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| Minolta's 14-segment honeycomb metering system has been one of our favorites since it was introduced in the Maxxum 7xi more than a decade ago. The version in the new Maxxum 70 handled this contrasty snow-covered peak on slide film very well. Photo by Mike Stensvold |
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| The function dial just left of the viewfinder makes it quick and easy to set a host of camera functions. Rotate the dial to the icon for the desired function, press the func button in the center, and select the desired option for that function by rotating the control dial. |
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| The Maxxum 70's depth-of-field preview button is a welcome addition, and rare on an entry-level AF SLR. |
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| The mode dial makes selecting shooting modes a snap. |
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| The LCD panel is easy to read and comprehend. Controls are well located and easily accessed while you are shooting. |
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| Maxxum lenses are well-coated against flare, and the 14-segment honeycomb metering system handled this into-the-rising-sun scene quite well. The AF system had no trouble with the tree limbs above or the bright sun at left. Photo by Mike Stensvold |
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| That 14-segment metering system nailed the nuances of early-morning sun on these trees. Photo by Mike Stensvold |
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| The spot AF, AE-lock/slow-sync, and AF/MF buttons are handily positioned for access via the right thumb. Functioning of the AF and AEL buttons can be adjusted via built-in Custom Functions 8 and 9. |
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| Wish we'd had a longer lens with us for this shot (it was made with a 28–80mm zoom set at 80mm), but the AF system handled the skittish hummingbird very well. Photo by Mike Stensvold |
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| The Maxxum 70's Subject Programs are great for point-and-shooting specific subject types. The Landscape Subject Program provides good depth of field. Photo by Ron Leach |
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Full-featured AF 35mm SLR for $279—with 28–100mm zoom lens
We loved Minolta's Maxxum 5 when we reviewed it in our September 2001 issue, for its excellent performance, wide range of features, and very low price. Its replacement, the new Maxxum 70, is even easier to use, offers more features, and feels better in the hands. And with a street price of $279 including a 28–100mm (D) zoom lens, it's a great deal for everyone from point-and-shooter to serious photographer on a tight budget.
Focusing
Like its predecessor, the Maxxum 70 offers single-shot AF, multi-dimensional predictive continuous AF, and Auto, in which the camera automatically sets continuous AF when subject motion is detected, and single-shot AF if the subject is stationary. But the new camera also adds a handy feature called DMF (Direct Manual Focus): When a D-series lens is attached to the camera, you can fine-tune focus manually after autofocusing, without switching to manual focus mode; just hold the shutter button halfway down, and rotate the lens's focusing ring. You select DMF mode the same as the other AF modes: by rotating the function dial to ACS DMF, pressing the function button in that dial's center, and rotating the control dial until the desired focus mode is indicated on the LCD panel atop the camera—quick and easy. Of course, you also can press the AF/MF button by your right thumb to engage full-time manual-focus mode, and focus manually via the focusing ring.
You can use custom Function 1 to select AF priority, in which the shutter locks until focus has been achieved; or release priority, in which you can trip the shutter at any time, whether or not the camera has focused on something.
The Maxxum 70's AF system employs nine AF points: a central cross-type which can read horizontal and vertical lines; horizontal types above, below and to each side of the central one; and diagonal ones in the corners of the wide AF area (all are indicated in the viewfinder, and the active one glows red briefly during focusing). Normally, the camera activates the focusing point covering the closest subject in the frame, but you can activate any of the points via the AF button. Press the button, and the camera switches to spot AF via the center AF point; if you want to use one of the other AF points, rotate the control dial until the desired point is indicated in the viewfinder (and on the external LCD panel). This is especially handy when photographing birds: you can use wide-area AF for in-flight shots, then quickly switch to spot AF for shots of a bird amid tree branches.
As with the other current Maxxum models, the Maxxum 70's AF system functions in light levels down to EV –1. In dim light, the built-in flash unit (or accessory flash unit if in use) emits a focus-assist burst that theoretically permits autofocusing in total darkness.
Exposure
The Maxxum 70 provides three metering options: Minolta's near-foolproof 14-segment honeycomb pattern, center-weighted, and spot (which measures an area indicated by a circle in the center of the viewfinder). You can select any of these in any exposure mode by rotating the function dial to the metering icon, pressing the function button in the dial's center, and rotating the control dial until the desired metering icon appears on the LCD panel. As always with Maxxum cameras, we found the 14-segment metering to be the best choice for just about all shooting situations, but did switch to spot occasionally when we felt it necessary.
There's an exposure mode for every situation and every photographer, from point-and-shooting novice to seasoned pro. For point-and-shooters, rotate the mode dial to the green P, and the camera sets everything: just point, and shoot. If you're shooting a specific type of subject (portrait, close-up, landscape, sports action, or a night portrait with flash), rotate the mode dial to the Subject Program icon, and rotate the control dial until the icon for the desired type of subject appears on the LCD panel. Serious photographers can choose among program AE (shiftable via Custom function 7), shutter- and aperture-priority AE, and metered manual.
Other exposure features include AE lock (in single-shot AF mode, focus and exposure lock once achieved as long as you keep the shutter button partially depressed; pressing the AE lock button locks exposure only), +/-3 stops of exposure compensation settable in 0.5-stop increments (in all modes except metered manual), automatic exposure bracketing (three frames, in intervals of 0.3, 0.5, 0.7 or 1.0 EV), and manual setting of ISO speeds from 6–6400 when desired (handy if your camera consistently tends to overexpose or underexpose, or if you want to push a roll of film). Custom Function 4 allows you to activate DX memory, in which the camera will remember if you manually override a DX film speed, and set the modified speed each time you load a DX roll of the speed you overrode—handy if you always rate your Velvia at EI 40 instead of ISO 50, for example.
Flash
The Maxxum 70 has a more-powerful built-in pop-up TTL flash than its predecessor, with an ISO 100 guide number of 52 in feet (16 in meters). Like the Maxxum 5's flash it covers the field of view of a 28mm lens. When Minolta D-series lenses are used, the camera provides ADI (Advanced Distance Integration) flash metering, which takes subject-distance data (from the AF system) into consideration along with the TTL flash metering, for exposures that are less influenced by subject reflectance and background conditions. Flash modes include auto (the flash pops up and fires automatically when the camera deems it necessary), fill (the flash fires for every shot, regardless of ambient light level), and flash-cancel (the flash doesn't activate—handy where flash is prohibited, and for natural-light shots). Auto mode is available only with full-auto, program and subject program exposure modes. Red-eye reduction (via a series of brief bursts) is available by rotating the function dial to the eye icon, pressing the function button, and rotating the control dial until "on" appears on the LCD panel.
Add a Minolta 5600HS (D), 5400HS or 3600HS (D) flash unit, and you get more power, plus pre-flash metering for even more-accurate exposures. The 5600HS (D) and 3600HS (D) provide HSS (High Speed Sync) at shutter speeds up to the camera's top 1/2000. You can also use the camera's built-in flash to fire off-camera 5600HS (D), 5400HS, 3600HS (D), 5400xi or 3500xi units up to 16.4 feet away with TTL exposure control.
More Features
At 5.3x3.6x2.6 inches, the Maxxum 70's body (which features a metallic casing and stainless-steel lens mount) is a bit larger than its predecessor's, and we like that—the tiniest AF SLRs are just too difficult to hand-hold steadily, especially with long lenses attached. The dials and front grip have rubber gripping surfaces, a nice touch. All the controls are ideally located for right-eyed shooters; left-eyed shooters will have to work out an arrangement with their right thumb to operate the AF, AEL and AF/MF buttons (all are easily used once that arrangement is worked out).
Shutter speeds, courtesy of an electronically controlled vertical-travel focal-plane shutter, range from 30 seconds to 1/2000, with flash sync up to 1/90 (up to 1/2000 with optional 5600HS (D), 5400HS or 3600HS (D) flash unit). If you want to make longer exposures, just select "bulb" with the control dial in manual exposure mode, and when you press the shutter button, the shutter will remain open as long as you keep the button fully depressed (you can use the optional remote control RC-3 to turn bulb into "T" mode, where the shutter opens when you fully depress the shutter button, and remains open until you press the button a second time—keeps you from wearing the fingerprint off your shutter finger).
Film threading, transport (single-frame or continuous at 3 fps) and rewind are automatic. You can activate mid-roll rewind manually if desired, and cancel auto rewind via Custom Function 2; Custom Function 3 allows you to choose whether to rewind the film leader into the cassette or leave it out. If you want to make more than one exposure on a single film frame, multiple-exposure mode lets you make as many as you'd like on the frame. (Remember to reduce exposure for each exposure if the images overlap. Multiplying the film speed by the number of exposures you're going to put on the frame, then manually setting the ISO to that figure is a good rule of thumb—for example, for three exposures on a frame of ISO 100 film, set the ISO to 320. Remember to reset the ISO when you're done with the multiple exposure!)
Gone is the Maxxum 5's Eye-Start, which automatically activated the AF and exposure systems as you brought the camera up to your eye. But it's been replaced by something more useful: built-in dioptric correction for the viewfinder eyepiece, from –2 to +1. Eyeglasses wearers can use this camera without their glasses. A depth-of-field preview button stops the lens down to the selected aperture, so you can see in the finder how much depth of field you have (light level permitting—the viewfinder image naturally gets darker when the lens stops down).
Fifteen Custom Functions are built into the Maxxum 70. Some we've already mentioned. Others include shutter locked or not when there's no film in the camera, no lens on the camera or the camera back is open; AF illuminator activated or deactivated (handy in situations where it would be distracting); functions of the AF and AEL buttons; and more. All are easily accessed by rotating the function dial to cust, rotating the control dial to select the function number, then pressing the function button and rotating the control dial to select the desired setting for that function.
Like all Maxxum cameras, the Maxxum 70 will accept the full line of Maxxum lenses, which currently range from 16mm full-frame fisheye and 20mm superwide-angle to 600mm supertelephoto, and include soft-focus and 1:1 macro lenses, a 500mm AF mirror lens, and a host of zooms from 17–35mm to 100–400mm. Minolta markets the Maxxum 70 with a 28–100mm (D) zoom, at a street price of around $279—one heck of a deal.
Camera: Minolta Maxxum 70
Category: AF 35mm SLR
AF Performance ****
Metering Performance ****
Feature Set *****
Ease of Use *****
Ergonomic *****
Value *****
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