Good job, you explained clearly and correctly. I used to work many years as a professional camera and lens reviewer on a major photo magazine and I have gone through a ton of both analogue and digital cameras. Minolta has always been one of my absolute favourite brands for the sheer innovative power. I remember when the 7000i and 8000i were launched together with the expansion cards. At the time Nikon had their F-801 and though that certainly was a good camera (especially the F-801S) the Minoltas could do laps around it when it came to useful features. I own a decent collection of Minolta cameras, including these two, and the 8000i is my favourite because of the design and the comfortable grip. In the collection there is also an 9xi, 7xi, 700si and 600si and I'm hoping to get my hands on a Minolta Dynax 7 as well. It's a pity Minolta disappeared as a camera brand but at least some of its DNA went into the Sony Alpha cameras.
Agreed. I’m sad they didn’t get a better shot at digital, but yes I’m glad some of it remains with Sony. I have a 9xi that I’ll get around to reviewing sooner or later. It really is cool with that viewfinder!
@@fistfulloflenses The X-700 was my first “real” camera. Got it for Christmas in 1985, I think. I’ve managed to hold on to it all these years. I’m much too sentimental for my own good sometimes. BUT, you can bet it’ll get an episode on this channel!
I will look forward to that episode, the Minolta x700 was a great camera and was the camera i used whilst my daughter was growing up , still have the negatives safely stored mostly black n white which i processed myself and Kodachrome and Fuji velvia slides unfortunately i convinced myself i needed autofocus as i was doing wedding photography at the time,and medium format for my real love( landscape photography) ironically today i usually use old manual focus lenses so ive come full circle@@vintagecameradigest
I have been enjoying your excellent videos on your discussion of functionality and history of these vintage cameras on your channel. The additional testing and photowalks not only test functionality, but I get inspired from your example of how one can take carefully exposed and better compositions.
I own and use both the 7000, 9000, 8000i, 700si, 800si, Dynax 7 and even the KM7D. The 8000i is a great camera but it gets even better with the 800si! The lenses do get faster with the newer versions and there are some truly fantastic Minolta lenses. I do recommend their proffesional lenses like the 85mm 1.4 d, 200mm 2.8 Apo, 80-200mm 2.8, 17-30mm 3.5 and others! You won't regret trying them. The 28-70mm 2.8 is a really slow lens to focus though. It moves with the speed of a Swedish postal worker.
“Swedish postal worker”….lol. Thanks for the insight regarding the newer lenses. And thanks for the 800si tip. That camera is such a unique design because of the huge, concealed prism flash. I recall it was a controversial design when it came out. I have wanted to try one, though. So, I’ll continue to leave it on my wish list! Many thanks!
@@vintagecameradigest The 800SI is not a very pretty camera with that big flash, but the camera is really good and the flash is at least more powerful than most built-in flashes and also serves as a wireless controller for other Minolta flashes that are quite cheap nowadays.
@@marcelocampoamor4761 I think that’s sort of why I’ve not picked up an 800si yet. It just looks odd with the huge flash/prism. But I’ll never say never!
Back in my camera store days I sold a bunch of these Minolta cameras, and yes, the optics were in a glorious class of their own. One camera that I sold came back to me after it had been dunked during a canoe trip! I removed the battery and lens, and proceeded to use a hair dryer to chase away moisture. It was then I learned the shutter material was an ultra thin plastic, and the heat from the hair dryer began to deform those blades! The things you learn when you don't want to! Minolta repaired the camera quickly and reasonably, whew!!!
But now I’VE learned that, so thanks for passing that tidbit on 😁 I’m surprised it survived the dunk in the first place. I wouldn’t have expected that. But good on them!
Thanks for this. I started buying old film cameras about 25 years ago as digital was coming on strong. Of the hundreds of cameras I’ve got, I have at least 2 each of most of the Minolta bodies includung these 5, 7 & 9000i series and most all of the expansion cards. Yes, I have way too many cameras, but I was paying only $15 to $25 per camera back then and 95% of them are working fine. This video and your metering videos make me want to search through my cards for that multi spot card now and pop it in a 9000i and get clicking.
I think the number of cameras you have is just perfect :-) Like you said, it wasn’t too long ago that you could pick them up for $20-30. I got serious about acquiring working bodies about 10 years ago. It’s a lot of fun! I do have a soft spot for Minolta cameras, though, as my first “real” camera was an X-700. And while some of those expansion cards are a bit gimmicky, the multi-spot adds true functionality. It’s like a secret weapon. Thanks for watching!
Bought one of the 7000i with the 50mm lens for $50 about 13 years ago. Computer was all freaked out as it seems one of the exposure mode cards was removed incorrectly and it wasn't possible to change a lot of the settings. Ended up selling just the lens to a Sony guy for $75 because of the compatibility at that time.
They’re still relatively inexpensive. The lenses are higher, as you found, due to the compatibility with Sony. Didn’t realize there may be an issue with how you remove one of the cards. But, it’s certainly plausible. Thanks for watching!
EXCELLENTvideo!! I love ALL camera brands having approx. 150 myself, but Ive always favored Minolta {Mechanisms, INstruments, Optics, Lenses by TAshima}. I use my 7000 and 7000i from time to time also at my local car shows. As well as the Maxxum 9 and Maxxum 7. I use the Konica 28-75mm 2.8 and the 50mm macro as I find these to be the sharpest, but most Minolta lenses are incredible. Minolta usually doesn't get enough praise for their quality and innovation leadership, but this video did them proud! Like how you explain features, show the camera viewfinders, and then shoot/show the pics! Fastly becoming my new favorite camera channel! Keep up the excellent work!
Thanks so much! Yes, I agree that Minolta doesn’t get the love they deserve - especially for their autofocus bodies and lenses. I’m as guilty as anyone for that, though. My first “real” camera was an X-700 that I just loved. But when autofocus hit, I knew I’d need to evolve toward a new system. And the Canon autofocus was much faster than the original 7000. So, I jumped brands and never gave Minolta’s AF gear a second thought. As a matter of fact, it took me until I did the video on the 7000 to really appreciate them for what they were. NOW, I have my eyes set on a Maxxum 7 at some point!
Yes. that was the card I mentioned on my comment on the OM-4 video. Thanks for sharing. My first decent camera was a Maxxum 9xi in the early 90´s. Minolta has excellent cameras. Very nice the pictures of the Rome car show. 👍👍
Hi Steven. It's always a pleasure to watch these videos. To me, they really are one of the best things about photography and photo gear. Besides, of course, taking a photo walk. Just yesterday, I went to the XII century mourish castle of my town to shoot with a Canon T90 and really it's amazing how easily is to use and efficiently works the average spot metering on those cameras. Very professional. On the Minolta AF 9000, I also do it thanks to the Program Back 90, but not in such a user-friendly way. Can't tell why, I stayed with the Minolta 7000, the 9000 and the 7 (great, great camera) and didn't try any different models, like these two you are presenting to us, or the much appreciated Maxxum 9, but never it's too late 😊 Cheers
Many thanks! I picked these “i” cameras up after having such a blast with my 7000 (after not giving that camera ANY credit for 30 years). I severely mis-judged it. But for some reason, the 9000 just continues to underwhelm me. Early in my career, my boss had one that I shot occasionally - and I recently picked one up to try again - but it just doesn’t “speak” to me. I do have a 9xi, though, that does feel good in the hand and in operation. ONE day, I’d love to try the Maxxum 9, but I think I’d be better served by getting the Maxxum 7. But you’re correct. It’s never too late! Thanks for watching!
Really enjoyed this look at my favorite camera brand. Interesting note about the metering system using different zones, Minolta used a very early example in their SRT cameras, the Contrast Light Compensation (CLC). My 9xi uses the same card system, except the custom function card is unique to the xi series, and is super rare at this point.
Awesome to hear from another member of the “Minolta Club”. You’re right about the SRT series. They accomplished that with two separate metering cells. Very innovative for such an early use of TTL metering - and another reason I’m so fond of those SRTs! I knew that at least a few of the cards were “Xi -specific”. Besides the Custom Function, are there others that you know of?
@@vintagecameradigest my camera manual doesn’t list xi only cards, but it does say the A/S card is non-compatible, which makes sense considering it’s standard on the main camera.
I really enjoyed your video. I bought the 800 SI new (1989 ?) and used it regularly till 2014. I still use it at times. The only wear is the viewfinder LCD has some bleed in the upper right corner. This has not gotten worse in years. I really enjoyed the top of the line flash. Most of the Card functions of the I series are built into this camera. I like the name of the autofocus, Omni Directional Predictive Autofocus.
That’s a fancy-sounding name for sure :-) Other’s have mentioned the 800si as one of the best of the lot. Although it is a bit odd-looking with that huge pop-up flash concealed in the pentaprism housing. I’ve eyed them for the past couple of years but haven’t hit the “buy” button on one yet. Maybe soon, though!
I always look forward to your informative and fun videos. With regards to youtube/google, they have gone way over the top on their copyright garbage. Live music in the background is definitely not a copyright infringement anymore than a photograph of somebody on a busy street is an invasion of privacy.
I’m not totally sure that’s what the issue was, but the video got hung up in “copyright check” stage for about 10 hrs yesterday. So, I just cut as much of the background out that I could and re-uploaded. Still took a lot longer than usual, but at least this time it cleared. Who knows.
Ok, so I checked out the 7000i. If you remove the lens and look at the lower right on the lens mount (facing you) there is a small screw that engages with the focusing mechanism of the lens. When the camera is set to AF, that screw protrudes slightly from the mount. When set to Manual, it retracts. So if the screw drive stays retracted even after moving the switch, it’s a camera issue. If its not retracted, and the lens still doesn’t AF, then it’s a lens issue. Hope this helps. Let me know what you find.
@@vintagecameradigest you are a genius just looked at it isn’t making contact with the lens hence why not switching to AF!! It must have a faulty spring as doesn’t come out enough! Thank you
The card thing is interesting. If I’d known beforehand that you were doing this video I’d have suggested you take a few test/sample shot using the cards for their intended purpose. Some great shots here and REALLY nice lenses it seems, super clear and sharp. On a little side note , what do you think of the ProImage 100 film?
From the results that I’ve gotten with it, I generally like the film. The price-point can’t be beat. And I’m pleased with the grain and color. It doesn’t seem to be as contrasty as Ektar. I don’t think I’d choose it over Portra for portraits and such, but it’s a very decent 100 ISO film. As for the expansion cards - one that I really want to experiment with is the Fantasy Effect card. It actually de-focuses the image slightly during exposure to produce a sort of soft-focus effect. That seems a bit gimmicky, but could be fun. I have plans to do a bit more coverage of the cards. This episode got a bit long, so I opted not to include all that here. Thanks for watching!
I got a Minolta 7000i with three of the new lenses, dedicated flash and bag for 20€. Really happy with it. Focus is fast, bright viewfinder. I have to say, though, that the rubber on the lenses has turned floury/ white. The plastic broke off a little underneath the release button. So they probably saved some money on certain parts. Still, I like it a lot!
That rubber stuff is the worst. I’ll put these bodies up for a month or so, and the next time I pull them out the grips will be chalky. Luckily it rubs off easily with a microfiber cloth. But, yeah, they’ll completely fall apart one day. They’ll still work, of course. Just won’t be too pretty. That’s a great price on that kit, btw! Enjoy!
The plastic breaking seems to have been quite common on many cameras from the 80s. But the white stuff on the rubber is easily fixable though! It will come of if you just use it a lot and another way that works is using q-tips and rubbing alcohol or hand sanatizers on the rubber. I've done that on many a lens now and they do get much better :)
Good tip! I know that rubbing alcohol will also work - sometimes - for removing the “stickiness” from the rubber deterioration. If a camera is really afflicted with it - past the point of alcohol - you can make a paste of baking soda and water and use it as an abrasive. Takes some elbow grease and makes a bit of a mess BUT it will work. I think this became an even worse problem in the 90s. Nikon F90 and N80 are notorious examples of this, too.
This education is amazing. Feel like I’m in Minolta University. I just posted on another site what’s the difference between the Maxxum 9000 and the Maxxum 9 which I own. Speaking of which I had to fixed the cracked crumbling grip with SUGRU. Given the aesthetic problems with the fix I’ve been trying to find a leather half case. According to chat gbt, they were produced. Any idea where I might find one. Wonderful job with this video. Thank you!!!!!
Minolta U - I love it! Did your question get satisfactorily answered about the 9000? If not, I can sum it up: Maxxum 9 = great. Maxxum 9000 = decent if you pretend it’s 1985. For me, and for whatever reasons, the 9000 is just a camera I cannot develop an affinity for. In my opinion, the 9xi and even the 7000i and 8000i are far superior in operation. And of course, the 9 is top notch. As for a case, I’ve never seen one. But if you happen to find one, let us know. Because that would indeed help conceal the grip issues.
Thanks! That’s an interesting idea…probably several ways I could go about that. These are scans from my lab and not the very highest resolution. And of course I’m further scaling them down to fit the video resolution. But I can certainly see how high-res versions could be helpful to viewers. Let me play around with a couple of options. I’ll add a link for sample images in the video description once I work out the best way. Thanks for the excellent suggestion!
Per your suggestion I've added a gallery of "better" resolution samples from this shoot. Link is in the video description. Thanks for the suggestion. It only makes sense to do this, and I'm not totally sure why I've not thought about it before. As I mentioned, these are standard lab scans - so they're not extremely high res, but they're a LOT better than video resolution. Now, I'll probably go back and do the same for all the other videos :-)
@@vintagecameradigest It's nice to see response so quickly! If the images are at least 12 megapixels then this is good. Speaking of which, which scanner you use?
Well, your suggestion was a good one, and I’m always open to ways of providing helpful content. So thanks for that! To your question, I’m currently using a DSLR scanning set-up and have been for a few years now. But in the past I’ve used Epson and Canon scanners with great results. And when using those, my scanning software of choice is VueScan by Hamrick software.
I wanted to get a bit more clarification on the multi spot. I too am using the card in my 8000i. By pressing spot it is taking a reading I take it. After getting to spot 8 it just stays there. So is the reading I see in the LCD the suggested reading I should use? It just stays on Spot 8.
Sorry for the delayed response. After taking all the readings (and you don’t have to do 8 but whatever you need), the LCD displays the last spot taken, “Spot 8” for instance. If you press the shutter halfway, the display changes to the shutter/aperture setting that’s been computed.
@@vintagecameradigest Ok thanks. I am going to shoot some portraits in some tricky situations and I’m going to introduce off camera flash on some of the scenarios. I’ve been wanting to do an OCF video with film.
Hi my 7000i only lets me use manual focus despite me depressing the AF/M button at side of the Camera! Should I be doing something else to make the AF work or is there a fault with the Camera? Thank you
I’m traveling today, but I’ll give the camera a close look when I return home. It could be an issue with the switch or AF motor. Maybe we can get it figured out.
I've just bought 2 bronica S lenses, Nikkor 7.5cm and 135mm. The cost was very good but slightly fungus infected. Do you fancy doing a video or know of one, or know of any documents on-line that would help me disassemble these 2 lenses, to get them back upto stratch? If anyone reading this has any ideas to track down anying to assist me in this venture please reply. Thanks
Thanks for the question! I invite any others to give their input, but I’ll also give it a go. I have torn down and re-assembled many lenses in the last decade. And I’ve learned to recognize what problems I can fix and which I need to leave alone. Fungus can sometimes be the latter, but only if it appears between two cemented elements. If it’s on an outer surface or on a single element, a 1:1 mix of hydrogen peroxide and ammonia will work to at least kill it and hopefully remove it. If the elements have fancy coatings and the fungus has been there long enough, it may be permanently etched into it. But you probably won’t know any of that until you get the lens apart. So…full disclosure here…I have only part-way disassembled one of the 135s to clean up the rear elements. Past that, I can’t vouch for. BUT, these lenses are much less scary to work on since they don’t have their own focusing helicoid - which would be one of the things I don’t want to touch. To get access to the front elements, you’ll need a set of those rubber friction “wrenches” or you can use a pill bottle if you find the right size and one of those rubber jar-opener things. This will let you unscrew the front trim ring/bezel. From that point, a spanner wrench will be a must. I prefer the kind with the “bent” ends because it’s much easier to access deep-set elements - like the rear ones on the 135. This is all I can really say with any degree of certainty. I haven’t come across a video so far that outlines the disassembly of these lenses specifically. I’ll finish by leaving this little bit of advice: when you remove an element MAKE SURE you find a way to remember which side is front or back. Installing one backwards - while leading to interesting optical effects - will annoy you. And if you’ve removed more than one at a time, you may have a hard time figuring out which one is backwards. Hope others can jump in and offer some further suggestions. Good luck, my friend!
@@vintagecameradigest Thanks Steve, I need to get the tools first, but I've got a bit more confidence now in having a go. I used to strip machine tooling down so hopefully that will help. The lens polarity I didn't think of but it makes a lot of sense to me, I just hope they don't have a lot of thread lock. Lol Thanks, this channel is great.
NIkkor lenses for 35mm do tend to have some sort of thread lock - at least the later ones. They prove a pain when trying to remove the lens mount. But since these for the Bronica don’t have the “traditional” mount, maybe you’ll be good. Keep me posted on the progress!
@@vintagecameradigest I will get back to you on my luck with them, it will probably be a couple of months as I'm not ordering the tools until 3 weeks time. Then I need a camera for them. I have just bought 4 Zeiss Ikon Netter's, 2 6x6, 75mm and 1 6x9, 105mm all f6.3, plus another 6x9 105 mm with a f4.5 lens. Plus a darkroom outfit that should be upto these formats which will keep me busy in the meantime.
Sounds like you’ll be busy! All those cameras and lenses sound amazing. You’ve got a lot to look forward to! My recommendation on the Bronica camera would be the S2A if you want to keep it all manual. And of course the EC and EC-TL electronic bodies work with those lenses as well. Most times the S2A is hard to distinguish from the S2, and many, many sellers erroneously list an S2 as the S2A. Early S2As actually have “S2A” as part of the serial number. But that got phased out when the EC model was released. An easy way to distinguish is to look at the strap lugs. If they have little plastic wings under them, it’s an S2. The strap lugs were changed (to “wingless”) when the EC came out so that both bodies could accept the same strap. And chronologically that would make it an S2A. Cheers!
Well I normally like my fully manual mechanical cameras ... But ... At one point I thought to myself why not get a newer more modern camera that has tons of modes and fast shutter speeds and auto winding PLUS auto focus lol.. I got a great deal on a XT si Maxxum .. The camera itself is mint and the lens also looks like new and optically is great .. But the lens has a tooth or something missing on a gear inside just at its infinity spot and when you first turn on the camera you have to quickly grab the lens and turn the ring a touch so it grabs and then everything is fine after that otherwise it makes this strange grinding sound lol.. Its just annoying and I really should get a new lens lol. Now the images I got from the camera where shockingly decent even using some of the auto modes.. But oh my god that XT Si version is just stupid loaded with features I quickly got lost trying to figure out how to use the darn thing.. It came with a full instruction manual and I was still lost.. I made the mistake and put all new batteries in the camera not sure what the button cell was for in the back of the door :(.. I ended up with an entire roll of the date burned into the film :(. Over all I think I just did not give the poor camera much chance and now that I saw your video I might put a roll into the camera again and shoot with it once again this season.. Of course I removed that button cell in the film door :)..
Oh, wow, I despise those burned in date things, lol! Well, I wouldn’t have known that about the battery in the film door, either. But now we both do! 😁 I can certainly relate to sticking to the manual gear for the most part. At one point I considered these “too modern” but, uh, it’s been 35 years, so…I guess they’ll do. Btw - what lens do you have on yours? They all tend to be pretty affordable, unless you’re looking at the 85 1.4 or something crazy like that. It does sound like yours is missing a tooth. But I do encourage you to give it another try. I don’t have any experience with that particular model, but I’m sure it’s not much different from either of these.
Good job, you explained clearly and correctly. I used to work many years as a professional camera and lens reviewer on a major photo magazine and I have gone through a ton of both analogue and digital cameras. Minolta has always been one of my absolute favourite brands for the sheer innovative power. I remember when the 7000i and 8000i were launched together with the expansion cards. At the time Nikon had their F-801 and though that certainly was a good camera (especially the F-801S) the Minoltas could do laps around it when it came to useful features. I own a decent collection of Minolta cameras, including these two, and the 8000i is my favourite because of the design and the comfortable grip. In the collection there is also an 9xi, 7xi, 700si and 600si and I'm hoping to get my hands on a Minolta Dynax 7 as well. It's a pity Minolta disappeared as a camera brand but at least some of its DNA went into the Sony Alpha cameras.
Agreed. I’m sad they didn’t get a better shot at digital, but yes I’m glad some of it remains with Sony. I have a 9xi that I’ll get around to reviewing sooner or later. It really is cool with that viewfinder!
I've always been a fan of Minolta, I still regret selling my Minolta x700 (manual focus), which I had a motordrive and a bunch of lenses for it .
@@fistfulloflenses The X-700 was my first “real” camera. Got it for Christmas in 1985, I think. I’ve managed to hold on to it all these years. I’m much too sentimental for my own good sometimes. BUT, you can bet it’ll get an episode on this channel!
I will look forward to that episode, the Minolta x700 was a great camera and was the camera i used whilst my daughter was growing up , still have the negatives safely stored mostly black n white which i processed myself and Kodachrome and Fuji velvia slides unfortunately i convinced myself i needed autofocus as i was doing wedding photography at the time,and medium format for my real love( landscape photography) ironically today i usually use old manual focus lenses so ive come full circle@@vintagecameradigest
Best channel for retro cameras by far . I'm learning so much about my Minolta Cameras thanks to you. Loyal viewer here 😁
Great to hear! And thanks for watching!
I have been enjoying your excellent videos on your discussion of functionality and history of these vintage cameras on your channel. The additional testing and photowalks not only test functionality, but I get inspired from your example of how one can take carefully exposed and better compositions.
Thank you very much!
I own and use both the 7000, 9000, 8000i, 700si, 800si, Dynax 7 and even the KM7D. The 8000i is a great camera but it gets even better with the 800si!
The lenses do get faster with the newer versions and there are some truly fantastic Minolta lenses. I do recommend their proffesional lenses like the 85mm 1.4 d, 200mm 2.8 Apo, 80-200mm 2.8, 17-30mm 3.5 and others! You won't regret trying them.
The 28-70mm 2.8 is a really slow lens to focus though. It moves with the speed of a Swedish postal worker.
“Swedish postal worker”….lol. Thanks for the insight regarding the newer lenses. And thanks for the 800si tip. That camera is such a unique design because of the huge, concealed prism flash. I recall it was a controversial design when it came out. I have wanted to try one, though. So, I’ll continue to leave it on my wish list! Many thanks!
@@vintagecameradigest The 800SI is not a very pretty camera with that big flash, but the camera is really good and the flash is at least more powerful than most built-in flashes and also serves as a wireless controller for other Minolta flashes that are quite cheap nowadays.
@@marcelocampoamor4761 I think that’s sort of why I’ve not picked up an 800si yet. It just looks odd with the huge flash/prism. But I’ll never say never!
Back in my camera store days I sold a bunch of these Minolta cameras, and yes, the optics were in a glorious class of their own. One camera that I sold came back to me after it had been dunked during a canoe trip! I removed the battery and lens, and proceeded to use a hair dryer to chase away moisture. It was then I learned the shutter material was an ultra thin plastic, and the heat from the hair dryer began to deform those blades! The things you learn when you don't want to! Minolta repaired the camera quickly and reasonably, whew!!!
But now I’VE learned that, so thanks for passing that tidbit on 😁 I’m surprised it survived the dunk in the first place. I wouldn’t have expected that. But good on them!
Thanks for this. I started buying old film cameras about 25 years ago as digital was coming on strong. Of the hundreds of cameras I’ve got, I have at least 2 each of most of the Minolta bodies includung these 5, 7 & 9000i series and most all of the expansion cards. Yes, I have way too many cameras, but I was paying only $15 to $25 per camera back then and 95% of them are working fine. This video and your metering videos make me want to search through my cards for that multi spot card now and pop it in a 9000i and get clicking.
I think the number of cameras you have is just perfect :-) Like you said, it wasn’t too long ago that you could pick them up for $20-30. I got serious about acquiring working bodies about 10 years ago. It’s a lot of fun! I do have a soft spot for Minolta cameras, though, as my first “real” camera was an X-700. And while some of those expansion cards are a bit gimmicky, the multi-spot adds true functionality. It’s like a secret weapon. Thanks for watching!
Bought one of the 7000i with the 50mm lens for $50 about 13 years ago. Computer was all freaked out as it seems one of the exposure mode cards was removed incorrectly and it wasn't possible to change a lot of the settings. Ended up selling just the lens to a Sony guy for $75 because of the compatibility at that time.
They’re still relatively inexpensive. The lenses are higher, as you found, due to the compatibility with Sony. Didn’t realize there may be an issue with how you remove one of the cards. But, it’s certainly plausible. Thanks for watching!
EXCELLENTvideo!! I love ALL camera brands having approx. 150 myself, but Ive always favored Minolta {Mechanisms, INstruments, Optics, Lenses by TAshima}. I use my 7000 and 7000i from time to time also at my local car shows. As well as the Maxxum 9 and Maxxum 7. I use the Konica 28-75mm 2.8 and the 50mm macro as I find these to be the sharpest, but most Minolta lenses are incredible. Minolta usually doesn't get enough praise for their quality and innovation leadership, but this video did them proud! Like how you explain features, show the camera viewfinders, and then shoot/show the pics! Fastly becoming my new favorite camera channel! Keep up the excellent work!
Thanks so much! Yes, I agree that Minolta doesn’t get the love they deserve - especially for their autofocus bodies and lenses. I’m as guilty as anyone for that, though. My first “real” camera was an X-700 that I just loved. But when autofocus hit, I knew I’d need to evolve toward a new system. And the Canon autofocus was much faster than the original 7000. So, I jumped brands and never gave Minolta’s AF gear a second thought. As a matter of fact, it took me until I did the video on the 7000 to really appreciate them for what they were. NOW, I have my eyes set on a Maxxum 7 at some point!
I was a kid when the Dynax 7000i came out and my brother bought one... it was the future.
AF cameras were evolving by leaps and bounds back then. And the “i” series Minoltas were some of the best of the time!
Yes. that was the card I mentioned on my comment on the OM-4 video. Thanks for sharing. My first decent camera was a Maxxum 9xi in the early 90´s. Minolta has excellent cameras. Very nice the pictures of the Rome car show. 👍👍
Many thanks! And, yep, Minolta had some great ones. My first “real” camera was an X-700, so I’ve always been a fan.
Hi Steven.
It's always a pleasure to watch these videos. To me, they really are one of the best things about photography and photo gear. Besides, of course, taking a photo walk.
Just yesterday, I went to the XII century mourish castle of my town to shoot with a Canon T90 and really it's amazing how easily is to use and efficiently works the average spot metering on those cameras. Very professional.
On the Minolta AF 9000, I also do it thanks to the Program Back 90, but not in such a user-friendly way.
Can't tell why, I stayed with the Minolta 7000, the 9000 and the 7 (great, great camera) and didn't try any different models, like these two you are presenting to us, or the much appreciated Maxxum 9, but never it's too late 😊
Cheers
Many thanks! I picked these “i” cameras up after having such a blast with my 7000 (after not giving that camera ANY credit for 30 years). I severely mis-judged it. But for some reason, the 9000 just continues to underwhelm me. Early in my career, my boss had one that I shot occasionally - and I recently picked one up to try again - but it just doesn’t “speak” to me. I do have a 9xi, though, that does feel good in the hand and in operation. ONE day, I’d love to try the Maxxum 9, but I think I’d be better served by getting the Maxxum 7. But you’re correct. It’s never too late! Thanks for watching!
I was also Given 7000i before I got the 7000 and gave been using both recent ly and done a video comparing them
Excellent! I’ll be checking that out. Thanks for watching!
Great vid. Would still love to see you run the Minolta Maxxum a7 through its paces. 😊
Thanks for watching! The 7 is definitely on my wish list!
I promise that you’ll love it!
That’s what I hear
Really enjoyed this look at my favorite camera brand. Interesting note about the metering system using different zones, Minolta used a very early example in their SRT cameras, the Contrast Light Compensation (CLC). My 9xi uses the same card system, except the custom function card is unique to the xi series, and is super rare at this point.
Awesome to hear from another member of the “Minolta Club”. You’re right about the SRT series. They accomplished that with two separate metering cells. Very innovative for such an early use of TTL metering - and another reason I’m so fond of those SRTs! I knew that at least a few of the cards were “Xi -specific”. Besides the Custom Function, are there others that you know of?
@@vintagecameradigest my camera manual doesn’t list xi only cards, but it does say the A/S card is non-compatible, which makes sense considering it’s standard on the main camera.
I really enjoyed your video. I bought the 800 SI new (1989 ?) and used it regularly till 2014. I still use it at times. The only wear is the viewfinder LCD has some bleed in the upper right corner. This has not gotten worse in years. I really enjoyed the top of the line flash. Most of the Card functions of the I series are built into this camera. I like the name of the autofocus, Omni Directional Predictive Autofocus.
That’s a fancy-sounding name for sure :-) Other’s have mentioned the 800si as one of the best of the lot. Although it is a bit odd-looking with that huge pop-up flash concealed in the pentaprism housing. I’ve eyed them for the past couple of years but haven’t hit the “buy” button on one yet. Maybe soon, though!
I always look forward to your informative and fun videos. With regards to youtube/google, they have gone way over the top on their copyright garbage. Live music in the background is definitely not a copyright infringement anymore than a photograph of somebody on a busy street is an invasion of privacy.
I’m not totally sure that’s what the issue was, but the video got hung up in “copyright check” stage for about 10 hrs yesterday. So, I just cut as much of the background out that I could and re-uploaded. Still took a lot longer than usual, but at least this time it cleared. Who knows.
Thank you 🙏🏾 that’s amazing 👍🏾 travel safe
Ok, so I checked out the 7000i. If you remove the lens and look at the lower right on the lens mount (facing you) there is a small screw that engages with the focusing mechanism of the lens. When the camera is set to AF, that screw protrudes slightly from the mount. When set to Manual, it retracts. So if the screw drive stays retracted even after moving the switch, it’s a camera issue. If its not retracted, and the lens still doesn’t AF, then it’s a lens issue. Hope this helps. Let me know what you find.
@@vintagecameradigest you are a genius just looked at it isn’t making contact with the lens hence why not switching to AF!! It must have a faulty spring as doesn’t come out enough! Thank you
Glad I could help but sorry you have a faulty camera. That stinks.
The card thing is interesting. If I’d known beforehand that you were doing this video I’d have suggested you take a few test/sample shot using the cards for their intended purpose. Some great shots here and REALLY nice lenses it seems, super clear and sharp. On a little side note , what do you think of the ProImage 100 film?
From the results that I’ve gotten with it, I generally like the film. The price-point can’t be beat. And I’m pleased with the grain and color. It doesn’t seem to be as contrasty as Ektar. I don’t think I’d choose it over Portra for portraits and such, but it’s a very decent 100 ISO film.
As for the expansion cards - one that I really want to experiment with is the Fantasy Effect card. It actually de-focuses the image slightly during exposure to produce a sort of soft-focus effect. That seems a bit gimmicky, but could be fun. I have plans to do a bit more coverage of the cards. This episode got a bit long, so I opted not to include all that here. Thanks for watching!
Fascinating look at some fascinating cameras. Great video.
Glad you enjoyed it! And many, many thanks!
I got a Minolta 7000i with three of the new lenses, dedicated flash and bag for 20€. Really happy with it. Focus is fast, bright viewfinder. I have to say, though, that the rubber on the lenses has turned floury/ white. The plastic broke off a little underneath the release button. So they probably saved some money on certain parts. Still, I like it a lot!
That rubber stuff is the worst. I’ll put these bodies up for a month or so, and the next time I pull them out the grips will be chalky. Luckily it rubs off easily with a microfiber cloth. But, yeah, they’ll completely fall apart one day. They’ll still work, of course. Just won’t be too pretty. That’s a great price on that kit, btw! Enjoy!
The plastic breaking seems to have been quite common on many cameras from the 80s.
But the white stuff on the rubber is easily fixable though! It will come of if you just use it a lot and another way that works is using q-tips and rubbing alcohol or hand sanatizers on the rubber. I've done that on many a lens now and they do get much better :)
Good tip! I know that rubbing alcohol will also work - sometimes - for removing the “stickiness” from the rubber deterioration. If a camera is really afflicted with it - past the point of alcohol - you can make a paste of baking soda and water and use it as an abrasive. Takes some elbow grease and makes a bit of a mess BUT it will work. I think this became an even worse problem in the 90s. Nikon F90 and N80 are notorious examples of this, too.
Thank you all for your tips! I will try it!
Great video, really appreciate your thoroughness.
Thanks for watching!
This education is amazing. Feel like I’m in Minolta University. I just posted on another site what’s the difference between the Maxxum 9000 and the Maxxum 9 which I own. Speaking of which I had to fixed the cracked crumbling grip with SUGRU. Given the aesthetic problems with the fix I’ve been trying to find a leather half case. According to chat gbt, they were produced. Any idea where I might find one. Wonderful job with this video. Thank you!!!!!
Minolta U - I love it! Did your question get satisfactorily answered about the 9000? If not, I can sum it up: Maxxum 9 = great. Maxxum 9000 = decent if you pretend it’s 1985. For me, and for whatever reasons, the 9000 is just a camera I cannot develop an affinity for. In my opinion, the 9xi and even the 7000i and 8000i are far superior in operation. And of course, the 9 is top notch. As for a case, I’ve never seen one. But if you happen to find one, let us know. Because that would indeed help conceal the grip issues.
@@vintagecameradigestThanks so much and I certainly will. Guess CHAT GPT might be mistaken.
Pictures are really good. Is it possible to view them in full quality?
Thanks! That’s an interesting idea…probably several ways I could go about that. These are scans from my lab and not the very highest resolution. And of course I’m further scaling them down to fit the video resolution. But I can certainly see how high-res versions could be helpful to viewers. Let me play around with a couple of options. I’ll add a link for sample images in the video description once I work out the best way. Thanks for the excellent suggestion!
Per your suggestion I've added a gallery of "better" resolution samples from this shoot. Link is in the video description. Thanks for the suggestion. It only makes sense to do this, and I'm not totally sure why I've not thought about it before. As I mentioned, these are standard lab scans - so they're not extremely high res, but they're a LOT better than video resolution. Now, I'll probably go back and do the same for all the other videos :-)
@@vintagecameradigest It's nice to see response so quickly! If the images are at least 12 megapixels then this is good. Speaking of which, which scanner you use?
Well, your suggestion was a good one, and I’m always open to ways of providing helpful content. So thanks for that! To your question, I’m currently using a DSLR scanning set-up and have been for a few years now. But in the past I’ve used Epson and Canon scanners with great results. And when using those, my scanning software of choice is VueScan by Hamrick software.
I wanted to get a bit more clarification on the multi spot. I too am using the card in my 8000i. By pressing spot it is taking a reading I take it. After getting to spot 8 it just stays there. So is the reading I see in the LCD the suggested reading I should use? It just stays on Spot 8.
Sorry for the delayed response. After taking all the readings (and you don’t have to do 8 but whatever you need), the LCD displays the last spot taken, “Spot 8” for instance. If you press the shutter halfway, the display changes to the shutter/aperture setting that’s been computed.
@@vintagecameradigest Ok thanks. I am going to shoot some portraits in some tricky situations and I’m going to introduce off camera flash on some of the scenarios. I’ve been wanting to do an OCF video with film.
Can’t wait to see that. I’ve been intending to do some portrait shoots with some of these cameras. Hope to get around to that soon!
Hi my 7000i only lets me use manual focus despite me depressing the AF/M button at side of the Camera! Should I be doing something else to make the AF work or is there a fault with the Camera? Thank you
I’m traveling today, but I’ll give the camera a close look when I return home. It could be an issue with the switch or AF motor. Maybe we can get it figured out.
My 7000i doesn’t AF it is in MF and doesn’t change when I push the AF button! Am I missing something or is my camera faulty? Thank you
Thanks for the question. Do you have another lens to try? Or just the one?
I've just bought 2 bronica S lenses, Nikkor 7.5cm and 135mm. The cost was very good but slightly fungus infected. Do you fancy doing a video or know of one, or know of any documents on-line that would help me disassemble these 2 lenses, to get them back upto stratch?
If anyone reading this has any ideas to track down anying to assist me in this venture please reply. Thanks
Thanks for the question! I invite any others to give their input, but I’ll also give it a go. I have torn down and re-assembled many lenses in the last decade. And I’ve learned to recognize what problems I can fix and which I need to leave alone. Fungus can sometimes be the latter, but only if it appears between two cemented elements. If it’s on an outer surface or on a single element, a 1:1 mix of hydrogen peroxide and ammonia will work to at least kill it and hopefully remove it. If the elements have fancy coatings and the fungus has been there long enough, it may be permanently etched into it. But you probably won’t know any of that until you get the lens apart. So…full disclosure here…I have only part-way disassembled one of the 135s to clean up the rear elements. Past that, I can’t vouch for. BUT, these lenses are much less scary to work on since they don’t have their own focusing helicoid - which would be one of the things I don’t want to touch. To get access to the front elements, you’ll need a set of those rubber friction “wrenches” or you can use a pill bottle if you find the right size and one of those rubber jar-opener things. This will let you unscrew the front trim ring/bezel. From that point, a spanner wrench will be a must. I prefer the kind with the “bent” ends because it’s much easier to access deep-set elements - like the rear ones on the 135. This is all I can really say with any degree of certainty. I haven’t come across a video so far that outlines the disassembly of these lenses specifically.
I’ll finish by leaving this little bit of advice: when you remove an element MAKE SURE you find a way to remember which side is front or back. Installing one backwards - while leading to interesting optical effects - will annoy you. And if you’ve removed more than one at a time, you may have a hard time figuring out which one is backwards.
Hope others can jump in and offer some further suggestions. Good luck, my friend!
@@vintagecameradigest Thanks Steve, I need to get the tools first, but I've got a bit more confidence now in having a go. I used to strip machine tooling down so hopefully that will help.
The lens polarity I didn't think of but it makes a lot of sense to me, I just hope they don't have a lot of thread lock. Lol
Thanks, this channel is great.
NIkkor lenses for 35mm do tend to have some sort of thread lock - at least the later ones. They prove a pain when trying to remove the lens mount. But since these for the Bronica don’t have the “traditional” mount, maybe you’ll be good. Keep me posted on the progress!
@@vintagecameradigest I will get back to you on my luck with them, it will probably be a couple of months as I'm not ordering the tools until 3 weeks time. Then I need a camera for them. I have just bought 4 Zeiss Ikon Netter's, 2 6x6, 75mm and 1 6x9, 105mm all f6.3, plus another 6x9 105 mm with a f4.5 lens. Plus a darkroom outfit that should be upto these formats which will keep me busy in the meantime.
Sounds like you’ll be busy! All those cameras and lenses sound amazing. You’ve got a lot to look forward to! My recommendation on the Bronica camera would be the S2A if you want to keep it all manual. And of course the EC and EC-TL electronic bodies work with those lenses as well. Most times the S2A is hard to distinguish from the S2, and many, many sellers erroneously list an S2 as the S2A. Early S2As actually have “S2A” as part of the serial number. But that got phased out when the EC model was released. An easy way to distinguish is to look at the strap lugs. If they have little plastic wings under them, it’s an S2. The strap lugs were changed (to “wingless”) when the EC came out so that both bodies could accept the same strap. And chronologically that would make it an S2A. Cheers!
Well I normally like my fully manual mechanical cameras ... But ... At one point I thought to myself why not get a newer more modern camera that has tons of modes and fast shutter speeds and auto winding PLUS auto focus lol.. I got a great deal on a XT si Maxxum .. The camera itself is mint and the lens also looks like new and optically is great .. But the lens has a tooth or something missing on a gear inside just at its infinity spot and when you first turn on the camera you have to quickly grab the lens and turn the ring a touch so it grabs and then everything is fine after that otherwise it makes this strange grinding sound lol.. Its just annoying and I really should get a new lens lol. Now the images I got from the camera where shockingly decent even using some of the auto modes.. But oh my god that XT Si version is just stupid loaded with features I quickly got lost trying to figure out how to use the darn thing.. It came with a full instruction manual and I was still lost.. I made the mistake and put all new batteries in the camera not sure what the button cell was for in the back of the door :(.. I ended up with an entire roll of the date burned into the film :(. Over all I think I just did not give the poor camera much chance and now that I saw your video I might put a roll into the camera again and shoot with it once again this season.. Of course I removed that button cell in the film door :)..
Oh, wow, I despise those burned in date things, lol! Well, I wouldn’t have known that about the battery in the film door, either. But now we both do! 😁 I can certainly relate to sticking to the manual gear for the most part. At one point I considered these “too modern” but, uh, it’s been 35 years, so…I guess they’ll do. Btw - what lens do you have on yours? They all tend to be pretty affordable, unless you’re looking at the 85 1.4 or something crazy like that. It does sound like yours is missing a tooth. But I do encourage you to give it another try. I don’t have any experience with that particular model, but I’m sure it’s not much different from either of these.
First I had minolta XGM 1982
Then minora Maxum 7000 1988
Two different generations for sure, but both great Minoltas!