juan_casero

From a brief scan of the posts no one seems to have mentioned the Maxxum 7 so I guess I will put a plug in for it. I have this camera (bought it about 6 months ago). I can't really compare it with the Canon's or Nikon's (since I have never owned one) except to say that I believe the latter are considerably more expensive (for the same features) and seem to be more popular with the pros. I got into photography when I took a trip to Provo, Utah a couple of years ago for training and was frustrated by the fact that I couldn't do justice to the beauty of the scenery and landscape with my cheap one shot camera. Having lived in Florida all my life to see the mountains of Utah was jaw dropping. I decided when I returned home that would never happen again. So I went for a Maxxum 5 to test the waters. This is a good camera with plenty of features for a beginner and almost idiot proof. I soon got bored the Maxxum 5 and wanted to move up to the more advanced offerings of minolta. Since I had already invested so much money and time in minolta lenses I decided to stay in the minolta family and the one I could afford was the Maxxum 7. I am told this camera is the most sophisticated technologically in the minolta lineup although not as rugged as the Maxxum 9 that has the metal casing. I can tell you from using it for about six months now that I it is a very good machine and very competitively priced. Although the case is made of plastic it is a hard plastic and does seem more durable than most plastic bodies. With the VC-7 grip (you should get it if you are going to spend this kind of money) it looks and feels great. The control this camera gives you is phenomenal. I expect to own it for many years to come and eventually take it on some trips to Alaska and the pacific northwest that I hope to make in a year or two. I have read that there is bias out there among the pros against the minolta product line. I don't know if that's true since I do photography for personal gratification (I work with databases and write software for a living) and not for profit. Still I am inclined to believe there might be some truth to that statement. My recommendation is that you take a close look at the Maxxum 7 before you decide on the others.