The camera is small and light weight. This make it easy to carry around the neck for long hikes. It has great metering,a bright view finder that is to the left of the camera allowing the user to better concentrate on the subject, easy to remember operating instructions, full auto and manual modes and many other features you would expect only from a 35mm format top of the line camera. It so good to use it after a day of work making firewood!

As many other have said, Vectis lenses do not come wider than 22 mm (28 mm when compared to 35mm format). The camera has a max shutter speed of only 1/2000 which is a disapointment considering the smaller film size I am very satisfied with the performance and price of my S-1. It takes some getting used to since it's small for an SLR. However, it is a nice outfit.

Perfect for covering what a 35mm SLR does with just-what-you-need features in a super compact, splash-proof body. the lenses (beside the 2 basic kit lenses) are really excellent and yield fine results. Used for many years when I didn't want to drag around my Maxxum 9000 stuff.

A bit too amateur, so once you get to a point, limited as its too outomated. APS is smaller than 35mm means no more than 8x10 enlargements..and now no more APS film! but when used it was very good

APS is dead, but when it was somewhat popular, this camera really bridged the needs of the total beginner and more advanced, but not for a prosumer. I got 2 bodies and 4 lenses over the (poor) kit lens and used it whenever I traveled or went to a dodgy place I did not want to risk my better 35mm gear. I got some great 8x10s, especially when I used ASA 100 film. It was so well designed and automated that 85-90% of picture situations could be handled...especially once you learned how to use the controls. A truly fun and ingenious camera. I read that Minolta bet the farm on this format and unlike Canon and Nikon, the creation of custom lenses just for this camera was a big loss leader. But for those who could enjoy the limits of APS, this was truly a gem. I have APS film I can't get developed, but what a cool camera.

Customer Service

Never needed.

Similar Products Used:

Minolta SRT and Maxxum cameras. Now APS-C Sony DSLRs

I used this camera all the time - great pics and easy to use

Unable to find all the lenses and disappointed that they no longer make this camera and the film is hard to find and have processed.

Love, Love this camera!

Easy to use - drop in film, changing lenses, doesn't get much simpler.

I love this camera! What I find upsetting is that you can no longer find the lenses. I was fortunate to find the 50MM Macro lens in my travels but am not able to find the 400MM.

It seems that this model, which is so easy to use and carry around, is being discontinued by Minolta. A huge mistake in my opinion. The photos are always worth blowing up and framing.

I loved it so much that I bought one for my brother who has been using 35MM cameras for years and loves the ease of using the Minolta Vectis S-1.

Very compact,lightweight and somehow fun to use.good quality photos barely indistinguishable from 35mm.Mid roll change capablity-fantastic.Triple format picture choice and exposure data recording

No multiple exposure facility and no second-curtain sync with flash. limited lens choice and ultimately film choice.

Already had Dynax 7-a great camera but saw this advetised at a clearance price of £160.Was intrigued when it first came out but at this price I thought I had nothing to lose.Have been thoroughly impressed.It has all the (promised) features of the APS format and is really very nice to use.It is small and very light with relatively fast and quiet AF and the results so far have been superb.Also bought the dedicated flash SF1 at £40 so I effectively have a nice little system,which consistently takes sharp and well exposed pictures.Found that it is best to fix the aperture at f8 as this gives the best reults, with the 80mm end proving noticeably sharper than the 22mm end.Was initially planning to use my Dynax flash 5600D on the Vectis as you can take advantage of wireless flash control but altough it worked very well it actually weighs more than the entire system!May add the 80-240mm apo zoom in the near future. Friend was so impressed he went out and bought the same system but with the addition of the APO zoom!

Customer Service

Not needed as yet

Similar Products Used:

APS Canon Ixus L-1

This is a very versatile and reliable camera. It was very easy for me to use and I have only had 9 months experience with photography and I own 5 cameras. This has to be the best of all the cameras I have. I strongly recommend this product to amateurs.

Great design, great features.

Poor craftmanship.

I shot less than 12 rolls of film with this camera before it broke. It won''t load film. I found out when I took it to the shop that it would cost nearly as much to fix it as I paid for the camera. Completely ruined my opinion of Minolta. Don''t buy this camera...it''s good on paper, but in reality, it won''t last.

Customer Service

Terrible.

Similar Products Used:

Minolta X-370, and X-700

Size, Functionality, Protection - Lenses are a good deal

Basic APS - lack of film types

I bought this on a whim. Wanted something better than a PS for pictures, but small enough to carry around. With two lenses I can cover the area of 28mm to 300mm. The lack of lenses isn''t a bother - How often do I need wider than a 28mm? - Longer than a 300mm?. This camera is about the size of a Leica IIIC and for shooting the lenses are fine. Would it replace my Rollei or Crown Graphic? - It isn''t meant to. Has it replaced my larger 35mm - in a heartbeat.

Similar Products Used:

Canon EOS IX

Features, Size, Interchangable lenses, Mid-Roll Change, Splashproof, bountiful accessories (lenses & flashes available on eBay), clear & bright viewfinder.

Does not accept Maxxum or 3rd party lenses, controls (especially in "manual" mode) can be akward, 28-56mm lens does NOT support manual focussing, built-in flash not as powerful as most 35mm SLR''s (but it does accept external Maxxum flashes).

I love this camera. To many people it''s neither "fish nor foul" - it''s not a point & shoot APS camera nor is it a 35mm SLR. That''s true, but it is far more capable than any point & shoot camera and significantly smaller, lighter & more versatile than 35mm SLRs. It has most of the features of Minolta Maxxum 35mm SLRs (14-segment exposure metering, spot metering, exposure compensation & accepts lens filters) so it is much more capable than a typical point & shoot. Some features (mid-roll change, splash proofing, print titling) are not available on 35mm SLR''s. I find this an excellent camera to take on vacations - bring the basic zoom (28-56mm) lens for landscapes and snap shots of people and bring a longer telephoto for sporting events & nature shots. You don''t need to take an external flash since the mid-roll change capability makes it easy to shoot 100 or 200 speed film by day and switch to 400 or 800 speed film at night. I wouldn''t trade in my 35mm SLR for this camera, but for $90 (body & basic zoom) why would you? Buy this and use it when lugging around 35mm SLR is inconvenient or you know that all you want is snap shots anyway.

Customer Service

No experience

Similar Products Used:

APS point & shoot cameras, Minolta Maxxums & Minolta manual focus SLR''s.

Light, Portable, tough, good range of lenses. MASP modes.

Because of the aps neg size you will lose quality in blow ups.

First, I paid 1,100 $AUS for the body + 22-80 & 50mm Macro. This has to be the best APS camera out there, SLR, Splash proof, built in flash and the metering is great. I have not seen this type of image quality from non slr aps camera''s, probably due to the lenses. The 22-80 is great, I''ve taken some good shots with the 80-240 apo at full zoom, very sharp. The 50mm macro is great too. I like the way the manual focus works : push the mf button on the lens and turn the ring. The ring does not directly physically turn the ring, it turns it electronically. Turning the ring slowly results in the focus altering slowly. Turn it over the same distance but faster and the focus will be altered much more than if you turned it slowly over the same distance. This feature is great for manual focussing on moving wildlife with the 80-240. Or you could let the autofocus tracking feature work for you. But for fast moving small stuff go manual. I find the autofocus good accept for in low light, the same can be said for my 35mm nikon f60. I use this camera more than my 35mm because it is more portable, lenses are lighter and smaller (remember 240mm in aps is the same magnification as 300mm in 35mm format), film is easier to load, I don''t have to worry about dirt getting in the camera while changing films. The camera is plastic but TOUGH, the lenses have a nice rubber focussing ring, so it feels safer than my 35mm to put down on some rough concreate or wood, no worries This camera is discontinued, so if you get one you should also get all the lenses you may need as they may dissapear soon, and the flash too. If you want more image quality for large prints, 5 fps, mirror lockup, multiple expose and so on (stuff I never use) you do not want this camera, get a 35mm. Looking at how advanced it is for an APS I must give it full marks 5/5. If you disagree because it does not have all the techno 35mm features and is APS then I can point the stick at all 35mm camera''s and give them a lesser rating due to the fact that 35mm is still SMALL. Yes, 35mm is SMALL, you can not compensate for the lack of image quality compared to a 645 with techno garbage features

Customer Service

Not needed.

Similar Products Used:

None.