Summary: Awesome Camera for Price!

Comment: This camera is light, easy to use yet feature rich. I compared it to digital (still to expensive for comparable resolution to 35mm film) and other SLR cameras. The auto focus is fast and reliable, although in low light it strobes its built in flash to assist with focusing. The built in flash is fairly powerful and convenient because it is always available. The complex metering system has handled difficult lighting situations well.

The focus may also be done manually, with focus assist. The f stop and/or shutter speed can be set manually. In addition to the default fully automatic setting there are 5 built in subject programs designed for portraits, close ups, sports, etc. There is a depth of field preview which I have not found on similar priced cameras.

Overall I am quite happy with this camera. I was also happy to find that it works with my old Minolta compatible Vivitar 100-300 telephoto lens, and my old Minolta dedicated 3200i flash. For the money I highly recommend you consider this 35mm camera.

Summary: Camera good

Comment: The camera has been fantastic! It works marvelously, and the zoom lenses are amazing.
[...]

Summary: Judge the camera for what it is - and READ THE MANUAL!

Comment: First, I would like to comment on previous reviews:

As for the lens shadows: REMOVE THE SUN SHADE from the lens. If you leave the sun shade on during flash/zoom photography, you will get the "shade/shadow effect" you talked about. It's not the lens, it's the shade. This information is included in the manual (always READ THE MANUAL before posting negative reviews!)

To the user disappointed in the manual focus: USE THE FOCUSING INDICATOR. Even in manual focus, the camera will still check for focus. When the small green dot inside the view finder goes solid, you are in focus. Again, this information is in the manual. READ THE MANUAL before posting negative reviews!

Overall, the camera is an excellent value. It is packed with features that were exclusive to cameras costing hundreds (sometimes thousands) of dollars more just a few short years ago. Prices are dropping due to the change in market focus (everyone wants to go digital.) Where else can you get a feature packed camera like this one for under $300?

For the beginner, a good film camera like this one is a great place to start. Learn the basics and KNOW the camera before making snap judgements. If you take the time to learn the camera and how to take pictures, you will NOT be disappointed by this hardware.

Summary: Lens Shadows Very Disappointing

Comment: I purchased this package as I'm an avid fan of Minolta Cameras... and have to say I'm disappointed with the lenses. Either during wide-angle or 100% zoom, the corners of each photo have the lens in them.

I'm in the process of contacting Minolta about the issue because I love the camera but can't take the chance of losing good photos with the lenses.

Summary: Great 35mm SLR AF Camera for the money!

Comment: I've researched SLR cameras for the last few months and I always came back to the Maxxum models by Konica Minolta. Sure, price was a big factor, but also the reviews across the web from other owners and especially regarding the popular and very successful Maxxum 50 finally led me to a purchase of the Maxxum 70. Although this camera seems very sophisticated and it lets you do a lot of the creative settings manually, it's easy in P (green P in a box) which are the auto functions you can and the focusing is just perfect. It's also worth spending the approx. $70 more for the Maxxum 70 vs. the Maxxum 50 because of the focusing features and the in-screen/viewfinder display. The user guide is very helpful and explains the operations of the automatic camera functions well, although some photography knowledge will be helpful to understand especially the manual settings. So far I've only shot a roll of film and it came out perfect. The only little thing that bothered me was that in the viewfinder there were a few very tiny spots and that's why I had to exchange it for another Maxxum 70 unit, and that's why I only gave it 4 stars, although if everything would have been perfect from the start, this camera is definitely worth a five-star rating. This Maxxum 70 is a keeper and it seems to be a solid quality camera -- only time will tell if it holds up, but so far so good. The price just can't be beat, especially with all the features that the Maxxum 70 offers. Also the 28-100mm lens is a nice feature for this price range as most other models come with only a 28-80mm lens, and for a camera like this you most certainly want the 28-100mm lens.