minolta dimage 7hi capabilities (1 Viewer)

Can anyone tell me what the FULL capabilities are with this camera? Since it is only 7x optical, I know I can put a b-300 lens on it, (I own one with a 49-55mm adapter ring) and I want to know what else I can add on for more zoom - can a scope be added? --- can a lens with more than the b-300 (1.7x) be added? --- maybe the eagle optics 5x lens be added?--- I gotta know what can be added to equal the 10x optical I have with my olympus c-2100 plus the b-300 set up that I am currently using , because I am going to get another camera and I'm liking the 7hi right now. I take bird photos , flight shots, macro shots of nature. I need fast and I need ZOOM ! Someone out there that can advise me on this ?
I would SO much appreciate some help !
Thank you in advance if you're out there!

You seem to be really suffering on this :egghead:

I believe these Minoltas are more prized for their ability more to go wide than go long, despite the 7x zoom. And they seem to be excellent for close-ups.

I'm sorry I can't give you any first hand experience of the camera either, so I'm afraid I can only offer more pesky reading on the issue of convertors :

http://webpages.charter.net/bbiggers/DCExperiments/html/d7_add_on_lenses.html

For the birds in flight, I expect you've heard it suggested before, perhaps the only step up from what you have currently is to SLR. I guess you've done a search in the gallery for D100 to see what some guys are producing.

I trust you do the lottery...

Hey normjackson , thank you for replying . I AM having trouble ! LOL - I just need to get my money in the right place you know. And there are so many options out there. Thank you for the link - it sure did help ! Are you talking about an SLR or "digital'' SLR ?

Good point. I was thinking of digital SLR but I suppose a conventional film SLR is yet another option you could consider 3

Oh yes, and we've had a retailer in UK selling off S/H Canon D30 bodies for under £600 for some time. Presumably at USA prices you could afford that with a couple of lenses 3

I suppose the 64,000 dollar (I remain unconvinced 57,117 Euros has the same ring to it) question is, why do you want to upgrade from the Olympus you have? Which of its limitations have affected you?

Well , it's not really any of the cameras limitations.... it doesn't have any really. BUT the thing with this olympus brand -- everyone has so many problems with it. And it barely lasts up until the warranty, and when it's sent in to be repaired, they take many months to repair it IF they even can. And SO many of my birding friends on the about.com birding forum have had NUMEROUS problems and then had NUMEROUS problems getting the camera back, and when they do, that camera only lasts a few months, then it dies again. I just don't know anyone that has NOT had a problem with olympus ...except for myself. And my camera has given me black screens and won't take the pic alot of times here lately. And it acts like it focuses (the beep you hear when it does) , and then to look back at the pic just taken, it didn't focus at all. :-C But mine doesn't do this too often, but when it does, it's like several days in a row. THEN, it works fine for a very long time. I'm telling you - it has a mind of it's own. I guess what I'm trying to do is make a SOUND decision on this because I've been scared off from the olympus brand now since so many people have had these problems. And again, the company doesn't stand by the products they make, not really, because they will fix the camera, but for a high price, and then it just quits on you again.

AND I have 2 lenses from a Minolta Maxxum XTsi , 35mm camera--- I have a 70-300mm -DL macro super lens, and 28-80mm macro lens , both are Sigma lens'. And I don't know what to do with them ! If I get a digital slr , will these lenes be able to be used with it ?? I'm so confused and torn between camera brands and camera types - digital or digital slr !!! I'm just not getting the concrete ifo I'm wanting I guess. Well, I'm rambling on like an old granny I guess - sorry about that. Thanks for trying to help me out!!! I do appreciate it !!

First I don't think your two Minolta fit lenses will work with any digital camera on the market.

You could get a Minolta film SLR as a backup for your Olympus digicam to work with these lenses (a S/H model even from a dealer would probably not cost a lot). This might tide you over until you find a digital camera on the market that fulfils your needs. Various manufacturers may have big zoom models on the way. Panasonic have already produced a point and shoot 2MP model. The new Toshiba models may show what the future holds:
http://www.steves-digicams.com/2003_reviews/m700.html

If you don't find the 2MP of the Olympus is a limiting factor, and you have the funds to seriously consider a Minolta 7hi, then IMHO a "serious" move to film is perhaps inappropriate. Particularly if these manufacturers are getting on top of the shutter lag problem.

As you must surely have concluded, expecting one camera to do everthing you want or could ever want is perhaps over ambitious. Maybe the digital SLR is the nearest you can get. But even then there is a price to pay in terms of cost, weight and compactness. And also it might not be the best choice for a particular specialised use; eg. the 20-30+ magnifications involved in digiscoping.

Having said that, I've guessed that what you really want is, more or less, a new Olympus C2100 with a different badge because of the problems you have identified. As I've said, I don't believe that exists at the moment (the Toshiba's I mentioned are perhaps more like Olympus C700 series rivals because of their lack of image stabilisation); but it might just be on its way!

Some people are guessing that Panasonic may have a manual, higher pixel version of their DMC-FZ1 on the way. And surely Canon are due to offer a replacement to the Canon Pro90is.

Maybe after all your agonising and ongoing research, the last suggestion you'd want to hear is to wait. But if the Olympus is not giving you too much grief, maybe that would be best.

If your cash is weighing you down a bit too much meantime (!) you could get yourself a good tripod and maybe a few of the other bits of stable (whoops) technology you might need. Maybe you might even be tempted to pick up a medium format camera and a light meter and take a holdiday spent on quiet and reflective "old tech" picture taking...

Well normjackson, you have helped me a GREAT deal. If nothing else, provided me with some wondrful information, and allowed to vent my frustrations as well. I think you're right about waiting just a little while anyway. I could do that, because my 2100 is still working . I sure do appreciate your help and advice . And ''old tech'' is not that bad ya know, I did love that 35mm .

Here is another thought. I had a Canon EOS 3 body and a digital body (can't remember which right now) and great Canon lenses. I sold the digital and bought a Minolta film scanner. The film camera still works the best, gets the best resolution, and gets me a set of pics to look at. Those I want to blow up I scan the negs (can get really high res) and print. I can scan at lower res and send via email. The disadvantages of taking film in to be developed and the time in the process are outweighed, for me, by the hard copy pics and the ease of taking good pics and the flex to do low or high res digital images later.

Hey Art , thanks for the reply ! I've never tried the film scanner - sounds really neat. But I really do think I'll have to stay with the digital. It sounds like you're very happy with it though, that's what counts!

Shell - Don't forget that you probably have a week before you can return the camera. Test that baby out and if you don't like it return it. I have been using the C720 for a few months now and it only has 8 times oprical zoom and I'm really not noticing that much of a difference. Maybe it wouldn't be too noticable. Also, with all those megapixels you could crop a lot closer and really not notice losing that much resolution (at least for posting stuff on the web).

Leslie

Hi Shell. Yup! I think everyone finds the best solution for themselves. Too bad we have to spend some money experimenting along the way. But someone else got a good deal out of my SH digital body, and I've bought SH and been happy too, so it all comes out in the wash I guess.

Wow - aren't you smart - I sure didn't consider the megapixels - I feel a little ignorant now - LOL ! But you're right. Thank you - I appreciate that input !

Yep, I've thought about it a bit too. Just have to think about these things for "down the road"... when I may have to get a different camera. Don't feel ignorant though LOL. I don't think about a lot of things until other people point them out to me

Leslie