MINOLTA MAXXUM FILM CAMERA GUIDE

Okay, I’ve wanted to (and promised many customers that I would) write this guide for several years. Minolta’s demise has left many people feeling nostalgic about their AF cameras, and others wanting a film camera to go with their digital cameras. Add to this the fact that many have even switched back from digital to film so with all this in mind, I’ve decided that now is as good a time as any to get this guide out there.

Minolta was the world’s second oldest camera maker so there is so much history and even the best, most comprehensive guide around would no doubt miss a lot of important facts about their Maxxum line of cameras. I do not claim to know all there is about Maxxums but I do feel that with over 14,000 Maxxum and Maxxum related sales over the last 7 years on ebay I can claim some expertise in regards to Maxxum cameras. I have owned at least one of every model made and several of the very rare ones.

This guide is not designed to focus on any particular Maxxum camera or line of cameras but to offer insights and information to aid a potential Maxxum buyer in regards to all Maxxum models. I have summarized what I feel to be the most important aspects of the Maxxum camera lines in the paragraphs below. To keep this guide to an almost bearable length, I do not go into an in-depth report on any Maxxum line nor do I discuss other Minolta Maxxum items, like lenses, flashes, etc.

Minolta introduced their first Auto focus SLR camera in 1985. The first model introduced was the 7000 AF (whenever you see the letters AF on a lens or camera, it means AUTOFOCUS) and it was received with great fanfare and it proved to be a milestone camera that has held up incredibly well over the past two decades.

FIRST GENERATION MAXXUMS: “AF” SERIES, 1985-1987

The first generation of Minolta labeled Maxxum bodies was called the “AF” (auto focus) line and they were ONLY sold in North America (US and Canada) UNDER THE MAXXUM NAME. The same exact cameras were produced for the European Market and were called Dynax (although that name did not appear until the second generation of Minolta AF cameras came out). The same camera as the Maxxum and Dynax was also sold in the Asian Market (China, Japan) and was called Alpha. Yes, this is how Sony got the name Alpha that they are using for the Digital SLR line. For those who thought that Sony had some big market reasearch campaign done to choose the Alpha name for their first DSLRS, you are wrong. They inherited the name from Minolta.

The Maxxum bodies were easy to tell from their non-North American Market “sisters”—the Name Maxxum was clearly on the left hand grip side. The Dynax variants had the 7000 and AF labeling on the right grip side and NO name at all on the left grip side. The Dynax variant had the “7000” name on the right side but instead of the tiny AF badge used on the Maxxum and Dynax, Minolta replaced that with the Greek symbol Alpha and there was no marking on the left grip side. The 7000AF was quickly followed by a lower model –5000AF—and a Pro/higher model—9000AF. The 9000 had NO built in auto film advance/rewind system like the others in the series and featured a retro knob layout with manual film advance. Motor drives and auto winders were available at an additional expense (with an additional weight added to an already heavy camera) to bring its shooting speed up to pro levels. They all featured a standard ISO flash mount and all ran on standard AA or AAA alkaline batteries (unless you were able to buy the lithium battery pack BH-70T which became an option for the 5000 and 7000 at the end of their production run).

Minolta continued this same trend of introducing the middle/semi-pro model first (to be followed by lower and higher models) for the next two decades. The hierarchy was set in place and for the most part it is clear which model is higher or lower in price, specifications, etc. The pattern was as follows: consumer level Maxxums would carry designations that started with numbers LOWER than a 5. The intermediate level would be a model with a 5 or 6 in their model name. The semi-pro line would always have models with a 7 or 8 in their model name. The pro line would always have a 9 in the model name. For the most part this is easy to understand with the addition of the fact that sometimes Minolta never made a 9 level model for that generation and they sort of considered the final, 8 labeled model a pro model. Best choices in this group are 7000 AF and 9000 AF.

SECOND GENERATION MAXXUMS: “I” SERIES, 1988-1990

Minolta followed up their immensely successful “AF” line with there “I”, INTELLIGENT Focus Line. They introduced the 7000i first and followed that camera with the lower model 3000i, the intermediate level model 5000i and then finally the highest “pro” model 8000i. Generally speaking, the “I” series was as well built but far more featured packed than the “AF” series with every ‘I’ model having more features than it’s earlier/same level “AF” model. None, of the “I” models looked anything like the earlier “AF” models and the “I” series had many breakthroughs: Minolta added it’s first built-in flash on the intermediate level 5000iThe 5000i, 7000i, and 8000i were able to use their Creative Expansion Card System (at the time it was about 15 cards) to aid the photographer. Minolta sped up the AF ability on the cameras, making the “I” series perform faster than the earlier ones. The built-in film transports were very fast with the 7000i and 8000i capable of a very fast 3 frames per second. The 8000i had a very impressive 1/8000th second top shutter speed and Minolta also changed the flash mount to their proprietary “I” mount that they would use from then on. Finally Minolta did one great thing, they stopped producing cameras that took alkaline batteries and all “I” models used the far safer (no leakage), far more powerful, and far longer lasting Lithium 2CR5 batteries that would become the standard battery up until the late 1990’s. Best choices in this group are: 8000i and 7000i.

THIRD GENERATION MAXXUMS: “Xi” SERIES, 1991-1993

Minolta was on a roll by now and they quickly followed up their terrific “I” line with an even better, more-feature-packed, absolutely ergonomic line of cameras--the “Xi” Series. Minolta called this new line “Xi” for EXPERT INTELLIGENCE and they brought out the 7Xi first, and what a beautiful camera it was. Shaped to fit your hand, very fast, with revolutionary features. It featured an expanded Creative card system, faster—3.5 frames per second shooting, 1/8000th second shutter speed, and terrific features like: a built-in AUTO Pop-Up flash (Minolta’s first use of this feature), EYE START focusing with sensors built into the hand grip and rear viewer window (again a first for Minolta), and superb Minolta engineered Wireless Flash technology. The latter was so good that it took Canon a decade to come up with a similar but not as good set-up to fire a flash wirelessly, off camera. Minolta followed the 7xi with a compact 3Xi (which had tons of features for a low model camera), the 5Xi (a beautiful intermediate level camera with Minolta’s first Auto pop-up/auto retracting flash), and then the amazing 9Xi pro model.

The 9Xi to this day is one of the finest pro film cameras made, featuring an amazing 1/12,0000th second top shutter speed (Minolta did this by making the shutter out of plastic since metal was too heavy to fire at that speed), 5 frames per second ability, and a weatherized body where the switches and controls were protected from the elements. The Xi models featured more precise metering, and far better auto focusing than their predecessors. Minolta finished up the line by offering two models BELOW the 3Xi, the SPXI and the lowest model 2Xi, which were essentially “detuned” 3Xis with fewer features. ALL models accepted “I” mount flashes and ALL used 2CR5 batteries as their main power source. The 3Xi was the first Maxxum to start being produced in Malaysia—some were made in Japan and some were made in Malaysia. Best choices in this group from top to bottom are: 9Xi, 7Xi, and 5Xi.

FOURTH GENERATION MAXXUMS: “Si” SERIES 1994-1999

Minolta had done very well making competitive AF cameras and the “Si” series (for SOPHISTICATED INTELLIGENCE) was their most robust. The opened up with the great 700Si, which quickly won the Import Camera of the Year Award, and quickly followed that camera with a variety of lower and higher models. The 700Si featured a less elaborate shape, which was more refined than it’s predecessor 7Xi. Minolta claimed to have included almost two dozen advances in the 700-Si from the 7Xi. Eye start was now easier to turn on or off. The flash no longer automatically popped up (something many shooters found disturbing with the 7Xi). They followed the Award wining 700Si with a lower model 400si, lower model 300Si, lower model 500Si, lower model 600Si, and upper model 800Si. The 300Si had similar variants with date backs (330Si RZ), and date backs and panoramic switches (350Si) as did the 400Si (430Si RZ and 450Si). The 500Si also came out in a 550Si variant. The 600Si also came out with a date back and it was called the 650Si. ONLY the 600Si, 650Si, 700Si, and 800Si were still made in Japan. All others were made in Malaysia. The 600Si was the first Maxxum to go back to the knob layout that Minolta used on the Maxxum 9000, over a decade earlier. Most people find knobs far easier to maneuver and more intuitive.

Those wondering what the “RZ” stood for, it was RITZ Camera. Minolta made and labeled RZ models especially for Ritz Camera to be sold in their vast network of stores. Minolta also made a differently named version of the 350Si, called the Panorama Elite, which was specifically made for American Express to sell in their catalogs. The top-of-the-line 800Si while looking very similar to the 700Si had several great, pro features: Minolta’s most powerful built-in flash, the ability to fire the flash on the second shutter curtain and IT LIKE the 700Si featured a ball-bearing in the right grip m (I know, you always wondered what that noise was), to switch the viewer display from a horizontal frame to a narrower vertical frame. Both the 700Si and 800Si featured an amazing amount of focal area metering, far better than their competition.

With the introduction of the “Si” line, Minolta developed what is no doubt their best camera accessory, the vertical control grip that was available for the 600Si, 700Si, and 800Si models. It is a must have items for any semi-pro/pro Maxxum body. Minolta also introduced several odd “Si” models towards the end of the 1990’s: the QTSi, STSi, HTSi, and XTSi were a group unto themselves with the XTSi having the most features (and being the predecessor to the Maxxum 5), and the QTSi being the least featured model. They were far more compact than any previous Maxxums and revealed the trend that would continue to the end of the Maxxum line: lighter, smaller cameras that were no longer made in Japan. Best choices in this group from top to bottom are: Maxxum 800Si, 700Si, 600Si.

FIFTH GENERATION MAXXUMS: 2000-2005

Minolta stopped coming up with new ways to describe their auto focus system and the final FULL Maxxum generation just had number designations. For this series Minolta broke with tradition and introduced their Pro-model Maxxum 9 first and what an introduction it was. Most experts agree that the Maxxum 9 was the best Maxxum ever made. Many feel it was the best film and/or AF camera ever made. I agree with the latter group—and think it’s the best AF camera ever made. What’s to argue with? It started where the amazing Maxxum 9Xi left off and got better. All-metal body, 5.5 frames per second, 1/12,000th second (the fastest ever recorded on a SLR and matched only by the 9Xi) shutter speed, a viewfinder revealing 100% of the view going to the film (most will crop anywhere from 3-7%), fully weatherized buttons and controls, very quick knob/not button controls and a feeling of ruggedness that you will get from no other Maxxum. This was the LAST MAXXUM EVER BUILT IN JAPAN.

Minolta followed the Maxxum 9 with another innovative camera—the Maxxum 7. While similar looking to the Maxxum 9, it was an all-plastic camera, made in Malaysia but it had electronic features galore. It featured Minolta’s ONLY LCD navigation panel on a film SLR that became the precursor to the LCD display on the digital camera. The display will adjust vertically or horizontally, depending on how the camera was held—very cool. It also featured an amazingly long list (37 in total) of user-controlled functions, almost doubling those available on the higher mode Maxxum 9. In addition it had a very easy to use 9-panel focal area selection system that was added to the Maxxum digital line of SLRS. And it was fast—about 5 frames per second. It become the basis for the Maxxum 7D (digital SLR). Minolta followed the Maxxum 7 with the Maxxum 5, a superbly featured, incredibly compact intermediate level Maxxum and the first one able to use a small wireless remote control (only on the date back model). The Maxxum 4 ) , a lesser-featured Maxxum ) followed the Maxxum 5, and then the Maxxum 3 followed, with even less features. They even produced a run of Maxxum 3 cameras labeled the GT for Target stores. Best choices in this group are from top to bottom: Maxxum 9, 7 and 5.

SIXTH GENERATION MAXXUMS: 2004-2006

Minolta, like most makers decided that production of cameras was expensive (and probably not as profitable as they wanted) and they moved the production from Malaysia to China. They then produced what is to be the least Minolta like pair of Maxxums: the silver Maxxum 50 and the black Maxxum 70. These were very inexpensive, all-plastic Maxxums with some nice features but questionable build quality. I’ve owned several of each model and while they are very simple to operate, (they are the closest feeling Maxxums to a point and shoot camera), their light weight and mediocre (at best) build will no doubt leave them off anyone’s “best choice” list.

So, here you have it. The genesis of the Minolta Maxxum film camera line, as I know it. I hope this guide offers some insights that will guide you in your next Maxxum purchase. Have fun!