Konica Minolta Maxxum 7D Digital SLR Camera In Review
If you're tired of cameras from Canon and Nikon, you may want to look into the Konica Minolta Maxxum series of cameras. In particular, in this article, we discuss the features of the Konica Minolta Maxxum 7D.
The Maxxum 7D is a midrange digital SLR that can incorporate optical image stabilization with any lens. It has an Anti-Shake system that is remarkable in that it can be utilized with all lenses and also has a well-organized control layout.
The Konica Minolta Maxxum 7D comes in a practical matte black, much like most typical DSLRs. While conventional, it still looks good with its angular design. The body is solid and well-crafted, made of a hybrid of magnesium-alloy and plastic. The grip is comfortably contoured and feels secure, and without a lens, the camera weighs about 30 ounces, only an ounce or two heavier than average for this class.
Similar to the Olympus Evolt E300, the Maxxum 7D dispenses with a separate status LCD and uses the camera's main LCD to display shooting settings, a design convention we've decided we like. On this Maxxum, the large 2.5-inch LCD has room to display more settings than a typical status LCD - including ISO, color mode, and image parameters, among others.
The optical system of the Konica Minolta Maxxum 7D has obviously been carefully thought out to enable one to take great photos. The digital camera comes with a 6.1 megapixel resolution and an Anti-Shake mechanism.
The Anti-Shake mechanism prevents image blur caused by camera movement. This mechanism is in the Maxxum 7D's body - it works by shifting the CCD - so it functions with all Konica Minolta autofocus (AF) lenses.
The Konica Minolta Maxxum 7D's advanced AF system includes nine focus points.You can leave all of them active and let the camera choose which to use from shot to shot or you can select the active point yourself. You can also set the camera to automatically switch to continuous or tracking AF operation if it detects subject movement.
The Maxxum 7D offers a broad range of exposure selections. These consist of all four standard exposure modes; three light-metering modes (14-segment honeycomb, center-weighted, and spot); ambient exposure compensation either in half-EV increments to plus or minus 3EV or in one-third-EV increments to plus or minus 2EV. The sensor's sensitivity can be set to auto or from ISO 100 to ISO 3,200 in 1EV increments.
Ok, now let's look at the user controls for the Konica Minolta Maxxum 7D. As should be the case with a serious shooter's camera, most important features are controlled via dedicated external buttons, rather than being buried in the menu system.
Exposure adjustments and some other shooting settings are controlled with thumb and forefinger command wheels. The white-balance control, a rotating switch surrounding a button that cleverly accesses numerous menu choices, is the quickest and most flexible I've seen.
Flash setting or ambient exposure compensation can be controlled with a dial on the camera's top left side, but can also be made using the forefinger wheel, which I found to be more proficient. Overall, control placement and operating efficiency on this camera are among the best I've seen on any DSLR.
The Konica Minolta 7D's advertised battery life is more or less sufficient for a full day's shooting. If a long battery life is very important for you, you can always pack along some extras - buy them at your local camera store.
The Minolta 7D stores your photos in CompactFlash Type I/II memory cards. You can also use a MicroDrive should you choose. Pictures are transferred easily from the camera to the PC with the USB 2.0 interface.
Of course there are some quirks I noticed in the Konica Minolta Maxxum 7D, and of course you want to know what they are. One such peeve is that the camera is slow to start-up. You are also restricted to one JPEG compression ratio in raw-plus-JPEG, and there is no way to avoid noise reduction processing in high ISO images.
I hope this review of the Konica Minolta Maxxum 7D has been helpful in your decisions on cameras. If you're looking for a respectable professional SLR camera to take shots with, then the Konica Minolta Maxxum 7D should be at or near the top of the list. Make sure before you open your pocketbook to do your homework first. With that in mind, see you at the store!
The Maxxum 7D is a midrange digital SLR that can incorporate optical image stabilization with any lens. It has an Anti-Shake system that is remarkable in that it can be utilized with all lenses and also has a well-organized control layout.
The Konica Minolta Maxxum 7D comes in a practical matte black, much like most typical DSLRs. While conventional, it still looks good with its angular design. The body is solid and well-crafted, made of a hybrid of magnesium-alloy and plastic. The grip is comfortably contoured and feels secure, and without a lens, the camera weighs about 30 ounces, only an ounce or two heavier than average for this class.
Similar to the Olympus Evolt E300, the Maxxum 7D dispenses with a separate status LCD and uses the camera's main LCD to display shooting settings, a design convention we've decided we like. On this Maxxum, the large 2.5-inch LCD has room to display more settings than a typical status LCD - including ISO, color mode, and image parameters, among others.
The optical system of the Konica Minolta Maxxum 7D has obviously been carefully thought out to enable one to take great photos. The digital camera comes with a 6.1 megapixel resolution and an Anti-Shake mechanism.
The Anti-Shake mechanism prevents image blur caused by camera movement. This mechanism is in the Maxxum 7D's body - it works by shifting the CCD - so it functions with all Konica Minolta autofocus (AF) lenses.
The Konica Minolta Maxxum 7D's advanced AF system includes nine focus points.You can leave all of them active and let the camera choose which to use from shot to shot or you can select the active point yourself. You can also set the camera to automatically switch to continuous or tracking AF operation if it detects subject movement.
The Maxxum 7D offers a broad range of exposure selections. These consist of all four standard exposure modes; three light-metering modes (14-segment honeycomb, center-weighted, and spot); ambient exposure compensation either in half-EV increments to plus or minus 3EV or in one-third-EV increments to plus or minus 2EV. The sensor's sensitivity can be set to auto or from ISO 100 to ISO 3,200 in 1EV increments.
Ok, now let's look at the user controls for the Konica Minolta Maxxum 7D. As should be the case with a serious shooter's camera, most important features are controlled via dedicated external buttons, rather than being buried in the menu system.
Exposure adjustments and some other shooting settings are controlled with thumb and forefinger command wheels. The white-balance control, a rotating switch surrounding a button that cleverly accesses numerous menu choices, is the quickest and most flexible I've seen.
Flash setting or ambient exposure compensation can be controlled with a dial on the camera's top left side, but can also be made using the forefinger wheel, which I found to be more proficient. Overall, control placement and operating efficiency on this camera are among the best I've seen on any DSLR.
The Konica Minolta 7D's advertised battery life is more or less sufficient for a full day's shooting. If a long battery life is very important for you, you can always pack along some extras - buy them at your local camera store.
The Minolta 7D stores your photos in CompactFlash Type I/II memory cards. You can also use a MicroDrive should you choose. Pictures are transferred easily from the camera to the PC with the USB 2.0 interface.
Of course there are some quirks I noticed in the Konica Minolta Maxxum 7D, and of course you want to know what they are. One such peeve is that the camera is slow to start-up. You are also restricted to one JPEG compression ratio in raw-plus-JPEG, and there is no way to avoid noise reduction processing in high ISO images.
I hope this review of the Konica Minolta Maxxum 7D has been helpful in your decisions on cameras. If you're looking for a respectable professional SLR camera to take shots with, then the Konica Minolta Maxxum 7D should be at or near the top of the list. Make sure before you open your pocketbook to do your homework first. With that in mind, see you at the store!
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