and so on. I've not seen reports from anyone on Tokina, Samyang/Phoenix/Vivitar and Cosina electronic lenses having a "blip" where the Minolta 7 falls out, yet earlier and later cameras are no problem. Does anyone have any information of a "blip" from other manufacturers where an electronic lens works on earlier and later cameras but NOT on the Minolta 7?

 

Of course, since Tamron electronics are licensed Minolta, no problem there.

 

Now, Minolta with the SSM and xi and 1x-3x actually are LESS compatible across all their own cameras than Tamron since didn't make such swoopty-doo lenses!

 

Click!

 

Love and hugs,

 

Peter Blaise peterblaise@yahoo.com Minolta Rokkor Alpha DiMage Photographer http://www.peterblaisephotography.com/

[bill_thorlin]

Try - www.photozone.de/8Reviews/reviews/Max7_2.htm - and see what you get.

 

There is an old saying - "Never say never" and another "The only certain things are death and taxes" :)

[bill_thorlin]

What we need is another Michael Hohner prepared to take on the task of preparing a list of known compatability problems - we should be so lucky !!

[robert_paul1]

Richard, if you'll be shooting in windy, dusty conditions, then I would go with the 9, as it has better sealing against both dust and moisture. Now, if there was only a lens to go with it like Canon has.

[richard_f1]

Well in the end I didn't buy either. Damn!

 

I went to the shop selling the 9, ran a whole lot of tests on it, and it worked fine. I put a

film in a took frames with lens cap on etc and the wind on is amazingly quiet. Bear in mind

I had never had my hands on a top-level camera later than my 9000. The mirror slap was a

little louder than the 9000 but only a little. You could basically not hear the winder at all,

nor the rewind. It runs on 4 AA batteries and was all in all a great camera.

 

So I decided to buy it but it turned out the guy who quoted me the other day was wrong by

2000 hong kong dollars. The actual owner of the store was there this time. This wasn't a

scam - it was a genuine mistake, as he explained in Cantonese to my wife who speaks

Canto. We both are experienced Hong Kong shoppers and felt this was genuine. Anyway,

that new price was out of my budget! Ah if only I'd whipped out the visa on day one - but

you should always do your research and also, it's bad karma to stiff people.

 

So I went round to the other guy and checked out his 7 - but without the grip. It was

clearly also a great camera but this particular example wasn't in the best shape.

 

Then - heavily depressed as I had really psyched myself up to get the 9 (incidentally an

Alpha 9, from the Japanese market) - I found some 9000 bodies at a very affordable price.

I checked a few out but didn't buy one. Though cheap, I think I can do better.

 

That place had the digital back for the 9000. If you see the Minolta 9000 page,

minolta9000.org or something, you can see the digital back they came out with - I think

it used a digital tape to record images. Anyway, I'd never seen one.

 

So there is the end of part one of my story. I will keep my eye out on websites etc for a 9 I

can afford.

 

A big thanks once again to each of you who helped me.

 

For now, back to old faithful, my trusty 9000!

[drjedsmith]

Hi Richard,<BR>

I know the feeling. Much debated question, the 7 vs the 9. I have owned both...the 9 is a tank, but for the money nothing beats a 7. You never had a chance to hold one with the vc-7 grip - try it. A lot lighter than the 9, but feels as good.<BR>

Good luck on finding one close to home - I usually have to buy online and then hope it's good.<BR>

Jed

[bill_thorlin]

"Never, never, never give up." - Winston Churchill.

 

Almost as big a fan of the 7 as I am of him :)

 

( P.S. - lens compatibility issue unresolved.)

[navy doc]

The 9 is one of my favorite cameras of all time. Not to mention the last pro camera Minolta built.

 

I have taken it around the world during my military service, and it never malfunctioned regardless of the weather conditions. The military way of thinking affected my purchase decisions, where an item must be practical, high performance, easy to use, tough, and reliable. The 9 fits that bill with an extremely user friendly interface (no excessive amount of buttons), water resistance, strong body(stainless steel), and exceptional shutter speed / flash synch. I also like the built in flash - unlike other pro cameras - it is nice to have access to a quick fill in flash, instead of taking the extra steps to put a dedicated flash on the shoe.

 

I bought 2 more Maxxum 9s on Ebay last week. One was new old stock, and the other was in great shape and had the data back and vertical grip. Needless to say, I plan on staying committed to film, and now can be sure that I will have the Minolta 9 to shoot with for a lifetime.

[jiun_der_chung]

Well I own 2 7s and my brother owns 2 7s and a 9. In my opinion, the 7 is a more advanced camera than the 9 (stating the obvious seeing as it came out after the 9). Yes you can get the 9 upgraded for SSM lenses but obvious at a price.

 

Personally, if you are a pro where ruggedness and weather sealing is a requirement, then the 9 is the way to go. But the 7 is considerably lighter and also feels better to hold and use, especially with the vertical grip. There are also a lot more knobs and control on the 7 which provide quick access to all the various functions. I think the 7 is almost the perfect camera erganomically.

 

Also the ability of the 7 to record film info is invaluable for learning from experience. Lastly the 7 is also cheaper in general with or without verical grip.

 

The only thing I would like on the 7 is 100% viewfinder but that is a minor quibble.

 

At the end of the day, they are both top end cameras and you will probably be happy with either. But you get a lot more bang for for buck with the 7.

 

Also, I think 35mm cameras are going really cheap at the moment. So cheap that I bought a second 7 with vertical grip because I figured that it would be cheaper than trying to get my first one repaired in the future. Look around for one on fleabay.

[henrikolesenphotography]

Richard, I think you may have bought your camera by now but would like to give you an opinion on either of them. I own a 7 and a 9 both with their VC grips on. The 7 is such a beauty to work with but the build quality / seals of the 9 beats the 7 when doing outdoor stuff. I do live in Hong Kong and have been living in Asia for the past 13 years. Humidity is a major reason why I mostly work with my Dynax 9 and hence if you do your shooting in this region the 9 may just come out the better choice. :) Hope you are happy with whatever you picked and have fun shooting. If you are in HKG send me a message please as there are not that many Minolta shooters around here. cheers!