From: yz@broca.acc.virginia.edu 
Subject: 7xi or 10S (was Re: Minolta Maxxum 7xi or Cannon EOS Elan)
Organization: University of Virginia
Distribution: na
Date: Fri, 28 Aug 1992 15:37:29 GMT

In article <1992Aug26.230145.1164@clark.edu> gsnow@clark.edu (Gary Snow)  
writes:
> In article <1992Aug26.201549.25146@murdoch.acc.Virginia.EDU>  
yz@broca.acc.virginia.edu writes:
> >
>> >It has three widely spaced AF sensors which in my opinion is better than
> >few big sensor bunched around the middle like in the 7xi.
> 
> Lets see, my 10s has 3 sensors, and my 7xi has 4. My 7xi definately has the
> wider autofocus area, and about 10 times the autofocus height of my 10s.
> The autofocusing area of the 7xi clearly beats the area of the 10s.
Well, I don't know about that. Minolta claims the 7xi has the largest AF area  
of any camera. I have always believed them until now. After reading this  
message, I checked out these two camera in the back issues of Pop. Photography  
(Mar,92 and Feb,91). When I calcuted the tested (as opposed to the marked) AF  
areas of both cameras, the 10S actually had a bigger total AF area. In fact,  
more than twice as big! You can claim what ever you want, but since I doubt any  
of us has the extensive amount of test equipment of the magazine, I tend to  
believe their tests. 
> >The camera (10S) will pick the AF sensor to use or allow you to pick the
> >sensor. This way you don't always have to keep the main subject in  
> >the center.
> 
> Gee, so with the 7xi.
 Not so, if you'll look in you viewfinders again(or Pop. Photography ) , any  
body can see the sensors on the 10S is more spread out than the 7xi. You still  
would have to keep the main subjext relativly in the center.
> >The central AF sensor will focus on both vertical and horizontal lines.
> 
> So will the centeral focusing area of the 7xi.
 Wrong! The 7xi's top and center are sensitive to vertical lines, while the  
outer two vertical sensors are sensitive to horizontial lines. And if you look  
at Pop. Photography's AF speedd tes, you'll notice 10S is actually faster than  
the 7xi in most light levels. So there goes the claim about faster focusing  
speed of 7xi.
> >It also has a built in flash, although without red eye reduction.
> 
> Both the Elan and the 7xi have the red-eye reduction, and the Elan has quite
> a few other flash features as well that the 10s doesn't.
> 
> >It doesn't have Elan's quiet belt drive but it is still quieter than most AF  
> >cameras.
> 
> Its sort of quiet, but try and use it during a wedding is will sound more
> thunderous. Changing the film during the wedding vows get everyone to look
> your direction.
Try to do it with the 7xi! With it's powerzoom, AF motors, winding motors, and  
god knows what else, you'll get thrown out of the wedding. In Pop. Photography  
test, the 10S was consistently quieter than the 7xi.
> >The 10s is also easier to use than the 7xi.
> 
> How do you know that, do you own both like me?  I think that the are equally
> easy to use, if anything the 7xi is a little easier, because you don't
> have to spin the dial to the correct PIC mode....the 7xi does that
> automatically.
 Sorry, Gary. I don't own both. Us students with a large can't exactly let our  
photographic whims dictate our measly budget. But I have often used a friend's  
7xi. The 10S was way easier to learn how to use. To access some functions, you  
even have to do it by opening that little door.  Another thing, 7xi don't have  
pic modes, in case you haven't noticed. In want a landscape mode, you need  
cards. 
Let's see what else is 7xi missing. 10S has infred remote control, 7xi need a  
special wire remote control. 10S is lighter. 10S has built in interval timer,  
the 7xi need a card. 10S has built in brackting, the 7xi need a card. 10S have  
mirror lockup, DOF preview, no matter how many cards you buy for the 7xi, you  
can't have that. 10s has 14 built in custom function, you need another card to  
change only some of the same features of the 7xi. 10S has built in PIC modes,  
you need cards for them in 7xi. And "how many cards can the 7xi hold?" you ask,  
only 1! And now consider that each of the cards cost around 20 bucks at least.  
That can become quite a large sum. 
 I am not trying to make it look like a worthless piece of junk. It is a  
wonderful camera. It has a good and informative viewfinder, it's Omni-Direction  
autofocus is very accurate. If I had the money, I'll probably get one.  But the  
10S has many features the 7xi lacks or need cards for, and for about 70-100  
dollars less it is becomes a even better deal. And Gary, if you read my first  
post right, I wasn't trying to compare the 10S and 7xi, I was trying to suggest  
a better alternative to the EOS Elan. 
---Yuan
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