Photoclubalpha

Both bodies are falling like stones. If you need a body for backup, what's your choice?

The Dynax 7. It can be repaired by independents as well as Sony/KM former authorised central repair unit. The Dynax 9 can not be repaired by our own specialist independent repairer in the UK, and has to go to JP Services, who in turn send it to Europe. I would not be surprised if Dynax 9s end up needing to go to Japan in a couple of years.

Minolta committed themselves to support the Dynax 9 for ten years after discontinuing it. The Dynax 7 shares more components with current cameras (not all that many!) and is at least built in a similar way. It is more likely to have a decent afterlife. Also, every Dynax 7 supports SSM lenses and full ADI. Only Dynax 9s which were upgraded at the time will support SSM.

David

Although I Own Maxxum Maxxum 3, Maxxum 5 and Maxxum 9 (or Dynax in my region, so i call D9 afterwards)cameras, lacking Maxxum 7 , I cannot really compare the two. From the experience of Maxxum 9, I can comment on the followings:

Firstly, as I use mainly digital now, carrying a heavy Dynax 9 as a backup alongside digital, seems less attractive nowadays. however when I shoot with Dynax 9, the feeling of a marvelloues well balanced camera with easy direct controls makes it still actively used alone. Dynax 7 is lighter which seems advantage, but handling-wise Dynax 9 has no rivals.

SSM is not a disadvantage for me. I do not use SSM lenses as I do not have any, while my Dynax 9 cannot handle them either.

The perfect exposure outcome of Dynax 9 is a big pro. I am not sure if Dynax 7 uses the same processor-algorithms for the exposure. I really do not feel the need of ADI Flash support in D9 as I consistently get good exposure from flash images.

The Flash-sync is 1/300 for D9 instead 1/200 for D7. That is a good extra.

One thing I really envy about D7 is its big informative screen. D9 small screen is OK in general usage, but when it comes to setting custom functions, or reading stored exif data, it needs careful attention with a manual at hand.

But in General; the feeling and handling of the pro-design and exposure accuracy makes D9 as the number 1 choice for me for a film camera.

Dorum

i never seen maxxum 9 live before only on web, but one of my friends is using maxxum 7 with vc7 supperb handling. Add in my future wish list.

If I ever shot film again, it would probably be some time when I can afford that extravagance as well as some SSM lenses. I'll have a Maxxum 7, rare, with a side of vertical grip, please

Could we move this topic to the "Pole" section"?

Ah ha! Head gear to match your new title. Excellent Dr Harout.

Birma wrote:Ah ha! Head gear to match your new title. Excellent Dr Harout.

If I was to shoot film, it would be in a manual focus body. AF bodies are just something forced upon us to shoot digital.

If I had to pick between those, it would probably be the 7, as it works with the SSM lenses without issue, and it keeps me in the 7 series. I own a X700, 7D, A700, and just for the heck of it a 7000, I would just have to keep the pattern going

9 + grip + data back ... that is, until I get SSM lenses.
The feeling cannot be beaten - and at 3kg with the 28-70/2.8G and a 5600 HSD it saves a subscription to the gym!
Plus, I have it already, which means I would not have to present a business case to my significant other.

On the other hand, the strange back LCD of the 7 never looked very attractive to me.

Well hello to Alec.

I hate to tell you folks this, but my film 7 focus screen got damaged.

The main worry, was that JP service in the UK emailed me back saying "we no longer have spare parts for the dynax 7"
Now if that just means the focus screen, or other parts...no idea.

Other than that issue (why minolta made the 7 screen such a hassle to change, nobody will ever know), it's a fantastic camera overall, and a pretty good price as well. Long time since I used a 9, so hard to make an objective comment on that front.

bfitzgerald wrote:I hate to tell you folks this, but my film 7 focus screen got damaged.

The main worry, was that JP service in the UK emailed me back saying "we no longer have spare parts for the dynax 7"
Now if that just means the focus screen, or other parts...no idea.

Other than that issue (why minolta made the 7 screen such a hassle to change, nobody will ever know), it's a fantastic camera overall, and a pretty good price as well. Long time since I used a 9, so hard to make an objective comment on that front.

When KM closed down, Sony had refused to buy the spares. The entire inventory was chucked into skips outside the industrial unit. A 'mole' within Sony tipped off Camera Repair Workshop, a Milton Keynes based independent repairer who did all the overflow work for KM (ex-Minolta staff). They raided the skips for whatever they could find but were not able to recover all the parts stock. JP Solutions never got any because of this negative and destructive action by KM. Try Camera Repair Workshop - I do not know what they retrieved, but they may have more parts than any other repairer.

This was the attitude from KM which also threatened me with legal action if I did not terminate the Minolta Club immediately (they never took action - they threatened this website as well).

David

David Kilpatrick wrote: When KM closed down, Sony had refused to buy the spares. The entire inventory was chucked into skips outside the industrial unit. A 'mole' within Sony tipped off Camera Repair Workshop, a Milton Keynes based independent repairer who did all the overflow work for KM (ex-Minolta staff). They raided the skips for whatever they could find but were not able to recover all the parts stock. JP Solutions never got any because of this negative and destructive action by KM. Try Camera Repair Workshop - I do not know what they retrieved, but they may have more parts than any other repairer.

That is amazing. At the very least they should have offered them to Camera Repair Workshop or JP Solutions for a very good price or even given the stuff to them rather than just throw it all away. Tells me a lot about what they thought of their customers. Good riddance to Konica Minolta.

i'm not sure what the reasoning is but thats pretty common. When Chrysler took over AMC they destroyed everything that was in inventory that hadn't already been distributed along with all the tooling used to make parts all the way back to the 50's must be an accountant thing ..