Not that I can see, and the Minolta literature suggests that it does not.

I think you just have to accept that that's the way it is -- the older flash
units will still fire with the digital SLRs but you don't get TTL flash
metering, so can only adjust exposure by tinkering with the power setting
and/or aperture. I have a Maxxum 5D myself and have never even tried it with
my older Maxxum flash units -- I suppose I ought to experiment with them
just out of curiosity.

Neil

Right.  You can set a nominal aperture and then control the power in
full stop steps (1/1, 1/2, 1/4, 1/8, 1/16, 1/32) using the histogram as
a guide.  (I _assume_ the 5400xi has the same power controls as the
5400HS that I have, IAC).  The closer you are, the less power (or close
down the aperture some).

Also adjust aperture to offset for the coarse full stop intervals of the
flash.

You need the 5600HS or 5600HSD to get TTL flash (2500D, 3600HS too).
The reason is that for just about all digital cameras a pre-flash
metering is made using the prism located exposure sensors.

Only the later Minolta flashes support pre-flash.  Pre-flash as a
metering method was available in the Maxxum 9 and 7 (and 5?) so those
later flashes were pre-equipped for digital.  Whether that was foresight
or luck (later I believe) I'm happy I have a 5600HS.

Film TTL flash exposure was OTF (Off the film) in the early days and was
the main method for almost all Maxxum cameras up to the Maxxum 9 and 7
(which incorporated pre-flash as well, and the 7 incorporated distance
as well).

But digital sensors do not reflect light efficiently (at least for flash
measurement, perhaps too specular).  (If you have a minolta Maxxum film
camera, open the film door (w/o film of course), set Bulb, hold down the
shutter and look at the bottom of the chamber (bottom of the mirror
section) and you will see a slot with three sensors: that's the OTF
sensor array).

So digital cameras fire a weak pre-flash, measures the return (assumes a
mid-tone world), and then pre-sets the flash power before the actual
shot.  In P-mode I assume there is an aperture v. power balancing act,
but I'm not entirely sure.  I just shoot "M" with a nominal shutter
speed (1/160 for the 7D) and whatever aperture I need.

[In P&S cameras the flash sensor is the CCD/CMOS itself; in reflex
cameras it is the reflected light meter traditionally used for non-flash
shots]

Result?  On the Maxxum 7D, 90% or more shots of people end up with
closed eyes as the pre-flash makes them blink right on time for the
shot!  Red-eye reduction mode might help get the eye blink timing
different, but I haven't tried it.  For people shots I just use manaul
flash exposure and set distances ... much better consistency in exposure
and color, usually bounced off of at least a small reflector, ceiling or
wall...

Like others, I've found that the pre-flash exposure on the 7D is in
error by about 1.3 to 1.7 stops under.  So in the rare times that I use
TTL flash on the 7D I usually have the flash comp set to +1.5.  I don't
know if this has been fixed in the Sony A100.  K-M had a fix for the
exposure problem that involved sending them the flash and the camera for
some procedure (not sure if it was calibration or re-programming, but I
was not willing to part with my equipment for a couple weeks to get it
adjusted.  Most of my flash work with the 7D has been with studio flash
for which it is a very capable camera).

[Sidebar: there are also some Minolta lenses with focus distance
reporting that are coupled into the flash power computation.  This
reduces the error from non-mid-tone metering.  I only have one (D) lens
that support that, but not a lens I use much with attached flash.]

Cheers,
Alan