The Minolta Dynax 8000i is a 35 mm camera. It belongs to the group of automatic SLR cameras for the 35 mm format. It is the successor of the Minolta Dynax 7000i and was sold to photographers in Europe, among others. The range of functions and the design remained relatively the same compared to its predecessor. The main changes were a faster shutter speed and changes to the viewfinder and LCD screen.
The camera was introduced in the 1990s. In Japan, the model is known as the Minolta Alpha 8700i. In the U.S., photographers could buy a functionally identical model as the Maxxum 8000i.
As known from SLR cameras, the lenses can be exchanged. A Minolta A bayonet was installed for this purpose. There are many lenses with different focal lengths for this mount. Depending on the lens, the choice of aperture values also varies. The 35mm camera has an autofocus system, but also offers the possibility to adjust the focus manually.
The Minolta Dynax 8000i also has a built-in light meter. It is designed for films with a sensitivity in a range from ISO 25 to ISO 6400. These values can be freely set manually. When automatically reading the film sensitivity, the camera technology can only cover a range from 25 to 5000. The sensitivity is read out via the DX coding on the film cartridge. This must therefore be present.
The camera has the four classic exposure modes. The photographer can either choose all the settings himself, have all the values set by the camera, or choose only one of the values (aperture or shutter speed) himself. The automatic exposure modes can be influenced by exposure compensation. Plus, minus four aperture stops are possible here. The shutter speed ranges from 1/8000 second to 30 seconds. There is also a Bulb mode for long exposures.
For long exposures, the camera should be mounted on a tripod. For this purpose, there is a thread on the bottom of the housing. On the top is the display. It provides information about the number of photos taken. There is also an indicator when the self-timer is on. The self-timer has a lead time of ten seconds. A flash can be connected via the proprietary port.
According to the manual, the camera weighs 600 grams without films and batteries. The dimensions of the body without lens are 15.3 x 9.3 x 6.9 cm. A 2CR5 battery is needed to power the Japanese camera.
Film transport is automatic on this model. The motor in the camera manages up to three frames per second. At the end of the film roll, usually after about 36 frames, the film material is automatically rewound into the cartridge. Then you can remove the film and take it to be developed.
Films for the Minolta Dynax 8000i
The Dynax 8000i needs 35mm film. It is the most popular film format. Therefore, there is still a wide range of possible products for the camera. For example, the Fujifilm Superia 400 for color photos and the Kodak T-Max 400 for monochrome images. Other manufacturers, of course, also produce suitable films for the Japanese 35mm camera. Here one can name Foma, Rollei, Ilford, Adox or Lomography as suppliers.
