We put a pre-production Konica Minolta Dynax 7D through its paces at one of the biggest sporting events of the year
Cheaper, smaller and lighter Dynax/Maxxum 5D launched
| Updated: Monday, 22nd November - This hands-on preview started with a report on a pre-production sample camera, of which we weren't able to provide image quality feedback. But now we have a production camera and an additional page has been added to this article. It contains our preliminary experience of the production camera, plus image samples exploring noise and anti-shake performance as well as a small selection of full, un-edited, image samples for you to download. This will be followed by a full, in-depth review, including a DXO Analyzer report.
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Updated on Saturday 23rd October – after some very useful extensive feedback about the Dynax/Maxxum 7D from Konica Minolta UK's digital camera product manager, Paul Genge, this article has been extensively revised since it was first published on Sunday, 17th October. If you are revisiting this page, you are advised to read it again. We have also added a page of product shots, plus a page of system menu views for your perusal.
At Photokina 2004 in late September Konica Minolta showed working pre-production prototypes of its first digital SLR, the Dynax, or Maxxum (US market) 7D. Yesterday, Konica Minolta UK kindly invited a number of magazines, including dpnow, to try out some slightly later-issue pre-production 7Ds, at the Rugby Super League Play Off Grand Final, between the Leeds Rhinos and Bradford Bulls, in front of a near capacity audience of 65,000 at Manchester United's Old Trafford stadium.
Although some sample images from earlier specification cameras have been posted on the Web, Konica Minolta Japan requested that none of the magazines represented, including dpnow, reproduce or specifically analyse the pictures we took with the cameras provided. So none of the pictures in this article were taken using a 7D.
Although I can't comment on specific pictures taken – and I shot about 300 in all – after having a good look at the results from my camera, I'd say Konica Minolta Japan were being unnecessarily cautious about the quality of the images that the cameras we used were capable of. Instead, this report will concentrate on how the camera feels in use.
We were provided with a wide variety of lenses to try out
Please bear in mind that although we had use of cameras for several hours, including the use of a wide range of lenses, during the rugby match, there wasn't really enough time to consider the camera in the same way as we would in a 'proper' review. It's possible that some aspects of the camera's operation we note in this article might be changed in the final production version, which we will be reviewing in full, according to Konica Minolta UK, in a few week's time.
Bristling
The 7D is a very business-like affair, bristling with knobs and switches. Konica Minolta's design policy is to provide adjustment of as many of the camera's settings as possible via dedicated controls on the exterior casing of the camera.
The 7D has buttons, knobs, dials and switches galore!
The word 'dedicated' is important because very few of the controls have multiple functions and hardly any need to be operated at the same time as another. This does make for a busy, some might say cluttered, layout, but it didn't take very long to get used to it. For the most part, users of the Dynax or Maxxum 7 film SLR, upon which the 7D is based, will feel very much at home.
The large 2.5 inch LCD screen also function as the status panel and you can select mode detailed view (left) if you wish
You won't find a separate LCD status panel on the 7D. Instead, the excellently large 2.5 inch colour LCD on the back of the unit performs all the functions of an image review monitor, configuration menu display and control status display. A pair of proximity sensors under the viewfinder eyepiece switch off the control status display when your face is pressed close to the back of the camera when using the viewfinder. It then switches it back on again when you remove the camera from your eye to examine the screen once more.
Concerning the LCD status screen, Paul Genge explains: "The rear LCD Navigation display has three settings, full display, large key feature display and off. These are selected in rotation via the second button on the left of the LCD. When set to 'off' the screen will reignite to show the change of any button control before turning off again."
"When set to either of the first two positions it will remain lit until the proximity sensor detects the user holding the camera to their face and then dim the screen to avoid distracting the user's peripheral vision."
Paul remarked on a related point in my original article: "You refer to conserving battery power, this is a factor but not the most significant. The usage of the screen does not impact too greatly on the power performance of the camera compared to other functions such as the inbuilt flash and burst capture."
A pre production 7D on the touch line at the Rugby Super League Grand Final yesterday, fitted with a G-series 300mm f/2.8 telephoto
Each time a mode dial or knob is used, the status screen lights for a few seconds. In fact the information remains live on the screen but the backlight switches off to save power. Paul Genge describes in more detail how the status menu and viewfinder proximity sensors work on
page 2 of this article.
We started off the evening with fully charged batteries and after about two hours of fairly constant snapping, most of us were seeing battery low warnings, but considering most of us had shot, on average, 300 frames, battery life appears to be very respectable. Paul Genge also reminded me that the batteries we were issued with were brand new and had only been charged once, so charge life duration can be expected to improve after a few more charge cycles that will bring the battery to full efficiency.
The on/off switch is on the left side of the body, so you can't switch the camera on when holding the camera one-handed. Several of the key controls are selected and adjusted via the two large top-plate knobs and integrated collar dials.
There wasn't enough time for a thorough briefing on how to use the our cameras, so the evening served as a good test of how easy – or otherwise – the camera would prove to be in use. Not being familiar with the original Dynax/Maxxum 7, it didn't seem possible to alter the exposure compensation dials for either flash or normal exposure in anything other than half-stop increments even though the specifications suggest this should be possible.
How do you get one-third EV adjustments? Look at the yellow legend on the knob
The status screen is calibrated in one thirds of an EV. Only after staring at the exposure adjust knob for a while did I realise that one half was calibrated in half-EV units while the other half was calibrated thirds.
One of the few controls that has multiple functions is the slightly under-sized four-way navigation pad. This has a collar switch that lets you choose AF points using the navigation pad.
Metering mode switch problem
A collar around the AE lock button selects the metering pattern mode. It often found its way to spot meter mode all by itself
Above the navigation pad is a three-position switch that lets you choose the metering mode. I found it was easily switched to spot metering mode accidentally and I hope the action of this switch will be stiffer in the final production camera. Paul Genge tells me that this selector is not known to be a problem so it might have been limited to my sample camera. I'll be keeping an eye on this selector when our production review camera arrives.
The navigation pad also switches between standard playback view and information view with a histogram and flashing regions to indicate both over and under-exposed areas on the image. The same pad rotates the image in 90 degree steps, which Paul corrected me on from the original article, when I mistakenly said 180 degrees. Paul makes some interesting additional remarks regarding the large screen and the ability to rotate the screen view on
page 2.
To zoom in on an image, you need to press a zoom button on the left of the LCD and then turn an embedded thumb wheel. The navigation pad also lets you move the zoom focus around the frame as you would expect.
Alloy chassis
Reassuring solidity is the impression you get when picking up a 7D. A magnesium alloy chassis, supplemented by high quality plastic mouldings, forms the exterior of the camera. The camera doesn't feel particularly light, though this is a comment that is meant to be positive - it's not too light.
The 7D is comfortable to hold and feels secure. The viewfinder is bright and serves critical focusing well. The nine AF points in the viewfinder light up and each one resembles a slim red LED some how embedded in the focusing screen. Paul thought I meant that 'LED' really were embedded in the screen, but I only meant to give the viewed impression that it was as if LEDs were embedded there. The focus points lights are projected, just as in a number of other DSLRs and Paul tells me the layout is very similar to the existing Dynax/Maxxum film SLR. It's one of the better implementations of illuminated AF points I've seen.
Jamie Harrison, technical editor of What Digital Camera magazine, tries the 7D for size at the game
The conditions on the day, well – evening actually, were very demanding, with stadium lighting and lots of dark areas. In general, the AF system worked well, though focus hunting was occasionally experienced. Until we get to try a production 7D side by side with some of its key rivals, we'll reserve judgment, but initial impressions were pretty favourable.
A subjective observation, admittedly, but I didn't find the positions of the shutter release and the adjustment dial in front of it ideal. The shutter button was a little too close to the body so my forefinger tended to miss the button and inadvertently press the adjust dial instead. Not everyone will have this problem, I'm sure, but it was something I had to get used to.
Amateur Photographer magazine's Angela Nicholson targets the Super League Grand Final action
One thing I was definitely impressed by was the 7D's continuous shooting capability. It can shoot three frames per second, which is not spectacular, but more importantly you can keep this up for nine frames in Extra Fine JPEG mode, 15 frames in Fine JPEG high resolution mode and up to 43 frames in low resolution. As long as the buffer wasn't full, shutter responsiveness remained very good.
Anti-shake
As we aren't allowed to say anything about the pictures we took, there really isn't that much I can comment on regarding the 7D's all-important anti-shake system. One thing I can say is that compared to other cameras that have anti-shake where the system works visibly through an electronic viewfinder or in an SLR where the stabiliser is in the lens, on the 7D you don't see anything. It all happens behind the camera's quick-return mirror as the CCD sensor itself moves.
Occasionally I could feel a vibration through the palm of my hand while holding the camera – usually when powering the camera on or off, but it's hard to judge whether or not this was the AF motor in the camera parking itself, or the anti-shake doing the same thing. Independent feedback suggests this is, indeed, the lens AF parking itself. It's not something I have noticed in other DSLRs.
The 7D's shutter and mirror are reasonably quiet, though the sound they make has a slightly metallic ring to it that is not as refined as some rival cameras. Of the lenses I tried, none were particularly quiet, they are certainly not in the same class of refinement as Canon USM lenses, for example.
Preliminary conclusion
Could I become attached to a 7D? Most definitely, yes. I liked the viewfinder and the menu system, which we'll look at in more detail later and I liked the general 'persona' of the 7D. There is still a lot to learn about this camera, but after having used a pre-production sample, the experience was mostly positive and I look forward to testing the finished product soon.
On the
next page we look close-in at the 7D's design and construction.
Konica Minolta official Dynax/Maxxum 7d
press release and specifications
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