alexandre_goy

<p>Frederick,<br>

For that price, I'd buy it, even as a glorified paperweight.<br>

And if you get 99% of a functioning D9, it is worth a bit of black tape to lock the flash closed, is it not?<br>

Keep us posted!<br>

ag</p>

M6 Ti / M-Rokkor 40mm / Fuji Reala

... and I love classical music, for real.

AFAIK the Minolta eyepiece changed very little between the 1960s SRT series and the D7D - and the CLE looks very similar

http://www.photo.net/bboard/q-and-a-fetch-msg?msg_id=000lgK&tag=

I bet they do. But I don't have a CLE and my astigmatism is too strong...

Keep us posted !

Richard, I still have my beloved 9xi, although it is getting little use since my purchase of a second-hand Dynax 9.

It is an excellent, big and beautiful camera, with superb ergonomics (from my pov and using the grip), especially with larger lenses. Accurate AF (but not so fast), accurate metering (but not with flash).

IIRC, you could bracket with the basic body (using the multifunction key), but could only alter the fine parameters using the "custom"/"bracketing" card. Maybe someone could look up in the original user manual? Unfortunately I have long lost it, and Minolta USA (or whoever maintains their site) has pulled the PDF offline.

Anyway, why would you bracket in b&w? ;) Just go ahead and buy one!

Sorry to read that, Vernon.

If you enjoyed Minolta ergonomics, you would probably tilt towards Nikon (except for focusing ring orientation). At least, I would.

Funny pic Marc!

As a sidenote, modern Ricoh digicams have a "negative lag" mode (actually more like slow video capture) called "memory reverse continuous" shooting. A superb idea, ill served by the picture quality of the samples I saw.

http://www.ricohpmmc.com/uk/products/camera/caplio_R4/caplio_R4_Features3.htm

Jim, I assume your "700xi" is actually the 7xi (and probably my least favourite in your list).

Otherwise you need a 7xi and all its aptly named "fuzzy logic".

Plus the plain Himatic 7 (not S).

And, as a matter of course, the classic, seminal 7000.

Epson did, but I feel that is not the original question.

Hello, Frank.

For those of you in the EU, try http://www.pvsc.com.fr/

Yesterday that shop had about ten brand new units @ 120 euros each.

(Free ad!)

Yes, provided 1. you get it reasonably cheap and with a warranty, 2. your current lenses are worth it (ie primes or excellent zooms). I got myself one two weeks ago at one-quarter of introductory price and I do not regret it for one second. Sony's offering might not be such a 'photographer's camera'.

Regards,

ag

Hi Szekiat!

Owners don't sell this lens, they use it ;)

I had to buy mine new by the way, and it is definitely not going away.

Good luck to you,

ag

Hi again Pete.

As no-one picks this ball of yours, I will:

don't bother with larger-format lenses on smaller cameras (either film or digital); unless you have a very special need (eg shift/tilt), lenses designed for a smaller image circle yield better resolution, smaller size, larger aperture, etc.

Hope this helps!

Alexandre (as in Alec, not Andre' ;) )

Hi Pete.

There is such a thing as an Adaptall-2 adapter for the Maxxum/Dynax (ref. K07-300). I doubt it will allow for autofocus, which is not paramount in macro work.

The Tamron 90/2.5, which has a great reputation, was recently superseded by a new f/2.8 "digital aware" design.

But the outstanding 100/2.8 macro Minolta lens is not at all the same as either, and was not manufactured by Tamron - to the best of my knowledge!

So I would only pick a Tamron+adapter combo if it were significantly cheaper than the Minolta AF equivalent (or if I needed lens mount interoperability).

Cheers,

ag

+1 for the Ultron. Brilliant pictures, nice enough build, at the lower end of your budget (including adapter) AND the only one faster than f/2.

(I haven't compared to the Summicron Asph myself but I can't imagine it being THAT much better.)

Get the old Minolta unless you cannot accept slow AF and 1.8 meter minimum focusing distance. Even wide open, this is one of the best zooms ever in the range. I am not familiar with the Sigma but I cannot imagine it is better. The newer white version only brings faster AF gearing, the glass is exactly the same.

<p>

Original Minolta teleconverters don't fit zooms. You may experiment with Kenkos.

<p>

You may want to visit <a href="http://www.mhohner.de/minolta/lenses.php?lang=e">this excellent page</a>.

<p>

By all means act quick, lest the seller reconsiders their offer!

I don't know about Cameraleather, but <a href="http://www.aki-asahi.com/store/">Aki Asahi</a>'s covers are about half their price. Quality is excellent, shipping takes less than a week, packaging is reminiscent of origami, and communications exquisite. And there seems to be lots of snake designs available.

<p>BTW, I love my 'new' yellow ostrich Kiev 4A!

Huw,

Coming from anyone other than you this would certainly be a hoax.

But then, this is from you. So what is your best estimate for the date of the first picture?

How long is the resulting shutter lag when you use flash (and therefore preflash) on a 7D?

If you can see the first flash through the viewfinder and then the mirror has to come up, the aperture has to come down and the shutter has to open, it must be quite significant. Way enough time for the subject to blink and/or run away.

I can't find any official Minolta info on that. Can anyone please help?

"Yes you can - Leica" :p

Thank you Stephen for this most refreshing post!

I almost bought one 'new old stock' then remembered the Leica Summilux-M 1.4/35, which is probably 1/10 of the size and 1/3 of the weigth... so I can't tell you.

OTOH, the Minolta 2/28 *is* pretty good.

<p>Joseph,

<br>I am afraid there has never been such thing as a Minolta 35mm f/3.5 reflex lens.<br>

<a href="http://members.aol.com/xkaes/mcrokkox.htm">http://members.aol.com/xkaes/mcrokkox.htm</a>

<p>Cheers, ag

<a href="http://www.leicagoodies.com/shade.html">Lutz Konermann's Shade</a> does help. (M6 rangefinder flare is not an urban legend - I also have a M2).

<p>So does the <a href="http://www.leica-camera.com/produkte/msystem/m6ttl/zubehoer/lupe/index_e.html">Leica Magnifier</a>. My personal Summilux 75 hit rate goes up when I have time to mount it!