Strong feature set, light weight, good value for money
Written: Feb 21 '04
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Pros: Strong feature set from beginner to semi-pro, light to carry, value for money.
Cons: No mirror lockup or flash sync connector.
The Bottom Line: Strongly recommended for pretty much any purpose, possibly excepting some highly specialised requirements.
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| paddles_sydney's Full Review: Konica Minolta Dynax 5 35mm Film Camera |
The Maxxum 5 (Dynax 5 for us non-Americans) is quite simply a great camera for the price. It features pretty much everything you could want to progress from beginner to advanced enthusiast or semi-professional, without the price tag of a pro camera.
Beginners can work with auto-focus and auto-exposure (including five picture modes), more advanced photographers can move to manual focus, aperture/shutter priority, ISO film speed override, exposure compensation (up to 3 stops), auto exposure bracketing, spot metering, depth-of-field preview and multiple-exposure (unlimited exposures, not limited to nine like some brands). The AF gunsight has seven spots (individually selectable if required) laid out in roughly a hexagon - more suitable for "rule-of-thirds" composition than the horizontal/vertical gunsights offered by some other brands.
The controls are pretty easy to use, with most of the functions (beside common ones like AF/MF) being selectable by using a function wheel, rather than having an individual button for every single function.
The camera works well with all Minolta's AF lenses and can make use of the special features of Minolta's D lenses and flashes; it also works well with Tamron lenses. There are fourteen custom functions that allow you to change the way the camera behaves (e.g. leave film leader out on rewind).
The auto-focus is a reasonable speed (certainly faster than the lower models in the Dynax/Maxxum range), quieter than some earlier models but still maybe a little loud for my liking. The automatic exposure tends to work well in most situations (except in the case of strong backlighting, although that's pretty common).
The body is quite light - some people find it a little too light or plasticy but I haven't had any problems with it. People with very large hands might find it a little too small to be comfortable.
The main features that are missing but would be beneficial are mirror-lockup, flash sync connection (I think you have to get an adaptor that sits on the shoe) and a backlight for the control screen (when working in dark conditions), and I'm pretty sure you can't get a vertical control grip for the camera either. And obviously it doesn't feature some of the options of higher-range models like all-metal body, tropicalisation and so on (but it doesn't have the weight and price-tag these cost either!).
Overall it's a good camera suitable for most purposes. It doesn't have the high-speed motor drive that a top-end Canon would carry for professional sports shooters, but if you were looking for a top-end specialist camera with a top-end price tag you wouldn't be reading this review, right? As far as I can tell, the Maxxum/Dynax 5, like many Minolta cameras, has a better price for the same capabilities than you'd get with Canon or Nikon.
Recommended:
Yes
Amount Paid (US$): 500
This Camera is a Good Choice if You Want Something... Flexible Enough for Enthusiasts
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Epinions.com ID:
paddles_sydney
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