Minolta Vectis 3000 APS Camera

Rating:
Summary: Best of The Best!
Review: I am a camera fanatic, I own cameras of all kinds, point and shoot to an old clunky Nikon SLR, which still takes great pictures, but is heavy and a lot of time to focus, choose aperture,etc., so I graduateed to simpler formats a few years back and I now own four point and shoots, two of them APS. The Vectus falls in this last category and takes the sharpest and best pictures I have ever taken. That, combined with being the smallest and lightest weight of all my cameras, makes it my favorite. I love this camera! I compared the ratings with other cameras of same capabilities before buying this one, and this was the only one that had 5 stars and all owners gave it glowing reviews, but I am judging it now on my own observations and all I can say is the pictures I have gotten from it so far are far superior to the other APS camera that I own, and rank right up there with the ones I could get from my SLR's and with a lot less effort! Right now my Vectis is missing, I fear it has been taken by a young member of my family who visited me recently, and as it looks so much like a toy because of it's size, it probably would appeal to a child. But I am in the process of ordering another Vectis 3000, as I do not think I can find any other that I would be as well pleased with.....Very satisfied ex-owner of Minolta Vectis and about to be owner again!
Alphia Larkins Later development: I found my Vectis Camera, it was not taken by the child that I thought might have taken it. Apologies to her and I am so happy to have my little camera again! It had just been misplaced.

Rating:
Summary: Hang On To It!
Review: I bought this camera for my wife on the strength of a review in Amazon. Now I won't let her use it; it is fantastic. The pictures are much more clear than I was expecting; they rival my 35mm SLR photos. It is a somewhat tender camera, so I would not recommend it for individuals who plan on using it in rough circumstances. I dropped it on a carpeted floor and it landed on the closed flash, jamming it and requiring repair. Initially I was a little disappointed in the flash re-cycle time, which seemed slow to me. However, on the whole it works well beyond my expectations and I am looking forward to finding my wife something else to use.

Rating:
Summary: BUYING A SECOND ONE
Review: I bought this camera to use in situations that I did not want to carry my bulky Canon with long lens and have since never touched my "good" camera. The pictures are great, it is easy to use and can fit in your pocket. My daughter is going away to school and I must buy her her own so that she does not take mine. A great camera overall!!

Rating:
Summary: BUYING A SECOND ONE
Review: I bought this camera to use in situations that I did not want to carry my bulky Canon with long lens and have since never touched my "good" camera. The pictures are great, it is easy to use and can fit in your pocket. My daughter is going away to school and I must buy her her own so that she does not take mine. A great camera overall!!

Rating:
Summary: short on accessories
Review: i could not wait to get this camera, and was all i hoped for, except for one thing. did not come with the battery. it only comes with the strap. so if you plan on purchasing this camera make sure you buy a battery and some film, to go along with it. other than that is is great, small enough to fit in your pocket and takes great pictures

Rating:
Summary: Great little APS point and shoot
Review: I looked at at least 25 different point and shoot cameras, both 35mm and in APS format, before buying, and this camera came in second place out of all of them. My first choice was the Fuji Tiara APS camera, which is slightly smaller than the 3000. Although I ultimately didn't purchase it, I was so impressed with this camera that I still wanted to write a review.

The Fuji Tiara is even smaller and had a slightly faster lens at F3.4 than the Vectis by half an F-stop. However, the Vectis has the 3X zoom lens, whereas the Fuji is fixed focal-length. The Fuji's lens takes very sharp photos. I've blown several up to 8 x 12 and have gotten several compliments on the quality of the shots, especially given the smaller negative of the APS format. I haven't seen actual photos for the Vectis, but I would expect them to be pretty good quality as well.

The Vectis' lens goes all the way down to 22mm in APS, which is equivalent to 26.4mm in 35mm format--even wider angle than the Fuji, which comes out to 29.2mm in 35mm format. Great for scenic and landscape shots.

Another nice feature is the mid-roll change option. Not all APS cameras have this. The Fuji has this as well.

I would recommend using ASA 200 film with this camera normally, and then if you need to go to faster ASA 400, you can do a mid-roll change at that point. This way you get better quality photos and you can save the roll of 400 for when the light is lower.

The camera is a little pricey compared to the other APS offerings, but a lot of that is the very small size and weight. The camera is only about 4.4 ounces and easily fits in your front shirt pocket. At that weight it is less than my Palm Pilot so you hardly know it's there.

Overall a great little camera to take with you anywhere.

Rating:
Summary: A major improvement over last year's Vectis 2000!
Review: Just when I thought the Vectis 2000 was the best APS on the market, here comes the Vectis 3000! Minolta addressed and solved the 2000's shortcomings in the newest model (i.e. 3x vs 2x zoom, mid-roll film change, a sturdier case and a lens when in the normal position is flush with the camera body eliminating the need to wait while the lens retracts into the body prior to closing the case.

Picture quality is excellent, although I strongly recommend a 200 speed film for panoramic use. Fuji Nexis 200 performs very well in the 24mm format when in panaormic mode.

The 3000 is quite pricy for an APS -- I paid $319 at a local retailer -- but worth every penny!

Rating:
Summary: I LOVE THIS CAMERA!
Review: This camera takes excellent pictures! From low light to bright, my pictures have come out beautifully. My sunsets shots make me look like a pro. This camera is light weight, very sleek and easy to use. I get complements on the camera itself all the time. The drop-in film loading is the best. I have nothing but good things to say about this camera. Well worth it!

Rating:
Summary: Minolta Camera
Review: This is such a great camera-I was a disposable camera user for many years until I got this camera. Not too technical and takes great pix! It will display the date if you choose, you can make the picture panaramic if you like or frame it! It has a nice case that can be worn on your belt-and the best part-it fits in my purse :)