Minolta Maxxum 7 – The Best for when you really have got to get that shot (on a budget)

Early 2017 was a disaster, needless to say one thing lead to another and I then eventually was camera-less. You can imagine how that feels? Penniless yes, but cameras-less? Anyway bad times always (for most) come to an end and later that year I had to start again. Having sold my Fuji TX 2 (Hasselblad Xpan II) my Contax G2 set, Contax Aria set along with my Rolleiflex 3.5F, Rolleiflex 6008i and Fuji XE2s plus all the lenses for relative peanuts I had to start from the bottom again.

My first SLR was a Minolta and I decided to go back to using a 35mm SLR and Minolta at that.

The Minolta Maxxum 7 is what I bought from Ffordes in Scotland. Body only.

I also bought the cheapest good standard lens for it which is the Minolta 50mm f2.8 Macro.

I decided that as I don’t ever recall shooting with the lens opened up more than f2.8 that this would be ideal. (This later changed as I began to meddle with faster M42 lenses and replaced the 50mm f2.8 with a Minolta 50mm f1.4)

I eventually had a kit of lenses (plus use the M42 lenses with the minuscule adaptor) I sold the 50/2.8 and the 100/2.8 and now only use the 50/1.4 24/2.8 and 70-210 f4 beer can which is absolutely superb! All I lack is the 85/1.4 short tele for dedicated portraits.

Anyway the Minolta Maxxum 7 is lovely. Almost perfect in terms of form and ergonomics. We have buttons and dials for everything plus a rear LCD panel which makes it look like a DSLR. I used to be a bit of a Camera snob and couldn’t get any Minolta – it had to be the best or among the best at a price point. Luckily, even to today the Minolta Dynax / Maxxum / Alpha 7 is being sold cheap. I’ve no idea why as it’s one of the most advanced 35mm Minolta and dare I say anyone had ever made. I doubt even the Nikon F6 has many more features.

It has a big bright finder – I think the same finder is to be found in the Sony A900 Full Frame DSLR (which I recall was the biggest brightest finder ever installed in a DSLR) with good eye relief.

The Minolta Maxxum 7 AF is very quick and it’s just a very quick AF SLR which you can use with confidence. It can be short in Auto Programme mode and thus by anyone!
The magic with this lies in it’s rear LCD. With this you can program it to perform various functions including mimicking a Smooth Trans Focus Lens (Anyone have one I can borrow????)

The Minolta Maxxum 7 also features a pictorial diagram of the hexagonal Matrix meter which meters the scene and determines which areas will be within the limits of the film. Excellent and quick to use with a button! Some reviews, here, here and here.

And one glance at the user manual will give you a good general idea about the functions and what everything does. The rear LCD and the options these have are explained in the manual. I must admit apart from allowing the leader of the Film being left out for easy removal I haven’t messed with the programming options.

For Slide film – this is The camera to use. Metering is perfect – I mean nailed, even in tricky light (within the limits of the film and without too contrasty lighting as always) it gets you the photo – it refuses to be fooled!.

Also for Black and White – every shot is nailed! The meter for this medium I think is flawless. Tones are captured correctly with no need to worry about the zone system or appropriating values to the scene.

For those who want to be in total control then ergonomics and functions are almost perfect – others may want to use a slower manual focus camera with an external light meter. But I kid you not – I think the Minolta Maxxum 7 SLR is one of The Best 35mm AF SLR ever built.

Good build quality, a good compromise between sizer, weight and materials.

Very fast, exceptional focussing and speed, fool proof light meter, good bright Finder, fast shutter, perfect placement of all buttons and dials and lovely grip and feel. What’s not to like?

Of course you can get better built top end Canon and Nikon cameras – but they weigh more, cost more and won’t do anything significantly faster or more accurately than this.

For anyone starting out with Film photography – and also for experienced photographers too who are looking for a complete film system without huge outlay – the Minolta Maxxum 7 is the overall best camera you can get. It really is, which makes it probably the best 35mm Film camera of all time. Yes a very bold claim – but for someone starting out you want a multi functional camera for little outlay. A camera that can shoot MF or AF, is lovely to use and handle, excellent matrix meter (inc centre weighted and spot) quick or slow depending on how you want to use it, large bright finder and at a bargain price – and wonderful Minolta glass which is cheaper to find than comparable Nikon or Canon glass.

I’d recommend the set I had to start – Minolta Maxxum 7 Body with Minoltas 50mm f2.8 Macro. Most of my shots have been taken with this lens.

Any downsides? Sure I’d prefer more metal on the outer body but this does pile on weight and raises the cost.

If you shoot film and want to nail the shot – then I do honestly believe the Minolta Maxxum 7 is the camera to use. I use different cameras most of the time, such as my Contax RTS II – but when I go on holiday or trips or travelling then this is the camera I take – the others are for hobby and fun purposes, which I can use to experiment and enjoy. For shooting Film when grabbing the shot and the moment really matters this is what I use and will always use until it (or I) eventually fails.

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