Maxxum Takes Digital to the Max
Written: May 06 '06 (Updated May 07 '06)
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Pros: Full range of manual settings to tweak, solid 6.1 megapixel shots.
Cons: Autofocus can be quite uncooperative.
The Bottom Line: Though it's a solid piece of equipment, it definitely won't work for everyone. Fast-paced professionals should look past this one, even though the newer stuff is a bit more costly.
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| iamironman's Full Review: Konica Minolta Maxxum 7D / Dynax 7D Digital Camera |
I bought this camera mainly to take pictures of rally cars, which requires the camera to perform under a full range of conditions (light, distance, speed, etc.) My old Fuji Finepix S602 used to take care of the job, and I'm glad I upgraded to the Maxxum 7D - however, it may not be worth the money. My Minolta 5600 HS Flash, which cooperates fairly well with the camera, usually falls about one f-stop short of fully illuminating the shot. As digital cameras go, the approx. 3 shot per second multi-shot option is slow. The light meter is impressive, however, and has been able to handle everything from bright snow to night forest shots. I use battery packs that have an impressive life between charges. I can shoot a gigabyte of photos without having to worry about charging, especially when both battery bays are full. The large 2" LCD is helpful in displaying all of the current settings, of which there are many to tweak with (full manual vs. shutter priority vs. f-stop priority vs. full auto, multiple shot vs. single shot vs. 2 or 10 sec. delay, manual + or - flash, focus area options, ISO setting, the works.) The LCD will of course not show the current image being aimed at, as the camera is of the single-reflex lens type. It also rotates automatically to vertical when the camera is oriented that way, but that feature has limited actual handiness unless using a tripod. The digital magnification inherent in the camera is around 1.6, meaning that any lenses used must be multiplied by a factor of 1.6 for actual zoom. It's helpful for long-range shots, but can be annoying for wide-angle shots. The thing that turned me off about the camera was the problematic autofocus. Though the anit-shake system is helpful for slow shutter speeds, it doesn't offset the general faultiness I've encountered with getting sharp shots. Unless the target image has some contrast, it has trouble getting focused, alternating back and forth until it seems to choose its own place of focus. It is slow and ill-equipped to handle the movement of the cars I shoot. The focus also has bigger problems when a wide-angle lens is used, taking extra time to settle on a plane of focus. There is a setting allowing one to choose upper/lower, left/right, center areas of focus that is placed so that it often slips from "locked" to unlocked, and then the setting changes. That covers the major good things and gripes I've got, the rest is fairly standard, nothing worth mentioning. Let me know of there's something specific you'd like me to add to the review.
Recommended:
No
Amount Paid (US$): 1290.00
This Camera is a Good Choice if You Want Something... Flexible Enough for Enthusiasts
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Epinions.com ID:
iamironman
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Location: Earth
Reviews written: 4
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