Thoughts on the minolta 7xi

[Jon Buffington]

Any hands on experience/thoughts on the more modern minolta 7xi? I am normally a fan of MF 35mm (minolta being one of them...xd11, srt 102) with the exception of using eos canon's for my L lenses. With that said, I just picked one up that looks brand new. Plastic yes, but very solid. I have a few AF minolta lenses and seeing how this strikes my fancy. Don't see many folks talking about or even using the AF minolta bodies so wondering what others whom have shot the 7xi tend to think about it.

 

[1kgcoffee]

The 807si is one of my main bodies, I use it with m42 lenses via adapter. At one time this camera was more expensive than the A7R3 equivalent of today.

I am a big fan of old minolta glass. Haven't really tried the newer stuff, but this camera pairs very nicely with my pancolar and helios 44m-4. Metering is superb, good flash and fancy shutter. For the price, these are incredible value.

 

[Patrick Robert James]

I have a 9xi I have been using for the last few months. Whacky camera for sure. Weird things like the eye ready thing can't be turned off, and if you turn on the self timer it is only good for one shot then you have to turn it back on again. The card thing is also kind of stupid. Not sure what they were thinking with that one. The one thing that I think is exceptional about the camera though is the shutter release. It is the best one I have ever felt on an electronic camera. Kinda feels like I could handhold it no matter what. Not sure how the 9xi relates to the 7xi but it is probably similar.

 

[Jon Buffington]

I have a 9xi I have been using for the last few months. Whacky camera for sure. Weird things like the eye ready thing can't be turned off, and if you turn on the self timer it is only good for one shot then you have to turn it back on again. The card thing is also kind of stupid. Not sure what they were thinking with that one. The one thing that I think is exceptional about the camera though is the shutter release. It is the best one I have ever felt on an electronic camera. Kinda feels like I could handhold it no matter what. Not sure how the 9xi relates to the 7xi but it is probably similar.

yup, 7xi has the card thing and weird eye control. Odd camera but I agree, shutter button is smooth.

 

[Miller]

No experience with the 7xi, but I own an 800si that I have used until I went digital. Solid camera that never let me down. Accurate focusing and metering.
It will be recommissioned, shooting B&W again.

 

[absalom1951]

The 800si does not use the card system, guess Minolta figured to abandon it ? Also the eye start can be easily turned off. The camera and vertical grip are great bargains. I have one and am using it more and more.

 

[Chan Tran]

I have the 9xi and I think it's the worst camera I have. I don't know what the mind of Minolta was thinking.

 

[mgb74]

I regularly use the 800si and the 9. I have and like the 600si, but don't use it much. I've had, but did not like, the 700si (card idea is dumb and I prefer the screen layout of the 800si). If you like the 7xi, great. If not, I'd give the "si" series cameras a try before giving up on the A-mount Minoltas. If you're a fan of manual focus cameras, you might try the 600si as it keeps much of the traditional manual focus user interface.

 

[Jon Buffington]

I have a 300si, 400si (I use this one a good bit), an old 7000 (really like it but the battery door release switch is semi broken) and this 7xi. We shall see how it goes. Luminous Landscape gave it glowing reviews way back when but I still prefer my canon 7ne (eye control that works very good) for an AF camera as it is similar to my eos d*****l cameras. What intrigues me is the minolta af lenses working with the newer A mount sony's (slt's).

 

[Fin]

Any hands on experience/thoughts on the more modern minolta 7xi?

That's the one with the stupid cards, sensors in the grip and eye-thingy right?

*Crap.

I had a friend who bought one 6 months after they came out. It was the utterly over complicated and totally pointless answer to a question that very few people were asking. And it went '**The way of the pear' at just over 2 years old!

* Yeah, I hate auto-everything cameras.
** Pair Shaped... It went a bit Pete Tong, Went South, it was an ex camera, it joined the choir invisible... etc​

 

[Jon Buffington]

That's the one with the stupid cards, sensors in the grip and eye-thingy right?

*Crap.

I had a friend who bought one 6 months after they came out. It was the utterly over complicated and totally pointless answer to a question that very few people were asking. And it went '**The way of the pear' at just over 2 years old!

* Yeah, I hate auto-everything cameras.
** Pair Shaped... It went a bit Pete Tong, Went South, it was an ex camera, it joined the choir invisible... etc​

Yup, that's the one! Lol!

 

[neilt3]

I have a 300si, 400si (I use this one a good bit), an old 7000 (really like it but the battery door release switch is semi broken) and this 7xi. We shall see how it goes. Luminous Landscape gave it glowing reviews way back when but I still prefer my canon 7ne (eye control that works very good) for an AF camera as it is similar to my eos d*****l cameras. What intrigues me is the minolta af lenses working with the newer A mount sony's (slt's).

I started off with an old used Minolta 7000AF and stuck with A-mount ever since , including digital . Although I have gear from other brands as well .

I don't like the Minolta Xi bodies I have the 7Xi and 9Xi , they don't sit right in my hand and the controls are a PITA !
I've got all the A/F bodies except the entry level ones and most of the manual focus ones along with too many lenses to go with them ....

If I'm shooting A-mount gear the odd's are it'll be with a Dynax 7 .
I also have the Canon Elan 7ne , both cameras feel remarkably similar , if you like the 7ne , you'll like the Dynax 7 .
I have the eye control on the Canon , and eye start A/F switched off on both cameras . I wear glasses and the eye control on the Canon is a bit hit and miss with me , and with the Minolta on a camera strap at waiste level , if it's switched on and your holding the grip , A/F is active and wasting batteries .

Other A-mount favourites are the Dynax 9 , Dynax 600si , 9000AF , Dynax 5 and 60 , depending on what I'm doing and which lenses I'm using .

 

[mgb74]

That's the one with the stupid cards, sensors in the grip and eye-thingy right?
...​

They apparently didn't learn the "stupid card" lesson too quickly as they continued it in the 700si, then dropped it in the 800si. By the "eye thingy", I assume you mean "eye start"; where the camera powers up when you bring it up to your eye. That has continued - the 800si and the 9 have it, I assume the 7 has too. That's not too bad as it prevents the lens from autofocusing as you carry it around. Much depends on your style of shooting.

 

[Jon Buffington]

I started off with an old used Minolta 7000AF and stuck with A-mount ever since , including digital . Although I have gear from other brands as well .

I don't like the Minolta Xi bodies I have the 7Xi and 9Xi , they don't sit right in my hand and the controls are a PITA !
I've got all the A/F bodies except the entry level ones and most of the manual focus ones along with too many lenses to go with them ....

If I'm shooting A-mount gear the odd's are it'll be with a Dynax 7 .
I also have the Canon Elan 7ne , both cameras feel remarkably similar , if you like the 7ne , you'll like the Dynax 7 .
I have the eye control on the Canon , and eye start A/F switched off on both cameras . I wear glasses and the eye control on the Canon is a bit hit and miss with me , and with the Minolta on a camera strap at waiste level , if it's switched on and your holding the grip , A/F is active and wasting batteries .

Other A-mount favourites are the Dynax 9 , Dynax 600si , 9000AF , Dynax 5 and 60 , depending on what I'm doing and which lenses I'm using .

I may have to try the dynax 7 sometime. Thanks for the tip.

 

[John Koehrer]

PLEASE! It's not plastic. It's RESIN!