Autofocus and the Minolta Dimage 7Hi

I just purchased a Minolta Dimage 7Hi. Some background. I am not converting
to DIgal but just wanted a good Digital for pictures of my Dog, Grandkids
and trains. I have 2 Minolta Maxxum 9s I use for print and love both.

I tried to take some pictures of my dog jumping into my pool yesterday in
good lighting conditions. It took at least 1.5 to 2 seconds for the Dimage
to autofocus. I missed all of the great shots. I also found that when it
says it it is focused, it is still focusing. I have set the focus to
continious and the exposure to the sports setting.

Am I doing something wrong or should I not expect the focusing capabilities
of my Maxxum 9s on the Dimage 7Hi.

Richard L. Dunklee, Jr.

 

Sorry, the answer is you should not expect the focusing capabilities of your
Maxxum 9 on the 7Hi.

Liz

 

The autofocus on the 7hi is slower than most of us would like. Unlike some
posters, I have found the focus to be accurate when properly used. However,
when using the camera in time critical situations, I always use it in manual
mode, and set the focus to an intermediate distance, or the distance the
subject is expected to be. Due to the smaller sensor area, and the smaller
focal lengths of the optics vis a vis 35 mm, the depth of focus is
proportionately deeper, helping a lot with focus. In fact, it is sometimes
difficult to get the background out of focus when you want that effect.

 

Hi,

I find that if I use spot focus I get sharper results. It takes a while to get
used to the camera, especially going directly from film to digital.

I also found that I have to be carefull of camera shake when I use the LCD
because when you use the camera away from your body hands move quite a bit more
then if the camera is pressed against your face.
By the way, what size are you saving the pictures? when you want fast action
you might want to try a smaller size so that the camera will write the picture
faster and be ready for the next shot.
Rosita