Minolta Dynax 800si

The Minolta Dynax 800si built by Minolta is an SLR camera that can be used with 35mm film. It is the successor of the Minolta Dynax 700si. In the USA, it was offered as the Minolta Maxxum 800si. Minolta Alpha 807si was the name of the model in Japan.

An improvement on the Dynax 800si is the built-in scene modes, which include portrait, landscape, close-up, sports, and night portrait. This expanded range of scene modes on the 800si gives users more creative options and flexibility in a variety of shooting situations.

Lenses

The 35mm camera offers the ability to change lenses. Lenses with the Minolta A bayonet are compatible with the camera. Minolta AF lenses offer a wide range of focal lengths, from wide-angle to telephoto, and various aperture settings, providing versatile photography options.

Autofocus

The Dynax 800si’s autofocus system counts several modes, including AF-A, AF-S, and AF-C, allowing different autofocus strategies depending on the shooting situation. The AF light, a built-in LED, has a range of 0.7 to 7 meters and provides accurate autofocus in low-light conditions.

Exposure meter

A light meter is, of course, built into the still camera. The film speed setting ranges from 6 to 6400 ISO/ASA, with automatic setting for DX-encoded film from ISO 25 to 6400.

Exposure Modes

In addition to scene modes, the camera offers a wide range of exposure modes that include aperture priority, shutter priority, programmed auto, manual exposure, and bulb exposure. Shutter speeds range from 1/8000 second to 30 seconds. The available aperture values depend on the lens. Exposure compensation is available, in the automatic modes, with a range of ±3 EV in 1/2 EV steps.

A special feature of the Dynax 800si is the auto bracketing function, which allows exposure bracketing at ±1/3, 1/2, or 1 EV, with options for 3, 5, or 7 exposures. This feature is especially useful for photographers who want to make sure they get the perfect exposure in difficult lighting conditions, or for those who want to experiment with different exposure settings for creative purposes.

Flash

The Dynax 800si’s built-in flash has a guide number (GN) of 14 to 20, depending on the ISO value. It also has zoom capabilities between focal length values of 24 and 80 mm.

The camera also features a flash PC port and a High-Speed Sync (HSS) wireless flash, which provides even more flexibility for off-camera flash shooting.

Additional Features

For group shots or selfies, the 35mm photo camera can be mounted on a tripod, as it has a thread on the bottom of the body. It also has a built-in self-timer.

An advanced feature of the Dynax 800si is the ability to record and store exposure values for up to 9 rolls of film with up to 40 exposures per roll. This feature is especially useful for photographers who need to store exposure settings for multiple rolls of film to more easily review and analyze their results.

Other features of the Dynax 800si include multiple exposure with up to 9 exposures per frame, automatic film advance with selectable single-frame or continuous-advance modes and a maximum speed of 3 frames per second.

The camera weighs 628 grams without battery and lens. The dimensions are 15.35 x 10.7 x 7.15 cm.

Battery

The camera is powered by a 2CR5 battery (eBay / Amazon*). This type of battery can be easily purchased online.

Films for the Minolta Dynax 800si

The Minolta Dynax 800si is designed for the 35mm format. Films of this format are still readily available today and are still being developed.

Possible films for the Japanese SLR are the Kodak Gold 200* and the Kodak T-Max 100*. Both films can convince in test reports and are well suited for everyday use. Of course, there is a wide range of additional suitable films for this camera.

C-41 development is a common process for developing color films. Many photo labs have experience in using this process. The drop-off of color film for development is also available at many drug stores.

Black and white films can be developed in a variety of ways, either by using a photo lab or by self-developing with appropriate equipment.