AF absolutely stunning. Couldn''t believe how much better it was, compared to the 700si''s already excellent AF.

Incompatibilities with some lenses.

After looking at all the other reviews here, it has been pretty much said. Just wanted to add my comments about one of THE best cameras I have ever used... What an outstanding piece of kit!

Customer Service

Not used

Similar Products Used:

Olympus OM101, OM4Ti, Dynax 7000i, 700si (still own).

So many

So few

I am in love with this camera. This camera feels so right. Very satisfied with the 24-105 D lens too. No need to repeat all the praise of the previous reviews or summarize it''s many many features. Looking for a great semi-pro SLR ? Buy the Dynax 7, you will not regret it ! For people in the Netherlands, EUR 1300 at Kamera Express (Capelle a/d IJssel) is a good price.

Customer Service

Never needed it.

Similar Products Used:

Canon EOS 300, Minolta 7000 AF

fast AF and right on--features galore--great balance and feel /w/ verical grip.

nothing I''ve come across yet.

I loved my 800si until I used one of my friends Maxxum 7. I had to buy one for myself...and I glad I did. The more I use it, the more I really enjoy it. The 800si will be a nice back-up camera now (probably collecting dust). I also tried the Canon EOS for a couple weeks, before deciding which one to buy... but for me personally, the Canon couldn''t compare to the 7 for features and feel. For the money, probably the best investment I''ve ever made.

Customer Service

not needed

Similar Products Used:

800si Canon EOS A2

Focussing Metering Ergonomics Viewfinder display The gameboy on the back (sometimes a godsend, sometimes a gimmick but I''m still glad its there) personal settings (x 3)

build - built in malaysia and feels a bit cheap without the VC7

Utterly brilliant. Superb metering & focussing. Just feels "right" in your hands. All of the useful functions are immediately available & fall easily to hand. The central cross pattern focussing point is a masterstroke (The only one I use actually). The VC7 grip makes it feel like a "real" camera, without it it feels a bit piddly for my large hands.

Customer Service

Excellent. The 7 hasn''t gone wrong but Minolta are always helpful with advice about kit, etc.

Similar Products Used:

7000, 7000i, 7xi, 5000, 500super, 9000, 800 (which I still use with the 7) canon av1, a1

Small, light weight, fast focus, ergonomicly practical, AE lock, program modes, digital display on back of camera.

View finder is not 100% of view. MLU is used in conjunction with the self-timer.

I now have used this camera for 1.5 years and I have run about 300 rolls of film through it. I have to say that this camera is the Best camera on the market period. I have and/or owned Canon and Nikon cameras and this one competes directly with them.
Looking for sturdy camera with fast auto focus, auto/manual switches that are ergonomically well placed. Most accurate metering and focusing I have ever used.
This camera with a Minolta Flash and Normal f1.7/50mm lens can do anything you want.
I own this camera with a Minolta AF 50mm/f1.4 lens, Tokina 28-70mm f2.8 lens, Tokina 80-200 f2.8 lens and I have taken the best photos of my 20 years of photography. Some very intellegent engineer who like photography made this camera because it auto rewinds film, has mirror lock-up (MLU), 35 custom features that you can change for your liking, such as auto rewind with a film leader left out of cartridge.
Auto-focus off of nine focus points that are in effecient positions on the screen. This is one of the best investments in photography you can make next to a great lens.

Customer Service

Never used.

Similar Products Used:

Canon EOS, Nikon F100, F80, FM2A, Minolta X-700, XD11

Great AF, the best I''ve ever had in a camera, even in low light conditions. Great ease of use, wonderful design.

Ridiculous power drains and shorts. The battery compartment and contacts have been replaced. I''m giving it one more chance.

The camera has great AF, good design and ease of use. When it works, it''s the best camera I''ve ever owned. The problem is I have had it in for repairs twice in the first year. Both times the problems were power-related. It was eating up a set of batteries every four or five rolls and I average shooting 8-10 rolls per week. Even with the VC-7 grip, it would short-out and give me a "replace battery" message, even with new batteries. It would then refuse to come back on, sometimes for a day or so. If the temperature dropped below 50 degrees Fahrenheit, it wouldn''t work. That made shooting in some hockey arenas impossible. I hope it''s repaired properly this time because I like the camera otherwise.

Customer Service

Minolta customer service has been friendly but it took more than three weeks to repair the first time. I wish they were quicker because I need the camera for my job.

Similar Products Used:

Maxxum 7000, Maxxum 5

1. Ergonomics!!! Almost every button is placed perfectly so you can get to it without taking your eye off the action. The camera feels great in my hand, it balances perfectly with both lenses I have. The weight is just perfect; if it were any lighter, it would be too light, if it were any heavier, it would be too heavy. The size is also perfect, great for anyone with tiny hands or huge hands, although my pinky falls off if I stretch out my hand, the VC-7 grip will help with that. The only buttons I have trouble with are the flash switch, that I only have had to use maybe 2 times, and the AF/MF button is a little hard to get used to, I have to use the tip of my finger to get at it quickly, but its not a major problem at all. 2. The LCD is incredible; I certainly hope other camera manufactures use the idea too! Everything is very easy to see at a glance and is great for looking up past shots, exposure information, DOF, or anything else! One of my favorite things is the exposure reading, just hit the display and AEL button and it will tell you what the honey-comb metering is doing, it is so helpful, especially for any beginner! The Data-saving is awesome!!! I love just hitting a few buttons and looking at past shots, it helps a lot to see why something didn't come out the way you wanted. 3. Features!!!!!!! Wow, if I listed everything this page would be very long. The 4 fps is awesome, although I have only used it once, but the camera focused perfectly on my dog running towards me. I also really like easily switching between Spot, Honeycomb, and CW metering, it's really easy, although I usually keep it on spot. The DOF preview button is great; I use it more than the shutter! STF mode is very neat and I have used it many times (it will be used more when the flowers start blooming!) with great results! Mirror-lockup is great, although I don't have a macro or telephoto, so I am not using it yet. One thing that just astounded me was the AEB!!! I love being able to see exactly what the camera is going to take; it is so helpful!!!! The 3 memory settings are very helpful, I use #3 for STF, #1 for manual flash shots for basket-ball, and #2 is still empty. 4. The AF is also amazing! I love just hitting a button and having a different focusing point work. The AF is very fast and works great in low light; the AF assist light also makes this extremely easy and FAST! DMF is also a great feature; once the focus is locked, I can instantly use manual focus. I have used the Continuous for basket ball, and have found it very accurate, I think I only missed one shot cause AF was too slow (and this was in a dim gym), other wise I use DMF. 5. The Built-in Flash is very easy to use and recharges very quickly. The red-eye reduction mode takes an extra 1/2 - 2 seconds to take the picture, so don't use it for action shots. In addition, the flash is too close to the lens axis to avoid red eye in most portraits, but that is completely normal. I haven't used the wireless mode yet, but it looks VERY promising! 6. Viewfinder!!! The viewfinder on the camera is absolutely amazing!!! Everything is nice, large, and easy to see. I wish it had 100%, but no camera in its class does. It also has the best, .80x, magnification of any AF SLR!!!!! I love the exposure scale; it lets you instantly compare results when using AEL. In addition, AF confirmation is great! I don't use the Diopter, although once I did cause my contacts weren't working, it helped then, but it was only for one shot. I also like the Maxxum accessory line-up. . The Maxxum flash system is probably the best, the 5600HSD and 3600HSD look like awesome flashes! The unique Wireless HSS is very intriguing, and I will probably use it a few times! Also, ADI is amazing, I haven't gotten one bad flash exposure! The lens line up is lacking, I wish IS/USM lenses would be made, along with new D lenses, they are also lacking TS lenses, that almost no one uses, and a few other specialty lenses, nothing major. Although, the lenses they do have are awesome. I have heard the 100-300 APO lens is the best in its league!

There are definitely few weaknesses on the camera. I think the largest is the Maxxum lens line up, I would have to say if you need long telephoto, then Canon might be better, IS lenses are amazing! Otherwise, the only few weaknesses I can see are a few buttons that could be a tad bigger, that’s all!

Wow, what else can I say! I love this camera so much! After dreaming about it and reading everything about the camera for over 3 months my parents decided to get me the camera for my birthday, I paid for a 50mm 1.7 and Sigma 24-70 2.8 D lens. The most amazing thing on the camera is the great feel and intuitive interface! I didn’t have to read the manual for anything, well, except for memory settings, but that’s it! It takes no time at all to be using the camera like you’ve had it for 3 years! The LCD display is also extremely helpful and completely amazing! I don’t know what I would do without the data-saving feature!

Customer Service

Haven''t had to use, and hopefully never will.

Similar Products Used:

I now have the 50mm 1.7 and Sigma 24-70 2.8 D lens. I plan on getting a 70-210 F4 and 3600HSD flash soon for year book. The only other camera I have used is my Pentax ZX-M with a few lenses, I used

Price/Value Features Size, feel, weight & balance

Not weatherproof

Fantastic camera! This is by far the most bang for the buck. I''m still learning the capabilities of this feature packed camera. I recently switched from the 7xi and it''s expansion card system. This camera has most of those cards built into it.

Customer Service

Not needed yet

Similar Products Used:

Maxxum 7xi Maxxum 7000

Super-fast autofocus, flash compensation, rear curtain sync, wireless flash, ADI flash, PC sync, Exposure record for 7 rolls, vertical grip with most of the controls.

None.

"Fast & Ergonomic" are the words I would use to describe this camera. Fast autofocus, fast to set compensation, fast to change mode, fast to do mid-roll change. However, the best about this camera is the firm and confident feel when holding it. Other companies should have learned from Minolta. Although there is so much electronics, the main interface is so simple and straight forward - Dials with markings and seperate buttons for different functions.

Customer Service

Do not know. I have never needed any service for my Minolta cameras.

Similar Products Used:

Nikon FE2, Minolta XG, Minolta XTSi

super fast af,great viewfinder, good metering, i love the huge display, tons of other goodies, too much to mention

untill now i couldn''t find any...

This is my first af slr, i think it is extremely fast and accurate. i tried the nikon f100 and the canon eos 3, they are great but for the price you get a lot more with the dynax 7. it is a joy to work with, i''m really glad i got it...

Customer Service

haven''t used it yet, i wouldn''t know...

Similar Products Used:

minolta xe-7, tryed nikon f100, canon eos 3