Decent construction, light, reasonably fast, works well

battery life seems to not be a problem whatsoever though it takes CR2 batteries (cr5? )not easy to get now

...very stylish...that's one reason that I bought it over the newer Minoltas

flashes the shutter-speed if it's below 1.5/FL very nice
I seriously wish that more cameras did this

has no lights on it anywhere, no stop-down button, no way to adjust the metering mode, have to reset the timer after every shot (not hard but still) is not the most quiet camera due to the AF motors on my lenses but the shutter is ok

Viewfinder doesn't show anything but speed, apeture and relative exposure +/- compared to the setpoint

All I know is that I get pretty-good shots out of mine. I just found out that it only has center-weighted metering which is both good and bad. But generally exposes well, gives me good AF with the two Tamron lenses that I have (19-35 and 28-300) and while it's light on features it has everything that I really need to get good pictures...shooting film.

If you're looking for a good cheap film camera to try out shooting film this is definitely a good way to go, and it will support Alpha lenses for digital if you want to go that way.

it's not digital but it certainly does well for a film camera

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Nikon N80
better feature set but I get better pics out of the 500si, center-weighted may work better with film, not sure yet but it seems so

CHEAP, light,

not even worth the small price payed for it, prone to die quikly

I bought this camera for my nephew early this year, i figured it would be easyer to use than high grade nikon or such, it worked great as a beginers camera for about 6 months it is in perfect condition yet it has developed a problem where help comes up on the display and the whole camera freezes, i would not recomend this camera for anyone

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i have used all Nikon pro bodys this may have to do with why i am so harsh on it

Useful and accurate spotmeter. Metal lens mount. Remote control socket. Brighter viewfinder than 400si. DX-override. I find the autofocus to be about on a par with the older Pentax SF-1 I used to own, except the Minolta is faster. It's not the fastest but it's much quicker than I could ever manually focus. Negatives are tack sharp (I have a 35-80 lens) and exposure is very accurate. Spotmeter is intelligently integrated and easy to use. Well-built, if a bit plasticky. A nice fit for my hand.

No second-curtain sync (all SLRs should have this feature). No PC socket. No light for the info panel (although the info panel in the viewfinder is lighted). Changing aperatures in manual or Shutter-preferred modes is a bit clumsy. No DOF scale on the lens. No DOF preview. Not as rugged as the Pentax SF-1 (but, honestly, the Maxxum is a much less expensive camera). Autofocus is very good for a single-sensor model BUT multiple sensors are more desirable.

This review is for the Maxxum 500si, known otherwise as the Dynax 500si Super. A very fine, intermediate camera with some very useful improvements over the Maxxum 400si/Dynax 500si. An excellent buy. The HTsi is similar but has a more sophisticated focus setup.

Customer Service

Never had to use it. Dealer has a first-rate return policy for used cameras, which this was.

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Canon Rebel 2000 Nikon 8008 Pentax SF-1

light weight, easy to handle, easy for a beginner and casual photographer

doesn't take photos in pitch dark, even if we have additional flash, very noisy operation,takes a long time for AF

God camera for a beginner

Customer Service

haven't used it

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N60

It is a great camera. The best thing is how the camera fits in your hand very nice. I had held the Minolta HTsi and it was not as nice to hold as the 400si. Mabey because i am use to it. Gives good exposure programs but the defauld program mode "P" i think is excellent. I uses this mode 70% of the time and it seems to work great. Also give u the ability to change shutter and apature.

I have noticed the Auto Focus got slower with. Mabey i just need something faster. No auto pop-up flash. Wish i had that. Messed up a few pictures because of it.

It is a good camera for a beginner. When i bought this camera i was a beginner but now i think its time to move on. I know it is better than the Canon's.
If your are a beginner but it. well i guess now the Minolta HTsi is better at the same price. so its up to you

Customer Service

Did not have to use it

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Canon Rebel XS/G

Light body, good grip feel, cheap price, easy to learn all the functions, metal lens mount, spot metering,

Slow auto-focus, metering is sometimes not very accurate, not as many lenses to choose from as Canon and Nikon.

It's a great camera to learn with. With the cheap zoom lens that it came with, the picture quality was sharper than a p-s, but there was more to be desired. But that's the lens's fault. The auto-focus has a tendency to hunt in low light situations. Although, when coupled with a good lens, like the 50mm f/1.4, it can take some wonderfully sharp pictures. At first, the plasticky body made me a little nervous about the reliability of it. But it's hit doors, been tossed around, ...used and a bit abused (though never dropped) and it keeps on clicking.

Customer Service

n/a

Similar Products Used:

None

This camera is extremely versatile for any beginner. Fully automatic with preference/priority modes and program modes. You can get all sorts of 3rd party lenses for this thing at good prices. I would highly recommend this camera to any beginner

Autofocus can be very slow if you use a telephoto/zoom lens above 200mm. Not to be used for sports unless you are an expert at manual focus (but then, you'd be more experienced and would have a better camera). When I would use my 70-300mm lens with this camera on a tripod, it was top heavy and would require REALLY tight adjustment on the tripod. For that case only, is the camera body too light.

If you are an outright beginner for photography, get one of these things, or if you've only used little point and shoot cameras. This is the perfect SLR camera to start with and they can be bought used for a very reasonable price. After using one of these for awhile and you feel you need something more, shoot for a 700si or 800si, or go for a Nikon N80.

Customer Service

Never needed it.

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Minolta 700si

Affordable price, third party lenses support everywhere, Camera controls very confortable,

No remote cable release socket, No automatic bracketing, AF slow

Good for beginners,except for the cable release socket, very useful for low light and night photography.

Customer Service

Always accesible via e-mail (fast response)

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This is my first SLR, however I have exploited it to 150% and I have involved in photography so deep (taking courses, self-study, etc.) that I could consider an advance amateur.

A simple camera, that will suit the beginner aswell as more intermediate amateurs. Easy to use with several pre-defined program modes. Very lightweight, but still seems to be able to take quite a lot of beating. Built in flash that is enough for most situations. Ability to go totally manual of so desired.

Autofocus is slow and seem to have problems focusing with many objects. I often switch to manual focus.

A great starting camera that can keep its place as a second body, if you decide to move on in your photography. Good value for money, and lot of lenses+accessories to choose from.

Customer Service

Have had no reason to contact them.

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Other Minolta Maxxum/Dynax modems.

Spot metering, useful pre-programmed functions, relatively inexpensive

Sometimes it won't let you take a picture when it "thinks" the exposure or focus isn't right.

Great camera for the novice. Mine is a Maxxum 500 super with time/date stamp, spot metering, panarama mode (mechanically blocks light so that only the center half of negative is exposed), and a 3-pin socked for a remote. I got it with a Minolta 35-70mm f3.5-4.5 for $350 (US) in Singapore in '99.

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Minolta Maxxum 7000