Konica Minolta Maxxum 7D Digital SLR Camera In Review
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.
The Maxxum 7D omits the separate status LCD and instead relies on the camera’s main LCD to display shooting settings, which is an appealing design convention. On this particular Maxxum, the large 2.5-inch LCD has room to show more settings than the usual status LCD. These settings include ISO, color mode, and image parameters, to name a few.
The optical system of the Konica Minolta Maxxum 7D has noticeably been carefully designed to allow 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.
Extensive exposure options are available on the Maxxum 7D. These include 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.
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.
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 noted battery life is more or less adequate for a full day’s shooting. If you are reliant on a long battery life, you can always take along some extras that can be purchased at your neighborhood 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 some quirks I noticed in the Konica Minolta Maxxum 7D. What are these quirks? Well, for one thing, the camera is slow to start-up. You are also limited to one JPEG compression ratio in raw-plus-JPEG, and there is no way to avoid noise reduction processing in high ISO images.
I do hope this review of the Konica Minolta Maxxum 7D has been of help to you. If you’re looking for a decent professional SLR camera to take shots with, then the Konica Minolta Maxxum 7D might be tough to beat. Of course, do your own research first before shelling out your cash. Happy shopping!
Filed under: Computers & Technology