If you’re burnt out on cameras from Canon and Nikon, take into consideration the Konica Minolta Maxxum series of cameras. The Konica Minolta Maxxum 7D features are under review in this article.
The Maxxum 7D is a midrange digital SLR that can apply optical image stabilization with any lens. It has an interesting and unique Anti-Shake system which works with all lenses and also has an efficient control layout. Let’s find out more.
The Konica Minolta Maxxum 7D is finished in a businesslike matte black - similar to most standard DSLRs. Its angular styling, although conventional, looks good. The body, a hybrid of magnesium-alloy and plastic, is sturdy and well crafted. The grip is nicely contoured and feels secure, and without a lens, the camera weighs about 30 ounces, which is 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 created by camera motion. This mechanism is built in the Maxxum 7D’s body and works by shifting the CCD. This enables it to function 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.
The user controls of the Konica Minolta Maxxum 7D are where they should be for the advanced photographer’s camera. The most significant features are controlled by means of dedicated external buttons, rather than being in the menu system itself.
Thumb and forefinger command wheels control exposure adjustments along with other shooter settings. The white-balance control consisting of a rotating switch surrounding a button that smartly accesses multiple menu choices is the fastest and most flexible to date.
You will find a dial on the camera’s top-left side for setting flash or ambient exposure compensation. The same adjustments can also be made using the forefinger wheel, which seems to be more efficient. As a whole, control position and operating efficiency on this camera are among the best 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 Nikon D70s allows your pictures to be stored in CompactFlash Type I/II memory cards cards. You can also use a MicroDrive if you wish. Pictures are easily transferred from the camera to the PC via the USB 2.0 interface.
There are only a few negatives to note in the Konica Minolta Maxxum 7D. First of all, the camera has a slow start-up. You are also limited to one JPEG compression ratio in raw-plus-JPEG, and there is no way to steer clear of 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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