Konica Minolta Maxxum 5D 6.1 Megapixel Digital SLR Camera Body with Lens Kit - 0.71"-2.76"

A Superb second attempt

Strengths: Effective anti-shake Very good results Fast autofocus and card writes Simple to learn and use Excellent ergonomics

Weaknesses: Not as broad a selection of unusual accessories as Nikon and Canon Some pixelization from 6MP sensor

Summary: I've been an advanced amateur for 35 years having used and sold cameras from Konica, Olympus, Canon, Pentax and Minolta. I started to use digitals a few years ago, but this is my first dSLR. I will admit, I'm picky about my results and, even in head to head comparison with the excellent Minolta A2, I find the 5d does not dissapoint!

Any mention of the 5d must first mention the Minolta Anti-Shake system. It continues to be a real winner and reason alone to pick this camera from among its peers. In my testing, I see at least 3 stops longer exposures possible with AS than without. Bracing myself against a porch column allowed a sharp night exposure at 1 second handheld, that's amazing!

Compared directly to the A2, the 5d's photos showed much lower digital noise and had greater retrievable detail and similar dynamic range. Colors were clear with a slight tendency towards warmth. The latter was easily correctable with the extensive white balance control this camera offers. The only failing here was a greater amount of pixilization compared to the 8MP A2. This wasn't noticible in prints but could be easily seen when screenshots were highly magnified. For example, tree branches against the sky in the distance. If Minolta was forced to make a trade-off, this seems like the best one to make.

Much has been written about the 5d's controls being more burried in menus than those on the 7d or A2. This may be true, but once I got accustomed to the camera, I didn't find this an issue in most cases. My one objection, I would prefer a faster, no-eye shift manual adjustment of shutter speed and aperature. I do alot of manual exposure work, and the 5d could make that easier.

Speaking of controls, Minolta has made alot of marketing noise over the 5d's extensive customization of white balance. It's true, but I doubt I'll ever care. I'd MUCH rather they had used the knob room for exposure control and burried the white balance two menus deep. Oh well, they can't please everyone!

The cameras controls are smooth and the ergonomics are excellent. It fits well in my hands, much better than the huge 7d or slick designs like the Canon's, that force my wrists into strange shapes. It's quite a bit bigger than the A2, but the A2 always felt a touch cramped to me.

The viewfinder is a delight, especially after the lo-res mini-TV's most consumer digitals use. I had forgotten how luxurious a mirrored image was! The information presented is minimal, but adaquate. One excellent touch is the camera shake display, which shows how much work the Anti-Shake is doing, and, so, how close to blur you are. In this time of auto-everything, I can actually use the viewfinder to manually focus the lens, and the lens doesn't fight me while I'm trying. The autofocus can be set to autofocus and then let you tweak or refocus as much as you wish.

Card writes are fast enough, even on RAW but I saw no speed advantage to the super fast CF's I had on hand.

Speaking of RAW, I don't pretend to know code, but there seems to be a subtle change in the MRW files between the A2 and the 5d. Photoshop's and Raw Shooter's RAW converters read them both identically, but Picassa gives the 5d files a slightly more muted tone on my monitor (or the A2's are overly punchy, depending on your viewpoint). Print tones are identical, however. Perhaps someone who is more computer literate can comment?

Overall, I can't imagine anyone not being thrilled with the 5d. Once you've used anti-shake, you'll never want to go without again. Attach that to a well designed system like the 5d and you have a real winner. I hope Minolta sells a billion of 'em!

Konica Minolta 5D - The Legend Continues.

Strengths: Very solid build, perfect weight, a good kit lens that gives quality images, a image processor that is fast, accurate and "feels" Minolta. It does wht is says it will.

Weaknesses: Obviously, a little low on megapixles which can effect cropping and enlargement potential. The contol dial is too close to the shutter release for easy operation. Should include Dimage Master.

Summary: This is my first DSLR, although I have been an "advanced amateur" photographer for 45 years. The KM 5D was preceeded by a Nikon Cool Pix 5000 and three Minolta SLR's. There is no comparison with the Nikon. The Nikon was a digital tool. The 5D is an artist's instrument. The speed of power up, focus and shoot is phenominal (less than 1 second in bright light). This allows you to capture the moment - no matter what your moments are! The kit lens is really good! Sharp, fast, silent focusing and a zoom rage to satisfy most situations. Just add a zom telephot and your set for 98% of what the world has to show.

Control lay out is well done with only a few minor concerns. The 7D control lay out has it all, but less with the 5D , which delegates the rest to menues. It would be great if the user could decide which ones! I don't need some of the controls,but could use others. Also the "control dial" is a bit too close to the shutter release, making adjustment difficul (not impossible) for me.

The soft ware is a limited version of their Dimage Master - The full version should be included to allow exploration with RAW image processing.

As to the immages - My wife noiced the the increase in quality over the Nikos 5 MP images immediately. Yes, they are that much better! I now am in my third week of ownership and am having a blast.

Highly Recommended.

Usable 3200 ISO

Strengths: Fast, low noise image sensor and anti-shake. Good build quality. Easy to use yet still full featured.

Weaknesses: Would like user definable presets on the control dial.

Summary: I've not had a moment's regret since unpacking my 5D about three weeks ago. The combination of antishake and a usable (though with some noise) 3200 ISO means I almost never have to use flash for my kind of pictures. Frankly, I hate, hate, hate flash. Front on flash ruins just about anything it illuminates. The scenes I wish to capture occur early sunrise, late sunset. With the 5D I don't usually carry a tripod knowing that I can shoot ISO 800 with antishake and get sharp results. ISO 400 is noise free to my eyes. ISO 800, touched up with Noise Ninja, is very adequate. For examples go to www.dpreview.com and check out the gallery pictures for the Maxxum 7D - it uses the same CCD sensor.

The 6MP sensor is good enough for the kind of pictures I take. Too often we get caught up in how many pixels can dance on the head of a pin. The difference between 6 million and 8 million pixels doesn't amount to a whole lot when it comes to picture area. Many people don't understand that doubling the number of pixels in each dimension of the picture takes 4 times the pixel count. 2 pixels for the vertical and 2 pixels for the horizontal. Doubling the resolution requires going from 6MP to 24 MP. Unlikely. And I don't want to be saving 40 instead of 10 megabyte raw images on the flash card.

6MP is just fine for me. I'd rather spend time and frame my picture carefully at time of exposure. Use the zoom, Luke. If I want Ansel Adams type shots I will use an 8x10 format film camera.

The kit lens isn't perfect but what can one expect from a lens that adds less than $100 to the price of the camera back alone? What it lacks in acuity if makes up in zoom range and ability to stop down. The 35mm equivalent 28mm to 105mm range is perfect for a stretch sock solution. Add a 100-300mm telephoto and be good to go. While the lens speed is a bit lower than average, the high ISO and antishake compensate.

Another feature worth mentioning is that the 5D has a menu entry allowing me to clean the sensor. It raises the mirror and opens the focal plane shutter so I can reach in and carefully swab the CCD clean of dust particles. Not all dSLR cameras allow this and it can save time, money and lost shots.

Startup time is as fast as I need. Not as fast as the Nikon D70 but fast enough that it's ready to shoot when I am. Who needs faster?

One can leave this camera on - it will shut down after a settable period and still be ready to shoot in less than a second from the time one half presses the shutter release.

The camera holds well. Heavy enough to feel good and light enough to pack around. Also, fits perfectly (with the kit lens) in the Tamrac 5684 case (highly recommended). I like the size better than the 7D, which seemed heavy and a little clunky.

I also checked out the Canon Rebel but found it was just too dinky to feel good. The CMOS sensor is superb but I would have to pay hundreds of dollars extra for an image stabilized lens.

It's hard to tell how well the image stabilization works but it seems effective. One thing to bear in mind is that its effectiveness diminishes as the zoom increases. I use it with the kit lens and get consistently sharp pictures at 1/10th second at 50mm. The rule of thumb says I should shoot 1/50th of a second for a sharp picture. So I gain a couple of stops.

My shins haven't bumped into any sharp corners yet and I am one picky fellow.

I give this camera an unqualified two thumbs up.

Best DSLR yet! Very exciting product from Konica Minolta....

Strengths: Amazing intelligence for a low price. Anti-shake that works! Beautiful styling and ergonomics,Very friendly, well thought out buttons and placement.Excellent grip and handling,IMAGE QUALITY-INCREDIBLE!!

Weaknesses: None at all.

Summary: This is an amazing package of photographic tools. From consistent,accurate, and instantaneous focus to beautiful to handle and look at, Konica Minolta has gone right to the top of the class with this camera.

Right off, the main thing is its image quality; I can`t say enough about how this camera does what`s its designed to do, get the picture right. I`ve shot on full auto till I was comfortable and I was very pleased. Now with dedicated WB and ISO buttons, plus a very easily accessed and simple FUNCTION menu, I`ve had a short and pleasureable learning experience with no negatives! AND my pictures are absolutely professional quality! I have my sharpness at +1 and my saturation at -1 with any color program and find them excellent everytime. Also the intelligent flash system that KM uses, not only have I not had one red eye, but the camera calculates the distance right just about all the time, from 3ft to 12. That is in pre-flash TTL.A real joy if you care about accurate exposure. The anti-shake is something that is a constant bonus, and they have this cool little graph inside the view finder that measures shake and responds accurately to every move you make. I have done pleasing results at 1/20 of a second. NO FLASH! Also very thoughtful is the way the whole LCD rotates with the camera as you turn the camera counter and clockwise. Everything about this camera is intuitive and well thought out. What seems complex is because this IS a DSLR camera after all, not a point and shoot, always turns out to be logical and very user friendly. And I think that says it for this machine as a whole. This might seem like a big camera if you`re used to point and shoot, but its amazing that after a few days you really appreciate the handling and feel.

What else can I say? I`m extremely happy with this product and purchase. And I have had many cameras and was pretty critical of most. SO if you want a serious, but "human-friendly" camera with impeccable image quality(LOW NOISE AT HIGH ISO`s!) great handling, fast operation,

looks prettier all the time, and has quality written all over it, you will love this camera for sure!

I`ve decided if something happens to mine I`m buying another one!

Best value among all entry-level DSLR

Strengths: Excellent ergonomics, good battery life, good photo quality, excellent controls and loads of premium features at entry level price.

Weaknesses: Slow kit lens, slow USB connection.

Summary: KM 5D offers the best value in today’s entry-level DSLR market. It charges less than half of the price that it’s upper class sibling 7D charged but keeps about 85%-90% of the 7D’s premium features which are yet to be found in other competitors in the same class. Image quality, build quality, exposure, color, controls, and ergonomics are excellent. The camera is an easy choice for many amateur hobbyists coming from the point-and –shoot or prosumer DC background. And it offers a very cost efficient alternative for C and N users who’s looking for inexpensive solution for image-stabilization. Overall, the 5D package is tough to beat and I highly recommend this camera

Very nice entry-level dSLR

Strengths: Anti-shake feature increases usability; Easy access to all controls; Good ergonomics; Best value in terms of price/performance.

Weaknesses: Less popular lens/flash system compared to Canon or Nikon; Mirror slapping sound is a little loud; Lousy software package.

Summary: This entry-level d-SLR is nicely built with better than average quality. It feels a little heavy in hand, considering its compact size, but overall feels comfortable. The image quality is in par with similar products of other brands. But when you think about the ergonomics, ease of control and functionality, it's probably the best in its class. As a replacement for my other compact digital camera, the style of the menu system feels very similar and pretty straightforward. I was able to use it right away without much reading into the manual.

I admit that among other advantages, the AS feature is what really pulled me toward this camera. And it did work well, which makes every lens fitted to the body an IS/VR/OS lens ( if you are looking at Canon/Nikon/Sigma systems) , without extra cost. On the other hands, the Minolta lens system ( or more specifically, minolta AF mount lenses) is also its biggest disadvantage. There were some great lenses in the past and maybe now, but availability has become a serious problem recently.

Great entry-level DSLR

Strengths: built-in AntiShake, excellent body, good picture quality at high ISO sensitivity (ISO800, 1600), large LCD, easy to control

Weaknesses: Low resolution of LCD, Only 6.1M (although it is not a bit different than 8.1M), not too sharp in high ISO

Summary: Highly recommend for entry-level DSLR. It is totally worth for each pennies you paid for it. It has better build quality than EOS350, more functionilites than Nikon D5, better image qualities than E300/E500.

Excellent DSLR

Strengths: Excellent handling, nice solid build. Image stabilization lives up to everything you've read about it. Great viewfinder. Easy to control.

Weaknesses: LCD display is terrible for viewing images. Way too low res. 4-way contoller feels cheap.

Summary: I am extremely happy with this camera. It's really a artist's tool. Not a lot of scene modes compared to other products, but if you have some experience taking control of your camera you'll love how the 5D handles. The info layout on the LCD is outstanding as well as the control layout. Every switch, button and knob gives you the feel of quality EXCEPT the 4-way controller! Why put something that cheap into an otherwise high quality device? The 2.5" LCD panel is great for viewing camera settings but again, why put such a low quality piece of hardware on an otherwise solid built camera? The more you read camera reviews the more you realize there is no perfect camera, they all have some shortcomings expecially in this price range for DSLRs. Despite the LCD and controller I am extremely happy with the 5D. The reviews were dead on accurate and it was exactly as I expected. My wife recently bought a Nikon D50 and despite it's sharp LCD and ALL of the controls feeling solid I still like my 5D better, it's really a photographer's camera. Hope this helps!

Good Technology

Strengths: Small, Lightweignt, Lots of creative control (apature, shutter speeds, asa exc. AntiShake (it really works) Nearly instantaious autofocus, nice grip easy to hold, good battery life, nice big screan.

Weaknesses: Does not take SD, XT or Sony MemStick, Is not supplied with a mem card. Only one control dial so you can adjust only apature or shutter at once!

Summary: Great camera, small, lightweignt easy to use easy to navigate the menu, amazingly fast autofocus (much fater than my Minolta 600SI or 7000I W/ Minolta's stock lens.

Tons of creative control i.e. apature, shutter speeds, asa, exc. very nice large screen, all in all great camera, the AntiShake really makes a big differnace when shooting at slower shutter speeds, not much to complain about.

Minolta 5D DSLR

Strengths: Anti-Shake, Price, high ISO usefulness.

Weaknesses: Built quality for some parts (like the 4-way controller). Wish LCD with higher resolution.

Summary: I just purchased this DSLR to replace my Panasonic FZ20, which I actually like it a lot. Though FZ-20 is great for its F2.8 through out the 12x zoom range, the low light focus and high noise @ high iso did bother me a lot. 5D appears to fix all these issues with better low light and high iso performance (with higher price,though). Overall, I strongly recommand this camera with its price (comparing to other DSLR), its function (built-in anti-shake...) and its image quality (low light and high ISO results).

Konica Minolta 5D

Strengths: Everything

Weaknesses: None found yet

Summary: I have a Maxxum film SLR so I decided to wait and hope Minolta came out with a lower priced Digital SLR. Many people had tried to convince me to change to Nikon or Canon, but since I have multiple lenses for my Minolta, I was hesitant. Now that I have my new 5D I am glad I waited. Although I have not yet used all the features on the camera, from what I have used I am very pleased.

A step up!

Strengths: Handles great, feels great and control navigation makes sense.

Weaknesses: In order to change sharpness, saturation you must be in one of the manual modes!

Summary: Only had my 5D for a few days, but thus far it seems rather nice! I am just disappointed in the fact that in order to change settings as simple as sharpness, I need to be in one of the manual settings! Consequently, the auto setting pics seem to lack warmth, and have a flat feel to them!

If you can enlighten me on this, I welcome feedback!

A great camera

Strengths: Fast Focus, Image Quality, Body, Size, Good Kit lens, and lots of features

Weaknesses: doesn't come with A/C adapter and memory card

Summary: Best value camera with awesome image quality. This is my first slr camera so it is taking me some time to learn to how to take pictures in various scenarios with different settings. The picture qualiry is great compared to my old P&S camera. I have taken many greate pictures in my learning process which I could never do with old P&S. I will give it 4/5 for great overall performance.