-very fast AF, exceptional in low light -reliable metering -compact and light -handles well -tightly screwed together -nice ergonomics -bright viewfinder -custom functions are useful -date/remote control ability is a handy feature -wireless flash capability -battery usage seems above average, gone 13x36 with 50% flash usage and original set still ok.

-af aid light is flash, annoying and ineffective. When travelling, I will use it with the Metz AF34 which gives me the near i/r AF aid light and greater/wider flash reach.

I purchased the date/RC version and have found it to be an outstanding camera at this and probably the price point above. Rich feature set, good handling and excellent performance. Well screwed together but compact and lightweight, it is an ideal camera for travel if you require something more than a P&S. As a serious amateur involved in people photography, it is all the camera I need and more.

Customer Service

NA

Similar Products Used:

Minolta 9,7,600SI.

-Light -Fast -Clear -Great exposing -Very customizable -Sharp pictures

Wish the viewfinder had a bigger view, only 90% according to Minolta.

This is a great camera. I''ve used older Mintolta Manual SLRs my whole life and this is a great camera to move up to. It''s so much lighter than either our X-700 or XG-1, heck, it''s lighter than the winder for the X-700. AF is wonderful and it meters and exposes perfectly. I have big hands and I think it fits well. I love the selectable AF zones and the LED indicators in the view finder, as well as the data display in it. I went back to 35mm with this camera after a 2 year stint with APS, 35mm rules, so much sharper, I''m sorry I left it.

Similar Products Used:

Minolta X-700 Minolta XG-1

Small and lightweight. Easy to operate. Very good night pictures and outdoor shots. built in meter and depth of field preview are excellent for manual shots.

Red eye flash makes people blink. Auto focus won''t allow you to get as close for close up shots.

I am very happy with this camera. I have very small hands and it seems to fit perfectly. the only trouble I have is that the autofocus quit on me. This camera is covered under an extended 4 year warranty and as soon as it is in stock again I plan to get another one.

Customer Service

Camera is under warranty from the store I bought it from so I haven''t had to go through minolta yet.

Similar Products Used:

Minolta HTSI, Minolta x-370

Good list of features. Good meter, good af. spot meter (not really, it''s about 6%)

* no MLU * af assist (AK!) * cheap plastic feel to the body

Maybe I got a damaged product, but the viewfinder LED screen died on mine after only a week''s usage! Also the brand new batteries are starting to read as if they were almost dead! Seems that I got a product with a defect in the electrical systems

Customer Service

I emailed minolta about this ...never got a response!

Similar Products Used:

Canon EOS 30

Small and light (I am only 13)

Sometimes the autofocusing is a bit dodgy but no big deal

Great! It is extremely light, I once wonder if I have my camera in my bag! Great autofocusing too!

Customer Service

If I need the service now, then I will kill myself.

Similar Products Used:

This is my first 35mm SLR.

Small and light. DOF preview. Advanced Distance Integration flash. An amazing view finder display (with heads up LED focus sensors and horizontal metering indicator). Fast autofocus. Eye-start (if you like that kind of thing). Automatic film door lock. "All for the low low price of..."

Small and light. If you have big hands (which I do) you should try it out before buying. The built in flash seems a bit flimsy and pops up too easily (like HTsi). The red LED focus indicators are a bit anemic and uneven in intensity compared to the 7.

I bought the Maxxum 5 as a second body to be used with its bigger sibling the Maxxum 7. The 5 is a sweet little camera. It is small and light, but feels sturdy enough with a solid lens attached to the front. With the 24-105(D), the autofocus speed rivals the 7. It won''t survive a month in the Amazon, but thats not what its for. Great alternative to those beginners who would go straight for the Rebel 2000. It would be difficult to find a better camera for the price than the Maxxum 5.

Customer Service

Haven''t needed it.

Similar Products Used:

Minolta HTsi plus, Maxxum 7, Nikon 8008, Canon EOS1n

Value (features versus price), excellent manual, all three desirable features in one camera: DOF preview, Multiple Exposure (2+), and Bracketing (0.3, 0.5, 0.7 or 1.0 EV)

My only complaints are that the DOF preview button is flush with the camera body, so it''s difficult to locate it by feel alone, and the optional BP200 battery pack does not have a shutter release.

I spent more than one year, off and on, searching for the best camera for my purposes and within my budget. Until recently the best contender was the Maxxum 7, which is too expensive. With the introduction of Maxxum 5, all the features I need except mirror lockup have been incorporated into a solid, lightweight package. This camera is loaded for the price, and the performance is even better than I''d expected.

Customer Service

N/A

Similar Products Used:

Nikon FE2

The autofocus is amazingly fast, locks on and is most accurate. The 14 segment honeycomb type features. I have read about the Minolta 600/650si cameras telling how the autofocus was so very slow. But this one is great. I also owned a Minolta 7000-i and the model before it the 7000 and both autofocus systems work splendidly but not near as fast as my Minolta 5. The pictures are superb and the flash will pop up automatically if the light is too low. You do not have to pull up the flash like on older models... This is a work of art and Minolta is the best name in the photography business as far as I am concerned. I own 4 Minolta cameras and they are also splendid including the 7000i, 7000, X-700, and the Minolta Freedom Zoom.

I am MORE THAN DISAPPOINTED in the fact that this camera is NOT equipped with the Panoramic feature like the article said but it was my fault for not checking it out. I might have otherwise bought the Minolta XTsi instead though that was $100.00 more. I taxed Minolta on the non Panoramic feature and they came back, what I thought was a little curtly and said that market survey was such that buyers were not that interested anymore in this particular feature... And said, OK? Well, it had to be OK didn''t it. The problem now is I must carry two cameras with me instead of just one. I have thought of buying the XTsi anyway but it would be too much money so I decided to use one of my other two cameras that ARE equipped with Panoramic feature and use them when I have too.

The camera is splendid. Since buying it I have not been sorry. I did read a write up for it in a Photography Magazine and it said it had the Panoramic feature. When I rushed out to buy it, I failed to check this. The magazine article was flawed. There is no panoramic feature. This devastated me as I wanted a camera that had this feature in addition to the simple modes of selection like portrait and also the creative possibilities of Aperature & Shutter priority as well as Manual and Program. But as a whole, the camera is fantastic. It is light weight and very accurate. The autofocus is very fast.

Customer Service

I was disappointed in one reply from Minolta but I guess I asked for it. I did also ask how long the flash would flash on their newest 5 model. They said it could go for thousands of flashes before ne

Similar Products Used:

Minolta 7000-i, model 7000, X-700, Minolta Freedom Zoom, Konica Revio Z2 APS with 3 features including Panoramic.

Ultra-high speed AF control and lightweight.

nothing

I''m so impressed with this little baby. I''m not expecting much since im just a beginner. This is my first time using slr camera. Pictures are superb. I spent my whole first day in Hongkong looking for this camera. Pictures I took for skycrapers and dolphines are superb. This camera is best for beginners like me. "Two thumbs up" for this camera.

Customer Service

none

Similar Products Used:

None

This is a tremendous camera at an excellent value. Nothing before was almost perfect... There are lot of strenghts in this camera. Is the fastest autofocus in this range and versus many pro models. Very lightweight. - Incredibly easy to use controls. - Metal Mount - Eye-start Automation (AF and AE automatically activated/deactivated) - AF sensor system: "7-point AF system with a center cross-hair sensor" - Sensitivity range: EV -1 - 18 (at ISO 100) - AF illuminator: Built-in flash automatically activated to aid focusing - Autofocus areas: Wide focus area. Any local focus area can be selected from the 7-point sensors. - Exposure system Metering: Ambient: 14-segment Honeycomb-Pattern, Spot Flash metering: Direct TTL OTF (ADI or TTL multi-segment ) -Predictive Focus Control: Multi-dimensional ( for moving subjects, excellent with eye controlled focus, is definetly in high speed shooting situations) - Focus modes: Autofocus, Manual focus - AF Modes: Automatic, single shot, continuous 3 fps... - Manual focus: Visually monitoring the viewfinder focusing screen

None for an Advanced o Amateur Photographer...

Maxxum 5 in an excellent camera, I highly recommend this model to anyone. I didn''t really look at the lower or higher price range bodies, but to me this camera has a lot of pro features. It''s for advanced amateurs at a entry level price ( Fantastic..) The performace is excellent..great pictures using Minolta lenses 50 f1.4, 28 f2.8, 35-70mm, 70-210mm and Sigma 28-200 for Maxxum. The Wireless flash is amazing with my 3500xi flash..

Customer Service

Haven´t used for Minolta.

Similar Products Used:

Canon 630, Nikon 6006, Minolta 450si