when i go into the darkroom they cry.*****....so use it for wedding, parties or whatever job youll go for; You will never be dissapointed,but remember to bring a good Meter with you!and a monopod..and..and ..time.. engine diagnostics and repair

None . .

great feel-uncannily acurate metering,very fast autofocus

none

This is my second review of this camera and some months later my views are endorsed with even more confidence.Metering is superb and the prices are tumbling on e-bay,I saw a mint boxed one go recently for £147 GBP crazy I know but its a buyers dream out there.I recently visited an air show and was dubious about trusting cameras metering of a small dark object against a very bright sky,I had a lapse of faith and set camera to 1 stop over and left it set at that,most shots were a-ok but I was equally surprised that some were slightly overexposed,did not need that extra stop,great stuff,especially the awesome B-52 probably due to its size and had metered perfectly.So I do believe this camera can be trusted for even the pinnacle of tricky shots.I made comment in my last review that switching from manual to auto focus and vice-versa was not easy,I take that back,it was me being clumsy and now I am used to camera it is a doddle.I was also a bit annoyed that a focus point icon could not be left on view so the user could see where one was,again this can be done,I have decided to read the destructions properly practised for hours and made a point of memorising all I can and will still recommend this camera to even a beginner,it is a dream to use and I will never go back to Canon--but READ instruction book-ok!!

Similar Products Used:

Dynax 7 and Canon eos 30

- Price / Quality - Semi professional camera - 14 Point honey comb metering is spot on - Memory functions - Ergonomics - Internal powerfull flash

- Plastic - AF isn't like a canon/nikon toprange - No mirror lock up - Not that much better than a cheaper 700si

Bought this brilliant camera on ebay for a really low price and this is immediatly its strength. It is the bigger brother of a 700si and i swapped it because the use of the chipcard were annoying me bigtime. That was the main reason. The better internal flash and memory functions are also nice of course. But in a sense it isn't that much better than a 700si. When your budget isn't that big, BUY A MINOLTA 2nd hand. You get the best bang for a buck (also the lenses). In my eyes better than the dynax 5, 505si, 7xi. And if you like the ergonomics and care less about the extra features it is equal to a dynax 7 (except af). When you compare it to a lowerclass canon eos 300, it outperformance on every front... but the higher class canon camera's are still better. The

Customer Service

Never used

Similar Products Used:

Minolta 7000AF, 7000I, 5xi, 700si, 800si, canon eos 300

Fast autofocus,extremely accurate metering systems.14 segment matrix,centre weighted,and good old spot.Superb built-in flash.Heavy and solid feel.

If I had to pick something that could be construed as a weakness,it would be the auto to manual focus button which is,at times slow to react.

I bought this camera as a kit on e-bay.The camera came with the Minolta 24-85 zoom and the battery grip,postage paid it cost me £300 GBP .I possibly could have got it for a little bit less had I bought the items seperate,but could not be bothered with three auctions and this was the exact kit I wanted.I was amazed at the quality of the camera,how quiet the shutter was and how blistering fast is the autofocus,and there are so many buttons etc, its a fiddlers dream.The exposure is always spot on and so uncannily acurate,even in strong backlit situations.Its a nice chunky camera to hold so you always feel confident with it sitting in your hand,which to me is a major plus.Now to the lens,I did have before this camera a Minolta Dynax 7 with the 24-105 D zoom until it was stolen,and believe me this 24-85 zoom is light years ahead of that lens on quality.I have compared some shots I took and the difference is so noticable.Also to me,the camera is also way ahead of the Dynax 7. I always thought that the knobs and buttons and sliding switches were far too messy to use,the cluttered choice of all those focus points,the silly Gameboy on the back,which for the most part I never used.To me the 800 si has got to be one of Minoltas finest cameras ever made,whilst the Dynax 7 should go down as the most expensive toy they made.I know this review is about the 800 si but comparisons do help make a point on the strengths of the 800 si.Go out and buy one if you are thinking about it,they are so cheap at the moment,in fact the second hand price of all Minolta cameras are that cheap it`s almost criminal,also included in that comment are the second hand price of the lenses,rock bottom,and I almost feel sorry for anyone selling Minolta gear that they purchased from new.Its an absolute class act camera to use.

Customer Service

never needed it---but Minolta Uk sent me a crummy photostat copy of the instructions for the VC-7 grip when I had the Dynax 7 and charged me a horrific £7 for two pages.

Similar Products Used:

Dynax 7

Reliability Rugged enough Work under 0 degree or over 35 degree without any problem. Other--please see my other review

Small button on the flap could be hard to press when you have gloves on.

This is my second review for Minolta 800si. Recently I bought this camera with me to an overseas trip to UK, Singapore and Indonesia. I am quite surprise with the waterproofness of the camera when I drop my camera into the soft snow when I fall and having have to dig it out... After wipe down with my shirt, everything works as usual. This camera work like a dream, I have used Internal flash with Minolta 20mm f2.8 lens without having any shadow on the bottom half of the picture... Probably this is due to the position of the flash (higher than normal).

Customer Service

none

Similar Products Used:

Dynax 7 and Dynax 9

Ergonomics! I like the placement of the controls and I also LIKE the little control pannel behind the door. The OCCASIONAL inconvenience of this MORE than makes up for the CONSTANT threat of buttons getting "bumped" and settings getting inadvertantly changed. VERY bright built in flash, but useless for my purposes. I almost NEVER have a lens mounted that I can use it with (body 1 has a 70-210 f2.8 mounted, body 2 has a 28-70mm f2.8 (77mm accross, causes a big shadow in bottom of frame), and body 3 is usualy in a waist pack with a body cap. I have a pair of Minolta 5400HS flashes so this is not a big issue.

At a maximum drive speed of three frames per second, I do miss my 7xi when I am shooting football (it was a 4 fps drive). However the vertical grip, improved metering, ABSENCE of "chip cards," ability to run on AA batteries (w/ vertical grip), and other items MORE than make up for this.

The metering is dead on, the AF is fast and smooth, and it just feels GREAT in my hands (with VC-700 Vertical Grip). I use the 800si (I have three bodies, all with vertical grips) for weddings, sports (action, not "team photos"), and anything else that I feel like shooting.

Customer Service

I haven't had any problems. Oh, great, NOW I've "jinxed" it!!!

Similar Products Used:

Minolta Maxxum 7xi

14 segment metering. Eye start. Vast range of features. Everything you could want, 1/8000 sec shutter speed, Build quality, PRICE! Super flash.

No mirror prefire. Faster continuous drive would be nice buy you only get an extra 0.7 fps with the D7. It's not worth it.

I bought this camera from Ebay for the bargain price of £280. It's still as good as new! I can't understand why anyone buys anything new anymore. Let someone put a couple of scratches on it for you. They get the disappointment and you get a mega deal. This camera is the best camera I have used by far. Easily on a par with my friends Dynax 7. Every feature you could want and then some. Great build, fantastic metering, autofocus, custom modes, memory, ease of use and handling. Even better with the VC700 grip. This camera even looks cool. For me, the Dynax 7 is too retro. When my friend and I were out the other day at a sports meet, everyone thought that I was the serious pro and that he couldn't afford new kit! There is only one feature of the D7 I would like and that is mirror pre fire. But as it's very rarely any use, I can live without it and keep the extra couple of hundred quid. I mentioned ease of use. This camera can do a lot of things but they're all so easy to do, even without the manual. The guys at Minolta knew how photographers think and made the navigation really intuitive. If you see one in good condition under £300 buy it. You will not be disappointed!

Customer Service

Minolta UK are superb. I have never had any problems with the camera, but I have dealt with them before about a scanner and a grip and they have been very helpful and even fixed the grip without charge out of warranty!

Similar Products Used:

Dynax 5, 7. Pentax MZ-5N

- DOF preview - Backlit panel - Fast AF - Very well build and reliable. - Lots of functions - Flash coverage GN20 (huge for inbuilt flash) - Eye start, record information of last 7 rolls of film. - Price - 1/8000s top speed

- No inbuilt Panorama frame.

I bought the camera 2nd hand from ebay after reading the review on this camera. The minute I hold it, I fall in love with the camera. AF is fast, location of the button is impressive. I have previewsly use 505si super, but I found this camera has much faster AF. If I choose to buy another camera, I will definately buy 800si again. I found 800si is very very close to Dynax 7 or even Dynax 9. So if you always wanted a Dynax 9 but don't have the money. 800si is the way to go! Combine with "G" Series lens, this camera is a killer. However, still like the idea of inbuilt Panorama frame (like one on 505si Super), it is more flexible.

Customer Service

None

Similar Products Used:

505si Super, Dynax 7, Dynax 9

Out door focus is very fast and handles like a dream. Used with prime lens it is as good as any in its class. The grip is a must as it gives all round handling a boost.

None.

Great all round camera. Feels solid with grip. I use mainly with a 135mm & 50mm and the 800si feels very pro and handles like one too. The flash is great and does all one could ask.

Similar Products Used:

Minolta 700si.

Custom functions, 14 segment metering, built well, accepts Minolta, Sigma, and Tokina lenses well.

None that I have noticed. However, a beginner might find the camera too technical.

I bought the 800si based on various research reports, and comsumer opinions. I have used Minolta cameras since 1970. The 800si has nearly all the features of the Maxxum 9, but not the weight. The camera repsonds well, and has a good feel.

Customer Service

Not bad. Could have been a little faster.

Similar Products Used:

Srt101, Srt201, 450si, 600si, 7000i, and 800si. Nikon F5. Leica.