Minolta Dynax 5

This camera was awarded TIPA Best SLR Camera for 2002-2003.

Its priced at £229.90 at Jessops which is just perfect for me. How good is
it?

The main disadvantage with this camera is that the lens doesn't have focus
distance scale printed on it. Without this is this camera meant mainly for
autofocus use? I would like to use manual features too.

How do you change the aperture? Having used a Pentax ME Super for years I
am used to changing the aperture manually on the lens but I notice on this
camera there is no aperture dial. Is it done by one of the digital button
on the top or is it set automatically? I'm also confused by how to select
one of the modes (P, S, A, M).

Finally, is it worth buying this camera?

 

..the 'focus distance scale' is not used to set focus, but as an aid to
figuring depth-of-field. You can live without it for both manual and
auto focus.... the camera has a DOF preview button allowing you to
previsualize the DOF for a selected aperture setting.

Turn the function wheel to select PASM mode... hold down the "FUNC"
button and turn the wheel (near your right hand index finger) until "A"
is displayed...(or M or S if you need those), let go of FUNC button Now
that same wheel (right index) controls aperture and the metering system
will select speed.

Had you selected "S" then the wheel would control shutter speed (and the
metering system would set aperture).

For the price mentioned (I assume with a 28-80 lens), it seems a bit
expensive, but I'm used to North American pricing. It is quite a
capable camera with a few weaknesses such as in "M" mode you select
speed with the wheel, and aperture with the same wheel while holding
down the exp-comp button. Exposure interval is 1/2 stops which is less
than ideal for shooting slide films. You can "cheat" this with ISO
settings in a pinch.

I'd refuse the kit lens and go for the 24-105 [D] lens. Which is a bit
expensive compared to the kit you're buying, but the lens is the most
important part of the package and the 24-105 [D} is very good for the price.

Add a 3600HS or the 5600HS flash according to your needs and budget.
The built in flash is only strong enough for subjects up to about 4
metres away with 400 film at f/5.6

Download the manuals from Minolta (pdf) and browse that to see if it
meets your needs.

Cheers,
Alan

 

Thanks Alan for the information.

The lens is 28-100mm. Looking at the spec on the Minolta site the camera is
just about what I'm looking for. I am disappointed that the built-in flash
is only strong enough for subjects up to 4m away. I suppose that is
sufficient for most photos in the house but it would be nice to have a
greater range for larger rooms or halls. The 3600HS flash is too expensive
for me. Can I avoid using this flash?

So the control dial sets the aperture. That's fine by me. I doubt I will
ever use "M" mode. I probably would only use "A" or AF mode so having to
adjust both aperture and speed using one wheel is no problem.

I'm not sure if really should buy this considering the price of the Minolta
flashes.


in message

...the 'focus distance scale' is not used to set focus, but as an aid to
figuring depth-of-field. You can live without it for both manual and
auto focus.... the camera has a DOF preview button allowing you to
previsualize the DOF for a selected aperture setting.

Turn the function wheel to select PASM mode... hold down the "FUNC"
button and turn the wheel (near your right hand index finger) until "A"
is displayed...(or M or S if you need those), let go of FUNC button Now
that same wheel (right index) controls aperture and the metering system
will select speed.

Had you selected "S" then the wheel would control shutter speed (and the
metering system would set aperture).

For the price mentioned (I assume with a 28-80 lens), it seems a bit
expensive, but I'm used to North American pricing. It is quite a
capable camera with a few weaknesses such as in "M" mode you select
speed with the wheel, and aperture with the same wheel while holding
down the exp-comp button. Exposure interval is 1/2 stops which is less
than ideal for shooting slide films. You can "cheat" this with ISO
settings in a pinch.

I'd refuse the kit lens and go for the 24-105 [D] lens. Which is a bit
expensive compared to the kit you're buying, but the lens is the most
important part of the package and the 24-105 [D} is very good for the price.

Add a 3600HS or the 5600HS flash according to your needs and budget.
The built in flash is only strong enough for subjects up to about 4
metres away with 400 film at f/5.6

Download the manuals from Minolta (pdf) and browse that to see if it
meets your needs.

Cheers,
Alan

 

Alan Browne gave a pretty fair report on the Maxxum/Dynax 5, but I thought
I'd throw in a few extras, since I picked up one of these around 3 months
ago, and have put it through quite a bit of use (around 80 rolls so far).

I came from using a Minolta X-700 (borrowed) and X-370 (RIP), for almost 20
years now (X-370 was an X-Mas when I was 12, X-700 is my parents', which
sat unused the past few years), so I understand what you mean about being
used to setting aperture on the lens - I'd gotten very used to it, myself.
At first, I found the interface on the Maxxum 5 to be a bit weird (Alan
gives a pretty good description of it, BTW), but got used to it pretty
rapidly, and find myself not having to think about working with it, now.
Note, also, I have yet to see an autofocus camera with aperture settings on
the lens - my friend's Canon setup doesn't, though I understand some Nikons
do.

OK, as for the kit lens, well, it's a kit lens. Personally, I got mine with
a 50mm f/1.7 lens, which was waaaaay more useful for astrophotography, which
is my primary area of photography. Ya might want to talk to them about
going with a different lens, as kit lenses, irregardless of the
manufacturer, often are pretty weak. Alan's also right about picking up one
of the aforementioned flashes (the 3600 or 5600). Note that the internal
flash, while somewhat limited, is pretty handy, and also functions as a
"semaphore" for controlling an external flash wirelessly - set up one of
those two flashes on a stand, and the built-in flash will send the signals
to control it. Kinda neat, and something I'll be taking advantage of once I
start to do portraiture more frequently.

For some odd reason, a lot of people bitch about the lens selection for
Minolta. Personally, I always felt that all the manufacturers had more
glass available than anyone could possibly need, and there're always
third-party manufacturers, as well (Tamron jumps to mind). Hell, with
astrophotography, I found that with whatever manufacturer's camera body I
got, I'd end up with the exact same set of glass - a 50mm, a portrait lens
with large aperture, then a telescope, or lens that can double as a
telescope, such as the bigger Rubinars, out of Russia).

Note, though, that if you have a lot of investment in glass for your Pentax,
there are adapters that'd let you use Pentax manual lenses on an Maxxum
body. For example, Rubinar, a Russian company, made all their lenses in the
M42 screw mount, and there're several companies selling these lenses over
the Internet with the adapters to major brands, including Minolta AF
adapters. B&H Photo sells several lens-to-body adapters for the Maxxums
that'd allow you to use various manual-focus lenses, including the Pentax K
mount, or Minolta's own MD mount (ordering one of these later today), among
others. There's a custom function you'll need to turn on, though, because
the Dynax's AI won't be able to detect a manual-focus lens. It's well
detailed in the manual, though - just turn on the feature to allow the
shutter to open with no lens attached, and flip the MF/AF switch once.

Lastly, is the Maxxum/Dynax 5 worth buying? I thought so when I picked it
up, and still think so today. Are there features on other cameras that're
pretty neat? Sure, there are. The eye control on the Canon Elan 7e is
nice, and I really, really like the exposure recording information and
ability to move to any frame on the roll of the Minolta Maxxum 7. In fact,
I'll undoubtedly pick up a Maxxum/Dynax 7 one of these days. But, when
buying this camera, I gave thought to all the other stuff I was going to
need to buy - a good-quality lens or telescope with a long focal length
(Rubinar 500mm f/5.6 or 1000mm f/10 maksutov-cassegrain lenses are in the
lead), a German Equatorial mount on a solid tripod, with drive motor (for
tracking the relative movement of stars as the Earth rotates), either a
guiding CCD system, or off-axis guider (to make sure the mount's not going
off-course), then.....gah! Well, you get the picture. The Maxxum/Dynax 5
proved a good, low-cost, yet full-featured camera, that could work as an
astrocam, yet still had a wide array of features available for more
conventional photography (DOF preview, AF, autowinding of the film,
shutter-priority mode, good light metering, etc).

So, yeah, I'd recommend the Dynax 5. It's a good camera, and I think you'd
be pretty happy with it. If you do pick it up, may I recommend the battery
pack, so you can use AA batteries? For those of us who have yeti paws for
hands, it's a good addition as well, since the camera's really, really
compact. Also, note that I have a bit more flexible fingers than most. My
Canon-using friend, with less flexible fingers, finds it a bit irritating to
use, but, then, he doesn't use mine every day, either.

--Jason

 

You'll have a hard time finding any model which does much more. The
guide number for built-in flashes is usually 12 (in metres, or 39 in
feet) - if you're getting a 50/1.7, 50/1.4 or 35/2 lens, that's less of
a problem at full aperture that with a typical (slower) zoom lens.

Get a used one, or get a Metz mecablitz with SCA3000 support and
preferably with SCA3302 adaptor, or if that's still too expensive, one
with SCA300 support (although these have really ugly adaptors, with own
battery slots and AF helper lamp).

You don't need to go for HS, the xi will also do.

I've found the "S" mode rather useful for flash photography.

Minolta flash prices are indeed a bit bold at times.

Please read and follow
<URL:http://www.netmeister.org/news/learn2quote.html> so your postings
are easier to read.

 

This camera was awarded TIPA Best SLR Camera for 2002-2003.

is it?

Look here: Minolta Dynax 5 with 28-100 AFD lens @ £189.90 delivered.
http://www.jessops.com/search/viewproduct.cfm?Product=MIND528100K

At this price I'd say it's a good buy - basing my opinion solely on specs,
I'm a Nikon user myself.
Don't be afraid of the kit lens, use the kit lens until your photography
improves and or you recoup your savings.
Kit lenses are not all that bad , I use a Nikon 28-80G lens when I go
fishing on a boat, it produces decent print results up to 7"x5", and if it
gets damaged I can junk it as the cost of these lenses makes them near
disposable.

 

There are 3rd party flashes that are far cheaper and more than adequate
.... at the expense of some integrated features. Be wary. Or wait until
your bank acount recharges a little. The 3600 (GN 12 metres) is about
the least you should get as an add on flash.

The "brand" flashes of other main manufs are similar. Again the 3rd
party flashes are more than adequate for most situations.

Cheers,
Alan.

 

The Minolta 2000xi flash is within my budget. Am I right in thinking it can
be used with the Dynax 5 without any adaptor? Will it be good enough for
general use?

 

Um, yeah, that'll work with the Dynax 5 without an adaptor. Don't know how
well it works for general use, though - I've been debating between that and
the 3600HS(D) myself. The 3600 has the high-speed synch, which I don't
think the 2000xi does, and also works as an off-camera flash, which the
2000xi won't do.

--Jason

 

I was thinking of buying the Pentax MZ-6, after using an ME Super for years,
but wasn't overly impressed by it. The Dynax 5 had better reviews. I also
considered the Nikon F65. The Dynax 5 seems better value for money.

What about Minolta's reliability and service in the UK? As I'm thinking of
buying a Minolta I'm also buying into the system.

 

The 2000xi has no special features and can neither tilt nor swivel. Most
third party flashes are recommended over that one.

 

er, that is 36 metres GN, sorry.

 

Yes, the 2000xi should work with the 5. You will not have distance
integration, but that is not so big a deal.

The 2000xi does not tilt, and that IS a big deal as you won't be able to
'ceiling' bounce the light for fill.

It is a bit on the low side of the power curve. Stick to higher speed
films when using it...

Cheers,
Alan.

 

I beg to differ. 12 is the GN of the Maxxum built-in flashes with few
exceptions (800si for instance).

The GN for the 3600HS(D) is 29 at 50 mm and 36 at 85 mm, for "m", and
that isn't ample given the high price for the Minolta flash. The GN for
5600HS(D) is 44 at 50 mm and 56 at 85 mm (I wonder what moron started
giving the GN for the tele position instead of the standard 50 mm).

 

(To our American friends: All GN for metric distances.)

Personally, I'd avoid the 2000xi. It doesn't allow the reflector to be
tilted upwards, and the GN of 16 for 28mm or 20 for 35mm isn't exactly
overwhelming. Your prospected Dynax 5 built-in flash has a GN of 12 for
28mm - the 2000xi doesn't add too much value here. For 35mm and longer,
it's a slight improvement, but for serious use, I'd get a flash with
tilt reflector.

 

dynax 5 with 28-100 now going for £189 at jessops.

 

you missed my "correction" posting 29 Dec @10:13 EST.

 

I saw it after sending off my post and didn't bother to cancel
mine. Sorry, such things happen with unsynchronized individuals