Konica Minolta Maxxum 7D / Dynax 7D

Pros: Inexpensive for value, lots of lenses/accessories, powerful features, Flat-out WORKS

Cons: No successor yet produced, becoming somewhat rare.

The Bottom Line: Ideal all-around high quality camera. Vastly superior for money to other makes. I do wish higher MP count was available for special situations.

Review: My first SLR was the first Minolta auto focus SLR, the Maxxum 7000. My second SLR, as it turns out, is the first of Minolta's Digital SLRs, and sadly, appeared at the end of this brand in the marketplace. Now that I had had the Maxxum 7D for a while, I ...

Pros: photographer-friendliness, solidity, antishake for all lenses, huge LCD, fast operation, good resolution, low noise

Cons: relatively small buffer, limited burst rate, fastest sync speed only 1/160s with built-in flash

The Bottom Line: This is a camera for those who demand that technology serve their needs and not get in their way.

Review: Size, Shape & Weight This camera is almost perfectly sized for average male hands, the only exception being the hand-grip, which could be a bit deeper. The overall shape resembles that of its 35mm bro, the award-winning ...

Pros: Body integral anti-shake Great interface Big LCD Fast autofocus

Cons: Problems with flash exposure

The Bottom Line: This is a great camera for Minolta's first digital SLR. If you already have a Minolta system (dedicated flash, lenses, etc.), get this camera. If not, still seriously consider it.

Review: The Konica Minolta Maxxum 7D is a digital SLR (DSLR) which is built on Minolta's Maxxum 7 body. It has an APS-size CCD as its image sensor which crops an image by 1.5X in comparison with its 35mm film counterpart. The 7D has a large, high-resolution LCD, ...

Pros: Ergonomic controls, ease of use, good viewer, large screen, anti-shake built into camera body

Cons: APS-sized sensor.

Review: Extremely well designed camera, with features beyond those found on competing models. The first AS (anti-shake) system (built into the camera body) will save on lens costs: you don't have to pay over again for each "IS" lens. You get the feature even ...

Pros: Anti-shake. Exceptionally good handling, large LCD, unique design philosophy.

Cons: In-camera sharpening is not the best. Mediocre kit lens.

The Bottom Line: Antishake and handling are wonderful, but photos need sharpening to bring out maximum detail. Antishake falls short of advertised 2-3 stops (only 1.5 stops).

Review: This camera is uniquely innovative, but also has quirks that may turn off customers who aren't already loyal to Minolta. The analogy to the Apple Macintosh is very apt. Like the Apple Macintosh, the 7D paradoxically combines some of the industry's most ...

Pros: Full range of manual settings to tweak, solid 6.1 megapixel shots.

Cons: Autofocus can be quite uncooperative.

The Bottom Line: Though it's a solid piece of equipment, it definitely won't work for everyone. Fast-paced professionals should look past this one, even though the newer stuff is a bit more costly.

Review: I bought this camera mainly to take pictures of rally cars, which requires the camera to perform under a full range of conditions (light, distance, speed, etc.) My old Fuji Finepix S602 used to take care of the job, and I'm glad I upgraded to the Maxxum ...

Pros: Great camera, with a lot of issues

Cons: Buy it only if you 're fully aware of the warranty issues.

The Bottom Line: Don't buy this unless you understand the ramifications of the Sony buyout and the warranty issues.

Review: Got my 7d in March, and love it, but, and this is a biggie, if you buy one, be aware that Sony just bought out Minolta's camera assets, and support on this camera is just about non-existant. Right now, if one breaks and needs parts, Sony is offering a ...