Minolta Dynax 9

RaglanSurf

RaglanSurf

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Anybody got any experience of the Minolta Dynax 9? There's one for sale in a local charity shop. It's looks in excellent condition but it's not cheap but thought it might be worth a shot.
 
I think that it has a reputation for being a pretty tough Pro level camera, but I have never used one.
How expensive is it?
 
The Dynax 9 was a fantastic camera, bullet proof - not as techincally advanced as the dynax 7 - but much better built.

What price is it?
 
1/12000th of a second?

Definitely would appeal to me! Is is ADI and SSM modified? (Originally the 9 was unable to use ADI flash metering and SSM lenses but a circuit board upgrade by sending it into Minolta for a service allowed their use).

Unfortunately theres no easy way to tell, the only way that you can is to see if the custom function 20 has 4 options instead of 3 so to allow you to ADI flash metering. If it does have that then get the camera as modified ones are fairly uncommon and usually go for a high price on ebay.
 
andy700 said:
I think that it has a reputation for being a pretty tough Pro level camera, but I have never used one.
How expensive is it?
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barneyrubble said:
The Dynax 9 was a fantastic camera, bullet proof - not as techincally advanced as the dynax 7 - but much better built.

What price is it?
Click to expand...

s162216 said:
1/12000th of a second?

Definitely would appeal to me! Is is ADI and SSM modified? (Originally the 9 was unable to use ADI flash metering and SSM lenses but a circuit board upgrade by sending it into Minolta for a service allowed their use).

Unfortunately theres no easy way to tell, the only way that you can is to see if the custom function 20 has 4 options instead of 3 so to allow you to ADI flash metering. If it does have that then get the camera as modified spite it are fairly uncommon and usually go for a high price on ebay.
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Interesting, despite the fact that it does appeal, it's £70 so a bit pricey to buy on a whim. It comes complete with a grip as well so it's a hefty beast. Great looking camera but not for me I think, also I'd have to buy a lens for it as well I think my money would be better spent on more Nikon gear as I haven't quite got enough :lol:
 
The grip is easily worth that alone, their fairly difficult to find or so I've heard. Looking on ebay shows only 1 not sold with a camera (and another with a 9 and 3 lenses) in the USA with a BIN price of £214.

£70 is a very reasonable price for the camera and the grip, and even better if it is SSM/ADI modified.
 
s162216 said:
The grip is easily worth that alone, their fairly difficult to find or so I've heard. Looking on ebay shows only 1 not sold with a camera (and another with a 9 and 3 lenses) in the USA with a BIN price of £214.

£70 is a very reasonable price for the camera and the grip, and even better if it is SSM/ADI modified.
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I don't know about the modification and I've no way of checking, to be honest if I had £70 spare I'd give it a go but don't want to get lumbered with a $70 paperweight.
 
You can easily sell that on ebay for way way more than £70. Don't confuse it with the Dynax 9xi though which was an advanced level camera from about 6 years before the Dynax 9 and sells for way less.
 
I would go for the Dynax 9 at that price, and if it has the VC-9 grip, then you are getting one hell of a bargain. Dealers in UK asking for £350+ for camera and grip. I managed to get one off *bay a few weeks back, for just over double the price you mention. I have various Minoltas, incl. the Dynax 7, which is a bit more advanced, but having now used the 9, all I can say is that it is a beauty to hold and use.
If I lived in your area I would be asking where it was for sale, and be round there like a shot to buy it.
 
RaglanSurf said:
Anybody got any experience of the Minolta Dynax 9? There's one for sale in a local charity shop. It's looks in excellent condition but it's not cheap but thought it might be worth a shot.
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So did you take the plunge? If not a PM with details of the shop would be good :thumbs:
 
Looks like he is keeping quiet about the Dynax 9. But at the price quoted is is an outstanding bargain. Never get gear like that in our local charity shops. Although just having acquired a Dynax 9 fairly recently, if that one had been on sale locally for me, I would have been after it.
 
Right, I'm now the proud owner of a Dynax 9 with VC-9 grip.

So, who's got a Minolta prime AF lens they can lend me?
 
It would be interesting if the Dynax 9 has been upgraded to take SSM lenses and ADI flash; this is from Dyxum.com and explains how to discover if the camera has been upgraded.

"The existence of custom function 20-4 is a reliable indicator, that the SSM/ADI upgrade has been installed in a camera. I have repeatedly stressed this (since a lot of wrong and misleading information is floating around in the net in regard to this): The existence of custom function 20-4 is the *only* reliable indicator for the SSM/ADI upgrade without actually testing SSM lenses or opening the camera.

If a camera has been SSM upgraded, function 20-4 exists all the time, no matter of other camera settings or its internal configuration (via my hack or other means). If function 20-4 does not exist, the camera has not been SSM/ADI upgraded, and there is no way to enable these functions without carrying out the SSM/ADI hardware upgrade, I'm afraid."

I'm still jealous!! Even though I have a Dynax 7 and grip.
 
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RobY said:
How about the 100mm f2?
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Thanks for the offer Rob, if I can't find one locally I might just take you up on that.

RobY said:
It would be interesting if the Dynax 9 has been upgraded to take SSM lenses and ADI flash; this is from Dyxum.com and explains how to discover if the camera has been upgraded.

"The existence of custom function 20-4 is a reliable indicator, that the SSM/ADI upgrade has been installed in a camera. I have repeatedly stressed this (since a lot of wrong and misleading information is floating around in the net in regard to this): The existence of custom function 20-4 is the *only* reliable indicator for the SSM/ADI upgrade without actually testing SSM lenses or opening the camera.

If a camera has been SSM upgraded, function 20-4 exists all the time, no matter of other camera settings or its internal configuration (via my hack or other means). If function 20-4 does not exist, the camera has not been SSM/ADI upgraded, and there is no way to enable these functions without carrying out the SSM/ADI hardware upgrade, I'm afraid."

I'm still jealous!! Even though I have a Dynax 7 and grip.
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No upgrade I'm afraid, although finding one in a charity shop was unusual let alone an upgraded one, also can you believe when I picked this up yesterday the nice lady told me it originally had 5 lenses but somebody else took those a couple of weeks ago and didn't take the camera!
 
RaglanSurf, I hope the 'rat' who took all the lenses, and left you just the camera, gets home and finds they do not fit his Nikon/Canon or whatever.!!!

Also thanks to RobY, and his detailed comment re the upgrade for a Dynax 9. I will now be able to check out my 9.
 
Regarding the Dynax 9, it is indeed pretty well bullet-proof due to using a stainless steel body, and although the AF is not as fast as say, that of Canon lenses, the focussing at low light levels, was very accurate. The only 'niggles' I have with mine, is the DOF button (like many other camera manufacturers!) does not protrude a lot above the body-shell, (Annoying if you are using gloves) but I've already found a way of resolving that, by adding a bit of plastic to the face of the button. I much prefer it's 'traditional' controls and the weight, helps a lot when it come to holding the camera steady on slow shutter speeds. Some say it looks 'Ugly', but what do you really want, a functionally and ergonomically designed body, or 'Status Bling'? Regarding the upgrade, does it really make sense to put optics optimised for the APS-C sensor, on a FF body? Undoubtedly the Zeiss optics are going to be good, I doubt if they are that much better. Rokkors had a reputation for 'Contrasty' and optics, something that gives really good colours on film and digital sensors.
 
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