What's special about Minolta cameras?

[etman]

Hey, fellow Minolta fans!

Tell me what's so special about Minolta cameras anyway?
Are there any features that make a Minolta stand out?
Design of the camera?
Lens?

[isomers007]

Quote: Originally posted by etman Hey, fellow Minolta fans! Tell me what's so special about Minolta cameras anyway? Are there any features that make a Minolta stand out? Design of the camera? Lens?

i like the zooming feature on my D5 where i can juz twist and turn the zoom thingie *dunno if that describes the action...hehe* i think only SLRs have that...am i rite here?

[etman]

Quote: Originally posted by isomers007 i like the zooming feature on my D5 where i can juz twist and turn the zoom thingie *dunno if that describes the action...hehe* i think only SLRs have that...am i rite here?

How does that zoom control look like? (Mine is a common 5-way cursor button on the S304.)

[rueyloon]

Quote: Originally posted by isomers007 i like the zooming feature on my D5 where i can juz twist and turn the zoom thingie *dunno if that describes the action...hehe* i think only SLRs have that...am i rite here?

HUH !!!!! does not all camera does that ? can you describe what you think is so special ?

anyway, unless Minolta comes up with a DSLR now, it would be left out in the race. Actually I foresee Sigma overtaking Minolta, they seems to be very slow, the last of a market also resulted in very high prices for their pro lenses (Pentax too.).

Nikon => manual cameras, D1X, F5
Canon => large range of USM,IS lenses.
Sigma => large range of affordable lenses

Minolta ? nothing stands out, but this does not mean Minolta is crap, it is very good, but it does not have a field that it stands out.

[isomers007]

Quote: Originally posted by rueyloon HUH !!!!! does not all camera does that ? can you describe what you think is so special ?

was referring to digicams section only...i thot most digicams muz press the zoom button to zoom??



and then to add one more thing...de evf on my D5 has an proximity switching feature, when enabled, the display will automatically switch from the rear LCD to the EVF when your eye comes into proximity with the EVF. This technology is based on a similar 'wake up' feature on Minolta SLR's.

[rueyloon]

Quote: Originally posted by isomers007 was referring to digicams section only...i thot most digicams muz press the zoom button to zoom??

ah... ICIC, the olympus line also have a manual zoom

[isomers007]

Quote: Originally posted by rueyloon ah... ICIC, the olympus line also have a manual zoom

below $2000? i think de d5/7 has been the first camera that has implemented the equivalent to an SLR in digital -with a popular price- being consistent with the digital capabilities: de EVF, a cute method for focusing (magnification)...

but i remembered someone stated that what really stands out is the immense entertaining value! de camera which caused the most heated discussions was the D7...but dunno why this cam is such a troll magnet?? probably because the potential is great but they are some glitches implemented

[ckiang]

Quote: Originally posted by isomers007 below $2000? i think de d5/7 has been the first camera that has implemented the equivalent to an SLR in digital -with a popular price- being consistent with the digital capabilities: de EVF, a cute method for focusing (magnification)... but i remembered someone stated that what really stands out is the immense entertaining value! de camera which caused the most heated discussions was the D7...but dunno why this cam is such a troll magnet?? probably because the potential is great but they are some glitches implemented

D(image)7 looks horrible!

Regards
CK

[isomers007]

Quote: Originally posted by ckiang D(image)7 looks horrible! Regards CK

there...i told you...it's a troll magnet...

[ninelives]

Quote: Originally posted by rueyloon HUH !!!!! does not all camera does that ? can you describe what you think is so special ? anyway, unless Minolta comes up with a DSLR now, it would be left out in the race. Actually I foresee Sigma overtaking Minolta, they seems to be very slow, the last of a market also resulted in very high prices for their pro lenses (Pentax too.). Nikon => manual cameras, D1X, F5 Canon => large range of USM,IS lenses. Sigma => large range of affordable lenses Minolta ? nothing stands out, but this does not mean Minolta is crap, it is very good, but it does not have a field that it stands out.

minolta> light meter
minolta>bodies
minolta>flash

[ckiang]

Quote: Originally posted by isomers007 there...i told you...it's a troll magnet...

hehheh. Really! I am sure Minolta could have done a better job than that.

Regards
CK

[ckiang]

Quote: Originally posted by ninelives minolta> light meter minolta>bodies minolta>flash

Scanners and photocopiers too.

But I think Minolta needs a new marketing department. It's severely lagging. No doubt they have great products, but is overshadowed by the big 2. And if they still don't buck up......

Remember, Netscape was THE browser, until they got complacent.

Regards
CK

[Flare]

the D5 and D7 actually looks like sawn off SLR bodies~ Hee Hee... But I like them~ HAHAHHA

[isomers007]

Quote: Originally posted by Flare the D5 and D7 actually looks like sawn off SLR bodies~ Hee Hee... But I like them~ HAHAHHA

dat's a farny one........

[Flare]

Hey... that's what a photography magazine describe it... and they even call it small... It says something like "imagine a dynax body with one side saw off" when describing its small size...

And I saw someone with a minota cam at boat Quay today... cannot recognise what cam... maybe a 505i........

[munfai]

every camera manufacturer has it's strengths. Picked up from somewhere that Nikon makes the best lenses, Minolta the best bodies and Canon gives the best compromise.

Price-wise Minolta wins.

Don't forget that not everyone of us here buys prosumer lenses. So unless we look for stuff like VR, IS, USM and HSM, Minolta reigns.

Who else has a SLR with a LCD panel, or the best wireless flash system just to name a few?

[Flare]

And hey~ Who ruled the market when they came up with autofocus? Minolta~ But I guess they got complacent....

Quote: Originally posted by Flare Hey... that's what a photography magazine describe it... and they even call it small... It says something like "imagine a dynax body with one side saw off" when describing its small size... And I saw someone with a minota cam at boat Quay today... cannot recognise what cam... maybe a 505i........

ya i'm quite surpise to see the actual size of D5/7. Its smaller than i thought.. anywayz waiting for 7i.. hoepfully not too exp for a poor student like me...

[shawntim]

but the dimage 7 has such low battery life !

i am still considering getting it.. but the guys at Alan Photo tells me the standby mode for 4x AA batts if i leave the camera on and walk around looking for something to snap.. it'll last only HALF HOUR to 45 mins !!!

that's ridiculous !! any owners here care to share their opinions ?

heard the dimage 7i is out.. wonder if the batt's better ?

[Flare]

Half and hour to 45 minutes are definately not accurate... a set of batteries can last me more than half and hour/45 minutes of active shooting... And There's once I filled up my 128 meg with standard quality photos (over 200 of them) with two sets emptied and the I used the third set to shoot less than 10 shots...

That's with EVF.... if you are saying about LCD all the time, which camera which use AAs don't die quickly? But what i'm more annoyed about is the heat issue which was supposed to be solved in the 7i. But the heat is one nice thing in my opinion... It reminds me to switch off the camera to conserve the power when necessary...

Anyway, with a quick start up time, I can just switch it on, bring it to my eyes, 1 second later I'm ready to shoot... So there's not much of a problem with switching it off when walking around...

And not to mention the camera goes to sleep mode to conserve power when the controls has not been touch for a certain amount of time (default is 2 mins, you can adjust this)