I got my 7D here in Seattle, (in the northwest USA) on November 15th and
I'm in love...

My main reason for going with the Maxxum/Dynax is the collection of
lenses and accessories I already had for my Maxxum 9xi's.  All the
lenses work well (Minolta 50 f/1.4 & 50 f/2.8 Macro; Tamron 35-105
f/2.8; Sigma 75-300 f/4~5.6 APO & 500 f/7.2; Tokina 20-35 f/3.5)

My Tamron 1.4x and 2x tele-extenders work okay only if I turn off
autofocus; if AF is on, the camera just sorta growls the focusing motor
but won't focus or allow shutter release, no matter which lens I use.

My 18 year-old Minolta 4000AF strobe also doesn't talk much to the
camera other than to fire when the shutter is released; it's auto-zoom
head also still responds to zooming a lens.  I will have to go back and
dust off the brain cell that supposedly learned how to calculate via
guide numbers, ISOs and distance - or I can just use the brute force
trial-and-error method since I have instant feedback - that method has
worked very nicely in my tests so far.  Might look into one of the newer
whizbang Minolta strobes when I gather up some more pennies, but I
really don't do all that much flash photography.

I also got the VC-7D Vertical Control Grip which seems to work very
nicely, it gives me a better grip on the camera than I usually have on
reality (not like that's saying a lot...), and it has room for two
NP-400 batteries - a nice feature is that it will operate also with only
one battery installed, or with 6 AA Ni-Mh cells (haven't tried the
latter.)

I'm using a Hitachi 4Gb Microdrive which has been trouble-free so far
other than it fits quite snugly into the slot, I have a little trouble
getting my big fingers in to pull it out after pushing the eject lever -
still better than having it go sproinging out over the rim at Crater
Lake or into the intake of a jet...  I have managed to about half fill
it so far and have only recharged the batteries once, and then only
after a big set of long nighttime exposure tests - these also turned out
quite well, at least here close to a city core with brightly light
polluted skies, Seattle hasn't had a clear night yet to try some
starscape photos, maybe next August.  The 2 second delay release mode is
great for such tripod shots, the 7D locks up the mirror when you press
the shutter allowing vibrations to damp before the actual exposure -
schweet!

Coming from decades of slides, I really like being able to change ISO in
'mid roll' - even at ISO 800, noise is minimal; at 3200 there is a fair
bit, but still less than I get scanning an ISO 200 negative in my Nikon
Coolscan 4000ED.  Was having fun late last night riding home with a
friend, handholding amazingly short exposures out the windshield at ISO
3200 with a 1.4 lens that showed very nicely the moron in the next lane
aggressively tailgating the poor sot in front of him.

The anti-shake system seems to work quite well, and is a real plus for
me as I'm not as steady as I used to be with this bum back; Minolta also
came to my rescue like this in 1985 when they brought out the Maxxum
7000 AF just as my eyesight was taking a decided turn for the worse. The
data display on the 7D is also a real help for my crummy eyes - I can
set it to the minimal data mode where just the most important details
are shown in even larger text - much easier for me to see than the LCD
panels on my 9xi's or the smaller viewfinder readouts, though the 7D is
better there compared to the 9xi, too.

Summing up, I'm really happy with my new toy!  I've had a Sony Mavica
CD1000 for four years, nice for what it does, but nowhere near a match
for a 'real' camera - this is my first experience with a DSLR, I don't
think I will be shooting a whole lot of film from here on out!

Bob ^,,^
http://bobqat.com