Olympus/Zuiko

Sony α 700 dSLR

Yep, shameless, cheesy pictures of my “made in Japan” Sony Alpha 700, Sl # 0501611!
Hey, I waited a long time for this one – when Minolta was purchased by Sony, I had almost given up hope on getting a 10+ megapixel Minolta based DSLR that would take all my Maxxum AF mount lenses. When they introduced the Alpha 100, I was disappointed in the plasticky look and feel and generally low quality appearance (the optical performance of the Alpha 100 is excellent, don’t get me wrong) – it’s just that I was hoping for something more substantial than the Alpha 100, but yet not something as expensive as a full frame dSLR. For my purposes as an amateur, the mid range “advanced” camera is sufficient.. besides, with my collections of lenses, I am happy as the proverbial pig in a puddle 🙂

Minolta Dynax 800si

When I need a quick, reliable camera, my primary shooter is my autofocus Minolta Dynax 800si. I’ve owned the Dynax since June 2000 – It’s a very fine camera.

I bought it a few months prior to my trip to India, and it has served me wonderfully. It’s a very rugged camera for all its sophistication. I love the Minolta, so here is the camera and all my lenses. I bought the Maxxum 50mm, the Tamron and Phoenix along with the camera, and added the Sigma 50mm Macro, the 28-80mm and 80-200mm Maxxum lenses much later.

The Tamron and Phoenix lenses are remarkable value for the low price, and have always performed excellently. Besides, the Phoenix is a f/2.8 at 28mm – much better than the Maxxum’s f/4.5 at 28mm. The Maxxum zooms are both very good, and super sharp – I just have to remember to use 400 ASA film when I plan on using a Polarizing filter. The 50mm f/1.7 is a dream in low light conditions.Here is the Minolta AF…

Maxxum Dynax 800si Manual courtesy the Konica Minolta website.

Minolta Dynax 800si #15001711

Minolta Dynax 800si #15001711

Minolta Dynax 800si #15001711

Minolta Dynax 800si #15001711

Minolta Dynax 800si #15001711

Minolta Dynax 800si #15001711

Minolta Maxxum AF Lenses

Maxxum AF 50mm f/1.7

Maxxum AF 50mm f/1.7

Maxxum AF 28-80mm xi f/4.5-5.6

Maxxum AF 28-80mm xi f/4.5-5.6

Maxxum AF 35-105mm f/3.5-4.5

Maxxum AF 35-105mm f/3.5-4.5

Maxxum 80-200mm f/4.5-5.6

Maxxum 80-200mm f/4.5-5.6

Minolta AF mount 3rd Party Lenses

Phoenix 28-105mm f/2.8-3.8

Phoenix 28-105mm f/2.8-3.8

Tamron 70-300mm f/4.0-5.6

Tamron 70-300mm f/4.0-5.6

Sigma 50mm f/2.8 1:1 Macro	Sigma 50mm f/2.8 1:1 Macro
Sigma 50mm f/2.8 1:1 Macro	Sigma 50mm f/2.8 1:1 Macro

text and images © 2007 ajoy muralidhar. all names, websites, brands and technical data referenced are the copyright or trademark of their respective owners.