Minolta Maxxum system user shopping for first DSLR

[mrak]

Hi. As a first-time DSLR shopper I'm interested in this forum's opinions on this:

I'm a 20-year user of Minolta Maxxum (film) SLRs. I only have a few lenses, but one of them I really like. Wanting to get the most out of what I have for both film and digital, I've been waiting for a digital Maxxum in my price range.

Well, the 5D is here, and it's exactly what I had in mind. But 3 days after I nearly ordered one, Konica Minolta announced they're leaving the photography business.

If you were (or are) a Minolta system user, which of these would you be inclined to do, based on the recent news?

* Buy a 5D (especially if you found one discounted from the news) and keep using Konica Minolta system cameras (digital and film) despite their somewhat uncertain future, or:

* Make a clean break and check out Canon's and Nikon's offerings, keeping the Minolta system around for the occasional desire to shoot film?

Thanks!

[Jason25]

Well, you can go get a 5D for cheap once the prices really drop. It's a nice camera, I considered getting one before getting my D50. Might as well snag one for a good deal instead of dumping money in a whole new system :) Besides, the camera is usable even if it isn't made by Minolta anymore, plus Sony took over the customer base, so it's still supported.

[coldrain]

Sony is the 2nd largest digital camera maker, after Sony. This is why Sony bought KM (the DSLR part), to be able to compete with Canon and Nikon and Pentax/Samsung.

KM has been on a downward slope since the 80's, almost no professional still uses KM. This may well be the best thing to happen to the KM SLR line... although it will take a few years for Sony to be accepted as an SLR name.
Sony is aiming for a 25% stake in the DSLR market in the next few years.

So, if you have a lens that is worth keeping (which lens is that, by the way?), you can do a lot worse than get yourself a KM 5D.

If the lens is just a simple lens that you can buy an equivalent for 300 to 400$ for a Canon, maybe think of going for a 350D/XT instead.

[mrak]

So, if you have a lens that is worth keeping (which lens is that, by the way?), you can do a lot worse than get yourself a KM 5D

Ha, I'm almost embarrassed to say, I have such an infrequent need for it. It was the 70-210 zoom that Minolta introduced with the Maxxum system rollout. Heavy and bulky by today's standards, but it held a f/4.0 aperture all through its focal length range.

It was discontinued long ago in favor of a more compact f/4.5-5.6 model, more in keeping with consumer preferences for faster films, but I love shooting 100-speed slide film, so that extra bit of speed is nice. (That extra stop gives me some nice shallow depth of field at the long end too, when I want that.)

Canon makes a 70-200 f/4, (part of their L series, so no doubt it's optically superior to my 20-year-old Minolta lens!), sold by B&H for a not-outrageous $589.*

But maybe a better question is, do I really need the equivalent of a 100-300 for my DSLR that often anyway?

Thanks to you and Jason for your points about Sony continuing support. From what I've read, it also appears KM will continue to manufacture a fair amount of hardware for Sony's line too.

*LOL, I just noticed in your sig line you have that lens! How do you like it?

[TWD]

I can recommend a 7D and by extension a 5D as close as they are together according to reviews I have read.

I'd love to see the 5D & 7D continue strongly and here's to Sony continuing and advancing this worthly DSLR line to greater heights.

[coldrain]

It is a nice lens, sometimes i wish it was longer but it has nice optics.
With a lens like that 70-210 it may be nice to get a 5D or 7D, since getting something equivalent will cost a fair bit... but it does depennd on what kind of lens lineup you plan to buy for your future DSLR.

The lens you have seems to be a very nice, but heavy, lens, before you commit to a 5D try it on one first to see if the 5D's autofocus handles the lens well.

[Rex914]

The lens you are talking about is the equivalent of the very popular Canon 70-200 f/4 L which goes for under $600 new. It's a pretty light lens (at least the Canon version), so I'm sure that the 5D will handle it well.