[LostMyWife]

I am thinking about putting my 35mm cameras into moth balls and get a digital SLR. I have a lot of lenses that fit my two Minolta Maxxum cameras.

I am looking for a digital that will allow me to use the lenses that I have. Now that Minolta has bailed on me, any idea what my options are with a non minolta camera. I understand Sony bought out Minolta's camera division. Will my lenses work on their new cameras? I do not want to buy an old Minolta digital camera.

Maybe I am being penny wise and dollar foolish. If so, let me know.

Thanks

LMW

[jdmidwest]

LMW, you would have to check the tread diameters to see if they will match the new camera. I bought a Minolta Dimage 2 years ago before they sold out. Great little camera with alot of SLR features. The lens diameter is more like a camcorder than a standard SLR so lenses and accessories are few. I was able to come up with a few filters to fit it at Creve Couer camera shop in STL. Digital is the way to go, you can touch up your own photos with a program like Photoshop Express and have them ready to email or print. And, best of all, you can delete bad shots without having to pay for prints. Canon makes great digital SLR's. Most of the photographers I work with locally use them.

[Rusty]

I know, not on topic, but take a look at this http://www.h20camera.com/home

[LostMyWife]

jdmidwest, on Dec 2 2006, 08:16 PM, said:

LMW, you would have to check the tread diameters to see if they will match the new camera. I bought a Minolta Dimage 2 years ago before they sold out. Great little camera with alot of SLR features. The lens diameter is more like a camcorder than a standard SLR so lenses and accessories are few. I was able to come up with a few filters to fit it at Creve Couer camera shop in STL. Digital is the way to go, you can touch up your own photos with a program like Photoshop Express and have them ready to email or print. And, best of all, you can delete bad shots without having to pay for prints. Canon makes great digital SLR's. Most of the photographers I work with locally use them.

I have looked at the Canon OES. Expensive, and none of my autofocus lens fit. SOme friends of mine have one and they love theirs.

I looked at the Dimage. But the only place you can find one is eBay. And they are not cheap. Plus, I want soemthing with all of the new features.

russ, on Dec 2 2006, 08:28 PM, said:

I know, not on topic, but take a look at this http://www.h20camera.com/home

Now that is a neat little camera. Looks to be under $300 at circuit city

[Rusty]

They are really COOL. This is on my wish list for this year. I hope, I hope, I hope.

[Gary Lange]

I believe that the Sony Alpha 100 or whatever it is uses the Minolta Mount. Here is a Digital Camera Review site that should have the info on the cameras. I friend has the Sony and it takes awesome Pic's.

http://dpreview.com/

[LostMyWife]

Gary Lange, on Dec 3 2006, 11:04 AM, said:

I believe that the Sony Alpha 100 or whatever it is uses the Minolta Mount. Here is a Digital Camera Review site that should have the info on the cameras. I friend has the Sony and it takes awesome Pic's.

http://dpreview.com/

Thanks Gary

BTW, do you think I should move on or stay with the Minolta lenses? The dollar wise, penny foolish side of the argument

[Gary Lange]

It is hard to say as some older lenses are not compatable with the Digital Systems. I would ask around some and see what they say about it. If your lenses are good lenses and are compatable with the Sony System then your fine. If not your options are open and you can look at all the systems and pick out whatever you think is best. Currently, Canon is the only company producing a full-frame digital camera. These offer potentially superior image quality due to both the number and size of the pixels on the sensor. Many pixels packed on a small sensor can generate increased noise and give a less satisfing image at higher ISO settings. I got this from the new Outdoor Photography Mag. You may be better off with a new Canon 30D and some new lenses in the long run and sell the older stuff. Pick up Outdoor Photography and read some of the articles it is a good Magazine.

[LostMyWife]

Gary

I read the articles that I found online. I did a few searches and what I found was that I am not ready for the big time with the Canon. The prices that I found were way over the self imposed limits of a weekend shutterbug.

The pictures we posted of Tney were taken on disposables cameras. I do want to get past that. I use to be able to hike into the mountains in Colorado with my Minolta Maxxum and take some great shots, but I am far from the point of going out for $3400 on a camera. Not that I would not enjoy it, but I might have to find a new place to live.

The Canon EOS Rebel looked interesting. When I go digital I will be looking around the $1K price. I know I will get what I am paying for. I also read that while my lenses would fit the Nikon, the quality of a lense built for a 35mm camera may not yield a quality digital picture.

Maybe I need to hang on to my old Maxxums and buy a cheaper digital to take pics on the water.

The info you offered up was great. It told me what I needed to look at and that told what I was looking to spend.

As always, thanks for the comments

[Micheal Kyle]

LMW

It was great to meet you the other day down at Taney, I hope that you did not get the sickness that I had.

If you all ready have the lenses that will fit the Nikon and it sounds like you do you may want to take a look at the D70. I bought that for my wife a couple of years ago and it is great and under 1000. If you want to spend a little more you may take a look at the D200 just for the frame it should run around 15-1600. Just my 2 cents worth good luck.

Michael

[Gary Lange]

You can always just keep what you have a invst in a Slide Scanner like I did. I bought a Konic Minolta DiMAGE Scan Dual IV and it works quite well. I have two Canon EOS 630's with a few lenses but I want the D30 with some new Digital Lenses. The Canon EOS Rebel XTi is a great little camera for a good price. It will take some respectable pictures and some great Bird Shots with the right lense.

[Jayhawk Chris]

I concur with BackCountry....

I have the D70s(they no longer make the D70) and I love it. I have had 3 other digital cameras before this and will never go back to film. I have put close to 20,000 pictures on each of my previous cameras. I would advise you that do not get caught up in the hype about how many megapixels a camera has. The human cannot distinguish over 2.5 megapixels ( I believe that number is right...I know for a fact it is not over 3) What is going to be most important to you is a good lense that captures light. You can have the best camera money can buy, but if you have a cheapo lense, you won't do yourself any good. I used to be a weekend photographer, but since I switched to digital about 7 years ago, I carry it with me everwhere. Everytime I jump in the car, I take my wallet, keys and camera. Every fishing or hunting trip, every business trip, the camera is the first thing I pack. There will be a learning curve on how to really get the most out of any camera. But with the auto features of most cameras, you will find that it will meet about 90% of your needs. if you are looking for more resources, try nikonians.org. It is a great website that is just for Nikon camera users. Scroll through the forum....there is not a question that you can think of that hasn't been asked already!

[ecce38]

LostMyWife, on Dec 3 2006, 12:08 PM, said:

BTW, do you think I should move on or stay with the Minolta lenses? The dollar wise, penny foolish side of the argument

Very good question indeed. I've been a pentax man for a long time. The new K10d camera will work with my dad's old 1979 KX film camera lenses. In fact, any pentax len ever produced. If you are satisfied with the pictures stick with them. Maybe future Sony digital SLR's will be backward compatible with them.

[James001]

Late to this discussion, but I agree strongly with the last post. I have a Pentax K10D and use it with old, manual K-mount Pentax lenses as well as newer ones. It's expensive to replace a full set of lenses, and the new ones don't always match up well to older glass unless you spend a lot (or even if you do). Of course, it is faster to shoot with a brand new, fully auto lens, but Pentax put image stabilization in the camera body, so it can be used with any Pentax or Pentax-compatible lens of any vintage. Best wishes.

ecce38, on 23 December 2006 - 03:25 PM, said:

Very good question indeed. I've been a pentax man for a long time. The new K10d camera will work with my dad's old 1979 KX film camera lenses. In fact, any pentax len ever produced. If you are satisfied with the pictures stick with them. Maybe future Sony digital SLR's will be backward compatible with them.

[Njardar]

I believe the older Minolta lenses will fit the Sony, but you may have to use the camera in manual, shutter priority or aperature priority modes. As you look at new cameras take an older lens with you and see what features work and what ones do not. I personally have a case with two 35mm Minolta backs and lenses that I do not use with my Minolta digital (same model that Sony makes now). You will also find that newer lenses are much lighter that the older ones, and while I use to carry three lenses I now carry two because of advances in variable focal length design. If you have an older flash it will not fit the newer alphas.

- Charlie

[wily]

I'm a shutterbug too.

this is the site that i follow for photography...

http://www.bobatkins.com/photography/

i've got a D30, and a good macro lens, and a couple mediocre telephotos...

you can pick-up a used D30 in good condition on ebay for $300 or so. A D10 is less.

if you don't like ebay -- go to www.keh.com

both are good cameras...and with canon the lens possibilities are almost endless.

you can pick-up a new point and shoot for under $200 that will take great pictures...or step it up a notch and buy a G series from canon.

[Geoff]

I hope you mean a 30D and not actually a D30. the D30 is VERY old, only 3 megapixal and leaves ALOT to be desired, plus if I paid 300 bucks for one i would feel royally ripped off, they arent fetching more then a 2 hundred bucks if that these days. granted they can take decent pictures, there are MUCH better cameras for the price.

[wily]

you're right...i mis-spoke. thanks

[Geoff]

no worries. I love my 30D. The only issue i have with Canon and Nikon and lenses is that back in the 80's, Both manufactures changed the lens mount style. This switch ment that you cant use any old film lenses on the digital bodies. if you have a new film lens, they work but some of the old really cool stuff doesnt work. pentax is currently leading the market in that end, with the K-X ( i believe its called ), that accepts every lens they have ever made on their new digital body. its pretty cool.