AF film body suggestions needed.

[wayne_crider4]

<p>Since late last year I have been dealing with selling off some equipment for an elderly woman who's husband died. Some of whats left are Minolta items, a Minolta 7000 and 7000i body, 3 lenses-1 decent, 2 flashes and some accessories. The value of the bodies along with the desire/demand (seemingly non-existent) is leading me to believe that I should probably just donate them and be done with it. I had thought about keeping and shooting the 7000i just because of the accessory cards, but the 2CR5 battery is a turn off and truthfully I would rather just buy another body that uses normal batteries in order to use the advertised but un-wanted items left. At least she''d get some money out of me and I could keep the camera in the truck as I work.<br>

So I'm thinking about picking up a newer used body to play with. Can anyone suggest something that features DOF preview and a spot metering ability. An incorporated flash would be nice. I'd say my price range is up to $125 and KEH seems to have plenty to choose from.</p>

[Mike Gammill]

<p>I think the Maxxum 5 was the least expensive model with DOF preview.<br>

Also has spot metering and built in flash. With the HS series flashes you can get X-sync at any shutter speed. Top shutter speed, BTW, is 1/4000 second. You can also use multiple wireless flash.</p>

[wayne_crider4]

<p>Wireless flash would be a plus. I could use it for a music gig I do every month.</p>

[paul_de_ley]

<p>A 600si or 700si body plus VC-600 or VC-700 battery grip would fall just about in your price range and meet your preferences too, you could power them with AA batteries and they would give you high sync plus wireless flash as well.</p>

[jiun_der_chung]

<p>In terms of battery, you would probably be restricted to using a lithium type battery unless you have a vertical grip.</p>

<p>Mike's suggestion of the Maxxun 5 is a good one in terms of camera. It is pretty much the smallest/lightest/cheapest body that also has DOF preview, MLU etc. But it doesn't have a grip and therefore uses CR2 batteries (from memory). But hey, we are talking about film cameras here, the batteries last forever unless you do a lot of long exposures or use the flash alot. You can get the lithium batteries pretty cheap off ebay these days.</p>

[riffeym]

<p>I second the 600 or 700si choice. I have the 700si with the VC-700 grip - it's a little bulky, but having a AA battery option and duplicate controls in the vertical position is marvelous!</p>

<p> </p>

[andylynn]

<p>Why not a 9xi? You get DOF preview, spot meter (and CW and matrix), wireless flash and it's got the 1/12,000 shutter with 1/300 sync and IIRC the motor drive is faster than most DSLRs. It's plasticky and not easy on the eyes but Keh has an EX for $133.</p>

[Mike Gammill]

<p>Also consider focusing sensors: if you like the 3 sensor array of the 7000i you will feel at home with the 600si or the HT/XTsi. The Maxxum 5 (I own one) has a really cool feature. It's seven (yes 7, count 'em 7 as Paul Harvey used to say) AF sensors will light up when in use. You can see which sensor the camera used to focus.</p>

[wayne_crider4]

<p>So the Maxxum 5 uses the same 2CR5 batteries?</p>

[dave_redmann]

<p>As far as I know--and I own a Maxxum 5, and used it as my main camera for over three years--it does <em>not</em> have MLU. Also, it takes smaller batteries, maybe DL123 or something? That said, it's a nice camera, quite full-featured for the price and weight. Main downsides are the pentamirror viewfinder, no MLU, and the "spot" meter is really a partial meter using the central one of the 14 (?) metering cells.</p>

 

[wayne_crider4]

<p>I notice a difference in the compatible lenses the Maxxum 5 (classic, xi, SSM, SAM, (D)) and the 700si (classic, xi) uses. I'm not up on the Minolta lenses. Is that going to screw me up in the future when I buy a digital body?</p>

[Mike Gammill]

<p>No MLU on Maxxum 5. IIRC, the Maxxum 9 is the only one with that feature. Another neat feature on the Maxxum 5 (and most of the others named) is that you can get a remote cable release that is really convenient. I use my remote cable with my Maxxum 5, XTSI, and 8000i.<br />Though not as tight as a separate spot meter, the spot meters in the 14 segment Maxxums are still very useful. Even the less sophisticated metering of the 8000i or 2xi still offers an effective spot meter. The 2xi with its single AF sensor is nice to use when I don't want to take a more expensive camera out. Unfortunately, it still takes that big 6 volt lithium like the 7000i/8000i.<br>

I think all the Maxxum lenses should still work on the latest Sony DSLR, but some of the newest Sony lenses may not work properly on the early Maxxums. Early independent Maxxum-mount lenses may not work on later Maxxums or the digital models.</p>

[howardstanbury]

<p>There is a battery pack/grip for the Maxxum/Dynax 5, the BP-200. You loose the compact form factor of course, but AA batteries are very convenient. Here's my camera with the grip attached, and a big old Tamron 28-200 zoom attached.<br>

<img src="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3590/3438139705_20af2d8ae0.jpg" alt="" width="500" height="334" /><br>

Surprisingly enough, I found the BP-200 new at an online camera store in the UK, but there can't be many left in the supply chain.</p>

[riffeym]

<p>Hey Howard! I've got one of those big ole Tameron 28-200s myself. Not trying to highjack this thread but, how do you like it?</p>

[howardstanbury]

<p>I like the lens a lot, Michael. It was an inexpensive discovery in a charity shop a year or two ago, complete with a 72mm close up filter. I thought it a useful alternative to the kit lens on my A100, and then when I started picking up film bodies, I have enjoyed it on both the Dynax 5 and a 9000 AF I won recently.</p>

[rickeselgroth]

<p>I would say go with the Maxxum 800si with the vc700 grip, it was the most advanced camera that Minolta made until they came out with the Maxxum 9 and you can pick one up for around 100 bucks on ebay or go to the store tab at the top of this page and look it up. The only down fall is you can't use SSM lenses on it unless you manually focus them. But then again unless you get a Maxxum 9 with a upgraded af system you can't use SSM lenses on them either. (The Maxxum 5 & Maxxum 7 are the only cameras that Minolta made that work with SSM lenses , you could pick up7 for about 250, ( I wouldn't go with the 5).</p>

[wayne_crider4]

<p>Well I made a choice after reading alot of responses and I wound up buying a Maxxum 70. It''s essentially the last of the film cameras made by by K/M. 1/2000 instead of 1/4000; 2 more AF sensors; A diopter and 3 years newer then the 5 model. It will also shoot the SSM lenses. I bought it because the grip is larger and because of the diopter. I'll be essentially shooting low speed b&w in it and testing out the 50 F1.7 I have.<br>

I almost bought an 800si with a grip, but that camera came out in 97, 12 years ago and I wanted something more up to date. I might buy an all mechanical camera that is older but an electronic one is another story. I read a review on the Maxxum 70 and the comments had alot of praise for the performance, although the spec's lacked in some departments. For the prices I could go out a buy a 5 or an 800si anytime, but I'll start here and see how I make out in the lens department.</p>

[riffeym]

<p>Good deal Wayne! I'm sure the 70 will make you a fine rig. Now, go out and start shooting!</p>