Rating: 
Summary: Solid photo value
Review: I have used this camera for 8 months, shooting in a variety of situations. I have found it to perform extremely well in all respects except three. First and foremost, the focusing speed is too slow in many situations. Second, the manaual focus/autofocus button is placed where it is too easy to press it accidentally. Third, I find that the video viewfinder seems to somewhat compromise overall ease of use and speed of operation.
I would rate the quality of the optics and general construction and design as very good to excellent. Enlargements of 11"x14" are easily comparable to first quality 35 mm prints. Also, the range of the lens (28-200 35mm equivalent) is truly outstanding, especially considering the small size of the lens.
Rating: 
Summary: Easy to use
Review: I love this camera - I have had it for about 5 days. It is easy to use. Easy to figure out all the different functions. The pictures are beautiful. You can use it on automatic and get professional results. Explore and get unbelievable night images. The lens allows you to add filters. Only the Sony allows this at this level of a camera. Go for it you will love it.
Rating:
Summary: Great Camera but no A/C Adapter
Review: I purchased the Dimage 7i plus an IBM 1 Gig Microdrive. I am not sure which is more impressive, the Dimage or the Microdrive! The images one gets with this camera are 90% of the time 100% impressive.. indistiguishable from a flatbed scanned 8X10 glossy photograph. The auto focus feature is generally acceptable, however, the viewfinder or the LCD screen makes it nearly impossible to tell whether or not the subject is truely in focus; both are just to pixely to be sure. If the subject matter is important, I always snap a few extras just in case. At 100% resolution using the fine setting, the microdrive is able to hold upwards of 350 images at a time. (nearly 10 rolls of 36 exp film!) I very much recommend getting the microdrive for this camera as it increases it's overall value 100%. Too, the camera w/microdrive can be used as a storage device for anything on your PC. Connection to the computer via USP is very easy, although not fast if you are transferring large amounts of hi res images from a microdrive. I recommend getting a cup of coffee during such transfers. :O)I also recommend buying at least three extra sets of NI-MH batteries and keep them charged at all times. (very inexpensive 4 packs available at Ritz Camera) The memory and setup features on the camera can be confusing and yield unexpected results at times. (i am still not sure I have setup completely figured out) The thing that really burned me about this product is that it does not come with an AC Adapter even though the box states that one is enclosed!... The quality of the images makes the Dimage 7i a very decent studio camera and an AC Adapter would be a must for this use. Final thoughts: Buy it, and get the 500meg or 1gig microdrive... and a stash of rechargable batteries!
Rating:
Summary: Minolta Dimage 7i personal review
Review: I researched many cameras in stores and on line. I wanted high pixel, lots of zoom and movie with sound. Nikon 5700 with 8x zoom is more expensive and was not available. Nikon 5000 does not compare in the zoom.
I was sold on the Minolta. I am still experimenting with all the amazing features. Automatic does a great job. I recommend reading the manual several times,,,, actually I study the manual and then practice on the actual camera. I bought an AC adapter and run an extension cord and practice on that and not use up the batteries,plus walk around the rooms taking pictures connected to the AC adapter... This camera is like buying a small computer. I love it. It is the best buy out there for a 5+ pixel with the 60 second movie with sound. I love the macro switch for close up work! There is even a menu to shoot black and white if you need to do some art work. You can change so many variables and even label your files that will come up on the PC when you download. In the LDC screen there is a small keyboard that shows up so you type in your own name to a photo file. I also bought a compact flash reader that connects to your USB and I don't even have to download from the camera. Plus with my printer I can just put in the card and print directly. I also bought a compact flash card with more MB. It comes with Sanyo rechargeable batteries and the recharger. I can't say enough about how please I was to find this camera. And actually a review like this about a Dimage 7 helped me realize the Dimage 7i is the newer model with sound for the movie! The investment of $1000 is worth it. This camera's technology will be around for a long time. Have fun !!!
Rating:
Summary: Dimage 7i
Review: I was very hesitant to buy a digital camera being an avid SLR fan.But I'm pleased to say the 7i has exceeded my expectations & I can say goodbye to conventional film. I've discovered it is a power hog but I've overcome this obstacle by purchasing 2 sets of Monster batteries(note the battteries that come with the camera are useless).I can shoot around 300 pictures w/flash no problem plus I have the ac adapter for home use when I'm snapping pictures of the kids.I can blow up my pictures to any size and the clarity is awesome! You lose no resolution.In fine I find I can take good action shots, when you get into superfine or RAW it takes the camera a few seconds to catch up to you. This camera is not for amateur's. It's too complex, but if you are an advanced photographer you will find this camera to be a thrill! You will need to purchase a flashcard a minimum of 256mb.I ordered a 256mb card because the 16 mb card that comes with this camera is a joke! You can take 1 picture in RAW or Superfine and maybe 8 in fine. I'm looking to get at least a GIG for vacations probably 2.Another important consideration is that this is compatible with Minolta Vectis SLR lenses & flash units a huge mark to its favor.
Rating:
Summary: Special camera
Review: I've spent some time looking for a digital camera. I was looking for the best value in about ~[$$$]range and this camera is probably one of the best choices. What is so special in this camera? - 28-200 zoom. It's very unusual to find a digital camera with zoom starting as low as 28 mm. And it makes a huge difference when you take pictures inside buildings. 28mm means significantly wider view then 35 or fourty something.
- Manual zoom. Many close competititors have motorized zoom. It's slow. Manual zoom gives you better control.
- Autofocus. It's just great. It's fast and if there is not enough light it switches to B&W mode so if you can see anything yourself in most cases your camera will be able to get autofocus to work.
- Manual focus. There is a ring and you can focus manually or tune after AF.
- EVF. Some people like optical viewfinders but keep in mind that on EVF you see what will be on your picture real time. Like if you shoot man on the snow you can see if his face too dark or too light before you press the button, not after.
- Lots of features. Minolta has probably the richest set of features in the class. I really enjoy this camera. Highly, Highly recommended.
Rating:
Summary: GENEROUS ZOOM-RANGE; ALLURING DESIGN
Review: Minolta's Dimage 7i is expensive, but its design is inviting. One of its most outstanding qualities is its generous zoom-range. At 28-200mm, it is a novelty in this digicam category: a masterpiece with excellent wide-angle and focussing system. The listed 5.24 megapixels buck, which effectively yields a 4.95 megapixels resolution proved capable. Its quality images testified to this fact. Minolta's styling choice ensured that Dimage 7i has well-positioned accessories and control buttons. But the main setback is that the high-speed 7fps burst falters each time I set the camera at its maximum resolution.
Overall, this is a fine photo tool whose image quality is superior to that of its immediate predecessor, the Dimage 7.
Rating:
Summary: Same thing for a better price.
Review: Not here to rate the camera, but to inform those who wish to buy it that there is a better deal out there. I just want to help the world :)
Go ...and search for the camera
It is almost cheaper. Well have fun, and I love to save the world money. Shopper D
Rating:
Summary: Not the easiest camera to use.
Review: On 12/03/02 I have uprated my review to four stars from two stars. I recently had to send the 7i back to Minolta for repair of the flash unit. When they returned it, I found that the autofocus works quite well. They said on the invoice that they did a complete cleaning and adjusted to factory specs. Apparently that corrected the autofocus problem with my camera. So I amend the quoted text below with this new information. There are still a fair number of people on the forums that report autofocus problems, so this may be a quality control problem. I must say that Minolta's waranty service was easy to obtain and speedy. "The 7i is a camera that should have great potential but misses. It is my fourth digital still camera, and the most problematic. Auto focus often does not work. This is the biggest problem and one that is well documented on the digital camera forums. The D7 had this problem also and Minolta claims they fixed it, but apparently not. I point, I get auto focus confirmation in the view finder, I shoot, and too many times the 7i decides to focus on something other than the subject". Auto exposure is also iffy. There is a tendancy for these cameras to over expose. This is not a point and shoot camera. It is possible to get some excellent pictures, but this camera takes a lot of getting used to and requires a lot of tweaking. Another problem is higher than average image noise for a camera of this resolution. This is another problem that is well documented on the forums. Too bad I did not take the time to search before purchasing. The 7i has many useful modes and adustments. The problem is you have to twist a dial then press a button, and perhaps use even another dial or button to acomplish an adjustment. Really akward to use for candid photography. The manual focus ring is so close to the body that it is hard to get your fingers on to use. All in all my Olympus digital cameras blow the 7i away on picture quality, auto focus, auto exposure and ease of use. I really wish I had stuck with my other cameras and waited for the next generation of 5 or 6 megapixel zoom cameras. Before you buy this camera, do some on line searching for digital camera forums and check into the problems that experienced users are having with the Minolta 7xx series of cameras. You will wonder how, if they really put it through its paces, so many of the reviewers here gave it such a high rating.
Rating: 
Summary: A Mixed Performer
Review: The good:
Great zoom range. It's the only ZLR that goes as wide as 28mm (35mm equivalent). The bad:
Very poor focusing, especially in low light. The ugly:
More noise than you'd expect. A better alogarithm is need. A digital camera is only as good as its programming.
The electronic viewfinder is virtually useless. The low pixel count and distorted viewfinder optics do it in.
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