By May 2019, I was three months into my photography journey. My camera collection consisted of a Maxxum 7000i with a crumbling grip, a Maxxum 5 with a discolored focus screen, 600si, 7xi, 700si, 7, and 7000. It had been maybe a little more than a month since I discovered Minolta no longer existed. At the time, I was focused on collecting all of the AF “Sevens,” and learning of Minolta’s demise put me in a bit of a funk. I had seven Minolta cameras and about eight lenses (mostly third-party), but the average cost of those cameras was about 20.00. Only the Maxxum 7 cost more than 30.00. My collection had only two significant Minolta lenses: an AF 70-210mm f4 and an AF 100mm 2.8 macro, so it wasn’t too late to switch to another brand. It seemed reasonable to try Nikon or Canon and move away from Minolta.
Since March, I had put a few rolls through the Maxxum 5 and was quite pleased with it. The Maxxum 7, I had used and put away—too complicated. The Maxxum 5, released in 2001, offered :
- 1/4000 shutter speeds
- Seven focus points
- Spot metering
- Spot focusing
- Subject modes
- Continuous shooting at 3 frames/sec
- Built-in flash
- Self-timer
As I had been doing photography for a short time, the Maxxum 5 seemed to be as much camera as I would ever need. When I went looking for Canon and Nikon equivalents, the Nikon N80 and Canon EOS Elan 7 were the best fits.
The N80 and Canon EOS Elan 7 matched the Maxxum 5’s features with the exception that the Canon did not offer spot metering. All three cameras were released between 2000 and 2001. Weight is one area where they differ significantly, at least for me. The Maxxum 5 weighs about 12oz without a lens, the Canon EOS Elan 7 is almost 21 oz, and the N80 is about 18 oz.
eBay came through beautifully. Within a few days, I spotted a Nikon N80 with a Sigma 28-80mm lens and a Canon EOS Elan 7 with a Tamron 28-200mm lens. Both were auctions, and both were under 30.00. Being new to eBay, I bid on both, hoping to win one, and no one else bid on either. On arrival, both cameras were in excellent condition. If I recall correctly, the Nikon seller said the the camera had been bought for a one-semester photography class and had sat unused since.
The Nikon came with a manual, so it was the first up. I shot a roll of Lomo 400 in the Nikon, and the Sigma lens performed much better than expected. I used expired Kodak Gold that had not been stored properly in the Canon, resulting in grainy, off-colored images. Next, I went looking for brand-name lenses.
Having spent time looking at Minolta lenses, I had a pretty good feel for their prices. When I looked for Nikon and Canon lenses, I found they cost much more than their Minolta equivalents. Eventually, I settled on a Nikon 28-80mm G lens. I went for a similar zoom with Canon, a 28-80mm USM lens. Even though Canon and Nikon lenses were more expensive compared to Minolta, the reviews were not better. (At the time my budget limits were no more than 25.00 per camera, 35.00 per lens.)
The deciding factor in determining my path forward may have been the Minolta X-570. I had no interest in manual cameras, but while perusing eBay one day, a listing for an X-570 with a lens for 20.00 appeared. By this time, I had noticed that manual cameras were all the rage, and AF cameras got no respect. Curiosity got the better of me, and thinking 20.00 would not be too much of a loss, I bought it. It worked! Then, while searching for a user manual and info about the X-570, I learned much more about Minolta’s products and history. What I discovered gave me the idea for the Vintage Minolta Love Project (VMLP).
I’m telling this story because, once the VMLP became a thing, I put the Canon and Nikon gear in boxes and stuck them in the bottom of a cabinet. They have been tucked away, forgotten for five years. I forget they exist until I go searching for something and rediscover them. Recently, it occurred to me that I had never used the Nikon G and Canon USM lenses—not even for test shots. Further, the N80 and Elan 7, along with the Maxxum 7, Maxxum 70, and Maxxum 5, are among the most sophisticated AF cameras I own for everyday use—the Maxxum 9 is too heavy and the 9xi is too inscrutable for casual use. With that realization, I decided to take them out and put them to work. Having used them only once five years ago, I barely remember what I liked (or disliked) about them.
Since the 28-85mm zoom range is my favorite for walking about, the Nikon and Canon lenses will be a good fit. Both have decent on-line reviews. The Tamron 28-200mm sounds intriguing, but I have the Minolta version, which I tested at multiple focal lengths and apertures using an Alpha 7. Even at f8-f11, the images produced were not sharp, and many had significant pincushion distortion. I’ll try a few shots with the Elan 7 just in case the Minolta version was a fluke, but I’m not expecting much.
If the N80/28-80mm G and Elan 7/28-80mm USM combos can match the performance of the Maxxum 5 with a 35-70mm, 35-105mm or 28-105mm, they will earn a place in the rotation. I’ll write user-experience reports for both combos. Getting reacquainted is going to be fun!
Three roads diverged on eBay,
and I took the one less traveled by,
and that has made all the difference.
(My nod to Robert Frost.)
(If you’ve ever wondered why Minolta is such a big part of EarthSunFilm, now you know the rest of the story)