Description: The Maxxum 800si gives you greater freedom of expression than ever before. With a wide selection of custom functions, including improved memory capacity, you can personalize camera operations to shoot your own shooting style, then make delicate adjustments based on specific conditions. The 800si truly becomes your camera, with a unique combination of precision, power, and performance.
Summary: This is my second review of this camera and some months later my views are endorsed with even more confidence.Metering is superb and the prices are tumbling on e-bay,I saw a mint boxed one go recently for £147 GBP crazy I know but its a buyers dream out there.I recently visited an air show and was dubious about trusting cameras metering of a small dark object against a very bright sky,I had a lapse of faith and set camera to 1 stop over and left it set at that,most shots were a-ok but I was equally surprised that some were slightly overexposed,did not need that extra stop,great stuff,especially the awesome B-52 probably due to its size and had metered perfectly.So I do believe this camera can be trusted for even the pinnacle of tricky shots.I made comment in my last review that switching from manual to auto focus and vice-versa was not easy,I take that back,it was me being clumsy and now I am used to camera it is a doddle.I was also a bit annoyed that a focus point icon could not be left on view so the user could see where one was,again this can be done,I have decided to read the destructions properly practised for hours and made a point of memorising all I can and will still recommend this camera to even a beginner,it is a dream to use and I will never go back to Canon--but READ instruction book-ok!!
Strengths: great feel-uncannily acurate metering,very fast autofocus
Summary: Bought this brilliant camera on ebay for a really low price and this is immediatly its strength. It is the bigger brother of a 700si and i swapped it because the use of the chipcard were annoying me bigtime. That was the main reason. The better internal flash and memory functions are also nice of course. But in a sense it isn't that much better than a 700si.
When your budget isn't that big, BUY A MINOLTA 2nd hand. You get the best bang for a buck (also the lenses). In my eyes better than the dynax 5, 505si, 7xi. And if you like the ergonomics and care less about the extra features it is equal to a dynax 7 (except af).
When you compare it to a lowerclass canon eos 300, it outperformance on every front... but the higher class canon camera's are still better.
The
Strengths: - Price / Quality
- Semi professional camera
- 14 Point honey comb metering is spot on
- Memory functions
- Ergonomics
- Internal powerfull flash
Weaknesses: - Plastic
- AF isn't like a canon/nikon toprange
- No mirror lock up
- Not that much better than a cheaper 700si
Similar Products Used: Minolta 7000AF, 7000I, 5xi, 700si, 800si, canon eos 300
Summary: I bought this camera as a kit on e-bay.The camera came with the Minolta 24-85 zoom and the battery grip,postage paid it cost me £300 GBP .I possibly could have got it for a little bit less had I bought the items seperate,but could not be bothered with three auctions and this was the exact kit I wanted.I was amazed at the quality of the camera,how quiet the shutter was and how blistering fast is the autofocus,and there are so many buttons etc, its a fiddlers dream.The exposure is always spot on and so uncannily acurate,even in strong backlit situations.Its a nice chunky camera to hold so you always feel confident with it sitting in your hand,which to me is a major plus.Now to the lens,I did have before this camera a Minolta Dynax 7 with the 24-105 D zoom until it was stolen,and believe me this 24-85 zoom is light years ahead of that lens on quality.I have compared some shots I took and the difference is so noticable.Also to me,the camera is also way ahead of the Dynax 7. I always thought that the knobs and buttons and sliding switches were far too messy to use,the cluttered choice of all those focus points,the silly Gameboy on the back,which for the most part I never used.To me the 800 si has got to be one of Minoltas finest cameras ever made,whilst the Dynax 7 should go down as the most expensive toy they made.I know this review is about the 800 si but comparisons do help make a point on the strengths of the 800 si.Go out and buy one if you are thinking about it,they are so cheap at the moment,in fact the second hand price of all Minolta cameras are that cheap it`s almost criminal,also included in that comment are the second hand price of the lenses,rock bottom,and I almost feel sorry for anyone selling Minolta gear that they purchased from new.Its an absolute class act camera to use.
Strengths: Fast autofocus,extremely accurate metering systems.14 segment matrix,centre weighted,and good old spot.Superb built-in flash.Heavy and solid feel.
Weaknesses: If I had to pick something that could be construed as a weakness,it would be the auto to manual focus button which is,at times slow to react.
Similar Products Used: Dynax 7
Customer Service: never needed it---but Minolta Uk sent me a crummy photostat copy of the instructions for the VC-7 grip when I had the Dynax 7 and charged me a horrific £7 for two pages.
Summary: This is my second review for Minolta 800si.
Recently I bought this camera with me to an overseas trip to UK, Singapore and Indonesia.
I am quite surprise with the waterproofness of the camera when I drop my camera into the soft snow when I fall and having have to dig it out... After wipe down with my shirt, everything works as usual.
This camera work like a dream, I have used Internal flash with Minolta 20mm f2.8 lens without having any shadow on the bottom half of the picture... Probably this is due to the position of the flash (higher than normal).
Strengths: Reliability
Rugged enough
Work under 0 degree or over 35 degree without any problem.
Other--please see my other review
Weaknesses: Small button on the flap could be hard to press when you have gloves on.
Summary: The metering is dead on, the AF is fast and smooth, and it just feels GREAT in my hands (with VC-700 Vertical Grip).
I use the 800si (I have three bodies, all with vertical grips) for weddings, sports (action, not "team photos"), and anything else that I feel like shooting.
Strengths: Ergonomics! I like the placement of the controls and I also LIKE the little control pannel behind the door. The OCCASIONAL inconvenience of this MORE than makes up for the CONSTANT threat of buttons getting "bumped" and settings getting inadvertantly changed.
VERY bright built in flash, but useless for my purposes. I almost NEVER have a lens mounted that I can use it with (body 1 has a 70-210 f2.8 mounted, body 2 has a 28-70mm f2.8 (77mm accross, causes a big shadow in bottom of frame), and body 3 is usualy in a waist pack with a body cap. I have a pair of Minolta 5400HS flashes so this is not a big issue.
Weaknesses: At a maximum drive speed of three frames per second, I do miss my 7xi when I am shooting football (it was a 4 fps drive). However the vertical grip, improved metering, ABSENCE of "chip cards," ability to run on AA batteries (w/ vertical grip), and other items MORE than make up for this.
Similar Products Used: Minolta Maxxum 7xi
Customer Service: I haven't had any problems. Oh, great, NOW I've "jinxed" it!!!
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