Minolta Maxxum AF Film Cameras and Lenses

The Minolta Maxxum AF 7000 35mm SLR camera was introduced in 1985. It marked a significant milestone in photography as it was the first camera to feature both integrated autofocus (AF) and motorised film advance, the standard configuration for later amateur and professional single lens reflex cameras.

The Minolta 7000 had its AF sensors and the focusing drive inside the camera body, and as a result the lenses could be much smaller and cheaper. The aperture and focus were mechanically driven through the lens mount from the camera body. However, electronically controlled buttons on the camera body now replaced the familiar mechanical aperture ring on the lens, and the setting was electronically displayed on the body and in the viewfinder. The familiar metal housing of older Minolta SLR cameras was replaced with a lighter, cheaper body made of plastics. In other respects, the Maxxum offered most of the standard features of other cameras of the day, with the exception of multi-exposure capability.

Minolta was very well prepared with their high tech AF feature that within the same year, there were three (3) Maxxum models, the initial AF 7000, The AF 5000 and a professional class AF 9000. Minolta was the most influential 35mm manufacturers in Japan during the mid '80.

The Minolta A-mount AF system lenses came together with the introduction of these new bodies. The A system, however, broke compatibility with its earlier MD and MC system manual-focus lenses and changing over was quite costly for those who were well entrenched with the older system.

Initial Minolta 7000's AF lens system comprised of 12 Minolta AF lenses with focal lengths ranging from 24mm to 300mm. Included are an 1:1 macro lens and 5 zoom lenses with macro capability covering a focal range from 28mm to 210mm. The early batch of lenses were still far from complete in every aspect, but still, most of these lenses with varying degree of price and performance should be quite adequate for most photographic applications.

Persistence though, the A lens mount is still the same today, with some modifications to the electronic contacts to facilitate new functions such as motor zoom for the xi system (now discontinued), a more sophisticated flash metering system (ADI) and now fully realized in the Sony Alpha DSLR system..

With a crop-factor of 1.5x for the lower series APS-C sensored Sony Alpha's (A200, A300, A350) the 50mm lens with gives you an image equivalent to a 75mm on a full frame film SLR, a focal length close enough to be considered as a 'portrait lens.' Coupled with a very wide aperture of 1.4 or 1.7 that gives you the 'low-light' capability that does not come with your kit (zoom lenses) you have got yourself a truly great lens to start of your digital photographic journey...