Minolta Dynax 800si (1997–2000)

The Dynax 800si was sold as the Maxxum 800si in North America and α-807si in Japan. It was Minolta's flagship of the si series, launched in 1997 and produced until 2000. It sat above the 700si in the lineup, aimed at the pro and semi-pro market. The step up from the 700si brought two additional user memory slots (three total versus one) and built-in data storage for picture metadata, a feature that on earlier models required optional memory cards. The 800si has no data card slot at all - most of those functions are simply built in.

The body is big and solid. One owner describes it as made of a hard, solid plastic that doesn't feel flimsy or creaky. It is similar in size and weight to the 700si - reasonably large, though not as big as the earlier Dynax 7xi. Controls are spread across the body: two dials (front and rear), a shutter release behind the front dial with half-press to activate metering and autofocus, an "auto everything" button beside the release, and a switch on the base to disable the eye-start function. The lens mount carries buttons for exposure compensation, flash power, AF/MF selection, and depth-of-field preview. A panel on the side hides further controls for drive modes, metering, ISO override, custom functions, and data storage. There are 16 custom functions in total.

The built-in flash has a pronounced "power bulge" atop the housing, and when raised it whirs as it zooms to match the lens focal length. Minolta claimed enough power to illuminate a subject at nearly 50 feet with ISO 400 film. The metering system uses Minolta's 14-segment honeycomb pattern, with center-weighted and spot options available. Shutter speeds run from 30 seconds to 1/8000, with bulb, and continuous shooting runs at 3 fps. The top-panel LCD is larger than the 700si's and illuminates automatically in low light. The viewfinder moved most information to a panel at the bottom, dropping some of the superimposed readout the 700si offered. At least one reviewer was unsure this was an improvement.

The camera takes a 2CR5 6V battery and uses the Minolta/Sony 3-pin remote release socket. It weighs 880 grams. The lens used in the review that forms most of the surviving documentation was a 28-80mm zoom from a Dynax 5, which confirms A-mount lens compatibility across the series.

Everything Vintage (a period review source) called it "a very impressive offering" and noted that it looks like it could take a few knocks. The same source, writing about its condition, found the example received "just about like new."

Surviving documentation is otherwise thin. No original launch price, detailed spec sheet, or common-failure information appears in the record. The camera does turn up at auction - one example was bought for £26 - and typical eBay "buy it now" listings at the time of writing sit in the £50-£100 range, which at least one collector considers too much for a 1990s camera.

Type: 35mm autofocus SLR, A-mount
Production: 1997–2000
Shutter: 30 sec – 1/8000 sec, bulb
Metering: 14-segment honeycomb, center-weighted, spot
Continuous shooting: 3 fps
Flash: Built-in zoom, GN up to 20, covers 24–80mm
Custom functions: 16
Memory slots: 3 user memories
Battery: 2CR5 6V
Weight: 880 g