This camera is a real sleeper. I have compared it to the new models in it's lineage and to some of the hot 7-8 megapixel cameras. I think the APO lens on this camera is the reason that it still competes w/ cameras w/ 2 or 3 more megapixels. If you can get one of these, I would suggest you do.
Strengths:
excellent APO lens, there is no CA on this lens! The understated Minolta colors. The camera has every bell and whistle you can think of.
Weaknesses:
The only weakness, and I don't really think it is, is the 5 megapixel ccd sensor . The 7x APO zoom more than compensates for the reduced resolution. No anti shake.
I want to start this off by stating that I do not agree with the retroactive renaming of a company's products simply because of a merger. I don't care how big the two manufacturers in question are.
That aside I have had my 7i for just under a year and even though I feel like it is less camera than I need for what it is, and was at the time it was first released, the best camera in its class. I have created my best images with this camera, and it has naver let me down. It is a bit power hungry, and you do have to watch the focus, but if you are looking at cameras in this class you will find no better.
If you are a pro, or advanced beyond camers such as rebel's or N80's then you need to be looking at actual digital slr's. This will not provide the quality, versitality, or feel of a true slr. Believe me I have found that out coming from the use of a minolta Maxxum 7, and the canon elan series. But if you are an amature looking for a good camera at agood price that will give you the best results in an easy enough to use format than this is the camera for you.
All of the images here were shot with my 7i.
http:\\www.freewebs.com/digitaljc
Strengths:
*A whopping 5.2 megapixels (first non-interchangable lens 5 meg. camera).
*28-200mm 2.8 (fast) apo lens with macro setting at wide and narrow focal lengths.
*Built in orcid lens hood.
*Bright lcd, and very bright 100% field of view EVF (personally I like and dislike this one, and at different times i see is as a weakness or just as what it is.)
*Size, weight, and duribility.
Weaknesses:
*No sync port for external flash packs.
*small buffer size means long wait between shots in RAW or TIFF.
*Battery comsumption.
There is more that i could include here but the truth is that one must fly the pane for himeself before he knows how well it handles. This is a good camera but not perfect, as non are.
Similar Products Used:
Minolta Maxxum7, Canon A60, Used but not owned Fuji finepix S2 pro, and Canon 10D, (If you have to go for one of the two of those and you are not a portrait photographer go for the 10D)
Rating Reviewed by: Lee Lucia(Unregistered User)
(Professional)
Review Date December 4, 2003
Overall Rating 1 of 5
Value Rating 1 of 5
Used product for 11-20 years
Visitors rate this review 5.00 of 5,
1 votes
Review 3 of 23
Price Paid:
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Summary:
As a professional photographer I am very disappointed with this camera. Although the features touted in the spec sheet and brochures were impressive, the primary problem with the camera is that it is very unreliable in achieving correct focus in pretty much any situation. The focus indicator will show it is "locked" even when it is not in focus. My camera will not have a sharp image even when it is set to infinity. The only way to achieve a semblance of correct focus is to use a Siemens star chart with it which is a pain. The viewfinder is not good enough to be able to use to check focus. I have used Minolta cameras for years and been very happy but this one is a huge disappointment.
Strengths:
Controls are easy to use, manual is excellent, exposure is pretty accurate
Weaknesses:
Terrible autofocus, viewfinder image unusable for focusing, eats batteries, cannot go above F8 when connected to PCT-100 (external PC cord adaptor) which is not good for some studio work, edges of lens can be seen when zoomed out completely
This was my first digital camera ever. Actually my first camera at all. I spent a lot of time researching before buying, and it got pretty good reviews. So I saved money and placed an order for this one and a 1GB IBM microdrive, one year ago. The camera is marketed as an slr-like, and that's exactly what it is. It got a _lot_ of features you normally only find on SLR-cams which costs twice of this one. I've taken quite some good shots with it, but eventually I grew tired of it. I have now sold it, waiting for a true SLR. I also think battery-time is decent. I can reap 200 shots without flash with it. That means on two set's of batteries I can ~ fill a 1GB microdrive.
Strengths:
A lot of manuall control! You can control the shutter/aparture, bracketing, spot-metering, you name it. Shutter-times from 1/2000 (they claim 1/4000 in auto, but I don't believe them. Heck, shoot at the sun in full auto, wide-open, and it still uses 1/2000) to 30secs (in bulb). Great resolution. It got a decent zoom-objective, spanding from 28-200mm. The feel is good, and you can tilt the viewfiender. By the way, did I mention that you can control nearly everything on this camera? :-P
Another great feature is the ability to shoot a series of pictures. I got 17 in a series on my IBM Microdrive. On a 24x Lexar card I got 30+ in a series.
Weaknesses:
A fair amount of noise, specially in blue heavens. Soft wide open. Terrible low-light focusing. It just hunts and hunts until giving up. The viewfinder is only usefull for composing a shot when there's to much sunlight to use the LCD. It's _NOT_ and I repeat _NOT_ usable to check for proper focus when in manual. Manuel focusing is a wild guess. You try to determine the length to your subject, make the correct adjustment, fire and hope for the best! It doesn't even come remotly close to an optical viewfiender. When the autofocus also isn't very great, be prepared for a lot of unsharp pictures. By the way: sometimes (quite often frankly) the camera indicates a focus-lock, and it's totally off. Even though there's nothing between the lens and the subject that could have taken the focus.
ISO-anything-higher-than-100 is noisy. But that's normal for cameras with ccd-chips with the same physical size I guess. Even on ISO-100 you will pick up more noise than I like in blue heavens and dark shadows.
The flash is very prone to red-eyes. But that's also normal for built-ins I guess. Never bought an ext. flash. Thought of it, but came to the conclusion that I was better off selling the cam
I do not like to return things, but had to return this camera. I shoot 98% success rate with my Canon EOS3.I've done a few weddings and lots of personal photos. With this camera, out of apprx. 20 shots of my son and cats, only 2 of them were not blinking due to the camera's pre-flash. I bought the top of the line external flash for it, but still had the same problem. Also it really gobbles he battery up.
Strengths:
beautiful shots- might've been ok if I wasn't shooting mostly people shots.
Customer Service:
B&H was great. I had never returned anything to them prior. They are a great store!
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