Home > Consumer Reviews > Minolta Maxxum 5 35mm SLR Quartz Date Kit with 28-80mm Zoom Lens

Since purchasing the Maxxum 5 aproximately two weeks ago for a Photojournalism class, I have discovered a few annoyances with the camera. First, if one has the inclination to shoot infrared film... forget it. The film reader inside the camera will fog your film, says the manual. Also, after shooting 40 exposures, the film will automatically rewind... whether there's more film in the camera or not. But the most frustrating feature of this camera is the flash shoe. The Maxxum series apparently uses a flash docking system that is precisely opposite to normal flash mounts, making equipment crossover all but impossible. While a basic flash for other cameras will coast you as little as [dollar amount], flashes for the Maxxum 5 will run you between [much more expensive]. So far, I have been unable to find an adapter that won't risk frying the camera's internal circuitry. Furthermore, Minolta decided to omit a port for a hard-wired flash to be attached, which would bypass the entire mess of flash difficulties.

On the positive side, the camera has an incredibly high shutter speed (1/4000th), along with many, many options including a fully manual mode that's pretty easy to work with. Continual film advance is impressive at 3 frames per second and the Eye Start feature (which auto focuses the camera on the subject ahead ONLY when the camera is being held and up to your face) is just really awesome. The onboard flash is quite powerful and the lens mountings seem very solid. Film loading is incredibly simple, and the camera can be set to leave a tab of film out after rewinding for ease in the event that you're developing your own film. Film rewinds in about 8 seconds, the same amount of time it would take you to expose a roll of 24 on continious advance, expediting rapid film turnover for rapid photography, if necessary. The ring that runs around the manual focusing meachanism makes manual shooting very smooth and natural, and illuminated viewfinder autofocus indicators make fully automatic shooting facile.

In short, this is an outstanding camera that beats out almost all others in its class; if not all. The Maxxum 5's primary drawbacks lie in its specialties that may cost you a small fortune to compensate for... if you're able to correct them at all.

It has the best features in it's class - Nikon N65/N75/N80, Canon EOS Rebel etc - you can compare side-by-side.
It can produce excellent results.
It's the lightest around which is REALLY important and nice.
If you know your SLR a bit, having a zoom 75-300mm will be a very rewarding experience. You might find yourself using only the zoom afterwards.
Suprisingly Minolta does little publicity compared to Canon,Nikon though their products are so good.
My 2 cents advice for SLR beginners-
1.Read the manual for some length at least, before starting to shoot.
2.Try not to use the All-auto(default factory-set) mode as soon as you can.Use S(125 speed is a safe choice) or A mode.
3.Specially for portraits use ISO-100 film for best clarity.
4.All cameras of this type have a small built-in flash which may disappoint you indoors. You can buy a Minolta flash afterwards or try using ISO400 film indoors.
5.The auto light-meter of all these cameras underexposes a little bit. Try to apply compensation of + .5 to 1.5 depending on situation.

This is a terrific camera. I have been toying around with 35mm point and shoots for the past several years. I have never been satisfied with the results. I finally decided to get rid of them and buy an SLR. I did research for about three months and could not find another camera to match this one in terms of cost and amenities. It can do just about everything the amature photographer wants to do. I have used Minolta SLRs years ago and found the cameras to be totally dependable. Minolta still makes a great product. This camera is easy to use and not intimidating. Read the manual after you shoot a few rolls of film to get used to all of the bells and whistles to use this camera to its fullest potential. The metering is fabulous. The eye-start mechanism is totally awesome for focusing. This is the best feature of the camera. You should buy this camera

Thanks, Minolta!!!!!

I bought the Maxxum 5 couple weeks ago. It is a great camera with lots of features that easy to use. The manual is easy to understand. I was amazed by the first roll. The photos were sharp and crystal clear. If consider buying a SLR, this is the one you may want to put on top of your list.

I researched the various SLR cameras available on the market and Minolta offered the most features for the price. The size and weight also felt right for my grip. I have never owned anything but an inexpensive point and shoot camera. When I started using the camera I was a little intimdated by all the bells and whistles but after taking near professional quality pictures at a baseball tournament in San Diego I was sold on this camera. I was able within 2-3 rolls to take pictures of the baseball players sliding into a base, the pitched baseball in the air on the way to the batter, etc. I couldn't believe how easy it was to use and the quality of my pictures with no training. I did read the owners manual several times and it helped me get better with each roll of film. Buy this camera - you cannot go wrong!!