Pretty Pricey Camera :Looks Aren't Everything
Written: Jun 14 '00 (Updated Jun 23 '00)
|
Product Rating:
|
|
|
Pros: very light/ clear pictures
Cons: complex flash system/ small program buttons
|
|
|
| dotgirlj's Full Review: Konica Minolta Freedom Supreme EX 35mm Film Camera |
Almost 20 years ago for our fifth wedding anniversary my husband bought me a SLR (single lens reflex camera.) Nothing on it was automation, I had to set the aperture and it had a flash attachment, but the pictures that simple camera took were fantastic. But that camera died, and couldn't be fixed, so my husband tried to find a solution for this camera-less Mom. He bought me the Minolta Supreme Freedom Zoom.
"What a beauty," I thought as I took it out of the box. So small, very light, compact with a case and remote. Wow! My photos would be state of the art! Wrong!
This tiny camera is complex. It has a zillion features >exaggeration< that I have yet to learn how to use. Part of the problem is that I have misplaced the book, but the biggest problem is that the buttons on the top of it are so tiny I need glasses to see them. I only wear my glasses for reading so I don’t bother to make adjustments when I could.
The features are supposed to be: red-eye reduction, close-up, portrait, flash-less, date stamp settings, plus a few more. But to learn how to use them seems like a nuisance. An example of the problem with the camera's buttons is that when my battery died I took a while to replace it. Now the date is set in January. I have to find a tiny tool and wear my glasses to press the buttons to set it; they are almost as small as the buttons on a digital watch.
With these admissions of lazy owner learning, I still have one other complaint about the camera-- Its flash system. It is set up to flash once in-order to gauge the distance for the proper amount of light, then it will flash again when it takes the picture. Everyone thinks that after the camera flashes once that's it-- end of shoot. When taking staged photos I have to instruct my sitters, "Please don't move. The flash is a double flash." Everyone seems to complain about it, "Arghhh, not another?" With so many lights going off they feel as if they are giving 2 pictures for every 1 shoot.
Now, about the quality of the photos-- The close-up shots are clear and not cloudy upon enlargement. They reveal every detail of the face. Don't let anyone take a close-up of you after you've been up writing epinions all night! Eek! Normal, auto photos come out very nicely whether you use 200 or 400 film. But you have to watch that you don't put your fingers in front of the flash or you will ruin your pictures completely by creating out of focus shots.
Another thing I like about the camera is that it is so light I am not afraid to let my children ages 10 and 13 use it. They find it easy to load and focus. Their pictures come out on target and for the most part in-focus. I had to instruct them to wait for the second flash before moving the camera. We so mindlessly move out of focus range when the first flash blinks. But we are all learning.
All in all, I accept the camera, but I still have a lot to learn about how to use it creatively. With its many features the owner needs to take the time to learn how to use them properly. Sometimes, I long for the days of the old bulky SLR.
Recommended:
No
|
|
|
|
Epinions.com ID:
dotgirlj
|
|
Member: j
Location: Massachusetts
Reviews written: 23
Trusted by: 20 members
About Me:
mom, grandmom, teacher, artist, writer, my opinions reflect life, not just products ; )
|
|
|
- Add to My Yahoo!: 
- Add to Google Homepage: 
© 1999-2009 Shopping.com, Inc.