M7 discontinued....what else?help!

[Van]

hello everyone.im new to photography.
and i was in the middle of purchasing a minolta maxxum 7 film camera.and they said that there is a large chance that they will not beable to fulfill the request.seeing how minolta has discontinued the camera.so they sugested that i look for another camera.
can anyone here give me any sugestions for a film camera that closely compares to the m7,price range and ergonomics?

thank you for all the input.

[92135011]

sure ^_^ why dont you get a REAL M7

...by Leica

[Michael Fanelli]

hello everyone.im new to photography.
and i was in the middle of purchasing a minolta maxxum 7 film camera.and they said that there is a large chance that they will not beable to fulfill the request.seeing how minolta has discontinued the camera.so they sugested that i look for another camera.
can anyone here give me any sugestions for a film camera that closely compares to the m7,price range and ergonomics?

thank you for all the input.

Film cameras from major manufacturers are equal. Go to a camera store and look at models from Canon, Nikon, and Pentax in your price range. Choose the one that you like the best. It's impossible to make a bad choice.

[Clemmie]

Minolta's pulling of the Maxxum 7, which has been a bestseller, has a lot of us in the Minolta groups scratching our heads - and scrambling for the last of the stock.

The company has always been very secretive as to what they're up to, so there are no answers - yet. We HOPE that this fits a past pattern of pulling a model from production a little while before introducing its successor - allowing time for dealers to sell off their older model stock - and that the selloff of the remaining '7' stock simply surpassed their projections, leaving a 'gap' here until the new model arrives.

In the meantime - I would suggest starting with a Used 7, or perhaps a Maxxum 5. Either will get you going, with a load of capabilities - and will make a great backup to the successor, when it comes along.

Or, for going completely modern right now - and probably completely beyond budget, too (I do understand) - the Maxxum 7D DSLR is based heavily on the '7' design.

[Clemmie]

In the few days since my first post, a new option has opened up for those seeking a 'new' Maxxum 7. Factory Refurbs - like New - are just now starting to become available.

Just do an eBay search for 'Maxxum 7', and you'll readily find them. What I have seen so far are being sold as a package deal with refurb Minolta lenses included. For those seeking just a body, just keep doing the search - as they're sure to turn up 'body only' as well, in short order.

Normally, when Minolta does a model change or discontinuance, there will be store stocks of New units lingering for several months - then, once those are cleared out, they start clearing the Refurb unit stock, which often drags out for a year or more. This is the quickest I've ever seen them get the refurbs out on the market.

Given the popularity of the Maxxum 7, and how quickly the New stocks were cleaned out in the end, it stands to reason that the Refurbs will now be a 'hot commodity' as well. So I wouldn't advise 'lingering' for long if you're in the market for one. A Refurb is now as close as we'll ever come to New - and once they're gone, then we're all stuck forever with the Used market.

Am just hoping now that I can spare the funds for a second body, while the supply lasts.