Konica Minolta Vectis 40 APS Camera APS

Konica Minolta Vectis 40 APS Camera APS 

DESCRIPTION

Minolta’s top-of-the-line Vectis 40 is a high-performance zoom camera that offers a powerful 4x zoom lens (approx. 38-150mm in the conventional 35mm format) plus an extensive range of Advanced Photo System features. At home in any weather, the splashproof Vectis 40 is ideal for a wide variety of photographic subjects and can be used without worry in the rain or snow.

USER REVIEWS

Showing 1-10 of 23  
[Sep 23, 2007]
Pablo Andrino
Casual

Strength:

Ease of film & battery replacement.
Ease of use.
Has been a dependable camera to me.
Decent zoom.
Has some very nice features like landcape, portrait, etc.
Lets you know when the settings are right to take the shot.

Weakness:

APS film is somewhat difficult to find & expensive.
Developing APS film can get expensive. I now just tell the developer to place all of them on cd and not make prints.
It doesn't really like night pics of moving objects.
It will at times not allow you to take the shot if it doesn't think it'll be a "worth" it. It can be very fustrating, especially when you miss the shot because of it.

I've had this camera since 1998. I bought this camera due to it's features and ease of film handling. Apparently I have an anomaly for this camera. This camera has been fail proof since I bought it. Every feature works and exterior condition is the same as new (of course with slight nicks and scratches from normal use)
I enjoy the ease of film replacement and handling with the APS. It's rarely given me a bad picture. And I enjoy messing around the the different panaramic settings.
People are often very impressed with the pictures and usually ask what kind of camera was it. Battery life is pretty decent. For this being my first camera, I can't really complain. But knowing what I know now, with APS being nonexistant , I probrably would have bought a nice SLR for the same money.

OVERALL
RATING
4
VALUE
RATING
3
[Oct 26, 2003]
Bomberal
Casual

Strength:

Ease of use. Good flash results.

Weakness:

Photo quality of APS is inferior to 35mm. Battery door latch failed after 3 years. Total write off after 5 years when the shutter release failed

I purchased this camera new in 1998 and have used it continually for family and holiday pics with satisfactory results. Despite good care it has failed to stand up structurally and electronically. The battery cover broke after 3 years and the shutter release failed after 5. I could not recommend it to anyone on the basis that it has proved to be totally uneconomical with only a 5 year lifetime - I still have my SRT101 after 25+ years.

Customer Service

Minolta Australia are "anti-competition", they will not allow anyone else to do repairs on their APS cameras. They charge $110 just to quote (which is deducted from the repair if you accept their quote). They quoted $743 to repair my camera which is an insult to anyones intelligence. Surely they could simply say that it is "uneconomical to repair" and allow $110 discount from a new product. My next camera will definitely not be a Minolta unless they allow other repairers to compete with them.

Similar Products Used:

Previously Minolta SRT101 35mm

OVERALL
RATING
1
VALUE
RATING
1
[Jun 27, 2003]
Gixxer75024
Intermediate

Strength:

Great Zoom. Great Optics. Great Autofocus. Weatherproof. Many Features. Great camera!

Weakness:

It's a bit bulky for an APS camera. Very expensive retail price.

No, the price isn't a mistake. I've been working in the long's photo lab for a few years now, and never sold one of these things! Most people don't go to longs for a 400 dollar camera. We had a stack of about ten, so my manager said "ok, just go 40 bucks each." My jaw dropped, and all my friends and I have one. I don't know if it is worth the 400 dollars, but DEFINATELY worth the 40. It is a solid feeling camera, which is not too common in APS cameras. The zoom is VERY powerful for an APS camera as well. There are many people that aren't fans of the APS film, but for what it is meant for (simplicicy) it does a fantastic job. The autofocus on this camera semms great, as well as the sharpness of the pictures. Minolta says it's weatherproof, so I decided to take it rafting. It got splashed quite a bit, and still works great. I've seen lots of reviews of this camera not being reliable, but it has worked great for me so far, and it's been through a lot. Overall, I think it is a great camera to have in a collection, if you can find a good deal on one. Keep in mind this camera is a few years old now, and going and spending 400 dollars on it would be a waste of money. Still, I think it is the best APS camera around. The only worry I have is this....how much longer will APS film be around?

Customer Service

Haven't needed any.

Similar Products Used:

Probably every camera in the Olympus stylus line!

OVERALL
RATING
5
VALUE
RATING
2
[Aug 18, 2002]
Stan
Casual

Strength:

Ease of use Remote control Strong zoom Pretty much idiot proof

Weakness:

No lense cap

Only APS camera I've used. Of almost 2,000 pictures taken since February 1998, vast majority have been excellent. Those that were not were generally due to user error (should have used tripod; should have used fill flash; etc.). Most pictures of outdoors (Yosemite, Grand Canyon, Zion National Park, Bryce Canyon, Washington, DC monuments, various locations in France). Many photos of people. 5x7's very crisp. 8x10's acceptably crisp.

Customer Service

Problem with mid-roll change when first purchased. Corrected immediately. No problems since.

OVERALL
RATING
5
VALUE
RATING
5
[Feb 05, 2002]
DIANNE2001
Casual

Strength:

GREAT PICTURES AND SUPER EASYAND QUICK TO LOAD AND UNLOAD

Weakness:

NONE

I REALLY LIKE THIS CAMERA- I TAKE IT HORSEBACK RIDING AND IT GETS BUMPED AND JOLTED, NEVER HAD ANY MECHANICAL PROBLEMS AND MY PICTURES ARE GREAT. JUST A FUN AND EASY CAMERA TO HAVE AND USE.

Customer Service

N/A

Similar Products Used:

FIRST APS

OVERALL
RATING
5
VALUE
RATING
5
[Aug 10, 2000]
Richard Weber
Intermediate

Strength:

Excellant Lens Sharp with good contrast.
Ease of operation Available shooting modes

Weakness:

Large size

Have taken over two hundred rolls of film with this camera in all kinds of conditions. Never a problem. Pictures are exceptional for this format. Highly recommended. My wife will use nothing else and we have 6 differant cameras in 3 formats.

Customer Service

Never used

Similar Products Used:

None

OVERALL
RATING
5
VALUE
RATING
5
[Aug 06, 2000]
Paul Silva
Casual

Strength:

Portable and small considering the large zoom. Easy point and shoot without any difficulty. Don't listen to the previous reviews regarding the zoom, I feel the zoom is good. If I was a professional photographer maybe my opinion would be different, but this is a good little camera.

Weakness:

Be careful when opening the film drop, it may catch, but just be carefull and you will have no problems.

Good compact camera that most everyday people will enjoy with a powerful zoom.

Similar Products Used:

None

OVERALL
RATING
4
VALUE
RATING
4
[Jul 20, 2000]
Helen
Intermediate

Strength:

Easy to load
Simple to use
Clear viewfinder

Weakness:

Grainy results particularly in panoramic mode.
Loss of colour and contrast when using the zoom.

I bought this camera a week ago as I wanted a compact camera for holidays that was easier to carry than the trusty SLR, but the results are very disappointing. I would have expected far sharper photographs for this price tag.
Bottom Line.... It's going back to the store tomorrow, to be replaced by a Pentax!

Similar Products Used:

Olympus SLR
Kodak digital

OVERALL
RATING
1
VALUE
RATING
1
[Jun 30, 2000]
Brian Shiff
Casual
Model Reviewed: Vectis 40 APS Camera

Strength:

Zoom,APS, Mid-roll change

Weakness:

erratic picture quality

Bought this camera two years ago and have been unimpressed with the pictures. The focus is erratic and the pictures often come out grainy. It is also very hard to get good focus in the zoom modes.

Similar Products Used:

None

OVERALL
RATING
2
VALUE
RATING
3
[May 05, 2000]
Peter Bartley
Casual
Model Reviewed: Vectis 40 APS Camera

Strength:

Zoom

Weakness:

Build quality

Have owned this camera for 3 years+ and can honestly say that picture quality does not justify the price tag (though this could be down to variable standard of APS development in the UK).

Battery compartment catch broke easily on our Vectis-40. Final straw was zoom refused to operate over 60mm. Too expensive to fix, so Canon, here we come....

Customer Service

Expensive

Similar Products Used:

None

OVERALL
RATING
1
VALUE
RATING
1
Showing 1-10 of 23  

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