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If you’re tired of cameras from Canon and Nikon, you may want to look into the Konica Minolta Maxxum series of cameras. In particular, in this article, we discuss the features of the Konica Minolta Maxxum 7D.

The Maxxum 7D is a midrange digital SLR that can incorporate optical image stabilization with any lens. It has an Anti-Shake system that is remarkable in that it can be utilized with all lenses and also has a well-organized control layout.

The Konica Minolta Maxxum 7D is finished in a professional matte black comparable to most standard DSLRs. Although conservative in its angular design, it still looks good. The body consists of a hybrid of magnesium-alloy and plastic and is well-built and crafted. It includes a nicely contoured grip and feels sound. Without a lens, the camera weighs in at about 30 ounces, which is an ounce or two heavier than average for this camera class.

The Maxxum 7D omits the separate status LCD and instead relies on the camera’s main LCD to display shooting settings, which is an appealing design convention. On this particular Maxxum, the large 2.5-inch LCD has room to show more settings than the usual status LCD. These settings include ISO, color mode, and image parameters, to name a few.

The optical system of the Konica Minolta Maxxum 7D has clearly been carefully thought out to make it possible to take great photos. The digital camera comes with a 6.1 megapixel resolution and an Anti-Shake device.

The Anti-Shake device averts picture blur caused by camera movement. This mechanism is in the Maxxum 7D’s body, working by shifting the CCD, so it operates well with all Konica Minolta autofocus (AF) lenses.

In addition, the Konica Minolta Maxxum 7D’s sophisticated AF system incorporates nine focus points. You can designate the active point yourself or leave all of them active and let the camera decide which to use from shot to shot. You can also set the camera to automatically switch to continuous or tracking AF operation if it detects subject movement.

Many exposure features are to be had on the Maxxum 7D. These include all four customary exposure modes; three light-metering modes (14-segment honeycomb, center-weighted, and spot); ambient exposure compensation either in half-EV increments to plus or minus 3EV or in one-third-EV increments to plus or minus 2EV. The sensor’s sensitivity can be set to auto or from ISO 100 to ISO 3,200 in 1EV increments.

Ok, now let’s look at the user controls for the Konica Minolta Maxxum 7D. As should be the case with a serious shooter’s camera, most important features are controlled via dedicated external buttons, rather than being buried in the menu system.

Exposure adjustments and some other shooting settings are controlled with thumb and forefinger command wheels. The white-balance control, a rotating switch surrounding a button that cleverly accesses numerous menu choices, is the quickest and most flexible I’ve seen.

Flash setting or ambient exposure compensation can be controlled with a dial on the camera’s top left side, but can also be made using the forefinger wheel, which I found to be more proficient. Overall, control placement and operating efficiency on this camera are among the best I’ve seen on any DSLR.

The Konica Minolta 7D’s noted battery life is more or less adequate for a full day’s shooting. If you are reliant on a long battery life, you can always take along some extras that can be purchased at your neighborhood camera store.

The Nikon D70s allows your pictures to be stored in CompactFlash Type I/II memory cards cards. You can also use a MicroDrive if you wish. Pictures are easily transferred from the camera to the PC via the USB 2.0 interface.

Of course there are some quirks I noticed in the Konica Minolta Maxxum 7D, and of course you want to know what they are. One such peeve is that the camera is slow to start-up. You are also restricted to one JPEG compression ratio in raw-plus-JPEG, and there is no way to avoid noise reduction processing in high ISO images.

I do hope this review of the Konica Minolta Maxxum 7D has been of help to you. If you’re looking for a decent professional SLR camera to take shots with, then the Konica Minolta Maxxum 7D might be tough to beat. Of course, do your own research first before shelling out your cash. Happy shopping!