Konica Minolta MAXXUM 7xi; Dynax 7xi

I bought a Maxxum 7xi as a step up from the 3xi I bought ages ago. This camera served me very well during the latter part of my first b&w photography class and all through the second term. It's a great machine, delivering consistent images.

When I originally bought it, I had just the 2 'kit' lenses - the 35-70 and 75-200 f4.5 lenses. One I bought on eBay, the other came with the 3xi. The 7xi didn't come with a lens, so I used the 35-70 for a couple of weeks.

Then I scored. I found a 35-105 f3.5 lens at a local secondhand shop, complete with an A1 skylight filter and end cap. That lens was mated to my 7xi and is still there now, serving me well.

Vast array of existing lenses, well-designed and held its own in a class full of Nikon and Canon cameras. 20+ students and I had the only Maxxum.

No longer manufactured or supported. i hope it never breaks. Auto-flash wants to pop up at most inopportune times. Lenses have gotten expensive again since they work on Sony DSLRs.

Maxxum 3xi, Mamiya DTL 1000, Olympus OM-88

NA - Minolta won't help you, and Sony will tell you to buy a DSLR.

Bought this as a bargain was supposed to be faulty , turned out the batteries wered dead ( suprise ) I have owned 3 of these delightful cameras each was bought second hand , and each time I sold to go to different make, always came back. lovely metering always get skin tones just right, never under/overexposes, focus adequate for my use( weddings) solidly built, reliable. Better pictures than my friends canon a2

solid, great exposure meters (inc spot) clear and easy to use, great to use in A/P with flash no worries about results.can take anywhere with confidence

heavy on Batteries (small price to pay considerign everything else)

Minolts 7000i 9xi and now dynax 9

Never needed it

Five years ago the camera shop where i worked was a month from closing down when a customer strolled up to the counter wanting to sell his 7xi and lenses. Because of our situation the owner wasn't buying second-hand gear so i put in an offer myself and landed the camera, sigma 28-80, cobra 700af flash and an -admittedly v. cheap- 100-300 lens all for £130. Absolute bargain...or so i hoped- this would be the first SLR that i would own after tinkering with the stock for years! And i was not dissapointed- after five years of use its safe to say that the metering system is superb, delivering correct exposures in most circumstances; the camera is superbly built and extremely robust and the built-in flash is more than adequate for most occassions. The 7xi is pretty heavy albeit ergonomically sound. The viewfinder is bright with extremely clear readouts and the controls very intuitive. In common with most Minolta SLRs it aint the prettiest beast but you know you can rely on it to take some knocks. The AF is showing its age though, and whilst adequate for my purposes cannot live with more modern cameras in this department. The biggest demerit (as others have mentioned)is battery life. It is generally poor but also far from consistent- at the moment its been four or five rolls since i last changed the battery but once a battery only lasted ONE roll. And i KNOW i didnt leave the camera switched on in the bag- i use AF and flash pretty consistently too so im still at a loss to understand this aberration...having said that even five rolls is pretty poor albeit i get the batteries cheap (but not so cheap that it doesnt annoy me!) All-in-all a great camera- my best results came last year when i covered my brothers wedding in addition to the official (and expensive) photographer and numerous people commented that they preferred my shots or thought that they were just as good- kudos to the 7xi tho, cos for the most part i just left it on full auto and snapped away.

Superb metering,build quality, flash, ergonomics.

Focussing a little slow, battery life generally very poor. Lacks a few program modes.

Canon T-70, EOS 50.

Never used

I bought the camera new in 1994. I didnt part with it until Dec 2001, and then to buy more minoltas ! !I put this camera thru hundreds of rolls of film, and never had a misfire. Only glitch that finally showed up, was when you went to choose which AF sensor you wanted to use, it would only pick the bottom one, or all. Other than that, I loved it, great size, durable, accurate.

For its model, great AF, uses custom function cards that add a whole realm of possibilities to this camera that give it functions close to that of cameras 3 times the price. Holds up body wise, not prone to scratching or dust, was fairly easy on batteries.wireless flash is superb, and wont be found in other cameras in this price range

AF isnt great in low light, unless you have a strong flash on board. it is a more dated generation of cameras, no new ones made in years, so not much of a weakness, just give it a close look over before purchase.

Maxxum 9xi, 700si, 600si, Maxxum 7, maxxum 5, 500si

needed AF function switch worked on, sold before bothering.

I see numerous reviews with praise for its durability, but mine was 3 years old when I mailed it back to fix a shutter curtain that wouldn't close. When it was 5 years old when I discovered the aperture on my 28-80xi lens wouldn't stop down. A lens problem ,but nonetheless telling of minolta's build quality. It has gone with me into the Colorado Rockies numerous times; I guess babying it in my lap all those years wouldn't help an already frail design. I'm getting a Tamron 28-300 to upgrade this thing while I evaluate my next SLR purchase. At least Tamron does a full 6year warranty... And I'm buying a Nikon next!

Feels good to hold, ergonomically sound, well thought out overall design. Intuitive controls and 1 button turns it into a point and shoot when you need to hand it off to someone. Wireless flassh with 3500/5400.

Well built and durable?!? My 7xi must have been dropped on the floor and put back on the assembly line. 2 fixes for a shutter curtain and aperture problems. Program cards are ridiculous... I've always thought it a frail camera.

Canon, Nikon