p.1 #1 · Minolta Maxxum 7D... Special or Forgettable?
While I used a Maxxum film camera, I had given it up long before Minolta made a run at DSLRs, so it wasn't until after Sony devoured Minolta that I picked up the mount again. I never used the 7D, and never really thought about until a friend of a friend mentioned that, at ISO 100, he felt the APS-C sized CCD in the 7D was something so special in regards to OOC sharpness and color that he's considering buying another one to use when resolution isn't that important.
Have you used or are you currently using a 7D? What's your take on the camera?
p.1 #2 · Minolta Maxxum 7D... Special or Forgettable?
hehe, that was my first serious camera :-).
Dropped iton a solid concrete floor after a year
Can't comment one the sensor though, as i was a n00b at that time.
p.1 #3 · Minolta Maxxum 7D... Special or Forgettable?
Not to be insensitive, Phillip, but it sounds like you were asking for trouble, trying to hold on to the camera for a whole year. Your fingers were bound to cramp eventually.
I know what you mean about being a n00b at the time. When people ask about the original Canon Rebel or 20D I started with in digital, I always feel like I should be saying, "They were great because I didn't know any better."
p.1 #4 · Minolta Maxxum 7D... Special or Forgettable?
Probably the best camera made with that Sony 6MP CCD. That said, completely forgettable by todays standards. Slow, flaky (prone to 'first shot black problems'), lousy viewfinder, bad AF, low battery life.
The colour is nice, and like most of the 6MP bodies it had great per-pixel sharpness which made 100% viewing look good. But the Sony A700 simply destroyed it in all regards in actual usage, both in terms of IQ and handling & performance.
p.1 #5 · Minolta Maxxum 7D... Special or Forgettable?
I had one. Kind of slow but the ergonomics, control layout, etc., was memorable. It had some easier to use features than some of the other cameras. I liked the simple auto mirror lock-up on shutter release push on 2 second timer (IIRC) and there were several other features (bracketing?) that I liked the way they were implemented better than on the D200 I replaced it with. If you aren't going to make prints larger than 8x10/8x12 or so or are sticking to on screen viewing, and don't need faster than 3 fps, you might enjoy it. But it isn't comparable in too many ways to current generation cameras.
p.1 #6 · Minolta Maxxum 7D... Special or Forgettable?
Actually it is quite comparable. But it depends on user.
SOOC (downsized with regular stuff)
I think I have a bit too much contrast dialed (I never bothered with JPGs in any camera). Might do some comparsion with less random stuff involved. And WB is off (with 7D its almost always off, but when its right, its pretty amazing).
JPGs are saved with 99% quality and 4:4:4. Which means pretty much 100%. Except that SOOC, thats simply highest camera can do.
Few of my less than terrible pics taken with it..
(KM-7D doesnt like bright lights, prone to do artifacts on light sources edges)
(quite a bit of shadow lifted and really different WB than original)
Positive - solid build, nice OVF (compared to lets say D200, or clone which I have), close to perfect ergonomics (you really dont need to spend much time in menu), easy to understand and setup, built-in stabilisation suprisingly works (better than I expected), pretty fast AF with SSM lens and 1.4 - 2.8 ones, very nice colors which cover whole sRGB color space I think, its quite apparent in blue part of spectrum, pretty good AA filter.
Neutral - stainless steel body = heavy
Negative - might be slower for some, its ok for me, not good AF with slower lens (f3.5 and less), noisy on higher ISO (not suprising eh?), limited DR (for me), you must shoot JPGs or you wont see any pics in review (Im pretty sure histogram aint RAW).
What really bugged me is that allergy to bright spots of light, limited DR and tendency, due built-in IS, to shoot stuff tilted against OVF (guess that apply to every similar system). Flaky AF and AWB. Otherwise, its fine old camera.
I didnt have issue with battery, probably cause I have grip which holds two and it takes way longer than I shoot to fully exhaust them. Yea it has quite nice battery grip which duplicates quite a bit of controls (something Sony does until today). Very comfortable to hold camera.
And certainly less annoying and quirky than my current S5 Pro.
I would say that if someone takes time (and maybe uses better lens than I do), it can produce pretty good photos.. certainly colors can be way nicer than many today cams. I sorta like colors quite a bit, which is why I have what I have.
p.1 #7 · Minolta Maxxum 7D... Special or Forgettable?
That was the camera that I had when I made the switch to digital. LOVED the ergonomics and controls. I don't recall the sensor being anything that special. It did the job and was good at base ISO but the dynamic range and performance above ISO400 can't come near today's cameras. I ended up switching to Nikon after the 7D and haven't looked back but it was a special camera; more because of the controls and ergo than the sensor though.
p.1 #8 · Minolta Maxxum 7D... Special or Forgettable?
Thanks for the info and opinions, guys. I appreciate it. And thanks, Mescalamba, for the samples. I appreciate it. If i were still shooting a 20D, I'd probably switch. But this thread wasn't about talking me into or out of trying the camera. I was just curious to see if the acquaintance was waxing nostalgic over a camera of there was actually something there that could hold up to more modern standards.
p.1 #9 · Minolta Maxxum 7D... Special or Forgettable?
That name is certainly a blast from the past! Haven't thought of mine in forever. I don't have mine anymore (stolen) but I remember it as being very nice in the hand and a delight to use. No the sensor can touch what today's latest will do (coupled with current processors), but - and I'm going to get labeled as a Luddite here - one could live quite well with just the 7D assuming you accepted its limitation. So no, not forgettable at all.
p.1 #10 · Minolta Maxxum 7D... Special or Forgettable?
The Minolta 7d ergonomics (layout and multitude of controls that are adjustable by touch while looking through the viewfinder) and it's SOOC jpeg colour are and still today special. take a look at the lens sample database on dyxum for the images posted 2007 and earlier. something about the colour is just special. and at 6mp, it literally made every lens like a razor blade in terms of per-pixel sharpness. for real.
but everything else that everyone else said: viewfinder, AF, high ISO noise, makes it not practical by today's standards.
p.1 #11 · Minolta Maxxum 7D... Special or Forgettable?
That was my first DSLR, coming from Minolta film system. I loved the ergonomics and have many fond memories of that camera but the whole system was lacking. A lot of people talk about the colors, but I actually liked the colors from Canon better (plus gobs and gobs of lenses) so I switched to the 30D and went from there.
But it depends on user.
