Konica Minolta's Maxxum 5D DSLR
By Ryan Block 
posted July 15th 2005 8:40AM
posted July 15th 2005 8:40AM
Oh, and Konica Minolta's other new digital camera they announced today is the Maxxum 5D (Dynax 5D overseas)—this one actually not only does stills, but also records z, time, and some other freaky Ds that ya'll aren't prepared for. Take that, physics! In addition to, it also features a 6 megapixel anti-shake CCD, 2.5-inch display, and will have a pricetag at about $780 with lens, or $720 without.
[Via DigiCamReview]
I've seen this one floating around for a few days... It looks to be an incredible camera for an incredible price. Let's see if the image quality is up to snuff though.
Man am I behind the times, but when did they start using that name combo? Can't it be just one or the other, frankly my photog side is biased towards Minolta rather Konica (makers of cheaper cameras in the past).
link seems dead... error of some sort on their end.
does this one have spot metering? seems like none of the low end DSLRs have spot metering. or none that i have found anyway.
A helpful URL...
http://konicaminolta.com/products/consumer/digital_camera/slr/5d/index.html
A helpful URL...
http://konicaminolta.com/products/consumer/digital_camera/slr/5d/index.html
As a side note, will somebody post the link that validates engadget's claim that the 5D records some physics variable called "z"? Also, will somebody explain what the physics variable "z" is?
Popeye cahn, they have been going with this name for a few years now. They merged not too long ago and instead of choosing one name over the other, they now use both. However I think that the company has really gone downhill lately, and as much as this camera looks interesting, it has a messy setup, and looks uncomfortable and plain. I'll stick with Nikon thanks.
Looks good, but a lens as a $60 addition would make me very nervous.
The physics dimension of 'z' is the third in a short series of dimensional variables (others include 'x' and 'y'). Commonly referred to as "up" (or "down" in the Southern hemisphere), 'z' offers endless fun for FPS gamers while also creating endless problems for members of the Flat Earth Society. 'z' (or 'zed' in some strange corners of the planet) should not be confused with "zee" (a common pattern observed when firing at fleeing enemy combatants) or "zeta" (a tribe of loose college girls).
For $720, looks like a pretty good deal. I checked out the specs on KM's web site and there's nothing obviously missing for a camera in this price range. I'm curious to see some tests - I'm not in the market for an SLR anymore but I still like to keep up on what's going on. Oftentimes, a camera will look good on paper but when you're talking digital, a lot comes down to the sensor and processor. Apparently the 7D that came out a while back is good but has some issues with things like noise reduction and highlight clipping, which all digital cameras do but the 7D is apparently particularly inelegant in the way it handles this.
$60 for the kit lens is kinda scary, though. I'd be surprised if that lens is worth getting. Probably going to be better to buy the body alone and add a better lens to it yourself.
The D70 has spot metering.
IMO, Minolta needs to think about the looks of their cameras if they hope to sell a lot of them to prosumers. I think they are quite ugly & blocky looking. Reminds me of the old Minolta cameras - like this http://www.mir.com.my/rb/photography/hardwares/classics/maxxum7k/index.htm. I think I'll stick with my Rebel XT.
BTW: I don't think the $60 kit lens is scary, the one that came with my digital rebel is probably not much more than that - reasonably good optically, but it is a featherweight piece of plastic.