Minolta Maxxum (Alpha, Dynax) 7000 Video Manual 2 of 2
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- Опубликовано: 12 сен 2024
- Minolta's Maxxum 7000 changed the photographic world in ways that we still see. It was the first camera to have an on-board film advance motor for advance and rewind as well as autofocus. In many important ways, the Minolta Maxxum 7000 was the blueprint for the future of film and digital cameras.
This video shows how to use all the different features. The first video details what each button and interface element is.
Video 1:
• Minolta Maxxum (Alpha,...
Index:
Skip the Intro: 0:07
Mounting and Unmounting Lenses: 0:30
Loading and Unloading Film: 1:01
Changing the Battery: 2:57
Using a Flash: 5:51
Exposure Compensation Button: 6:30
ISO Button: 8:25
Mode Button: 8:34
Drive mode Button: 11:53
Program Reset Button: 12:31
Auto Exposure Lock Button (AE-L): 13:53
Rewinding the Film: 17:42
Autofocus and Manual Focus Button: 18:17
Special Features: 18:42
Bulb Mode: 19:21
Autofocus Hold: 22:39
Looking through the Viewfinder: 23:55
An Invitation to Like and Subscribe: 26:38
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Thanks for the video! Just bought a 7000 on eBay, and it was in Excellent condition! I mean for a 35yr old camera, wow it was like new...35mm is so nice, and been purchasing vintage Minolta AF lenses on eBay too. This Maxxim is such a great machine, only from the mind of Minolta!
Thank you! Yeah, the Maxxum cameras were pretty good. The 9, 5,7, and a few others were simply spectacular.
After using digital cameras...and looking thru the electronic viewfinder..it is amazing to see how big the viewfinder is on full frame camera's.
Definitely yes. A good viewfinder makes for a great shooting experience.
I love cameras with big viewfinders, I have an old Kodak with a tiny viewfinder that's so small I have to take my glasses off to compose the shot through the viewfinder
This is very helpful. I've just bought a Maxxum 7000 and was wondering what to do with it. Thank you.
Thank you!
Simon Trezise thank you for this tutorial. I just inherited this camera from a family member that passed from cancer. I need to pick up some batteries. Interested to see what's on the roll of film that's inside of it.
you can gift it to me
Me too . I'm new at photography with anything but a point and shoot type camera . 📷
Great video, David. I was recently gifted one of these and it has a lot more buttons than I am used to. Your vid was very helpful. Thanks.
Thank you, Mike!
I just picked one of these up at a thrift shop yesterday for $5, and happy that it works too.
Your video helped so much. Thank you
Thank you! And great find!
Thanks for this minolta series, just learning it myself.
Thank you!
It’s been years since you made this video, but I just came into ownership of this fine camera. And this has given me just what I needed.
Thank you!
you can also shift program, in program mode, to move up the program line with different aperture and shutter settings. for example, say the camera meters f8 and a shutter speed of 1/350 you can use the aperture or shutter keys to temporarily shift the program through the line (it's illustrated as a graph in the owner's manual) to say, f16 and 1/100. same exposure value, but with a smaller aperture and broader depth of field... you could also go the other way and select a faster shutter with a larger aperture.
Nice. Thank you!
I just found my stepfather's Minolta. He is no longer with us so I'm just learning how to use this. Thank you for your video this hobby is new to me but I'm enjoying it. 🙂
Nice! Cameras are a great connection to people we've lost.
Very useful, all of the videos!! Keep on making them, please!
Thank you!
Just bought one on eBay for 25 Quid looks so 80s I love it
Nice!
Very helpful video--thank you for making it! I am now able to use my uncles camera after he passed!
Thank you! I'm glad to hear that you can use a family hearloom, too.
Great video!!! Tips and tricks mingled with the use of this camera. Got one yesterday. And mine has the lcd bleed to.
Thank you, Peter! The LCD bleed in these seems to be fairly common, unfortunately.
Just picked one up from a charity shop for £10. It has had a battery leak but not too seriously. Everything apart from a few digits on the viewfinder LCD works just fine!
I have many film SLR's and this is my first fully auto, AF and auto winding one. My latest SLR is a Canon EOS 1300D and this minolta lets me adjust the exposure, while looking through the viewfinder FASTER than the canon. In fact the Canon makes it difficult by being stingy with what it can display in the viewfinder. However I cant fault the Canon's program ae modes.
Cant wait to put a film in the Minolta. Been wanting one for the collection for years.
Very nice!
Canon excels in their program modes. They're great for letting the camera make the decisions. Minolta always did a good job about giving the photographer the exposure information.
Thank you for these two videos they are extremely informative and I will be revisiting them. I am getting a boxed, with the instruction manual, looked after 7000 with a selection of Sigma lens'. It has not been used for years and was going to be dumped. Looking forward to using it . Also, it has be stored minus its triple A batteries so all good news.
Thank you! Also, very nice find!
My dad just gave me a mint condition 7000 :) so I'm pumped to use this bad boy :)
Very nice!
Once again David. Great video. I've learned so much!
Thank you!
just got one yesterday! this 2 part tutorial was extremely helpful. what kind of film would be the best for this type of camera?
Thank you!
Any type of 35mm film will work. If you're just starting out and want to use color, try Fuji Superia 400. It's affordable and is pretty good. For black and white, try Kentmere, Foma, or Ultrafine.
Thank you so much David! subscribed! cheers!
Also Kodak is re-releasing some of their professional film.
I had great luck with fuji superia and pro400
Thanks for the video David, this was so helpful!
I found this camera in my parents garage and I plan on using it for the first time in Hawaii. Any advice on what settings I should use for outdoor pictures during the day and night? I'm not familiar with cameras😅
Very nice find! And yes, start with just shooting in P mode for a roll or two. Then shoot in A mode and adjust your aperture every now and then to see how it works. More important than camera settings -- this camera will work to give you a proper exposure, if it can, in every mode but M -- is your film. For full sun, look for a 100 ISO film as a place to start. Also, shoot a cheap film -- not something like Ektachrome. Go instead for ProImage 100 for color film or Kentmere or Foma or Arista 100 for black and while.
Thank you so much! Very very helpful.
Thank you!
Great video, this is my favorite film camera.
Thank you and good choice for a favorite!
Learned a lot from this. Thanks so much!
Thank you!
Hey David! Thank you for making these videos, I’ve just picked up a 7000 and I’m so stocked to get started now that I’ve seen how great this camera and it’s functions are!!
I wanted to ask - If I where to pick up a lens cover, would any kind be suitable? What would you recommend using and where would you look?
Thank you!
For lens covers, I assume you mean caps, correct? Just pick up the correct diameter and the cheapest one. I buy them bulk off eBay for around $1.00 (US) each. I personally like the center-pinch style the most.
Minolta viewfinders always were good. They manufactured the focusing screens for Hasselblad as well.
Absolutely. They made amazing focusing screens.
I also have a Minolta 600si which minolta made with all the controls as buttons or dials...all manual for sure...I like it better than the 7000i.
I have a strong preference for buttons and dials over menus, too.
Great video! But one thing I found strange, was that I didn’t find any kind of indication of the exposure, like those little "rules" inside the viewfinder, so I end up being a little afraid to shoot in manual mode
The best thing that you can do is shoot manual, make some mistakes, and learn from them. Keep a notebook of your manual exposures (subject, settings, etc.) and then refer to it when your photos come back.
Hi-hi, love the video, have a small question. When I'm working with the camera, like changing the settings, its LCD screen won't respond. It starts working again when I reset it. But in this state it won't change modes or allow me to do anything.
I don't have any film in it so I don't know if that can/will affect it. Or if it is something to do with the electronics?
Check that the batteries are good first. If they're old, then that could lead to the LCD not responding reliably. Also check that the battery compartment is clean of corrosion. If both of those are yes, then the issue may be electronic.
Thanks for your manual, it's very helpful. Can I have a question: How to multiple exposure on this camera? Looking forward to your answer. Thank you.
Thank you! As for double exposures, to the best of my knowledge, this camera will not do them.
I get it, thank you so much
Hey! just starting out with film so this might be a dumb question but, is it okay to have the aperture flashing while in shutter mode? in the video you explain it but i didnt understand if it would affect the quality of the photo if the aperture is flashing. i bought 200 iso film and am confused if it will work in this camera
Not a dumb question at all. The short answer is no. When the aperture flashes that means that the required aperture is outside of the lens' range for the film speed and selected shutter speed. Since you can't change the film speed (that would ruin your images), you want to adjust your shutter speed until the aperture does not flash.
This has been super helpful! I've followed along to navigate this old camera, but am disappointed and confused why the autofocus lights (the red triangles and green circle) aren't showing up in any modes! What would you guess is the problem since everything else seems to work?
Hmm. Is everything else about the camera working except the AF lights? TO verify, is the camera set to AF mode or MF mode?
@@DavidHancock ya it's in autofocus mode... a potential problem could be the lens is screwed on to the lock point, but still has a little looseness? Do you think the pictures would still turn out if I press half way down on the trigger to see the picture in clear focus through the viewfinder?
Taken with a 7000: instagram.com/p/BJ_TgWiA_Yv/?taken-by=pimeruum
That's a fantastic shot! Thank you for sharing.
Madis, how did you digitalise the photo, i.e. get it on instagram?
Scanned it with Epson V550 with Vuescan software, then uploaded it to cloud, chose that location from Instagram app and thats all.
Super Helpful!!
Thank you!
Should the aperture be changing when I look into the lens after adjusting the aperture? i noticed the blades don't seem to move on minds when adjusting!
Not until you actually take the photo. The blades will stop down before the shutter opens and after you hit the shutter button.
David Hancock thanks! My old Nikon operated the same way, didn’t think to check it. I’m so use to mirrorless cameras these days lol
Hi David, can you recommend a few flashes i should look at for the 7000?
Not specific models because my knowledge of the Minolta system flashes is very low. IIRC, this camera has a standard hot shoe, so any standard flash will work. You can also get a third-party flash if it's Minolta compatible.
I just seen this camera with 35-70 AF lens, the minolta 2800 flash original strap..and all the paperwork two rolls of film, and the bag...for a grand total of $20 shipped
That's a fantastic deal!
Hey David great video. Have you ever had issues getting the battery cover off on the 7000? I've 2 and not used them in years and I can't seem to unscrew the bolt from one. It just keeps spinning like the thread has gone. I know you talk about cross threading in your demo just wondering if you had advice before I use brute force. Although I think the camera might win as they're solid.
Thank you and oh boy. Given that the thing is just spinning and that the cover isn't coming off there are a few possibilities.
If the bolt is flush and spinning, then something inside the battery chamber is likely stripped or damaged.
If the bolt is out and the cover won't release, then there are likely exploded batteries inside the chamber that have glued the cover in place.
It could also be a combination of the two or it could be that the plastic chamber has swelled or the body has shrunk slightly and made a union that's hard to undo.
If the problem is exploded batteries, the camera is almost certainly done. Corrosion follows electronics and is very damaging to camera boards. If the corrosion is only very minor, it can be cleaned with distilled white vinegar and cotton swabs and then, after removing it all, with rubbing alcohol. Then new batteries will confirm if the camera is still good.
Hi, I just bought this camera, but when I try to load the film, it doesn’t make the shuttersound and on the little screen it still says “0” under “film”. Do you have any idea what I’m doing wrong? I know you posted this a long time ago but I tried it so many times.
Thank you.
That could be a couple of things. Just to confirm, you loaded it as shown in the video?
When you depress the shutter button without film, is there any shutter action?
Is there a persistent motor whirring sound when it tries to advance the film when loading?
David Hancock I did it and I hear the shutter button but it says “0”
David I have watched your videos very informative,and I see that you have a LCD bleed to IV'E purchased my Maxxum 7000 in 1986 and still have it actually I have gotten 2 more on e-bay really cheap and want to use one of the two to remove the LCD and fix my camera wich it's still new other than the bleed on the LCD. do you know how to do that and make a video so I can fix my Minolta. You seem to be very capable knowing so mutch about the Maxxum 7000 looking forward to it. Luigi DeLucia and Thank You for the videos
Hey, Luigi,
Thank you, unfortunately, though, I don't know how to fix these cameras. If your original 7000 has a lot of sentimental value to you, it would definitely be worth practicing the disassembly, swap-out, and re-assembly on the ones you bought of eBay.
Thank You David I was looking in my camera bag and I noticed that I had purchased a Service manual and though by itself it's a hand full It will make things easier, and if ever there should be a time that you might need it please feel free and let me know and I will send it to You have a nice day Brother. LD
Luigi I was thinking about the same thing, I am planning to buy this camera but the only thing holding me back is the LCD screen. The camera would be perfect if the screen didn't leak. If you actually did fix the screen, I would love to hear an update on that.
Great video! watched both entirely. The autofocus seems to be very tempermental at times, not wanting to autofocus even with enough light. Also the half-press on this camera is not tactile at all, I find myself pressing quite hard to get it to autofocus
Thank you!
I got a Minolta x-7a a while back with a auto winder. It needs batteries. The film advance lever does not work, does it need the batteries? It uses 2 LR44 batteries. Just wondering if you know, or if I got a brick. before buying the batteries. Thanks.
Yes, that needs two LR44 or A76 batteries. The film advance won't work until after the shutter fires, and the shutter won't fire without batteries.
David Hancock Thank you David. You Rock!
Do you have to hold the shutter button the whole time in bulb mode?
Yes unless you have the corded remote with the locking trigger.
Any chance on doing a video on the maxxum 7000i and this video was very hekpful thanks
Thank you and I don't have a 7000i to make a video with. If I ever get one, then yes.
thank you for the videos! I just recent acquired an Minolta Maxxum and Im just starting to explore photography.
I wanted to know what are some recommended Aperture and other settings I should start experimenting with. Im current type of film im using is FUJICOLOR 400H.
I guess my biggest concern is Im going to be wasting film taking photos with incorrect settings
Thank you! Aperture will depend on your subject. For portraits, try a wider (lower number) aperture. For street or landscape photos, try a smaller (higher number) aperture.
Hello!! I recently got this camera and the counter was working as it should. I had a roll loaded in and was pushing buttons trying to figure things out and then the counter went to “0” I have no idea what I did but I’ve been unable to get the counter to work since. Any idea? I can tell the film is loading/shooting just fine. Any advice is super appreciated!
I have no idea, either. The frame counter on this is an LCD, so it wouldn't be stuck in place for anything like that. That's a new one on me and I'm not sure how to fix it.
I reckon that proprietary flash was the beginning of the end. Maybe they tried to leverage the popularity and fantastic-ness of the cameras into exclusivity, but Minolta were never that big and it backfired on them. It's one thing to dump all your cameras and lenses to change systems, but when you can't even bring your flash(es) with you on full manual you're inclined to look for something else.
"You know, whatever; that ship's kinda sailed." LOLOL.
Program's not the best, but it's nice to be able to revert quickly when you're inexperienced, in over your head, and you need an acceptable shot fast (kid or dog doing something ephemeral and endearingly goofy, etc).
I like the battery options - AA and AAA may not last as long, but they are relatively cheap, extremely ubiquitous and often rechargeable, and this is compensatory. (This was one of the major factors I was weighing up when replacing my *istDL, and I almost bought a K-30 instead of the K-5 I eventually got because of it.) Did they all come with the camera in the box, or did the intending user have to buy the two which didn't?
Will it mount MC and MD Rokkors with reduced function, or did Minolta (like Canon) elect to close that door?
Interestingly, Sony still uses the proprietary flash shoe. But again, they're Sony and they can do that stuff.
As for the MD and MC, nope. Like Canon, the previous lenses can't mount at all. I think that the adapters for MC to A need infinity correction glass, but I could be wrong. Nikon and Pentax are the only current AF mounts that are also backwards compatible.
Minolta was big, for many years the biggest in many markets. 7000 comfortably outsold the competition (for 2 years it had no competition) and 7000i also sold extremely well. They lost their comfortable lead with 7xi. In the mid-90's they had another massive hit with 600si which sold in bucketloads to, amongst others, wedding photographers.
One must also remember that by 1990 the sales of SLR's was only a fraction of what it had been in 1980, the real big money was made with point'n'shoots.
What did them in was that they screwed up the transition to digital and even then they could have bounced back. Instead they chose to sell their camera division to Sony.
For MC to AF you need indeed an adapter with infinity correction lens and Minolta never offered one themselves, instead one offered by Soligor was the most common.
In the mid 90s and slightly beyond, I had a Dynax 3xi which served me well, but I remember looking with undisguised longing at the brochure for the 600si and considering it as the replacement when I could finally afford one. Unfortunately, by the time I had the $$$ for it, digital was coming and there seemed no point in buying a really expensive new camera that was going to be superceded in a few years. Film was by no means dead in my mind, but the nature of the work I was doing meant that digital was of far more use to me in the workplace; from that point, my film cameras - the Dynax and a Pentax P50T - were just holding on until digital could compete in quality and affordability.
Oddly enough, the first one to go was the Minolta, which I traded in (with all its lenses) for a pittance. I kept the Pentax until it died in 2010, by which time I'd already gone digital - a Nikon bridge camera which some burglar stole from me one day, and then a Pentax DSLR, and it's been Pentax ever since (except for one Fujica film camera I bought to have a compact screwmount body).
i would love to see the 7000i on video. i have both, 1-15-20 wed, 11pm
I'll keep my eyes peeled for one and if I see one that works I'll pick it up.
how do you meter or tell the correct exposure in manual mode? if it's over, under or correct?
Basically you look at the two triangles between your shutter speed and aperture. If both are lit, then your exposure is correct. If only the up-pointing triangle is lit then you have too much light (overexposure) reaching the film with those settings. If only the lower, too little light. The reading is accurate to about 1/4-stop, which is a very accurate reading.
Hey, I have a question, what could be the problem if when I load the roll it stays on film 0?
Also, it turns on, but won’t change when I press the drive or mode button, or any button in general.
Best guess for the film, verify that the film is pulled to the index marker and that it rests flat before the film back closes. Hopefully, that solves the issue. For the buttons, what mode are you in? IIRC, program won't show any changes with buttons but in manual, for instance, button changes ought to have an effect.
great vid, just got this camera and haven’t developed any film yet but for some reason when i look through the lens it’s very dark and i can’t figure out why it’s so dark compared to my other cameras and compared to how yours looks in the video and again i’m not sure if the film will still develop fine or it’ll develop darkened, any help? thanks
Thank you.
Take a look through the front of the lens and see if the aperture is closed down. If so, try taking it off and putting it back on (with fresh batteries in the camera) and that may re-set the aperture. If not, the aperture mechanism may be broken. You'd need a different lens to check and see if that is the case (any good, local camera store will let you borrow a lens for two minutes in the store to test that.)
If the aperture is not stuck closed, check that the mirror is in proper alignment. That's a rarer issue, but can happen that a mirror is stuck at a weird angle.
My guess is the lens' aperture is faulty or stuck (and needs to be reset as described above) as that's happened to me with a number of Minolta A-mount cameras of this vintage.
Thank youuuuuu
Thank you!
What mode would you suggest for someone who is a beginner and plans on taking pictures in a sunny/partly cloudy setting? aperture mode or program?
If you're completely new to film photography, give it a go in Program for a few rolls to learn the interface and how the camera works. Then switch over to aperture-priority so you can start to experiment with how to control your image results.
Great instructional video! I just picked one up at a local thrift store for 5 bucks and was very excited to get it going. Unfortunately the film door is stuck closed and the film rewind release switch lever is stuck to the left and I can't open the film door. I did put batteries in it and the LCD is flashing "FILM" and displays "1" only. The camera doesn't do anything else. If you have any insight on what I might be able to try to get it open I would really appreciate it. Thank Youi
Sounds like it has film in it. You'll need to mess around with the camera -- take photos, try rewinding film -- until it rewinds. If you force the back, it will break. All else fails, a camera shop mitt be able to open it.
what film should I buy for this? I'm confused ;;
Any 35mm film will work in this camera. IF you're just starting out, try a lower-cost film like Kentmere or Foma for black and white or Fuji Superia for color.
I have this exact camera what should I set the speed for an action shot? I want to get some nice shots for a football and basketball game.
You'll need a 1/1,000th or faster. Anything slower and your images will be blurry. That means picking a good lens and a good film, too. You will need a lens that can get you close to the action. So if you have a 50mm lens, you'll need to be right there in the field. If you're not, you'll need a telephoto, like a 200mm lens or longer. For film, if you're indoors or outside on a well-lit field at night, you're going to need to shoot something like ISO 1600 or 3200, which means black and white only with push processing. If you're outdoors during the day, a 400 or 800 film can work, so you'll have some color options.
Thanks for the video! This is very helpful!
But i have a question, i bought this camera today and it comes with camera cable release. But I couldn’t find any hole to connect. Do you know how to connect?
Thank you again!
Thank you!
As for the cable release, I don't think this camera has a way to connect a mechanical release.
Hi, I know that you produced this video a while ago but I have just received a Minolta 7000 AF, however, it's not detecting the film numbers so that I know how many shots I have taken, do you have any advice?
Hmm. Is the film advancing when you use it? Also, does the LCD screen have any signs of leakage (black areas around the screen's periphery when the camera is off)?
@@DavidHancock thank you for replying I figured it out, you have to make sure that you press the shutter button three times and then the number appears. All working now.
can I see the light meter in the viewfinder? I didn’t see it in the video, but I did see that I can lock the iso which is cool as well! I am just thinking I’d love to use manual but I don’t know how to expose properly yet
You should be able to. If you have batteries in the camera and the LCD in the viewfinder does not light up when you half-depress the shutter button then there might be an issue with the LCD.
What does it mean when the film is blinking on the little screen and it says 1
MY best guess is that it's not loaded correctly. I sold this camera a number of years ago so I can't recall exactly what it means for sure.
Hello, I got a working model of Minolta maxxum 7000. I pressed P for reset and the screen is locked now. I don’t know how to get it back to S mode. I followed your instructions but it failed. Can you suggest something. Thank you in advance.
I might first try taking the batteries out and seeing if that helps. I'm not sure why it would lock up.
So for taking off the lens. I got mine from a thrift store with a really nice lens on it but the red button to take it off it stuck is there anything I can do to fix that?
The lens release should be the silver button on the camera. I don't recall it being red.
I just got a Minolta Maxxum 7000 and everything seems to be working perfectly on it the only issue I’m having is when looking through the view finder I can’t seem to visibly see the lighting meter. Any advice?
Give it a shot outside and make sure you don't have a baseball or other brimmed cap on. I think that the top of the prism has a light window that bounces liught to the back of the LCD.
Thanks for the manuals - great job. Any clue as to how to get rid of the self timer in Program and A modes? Using either automatically triggers the self timer with a 30-sec. exposure. It works fine in shutter priority or manual modes. Physically the camera is near mint; and I only noticed very minor corrosion near the springs in the battery compartment. Am trying to silence my inner-engineer and completely disassemble. Thanks for any suggestions.
Thank you!
I'm not sure what's going on with that. I assume that the self-timer button is set to off. If it's still going on, that could indicate an issue with the timer switch or (less likely) the electronics.
Thank you. I've been making do in shutter priority and manual (fantastic on this camera!), and will see how my first roll of Tmax 400 develops.
Great channel; great tutorials.
I have the 7000i...and my question is,,,,is the difference between these two is the 7000i use's a card of some kind...what is that used for..my guess is it is some kind of a way to program the camera for different modes automatically...the card has all the info.
I think that the cards on the i are used to program it to do different modes.
Quick question, I have a Minolta 7000 AF too. I am struggling with it tho.Today, I changed the batteries and when I the camera instantly makes this loud noise. Then when I try to put my lens on it didn't work. The noice keeps going. I found out that it's the the ring on the body where you put the lens on. There is a button that keeps on rotating, even if it's in manual. Anyway, even if I click in my lens it doesn;'s stop and the lens seems locked. Do you know how I could possibly fix this?
Hmm. That could either be something simple or something terrible. Let's try a few things and see if that helps.
1- Make sure that you have a native-mount lens on. That simply means anything with a Minolta alpha mount. Most likely, your camera came with this.
2- Remove the batteries and re-insert (or just take the battery pack off the side and re-attach it). Re-cycle the power and let it run its course for a few seconds or so.
3- Flip the AF/MF switch (when looking at the front of the camera, lower-right of the lens mount) a couple times and see if that helps.
4- If not, remove the lens and flip the AF/MF switch. The AF is run by a screw drive (a small thing protrudes from a small hole in the mount flange, I think on the lower right side.) Sometimes those can get stuck inside the body and the just whir away because the camera doesn't know they're stuck in the body. If this is the case -- the screw drive is spinning and is not protruded from the body -- turn off the camera's power and use something like a jeweler's screwdriver or safety pin tip to poke at the screw drive and see if it will pop-out of the camera. Sometimes what you're describing happens to me with other A-mount cameras and lens adapters because the AF motor receives no resistance and that's what it's looking for and resistance causes the motor to stop whirring.
Let me know how that goes and if it works.
I have a 2800 AF that came with the cam, how do I actually get it to work?
Does the flash work when it isn't connected to the camera?
My camera is showing an amber light on the front of it . Plus , when I was exploring how to use it , following the video , I pushed the Program button, and the film counter went to zero, and the amber light showed up . Before I pushed the program button, everything was working fine . I installed new batteries and also took the batteries out for a few hours and it didn't help . Do you have any idea what is wrong ?
What happens when you try to get out of program mode? The amber light is a weird glitch I've not heard of before.
The light goes out . I am wondering if it's not the light meter since it can only be seen from the top of the camera and not from the front . If I go to aperture mode, then it gives me a 2000 flashing shutter speed. When I put it in manual mode, it took a picture and advanced the film count to 1 . I don't know what to think about it.
Can you still get parts to repair the camera?
@@8Nguy1948 you would need a parts camera. It might be cheaper to buy a working replacement.
Hello again. I took the camera to a camera shop and they said that the computer is malfunctioning, probably it was dropped at some point. Thank you for your time with this.
When I load film into the 7000 it doesn’t auto advance and it doesn’t reset the count. What do I do to fix that?
The auto-advancing would be a quick check that your batteries are good, but the counter reset is curious. My best guess is that the film isn't being loaded correctly (flat in the camera with the leader to the orange or red index on the far side), but that's the best thought that I have.
I recently picked up a Maxxum 7000 at an auction and I cannot get it to perform the auto-focus function. It came with two lenses, a 35-70 and a 28 mm and the equipment is clean as a whistle with no battery corrosion or any indications of rough care. I have gone through all of the paces with the camera and everything seems to be working except it won't auto-focus...have you got any suggestions as to what else I can do ?
Just to confirm that the autofocus is turned on on the camera, correct? If so, there should be a small drive pin that pops out of the flange. That pin connects to the drive coupling on the lens. Is the drive pin popped out of the flange? Also, does it simply not work or does it make noise as well as not work?
@@DavidHancock I have the camera switch in auto mode and the pin retracts as it should when moving the switch, so it's not that. The camera does nothing, no noise, no movement, nothing....so I'm thinking that there is a serious problem with the motor that drives the focusing function. I put a roll of film in it after someone mentioned that the focusing mechanism would not work if there was no film in the camera.....oh well I can always shoot the roll in manual...I'm confident enough of my skills to make the proper settings manually. If you have any other ideas, I would appreciate it....thanks. Mark
Hi quick question why does my Minolta camera viewfinder only show a small hole is it because of the lens I’m using or something else
Like a small circle of light in the middle, or do you see the whole frame but the viewfinder is just smaller than you're used to?
@@DavidHancock it’s like a small circle in the viewfinder
@@MRSPACECAT Yuck. Okay. Looking at the front of the lens, I assume that the aperture is closed all the way down when mounted, correct?
If yes, a couple quick things, first try firing the shutter at different aperture settings. See if maybe it's just stick right now. If that doesn't work, remove the lens, fire the shutter a few times, clean the lens and camera contacts with rubbing alcohol on a cotton swab, and remount it. If the problem persists, then it's a problem with the lens' aperture motor and probably isn't affordable to fix.
@@DavidHancock ok thank you I think it’s just the lens I have
I recently picked up a Maxxum 7000 and there seems to be an issue with the AF system. The AF motor is functional, however it doesn't actually focus on anything. It just drives all the way to infinity focus and back to the minimum focusing distance. In the viewfinder, the two triangles pop up, indicating to focus manually with the Acute-Matte screen. Could the AF sensor be faulty or just have dirt in it?
Are you testing it indoors or out? If indoors, try outside. What you're describing sounds like focus hunting which is what any AF will do (even modern ones) if there isn't enough light.
David Hancock I tested both indoors and outdoors. When testing outdoors, it was well lit with a sunny sky. Indoors, it was in a bright room. Dirty AF sensor maybe?
@@alextembelis1057 It sounds that way yes. I'm not 100% sure how to get to the sensor to clean it.
tx
Thank you!
I just bought a case with the minolta 7000 and a minolta QTSi and a pentax asahi for $37. The 7000 came with a 50 mm lens. I am an amatuer and was wondering what zoom lens I should look for?
For now, I'd say just stick with the 50mm. Get to know how it works. The 50mm will take better photos than any zoom. Adding another lens right now will make learning harder for you.
i’m very new to cameras how do i put the pictures onto my computer
You'll take the film to be developed and they'll give you scans of the film to upload when you get your film back.
Don't suppose you could help me with mine? I've replaced both the internal battery, and the AAAs, the LCD screen works; however the screen is stuck on flashing the frame count, even with no film in the camera.
No buttons or functions work at the moment, just the same flashing frame counter :/
I'm not sure what causes that, but there are a lot of people who know these cameras well at the Dyxum forums and someone there may know.
@@DavidHancock thankyou, I'll take a look on there :)
Help! I just got a minolta 7000 and my vie finder is blurry, is that normal or not? Please answerr
It's normal if your subject is out of focus. To test it, set the lens to infinity and look at something that;s at least two blocks away, like a street lamp, building, etc. Just not the sun, of course. If it's still blurry then there could be an issue.
@@DavidHancock how do you set it to infinity?
@@captainsongg8651 That depends on which lens you have, whether you have just a focus ring or focus and zoom ringd, but set the focus switch on the camera to manual and then adjust the focus ring on the lens until the focus index aligns with the infinity symbol.
In aperture mode by looking the light meter, what is the best/average number of that shout be on the screen other than aperture, for example outside on a sunny day my aperture is 22 and the other number is 500 and while inside when the aperture is 5.6 the other number is around 10 so my question is, what is the average that the second number should be
The second number, which is your shutter speed, will depend on light levels and your aperture. So if you're inside seeing f/5.6 and 1/10th, try opening up to f/2 and stopping down to f/16. You'll see the shutter speed change dramatically as you do that. So there's not a set shutter speed that it should be. The camera will give you the shutter speed that gives you a proper exposure based on available light.
Thanks a lot but how do I know what aperture is best for the certain lightning
I have a question, I just got this camera and it seems to be in great condition and everything working. However, when I press the button to make it autofocus, it does so, but thats it. It doesnt actually do the shutter thing to take a photo. I'm pretty sure im pressing down all the way but it just autofocuses and then ... nothing. Am i doing something wrong?
Try the camera in manual exposure mode and manual focus mode together. If the camera works then we know there's something amiss with either the focus or the exposure. There are two possibilities in that case:
1- It's too dark and the camera can't obtain focus
2- It's too dark and the shutter or aperture required isn't available.
What you can do to find out which it is if the camera worked with manual settings is try it in an automatic mode like program but with manual focus as well as in manual exposure settings with autofocus. Also, repeat the tests outside during the day and that will help confirm if the issue is related to light levels or an issues with the camera. Let me know the results if the tests haven't cleared things up and we'll go from there.
@@DavidHancock The person who gave it to me said they tested it and it works, but so far I haven't gotten the shutter to release even once. Like in autofocus if i press the button it will focus, but do nothing else. In manual focus I press the button and nothing happens. I looked inside the back and the shutter thing there looks fine.
I put it in Manual focus and exposure mode it still doesnt release the shutter. I can fiddle with all the settings in all the different modes but still nothing happens :-/
@@dmitriorion7145 Darn. My best guess is that there's either an issue with the electronics or the shutter itself. It likely isn't easily repairable.
@@DavidHancock Oh man, what a bummer. I was really excited to have a camera to learn after years of wanting one.
What do I do if the mirror inside the camera won’t stay down it is up and only stays up if you hold it? I need help 😅
Just to troubleshoot the easiest thing first, does the camera have a new battery in it?
@@DavidHancock I tried new triple a batteries and it never turned on. But I could see through the viewfinder before. Just recently the inside mirror flipped up.
@@catherinebramlett8735 I have some bad news. It sounds like potato of the camera has died, either the electronics or the mirror motor. If you sell it for parts you'll get a few bucks and can pick up something else, but I don't think anyone repairs these anymore.
@@DavidHancock ok, thanks anyway.
I have a dilema where my aperature is stuck, what do i do?
The aperture is stuck with the lens on and off the camera? And is it stuck open or closed?
@@DavidHancock the aperature blades are closed and is stuck both on and off. I was taking the lens off and looking inside twice only to see it closed.
If the film roll is 200, i could set the iso to any?
You have some flexibility. If you use Kodak Gold 200, for example, you could set it about two stops in either direction (so around 50 ISO to 800 ISO) and have recoverable images.
What does it mean when the film number is flashing and shows 0 even if it has films ?
That sounds like the film wasn't loaded properly so the camera probably didn't take it up correctly.
For anyone with this same problem, try putting in fresh batteries. That worked for me
do you think i can use rechargeable AAA batteries?
With the AAA battery grip, definitely yes. I used rechargeable AA batteries in mine.
what should i do if i can’t open it to insert film?? it’s rewind but i’m not able to open it :(
Hmm. it should pop open. So if not, hold the unlock button in the unlock position (I forget if that's up or down) and then try to work the door open. It's likely just stuck.
Hi! I have a question about the camera. Not sure if anyone can help answer this. I loaded in fresh batteries into the camera, and when I try to take a picture after pressing the shutter button, the whole camera kinda died on me. The indicators in my viewfinder are gone. And the aperture/shutter speed numbers are gone. And i had to lock and unlock the camera to get those back again. I'm not sure what could be causing this.. At first i thought it's because of the batteries so i changed to brand new ones.
With the new batteries it's doing the same thing?
@@DavidHancock Yes that's right. With new batteries, its doing the same thing.
@@alleydungeon That's a bummer. Unfortunately, the electronics are probably shot. That's not fixable.
can you adjust the view finder ?
How do you mean?
@@DavidHancock like you can on a Nikon DSLR, everything is out of focus for me, unless I put glasses on, its the same with both my Nikon DSLRs, but I can adjust the view finder, so no need for glasses.
@@tattoodude232 Got it. This didn't have diopter adjustment, I don't think. Most cameras of this vintage had diopter add-ons that could be bought. If you don't have an astigmatism, your can make your own work and old piece of glasses lens.
@@DavidHancock it my fist go with a 35mm I have a praktica mtl5, I paid £75 of a massive bundle of vintage camera gear, I just love it all, I will just had to use glasses but I am fine with that.
Mine makes a beeping sound when putting it on...?
Hello, I'm not sure, I just started to use the 7000, but maybe it's that you have no more battery, or your film (24) is already full ?
There's a button to turn beeps on and off, but I forget where it is.
@@DavidHancock yes, it's the button : on (you have the button lock, on, beep (pictogram)
On : open with no sound
Beep : open with sound
🙂
Too many whatchamacallits and doohickeys.
There is a lot of good to be said for simple cameras.