Rating: 
Summary: the best point-n-shoot camera with wide angle lense
Review: I own the older Explorer model with black face, and is very happy with this camera. The new model is Explorer EX with silver face, and comes with remote. I recently bought one for my friend. To me this is one of the best point-n-shoot camerasPros: Most importantly it takes great pictures. Easy to use. With great features, such as wide angle lense (28mm) and with zoom (70mm), softer flash so that it will not "white out" you face for night shoot, red eye reduction flash light, date stamp and much more Cons: View window is too small. Objects are a little bit distorted (stretched) on both sides of the piture because all point-n-shoot cameras have small lenses. In closs-up mode, small object tends to off forcus.
Rating: 
Summary: Repair Problem
Review: I purchased the Freedom Zoom Explorer about a year and a half ago after my 6-year old Olympus Stylus Zoom bit the dust. I've really enjoyed the camera--it takes great pictures most of the time. There is a problem with the flash rebound--it takes several seconds for the flash to recharge which is not good when trying to capture continuous flash shots of your kid's squad in cheerleading competitions. You can take the pictures, but most of them will not have the flash activated. I am now camera shopping to replace the Explorer. I started to use it the other day, but when I took it out of the case (which was also in the video cam case), the LCD on the top of the camera was black and mottled. It still took pictures, but I have no idea what setting it was on or how many shots were left on the film. At least I was able to rewind the film. After taking it to a local camera shop, they determined that it could be sent off to the factory and repaired.... They couldn't tell me what had happened or how it had happened, and I certainly don't have a clue since it's been safely stored since it was last used. This has been a good camera, but I was hoping to keep it longer than eighteen months. I don't think I'll be purchasing another.
Rating: 
Summary: Very good, but not perfect.
Review: I was drawn to this camera because of the special macro setting with a minimum distance from objects at 1.1 feet. It is specified as having a "smallest field of 6 inches" - but at 1.1 feet, the smallest frame is about 17" wide. Out of focus close-up images happen about 40% of the time - either because I was closer than 1.1 feet or the autofocus may be inaccurate at that distance. All these P&S cameras start out in 28mm wide angle mode - which naturally distorts the image (at the edges especially and indoors as noted in other reviews). There is no way to find the "standard" 50mm setting to minimize the distortion, except to guess w/ the zoom. These finer points should not discurage most users of this very sturdy camera. However, the zoom control is cramped (if you use your left eye to focus), and it does take some time to find the image in the viewfinder, especially with a dark image in view. The camera endured 2 years of torture in the bottom of my bookbag. Maybe I'll actually use the free softcase in the bookbag to provide more padding. It's light enough to carry around all the time for those moments when you say "I wish I had a camera right now". Good flash control. You must use the "landscape" setting if there is an object in the forground - or you get an image focused on the back of someone's head.
Rating:
Summary: Point and Shoot Warrier
Review: I was drawn to this camera because of the special macro setting with a minimum distance from objects at 1.1 feet. It is specified as having a "smallest field of 6 inches" - but at 1.1 feet, the smallest frame is about 17" wide. Out of focus close-up images happen about 40% of the time - either because I was closer than 1.1 feet or the autofocus may be inaccurate at that distance. All these P&S cameras start out in 28mm wide angle mode - which naturally distorts the image (at the edges especially and indoors as noted in other reviews). There is no way to find the "standard" 50mm setting to minimize the distortion, except to guess w/ the zoom. These finer points should not discurage most users of this very sturdy camera. However, the zoom control is cramped (if you use your left eye to focus), and it does take some time to find the image in the viewfinder, especially with a dark image in view. The camera endured 2 years of torture in the bottom of my bookbag. Maybe I'll actually use the free softcase in the bookbag to provide more padding. It's light enough to carry around all the time for those moments when you say "I wish I had a camera right now". Good flash control. You must use the "landscape" setting if there is an object in the forground - or you get an image focused on the back of someone's head.
Rating:
Summary: poor flash photography
Review: I've never seen anything like it. My photos looked like they were taken with a filter that darkened the right and/or left sides of the image. Same problem indoors or outdoors, with flash and wide angle. Also not happy with the sharpness of the focus.
Rating: 
Summary: After much research, I'm back to square one...
Review: Reading reviews and ratings on multiple photography and electronics sites, I was hoping I found a winner in the Minolta Freedom Zoom EX Panorama Date Kit. This camera has all the features (and then some) I was looking for in a camera -- lightweight, zoom lens, panoramic, date stamp, multiple flash modes, etc...). Brought the pictures in to get developed -- I used 400 Speed film and got the pictures developed on Kodak Gold paper... Much to my dismay, the pictures weren't very sharp -- grainy in fact -- and many of them were dark (yes, I had the flash on!) My 12 yr old Canon point and shoot delivers better pictures than this puppy... All in all -- nice camera, great features, good name for the money -- but not very impressive pictures... I've returned the camera and I will probably end up foregoing the panorama and zoom for better picture quality and try the highly rated Yashica T-4 Super with Carl Zeiss Tessar lens.
Rating:
Summary: Unreliable camera
Review: The camera broke before I even finished my first film. Very unreliable.
Rating:
Summary: Bad choice camera
Review: The Minolta Freedom Explorer EX camera worked great for my first 3 rolls of film. After that, the auto-focus feature did not work well and all my pictures were out of focus. I changed the battery but there was no improvement. Obtaining "customer service" from Minolta was virtually impossible. I was able to find a Minolta authorized dealer in Florida from a list on Minolta's web site. The camera was sent for repair and it took 6 months (Yes, SIX months) for it to be sent back to me. It was returned with the lens cover not working properly (it only retracts half way and it does not close entirely) and with some improvement in the focusing but still not acceptable. Again, getting help from Minolta or the dealer was impossible. Minolta didn't even respond to emails that I sent to their customer service department. Although the features of this camera were very attractive to me, I have since bought a digital camera from SONY and a 35 mm camera from Kodak. I don't think I will ever again buy a product from Minolta. Be careful!
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