Strengths - excellent TTL metering system

Fast and accurate autofocus

Large bright viewfinder

Mid-roll film exchange

Manual film speed override

Weaknesses

Although the body is heavy and rugged, it is not weatherproof

The battery is expensive and not rechargeable (I paid $14.99 for a new 2CR5 lithium battery). It is supposed to be good for 50 rolls of 24 exposure film, without the use of the flash

Heavy, especially for traveling or hiking.

Program

Automatic rewind

Built-in motordrive

Lenses - Minolta A-Type bayonet mount - accepts all Minolta AF lenses

Related Links

Detailed specification of the Minolta Maxxum 7xi
A photographer friend, who knows that I like to play around with old cameras, lent me her Minolta Maxxum 7xi (also known as the Dynax 7xi) to try out. Released in 1991, it was an advanced 35mm SLR camera for its time, with many innovative features. One of the coolest things about this camera are the expansion cards that it has for different creative program modes. They are intended to make the camera easy to use - just load the card and set the camera to P (program). I guess in 1991 it was not feasible to build all of the programs into the camera like modern cameras.

I tried out the camera during a studio shoot using manual exposure, without the expansion cards.  I attached a CyberSync to the hotshoe using a Minolta/Sony hotshoe adapter because the Minolta uses a proprietary hotshoe system (same as the Sony Alpha system). I set the shutter speed to 1/60th sec because I wasn't sure about the camera's sync speed. I looked it up later and found it is 1/200th sec, which is pretty good.  I loaded the camera with Kodak Ektar ISO 100 colour negative film.

Strengths - excellent TTL metering system

Fast and accurate autofocus

Large bright viewfinder

Mid-roll film exchange

Manual film speed override

Weaknesses

Although the body is heavy and rugged, it is not weatherproof

The battery is expensive and not rechargeable (I paid $14.99 for a new 2CR5 lithium battery). It is supposed to be good for 50 rolls of 24 exposure film, without the use of the flash

Heavy, especially for traveling or hiking.

Program

Automatic rewind

Built-in motordrive

Lenses - Minolta A-Type bayonet mount - accepts all Minolta AF lenses

Related Links

Detailed specification of the Minolta Maxxum 7xi

Credits

Model: Tia Guzzo
Makeup: Jennifer Ruth
Hair: Hair Styling: Rhi Yee
Fashion stylist: Jihan Amer
Set decorator: Guen Gianfranchi
Photography: Lloyd K. Barnes
Music: Nanten

This shoot was based on the Mexican holiday Dia de los Muertos (Day of the Dead), treatment but with a Spring blossom twist. The makeup was inspired by calaveras de azúcar (sugar skulls) that are given as offerings to the dead on November 1, and by the work of 666 Photography and the art of Sylvia Ji.

The Day of the Dead festival originated with the ancient Aztecs and was dedicated to the goddess Mictecacihuatl, the queen of Mictlan, the Aztec underworld who keeps watch over the bones of the dead. Her husband is Mictlantecuhtli, was the Aztec god of the dead, Lord of Mictlan. The celebration continues today in Mexico and parts of the United States.

Mictlantecuhtli - Aztec God of the Dead

This is the second Dia de los Muertos shoot in a series. The first was In the Darkenss of Winter and the next two are in planning stages.

Do you have some favourite Day of the Dead images or makeup? Share the links in the comments section below!

The theme of the shoot was based on the Dia do los Muertos (Day of the Dead) holiday in Mexico, but with a seasonal spring blossom twist. I'll be posting more information about this shoot soon, so keep an eye on my blog.

Here's a preview of one of the photos from this shoot:

Tia with Spring Muertos Sugar Skull Makeup

Model: Charity
Makeup: Jenny Ruth
Hair: Candice Styles and Dani Barnes
Styling: Dani Barnes
Soundtrack: "Gone With the Storm" by One Dice

I love the art of Sylvia Ji and was inspired by her Dia de los Muertos (Day of the Dead) paintings. We had an amazing team for this shoot - everything came together to create some very cool images. The overall theme was "death" but I wanted to combine Winter - which is symbolically associated with death - with Day of the Dead, where to buy viagra sugar skull inspired imagery. Jenny did a fantastic job with the makeup, and Dani and Candice were awesome with the hair styling. Dani's styling was perfect and Charity was beautiful and inspired

I chose "Gone With the Storm" by One Dice as the music to accompany the video slideshow, which fits perfectly with haunting vocals and strings and cold, icy piano!

Click here to see the gallery of images from the shoot. I hope you enjoy them!

Here's the video on YouTube for iPod, iPhone and iPad users: