Minolta Dynax 7000i

This camera came to me as a short term loan from a friend. I didn't have the chance to exhaustively test it, so the following review is based on a three day stay with me and a film i shot with it. 

The 7000i is a significant camera in the Dynax line. It is the first camera that the AF was really, really working effectively with all the teething problems of the previous module becoming history. In order to do that, Minolta introduced so many revolutionary ideas with this model that it is fair enough to say that at that point, Minolta was a class leader in the field of AF-SLR's. And just to name a few of those innovations, the 7000i was the first camera that used three AF sensors in 90 degrees angle that solved the problem with the horizontal lines that posed so many difficulties to the early AF systems. The AF was more sensitive and the 7000i was the first SLR to implement an auxiliary AF aid that would allow it to focus even in pitch dark. The combination of a bigger AF motor and faster electronics meant that the 7000i was twice as fast as the previous models and the response time was halved. This allowed Minolta to introduce a predictive AF, first time in history where the camera could automatically switch from one shot AF to predictive once movement is detected. This camera did not fall short in the light metering department either. The 7000i was the first camera that linked the AF sensor with the corresponding zone and took the subject's distance into account. The further the subject, the more centre-weighted the pattern becomes, while the closer the subject, the more spot-weighted it becomes with attention placed on the zone of the focusing spot. This metering system set the basis of what was going to be Minolta's later famous honeycomb system.

The 7000i scraped the old push-buttons interface of the original 7000 and replaced it with .... another push-buttons interface. Now i can see where the nightmare-ish interface of the 9xi comes from but things are more simple here. The viewfinder is reasonably big and bright although i have seen better ones. With this model, Minolta introduced their expansion card system that was cutting edge back at that time but it looks more of a nuisance today. Just to give you an example, it took me almost half an hour to find out how to switch the camera into aperture priority. Well, i couldn't, and that is because with custom_function_1 you can disable some modes in the camera leaving only the ones you use. The previous owner used only program and full manual so he had the rest disabled. Bad news, my friend did not have the expansion card so it means that i couldn't switch to any other mode either... You see what i mean...

In action, the camera's AF and metering have been very efficient. Granted, the AF is not as fast or refined and in the later models (specially the 9xi) and it is loud when comparing it with other models but it is efficient and it will focus with no difficulty in day light. The pictures i got from the 7000i were all sharp and well exposed. The camera is perfectly usable today as a backup body and it will serve you well. For me it is a better camera than it's contemporary competition (mainly the EOS 650 and the Nikon F-801) although it started to struggle when Nikon and Canon produced their updates, the F-801s and the EOS 600.

A word of caution though. When buying a 7000i or it's update, the 8000i. Be aware of the LCD problem in the viewfinder. In the 7000i a tiny mirror which reflects the LCD reading in the viewfinder gets detached and this leads to the reading not being available in the viewfinder. My understanding is that Minolta tried to address this problem in the later 8000i by replacing the LCD panel and made things even worst. In the 8000i the LCD panel bleeds to death, it fades completely with time so if you are planing to buy one of these cameras, make sure that all readings in the viewfinder are easy to read.

Conclusion

The Minolta Dynax 7000i is a camera that, although i wanted to have as a kid, i never warmed up to it while i had it. Having used other later Dynax models this felt a bit unrefined and difficult to get to grips with. It does what it is meant to do, take well focused and well exposed pictures, no doubt about it and it is comfortable to hold and carry around. But as I said, this camera shows it's age when you've used later models and for me, it doesn't satisfy any need as a camera user. Good news is that it tends to cost less than £10 on that auction site. Now seriously, i cannot think of a better value for money AF-SLR for this amount, although if you are willing to spend a bit more money, a later model from the 4xxx or 5xxx series might be a better buy.